Rascals - The flavour dat never stops

This ad has been playing in my head for years! I can even remember the lyrics.

There's a rumble in the middle of the jungle
At the village of the cheeky Rascals
They sneak the fruit from the magical trees
and they take it to the factory
squish squash a bubbly-boo
the Rascals make the fruitiest chew
the flavour never stops
with the Rascal's fruity pops

New Rascals for da flavour dat never stops!

A couple of weeks back I found myself singing it to my kids (4 and 7). They thought it was cool - so we did some hunting, and as usual, YouTube delivered!

Bop TV

Launched in the early 80s, Bop TV was operated by Bophuthatswana, one of the so-called "homelands". It offered a different perspective than the SABC's heavily biased news programming and wasn't so touchy on racial issues. Comic references to "whites" and "blacks" were not bleeped out as they were on SABC, and it screened more imported American shows like 'Benson', 'Ironside' and 'Mod Squad'.

We lived on Johannedburg's West Rand, so with the help of a long pole, a UHF aerial turned on its side and a signal booster we were able to catch it. I remember waiting for 5 in the afternoon when the transmission would start, excited to watch snowy illicit TV.

Bop TV was eventually shutdown in 2003.

There's a great section on Bop TV in the book Black Television Travels... also check out South African whites clamor to tune in black TV.

Fables of the Green Forest

I've had the theme tune to this show stuck in my head forever. I used to love it.

TROUBLE! TROUBLE! TROUBLE!
Jimmy Skunk is getting about,
Buster Bear's persuing trout,
Reddy Fox's radar snout has sniffed out his prey!

In the Green Forest, the green forest,
The laughing brook chuckles all day.

Paddy Beaver's building a dam,
Joe the Otter tells him SCRAM!
Chatterer's upon the land,
Oh what a sight!

In the Green Forest, the Green Forest,
You may see the occasional fight.

Peter Rabbit hippity-hops,
The mean old weasel growls,
Grandpa Froggy flippity-flops,
And Sammy Bluejay scowls.

There are marshes, mink and sable there,
toads on mushroom tables there,
Four and Fifty fables there...
With friendship and strife.

In the Green Forest, the Green Forest
The stories you've read about all come to life,
Yes the stories you've read about ALL... COME... TO... LIFE!

Thanks to www.rickstv.com for the lyrics.

Ten Rand

This used to get you a helluva lot. I remember when Masters of the Universe action figures were R10... and I would only get 50c a week pocket money. Took me ages to save up!

Grootbek en katvis

Ha! Dunno if you remember this one. "Het jou Katvis!".

Pumpkin Patch

So, in the late 80s, we didn't have MNET or anything, so choice of what to watch was pretty limited. From what I can remember Pumpkin Patch used to be on about 2:30 every afternoon, just ast I'd get home from school.

Pumpkin Patch, ho ho ho, Pumpkin Patch
Let’s all go to Pumpkin Patch (woof-woof)
Pumpkin Patch, ho ho ho, Pumpkin Patch
everyday we plaaaaaaaaaay
in pumpkin paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatch

Freckles and Speckles will sing a little song
Woofles goes woof-woof-woof and sings along…

Pumpkins are tasty and very good to eat ha…
Pumpkin pie is such a treat!!
Pumpkin Patch ..ho ho ho … pumpkin patch!!

Have a read of an awesome post by Hellpants on Pumpkin Patch - The kids show that defied apartheid, homophobia and the braai mentality of South Africa during the 80′s.