'Flying' by Oliver Postgate

Major Clanger has made a flying machine. With some ceremony the Clangers pump up the compressed air balloons which power it. Major Clanger takes his seat, the machine leaps into action and flaps itself to pieces. Major Clanger is disconsolate but Mother Clanger sends Small Clanger and Tiny Clanger to the soup-wells in their pole-car (a sort of wheeled punt) to fetch some green soup for him. Major Clanger drinks the soup and settles down for a rest. Meanwhile Small Clanger and Tiny Clanger go outside to look at the remains of the flying machine. Tiny Clanger knocks one of the power-balloons and it comes off and shoots up into the sky. This interests Small Clanger who grabs the empty balloon and runs to the soup-dragon and asks her to blow into the balloon with light-airs from her cooking. She does this. Small Clanger ties Tiny Clanger to the balloon and, holding on to the string himself, leaps through the caves in long leaps supported by the balloon. The other Clangers come and dance around them. Suddenly the string comes undone and Tiny Clanger rises to the roof where she remains, squeaking, while the Clangers try various ways of fetching her down. In the end they bounce Small Clanger trampolinically in a tablecloth until he bounces high enough to grab her.

Small Clanger is very pleased with himself for making a flying machine that really works until he realises that his parents are very angry with him for playing dangerous games. Then he is very sorry, but in the end they all have to laugh.

Original Conception:
Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin

Scenery and Puppets:
Peter Firmin

Music:
Composed by Vernon Elliott

Filming and Editing:
Oliver Postgate

Film Company:
Smallfilms

TX:
16th November 1969 @ 5.55pm

Notes:
*This synopsis is the original outline written by Oliver Postgate for the BBC prior to production, and may differ slightly from the transmitted version.

*The Clangers voices were played on swannee whistles by Oliver Postgate and Stephen Sylvester.