Q Pootle 5 is a 2013 animated television series based on the books Q Pootle 5 and Q Pootle 5 in Space by author Nick Butterworth. It revolves around the title character Q Pootle 5 and his friends, and is set on and around the fictional planet Oki Doki.
Development Author and executive producer Nick Butterworth chose Q Pootle 5 from amongst his other children's books as the character to develop into an animated series because, as an alien, he would not be culturally tied to any one location. He developed the series with his son Ben, who suggested they form their own production company. Together with Nick's wife Annette they added additional characters and locations to those already seen in the books, before producing a pilot clip with animation studio Blue Zoo from which a series was commissioned.
Music is an important element of Q Pootle 5. Producer Ben Butterworth said: "When we started to consider the music for the programme we didn't want music to be just an accompaniment to the story, we wanted people's experience to be enhanced by the music. The score had to be integral to the storytelling – creating atmosphere, adding nuance and subtlety, underpinning the emotional content of a story, driving the action of a scene, or making us laugh".
Characters Main characters Q Pootle 5 (voiced by Ed Gaughan), known as "Pootle" to his friends, is a friendly green alien and the lead character in the show. He enjoys stargazing on top of the camper van where he lives and spending time with his friends. Oopsy (voiced by Joanna Page) is Pootle's best friend. She is pink and has a lot of hair that sticks straight up. Oopsy lives in an upside-down rocket, and enjoys drawing and spending time with Pootle. Eddi (voiced by Steve Kynman) is a conjoined twin purple alien. He talks to himself a lot, and is less confident than the other characters. Eddi enjoys tinkering with his rocket, and adding to his string collection. Stella (voiced by Ella Kenion) is yellow and wears pink Wellington boots. She lives in a treehouse and loves gardening most of all, but she also likes to play her bagpipes whenever there's an opportunity to do so. Ray (voiced by Steve Kynman) is a blue major bird. He lives with Stella, and can sometimes be a bit grumpy. He has a fear of heights, and an intense dislike of Stella's bagpipes. Groobie (voiced by Richard Ridings) is the oldest of the gang. He is orange with thick purple eyebrows, and can be a bit forgetful. He lives in a shack in front of a junk yard full of scrap items which he occasionally restores. Everyone likes to gather at Groobie's because he makes the best smoothies in the galaxy. Bud-D (voiced by Steve Kynman) is Groobie's robot. He is enthusiastic and well-intentioned, but often malfunctions. Planet Dave (voiced by Richard Ridings) lives within view of Oki Doki. He is big enough for everyone to land their ships on when they visit him, and is very old indeed.
Additional characters Roy is a turquoise major bird, seen in the episode "A Friend For Ray". Maurice is a caterpillar who Stella finds on a plant that Pootle has given her in the episode "Maurice". Planet Roger is not seen in series one, but in the episode "Groobie to the Rescue", Groobie reads out a letter sent to Planet Dave from Planet Roger. Comet Gordon visits Planet Dave once every 3 million years.
Episodes There are 52 episodes of the Q Pootle 5 series. Each episode has a running time of approximately 11 minutes. Additionally, there is one 26-minute long Christmas special episode called "Pootle All The Way".
No. inseriesTitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date1The Great Space RaceGary Adams, Adam ShawDave Ingham29 July 20132 The Evenfruit PicnicGary Adams, Adam ShawNick Butterworth, Dave Ingham30 July 20133Groobie Woogie on Planet DaveArnfinn MosengNick Butterworth, Dave Ingham31 July 20134Pootle's house GuestDan ChambersNick Butterworth, Dave Ingham1 August 20135The Picture PuzzleGary AndrewsNick Butterworth, Dave Ingham2 August 20136Officer Bud-DArnfinn Moseng Nick Butterworth, Dave Ingham 5 August 20137Where's Ray?Dan Chambers, Adam ShawLee Pressman6 August 20138Eddi's HatGary Andrews, Adam Shaw Ben Butterworth7 August 20139Oopsy's New DoDan ChambersBen Butterworth8 August 201310Sports DayArnfinn Moseng Ben Butterworth9 August 201311Groobie to the Rescue Gary AndrewsNick Butterworth 12 August 201312Rocket bird OopsyArnfinn Moseng Nick Butterworth 13 August 201313A Day With Ray Dan ChambersLisa Akhurst14 August 201314Map MuddleGary Andrews15 August 201315Two Places At OnceArnfinn MosengDarren Jones16 August 201316Asteroid AlertDan Chambers23 September 201317Phew! What a ScorcherGary Andrews24 September 201818Hitting The High NoteDan Chambers25 September 201319The Biggest Picture EverArnfinn Moseng26 September 201320Oopsy's Backwards DayGary Andrews27 September 201321The Flying DisplayArnfinn Moseng30 September 201322Oopsy's MegaphoneDan Chambers1 October 201323Pootle the ExplorerGary AndrewsLaura Beaumont, Paul Larson2 October 201324Rocking not RollingArnfinn MosengDarren Jones3 October 201325The Visitor From SpaceDan ChambersJustin Trefgarne4 October 201326Groobie's Space WashGary Andrews7 October 201327The Singing ValleyGary Andrews 8 October 201328Flower PowerGary Andrews10 October 201329A Friend for Ray30The Foggy Day31The Eight-Eyed Thingy from Galaxy 732Groobie's Mighty Magnet33Spaceship Hiccup34Strange Sounds In The Night35Birthday Mix UpDarren Jones36Pootle's New Spaceship37The Cosmic Whipple38Beat Box Bud-D39Boing Boing Boing40Pootle Phone Home41Maurice42Planet Dave in a Spin43Bet-E44Runaway Rocket45Groobie's Day OutDarren Jones46Oopsy's Fairy Tale47It Came From Outer Space48The Bubble Craters49Bud-D Gets a Rocket50Waiting for Gordo51Rocket RemoteDarren Jones52A Very Special Place
References
External links Q Pootle 5 at CBeebies