Rainbow

[Trickyvee]

I've done a search and there's no thread on Rainbow! Apologies if I have just missed one somehow.

Anyway who didn't love Rainbow? I've started the thread because my thoughts have turned to Rod, Jane and Freddie. Who was your fave? I have to say none of them, because my favourite was a bloke who was part of the trio before Freddie. Not many people remember him. He went on to appear in the ill-fated 'Eldorado'. But whatever happened to R J & F?

[BlitzKid]

Re: Rainbow

I've done a search and there's no thread on Rainbow! Apologies if I have just missed one somehow.

Anyway who didn't love Rainbow? I've started the thread because my thoughts have turned to Rod, Jane and Freddie. Who was your fave? I have to say none of them, because my favourite was a bloke who was part of the trio before Freddie. Not many people remember him. He went on to appear in the ill-fated 'Eldorado'. But whatever happened to R J & F?

Rainbow is the greatest! There's so many episodes on YouTube, I watch them all the time. Sounds like the guy you're talking about is Roger Walker. When the trio formed they were Rod, Jane and Matthew, as Matthew Corbett of Sooty fame held the third role before leaving to replace his dad as Sooty presenter. Then Roger Walker replaced him for a few years before Freddy took over. I haven't actually seen any of his episodes, all the episodes online seem to be from after 1981, when Freddy joined the cast, although Roger was part of the infamous 'Twangers' spoof episode! He did actually write a few episodes for the show's later seasons, so he retained his Rainbow connections to some extent.

I'd love to see some more pre-1981 episodes of Rainbow, I'm sure it was just as good back then as in its 80s heyday!

[Trickyvee]

Re: Rainbow

Roger Walker - that's him. The world needs to know there was life before Freddy! Two lives infact - I didn't know Matthew Corbett was part of the hallowed team before he became Sooty's new dad. I was too young then. Mind you, I didn't think it was as far back as 1981 that Freddy joined. I must have just become old enough to watch the show as Roger was doing his stint. Rod Jane and Roger doesn't have quite the same ring to it though, does it?

[Trickyvee]

Re: Rainbow

Love a duck! I've just gone into shock! Apparently Rod and Jane were MARRIED! and then they got divorced and she ran away with Freddy . She's still with him.

My mother also maintains through careful observation of Rainbow during my formative years that Jane had a nose job at some point. Can't find enough photos to examine this theory for myself. Wonder if she did.

[smc4761]

Re: Rainbow

The infamous twangers sketh, priceless

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kclq2zGQy4w

[BlitzKid]

Re: Rainbow

Love a duck! I've just gone into shock! Apparently Rod and Jane were MARRIED! and then they got divorced and she ran away with Freddy . She's still with him.

Yep, sure enough Rod and Jane were married for well over a decade before getting divorced in 1982! Before Rainbow they were also part of a serious folk-rock band called Cumulus. Jane began dating Freddy about four years after divorcing from Rod. The tabloids sensationalized it all and made out there was some scandalous love triangle between the three of them, though actually it happened well after Rod and Jane's divorce and Rod was perfectly fine about Jane's relationship with Freddy, they continued to work together for a good deal of time afterwards. There's a video on YouTube somewhere where R, J & F laugh off the whole 'love triangle' rumour. I believe the three of them are still close friends today, Jane of course still lives with Freddy and though they're pretty much retired they still make the occasional pantomime appearance.

My mother also maintains through careful observation of Rainbow during my formative years that Jane had a nose job at some point. Can't find enough photos to examine this theory for myself. Wonder if she did.

Can't say I've noticed that, but I'll keep an eye out for it. I remember noticing her dramatic change in hairstyle in the mid-80s from being very straight to being more shaggy and hippyish, and Rod's beard suddenly vanished at the same time.

[sixtyten]

Re: Rainbow

I always thought Jane WAS Rod's 'beard'

[FLYING SAUCER]

Re: Rainbow

I loved ZIPPY!!

So arrogant, noisy and a right pain!! very funny too!

"Oh Geoffrey, you are stupid!!"

[DeptfordDraylons]

Re: Rainbow

I used to be a huge fan of this and wondered what happened in the first edition. I had a grainy copy back in about 1998, but the first edition of Rainbow, which originally was broadcast in October 1972, did come out on DVD a while back.

The notable differences between that and later editions included:

- No Geoffrey (it was a guy called David Cook)
- No Rod, Jane & Matthew/Roger/Freddy - it was a band all dressed in yellow called Telltale, singing a rather catchy little number about shapes (because that was the theme of the episode)
- Two puppets called Sunny and Moony (I think those were their names)
- No George
- Bungle has a white patch and looks a lot different to the character Stanley Bates made his own for so many years
- Zippy looks different too, and he only appears briefly at the end. He even sounds different, as I don't think Roy Skelton was doing the voices that far back.

[Austin Maxi]

Re: Rainbow

Telltale were the group who also performed the theme tune to 'Rainbow'. If you hear the full version it has a couple of hippy-trippy middle sections between the more familiar choruses.

[wispa lover]

Re: Rainbow

I love Rainbow!
My fave character is George. I even have a George plush.
I used to buy the Rainbow comics and I have a couple of their recent books, one of them have a pic of the 1972 Bungle.
Funny that Bungle always wore his 'birthday suit' in the show, but he wore pyjamas to bed and shorts on summer days.
I also have a few Rainbow videos, even one of the short-lived toy shop series.

[moonvisage]

Re: Rainbow

Jane Tucker is still going strong,and is as beautiful as ever.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/janetuckeractress

Although the facebook page states it is not run by Jane herself,Jane does read it extremely frequently,and replies to some posts.She also has her photo taken viewing the facebook pages sometimes.Jane also allows fresh photos of herself to be posted there on a very frequent basis.

[Jacqueline]

Re: Rainbow

She looks like that Nikki woman who was in Big Brother a few years back and kept saying "Who IS she?"

[Richard1978]

Re: Rainbow

The original Bungle was played John Leeson, who provided the voice of K9 in Doctor Who. He gave it up after a year or so because it got so hot in the suit.

A few people have mentioned about how Bungle would put on pajamas to go to bed, but wouldn't wear anything in the day.

[Trickyvee]

Re: Rainbow

Jane Tucker is still going strong,and is as beautiful as ever.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/janetuckeractress

Although the facebook page states it is not run by Jane herself,Jane does read it extremely frequently,and replies to some posts.She also has her photo taken viewing the facebook pages sometimes.Jane also allows fresh photos of herself to be posted there on a very frequent basis.

Must admit she's looking good for her age, and I don't think that's a new nose.