'The Meeting' by Oliver Postgate

We come to the Clanger's planet and hear them dancing to the music of their Hoot. Mrs. Clanger looks at the "clock", indicating that it is bed-time. The Clangers retire to bed. Tiny Clanger sees the Hoot standing all alone in the square and she runs out and covers it with her bed-cover and says good-night to it. She goes to bed.

We hear a faint, distant phrase on a French-horn, very nostalgic. It is repeated. Tiny Clanger hears it and wakes up. She wakes up Small Clanger and they run outside. The plaintive music comes from the strange star we saw at the start of Episode 10. It is looking for something. The Clangers attract its attention by waving and shouting. The star heaves to overhead and drops three brass Hoots. These appear to be rather unfriendly Hoots and they advance on the alarmed Clangers and drive them indoors hooting aggressively at them. The other Clangers are roused but they are frightened by the Hoots and cower. The three Hoots confront the single Hoot and blow its cover off. The Clangers' Hoot replies with a phrase of harp music. The visiting Hoots hoot at it again and when it replies harpily they beat it with their trumpets. Tiny Clanger will not stand for this and she wades in and easily throws the Hoots off her friend. She bids them be silent. They are silent. She and Small Clanger up-end their Hoot and shake out the notes they fed it. Then she strands before it and conducts it as it blows a huge lovely note. The other Hoots are delighted and jump about with delight. The small Clangers and the Hoots dance together very gaily until Mrs. Clanger comes out and points out that it is sleeping-time and some of us would like a bit of hush, if you don't mind! The small Clangers take a see-saw and lead the Hoots outside. There they set it up and bump the Hoots up to their star which has been hovering patiently overhead. They wave to the star as it sails away on a line of nostalgic horn-solo into the distance.

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:
8th February 1970 @ 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.