Boom Boom shake the room
Basil Brush was given his own TV show 50 years ago. We look back at the fox on the box
BEING a wisecracking critter with a penchant for tweed jackets and waistcoats helped turn Basil Brush into a telly favourite. He first appeared alongside a Scottish hedgehog called Spike McPike in The Three Scampis in the early 1960s before joining magician David Nixon on his BBC show The Nixon Line.
The 18 inch tall glove puppet proved so popular that in 1968 he landed his own BBC show. It launched 50 years ago on June 14 and attracted many of the biggest music names around from Paul and Linda McCartney and Donny and Marie Osmond to The Kinks and Manfred Mann.
Basil even met Swedish super-group Abba in 1976 when Bjorn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Falstog, Fride Lyngstad and Benny Anderson arrived in the UK to promote their new album Arrival.
British boxing champ Henry Cooper, Minder star Dennis Waterman, Terry Wogan, Brian Blessed and Cilla Black were also among Basil’s guests over the 12-year run of the series.
Basil was assisted on the first programme by Mr Rodney, Rodney Bewes. The Likely Lads actor was the first of a succession of straightmen including Mr Derek (Fowlds), Mr Roy (North), Mr Howard (Williams) and Mr Billy (Boyle).
Basil’s aristocratic voice was said to be modelled on comedy film actor Terry Thomas and the fox had a habit of laughing at his own jokes. His catchphrase “boom boom” exasperated his sidekicks but proved a hit with children and adults alike.
Basil later began a regular on Crackerjack and then teamed up with Barney Harwood to present Basil’s Swap Shop and Basil and Barney’s Game Show on CBBC.
Basil was created by Ivan Owen from a puppet designed by Peter Firmin. Ivan also voiced the puppet star, but always took great pains to maintain the illusion that Basil was a real fox and steadfastly kept out of the limelight himself.
He passed away in 2000, but Basil continues to entertain a new generation of children.
He launched a YouTube sketch show and is a TV regular appearing on everything from Good Morning Britain and Channel 4’s The Last Leg.
Basil has also revealed a talent for TV game shows making appearances on The Chase: Celebrity Special, Pointless Celebrities and The Weakest Link, which he won.
He’s also performed at the Glastonbury Festival – twice – and provided the entertainment at Prince William’s fifth birthday party at the request of the late Princess Diana. William is now a married father-of-three himself, but the foxy one is still going strong with no plans to retire. Long may his boom, boom punchlines continue.