 While Mary Adams may have defined the
theoretical template of a children's television service, it was Freda Lingstrom
who first put that theory into practice to become the godmother of children's
television in Britain.
Lingstrom was an artist, illustrator and
author. She provided artwork for On The Line, a guide to LNER Trains, in 1928,
and maps for Norwegian travel guide This Is Norway in 1933. Her first novel The
Seventh Sister was published in 1938.
Between 1945 and 1949 Lingstrom enjoyed a formative spell on the editorial team of 'improving'
children's periodical Junior, a miscellaneous "collection of
stories, articles and pictures for the junior members of the family". George
Orwell and Maria Bird were among its contributors.
This posting led her to become Assistant Head of BBC Schools Broadcasting, and while at BBC Radio she created storytelling
slot Listen With Mother in 1950. It was not long before she received her first
television commission - in July 1950 she created Andy Pandy (BBC 1950-59;
1970) at the behest of Mary Adams, working with Maria Bird under the name
Westerham Arts Films. The programme was an experimental offshoot of Women's
Programmes that proved popular with mums and toddlers.
Lingstrom was appointed Head of BBC Children's Television in May 1951, succeeding two interim figures responsible for a
framework of sorts, Richmond Postgate (early 1950) and Cecil Madden (September 1950 - April 1951). On her appointment she oversaw seven department Producers - Dorothea Brooking, Pamela Brown, Naomi Capon, Joy Harington, Peter Thompson, Rex Tucker and Michael Westmore.
Her most visible contribution was the Watch With Mother schedule for pre-school children, built around Andy Pandy and another Lingstrom/Bird production The Flower Pot Men (BBC 1952-54). By
1955, five programmes aired Monday to Friday.
She may have seemed a matriarchal, slightly stern, intellectual figure compared with the more 'theatrical', light
entertainment leanings of her immediate predecessor Madden (rumour was that she was known as 'the old cough drop' among the department, but never to her face). Nonetheless, Lingstrom fought hard to make BBC executives see Children's as a valid department deserving time, money and personnel, and had several frank exchanges with Cecil McGivern, Controller of TV Programmes. She despised Americanised fare, refused to screen imported Western series and even disliked Enid Blyton stories. Her programmes were cosy and slightly over-protective in tone, and followed the old Reithian edict of inform, educate and entertain, with emphasis on the first two tenets. Nevertheless, she saw the potential of Harry
Corbett's Sooty, signing him up for SS Saturday Special (BBC 1952-54) and, at
the second time of asking, greenlit Crackerjack (BBC 1955-84). For her
efforts Lingstrom was awarded the OBE in 1955.
The launch of ITV in September 1955 saw BBC ratings decline rapidly through 1956 and that Summer Lingstrom was succeeded as Head of Children's by Owen Reed. She continued to write children's books based on her television series and also art criticism, with The Seeing Eye published in 1960. Westerham produced another string puppet series for Watch With Mother, Bizzy Lizzy (BBC 1967) about a girl whose dress featured a magic wishing flower, but being made in black and white as colour television approached, it wasn't repeated as much as its predecessors. Westerham made 13 new Andy Pandy episodes in colour in 1970, shown repeatedly for the rest of the
decade.
Lingstrom died in 1989. Her estate oversees the considerable interests of her revived characters, Andy Pandy and Bill and Ben.
Alistair McGown
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FILM & TV CREDITS
