A spoof of The Singing, Ringing Tree by The Fast Show. Series 3, Programme 8, from 1997. "Ton Swingingen Ringingen Bingingen Plingingen Tingingen Plinkingen Plonkingen Boingingen Triee" according to their Chanel 9 slot.
Why is it that I only find out how genius this vignette is 30 years later? I went to school in Germany in the 70's and I just fast forwarded this at the time in the 90's. Incredible. Say what you like about the generation that ended in 1965, we had the best of everything.
The original kids' TV series on which the sketch is based had a strong effect on its audience, no doubt including members of the Fast Show. So, the sketch is relevant to perhaps half the members of a particular five to ten year age range.
There was once a poll that voted The Singing Ringing Tree the most frightening thing ever shown on children's television. Somehow it managed to include everything that would give children nightmares. I first saw it as a child in the sixties in black and white. It was only when it was repeated in the seventies (when a whole new lot of kids were traumatised) that I realised it had been filmed in eye-watering technocolour, which took it to a whole new level of weirdness.
As a child in Dublin, I watched it through my fingers but couldn't look away. A triumph of East German cinema, still though the bear, the evil dwarf . . . . .
I've read that the first showing by Auntie was in November 1964. I should think I was first aware of it in 1966 and must've seen the series three or four times. The maximum effect was obtained while suffering a dose of `flu!
Brilliant. I was just talking about the original to my wife, who'd never heard of it. Found out it was East German and the missus is West German. Probably didn't broadcast much of each others stuff back in the fifties and sixties? She should see this though!
I have the original on DVD. it was a novelty gift from my older brother for my sixtieth birthday . Still, it scared the shit out of me in the sixties/seventies. 👻
@JerryTKangaroo It was part of the gag - a sort of gag within a gag. The Fast Show sketch show had a regular slot featuring a mythical 'Channel 9', a sort of parody on what Brits think are really bad TV channels in (probably) Latin America. They are speaking a sort of joke 'foreign language'. Within that slot they then often made a gag out of TV shows that people would be familiar with in Britain - in this case an East German cult TV series from the 60s called the Singing Ringing Tree
Not Latin America, just Southern Europe in general. The idea was that you'd go to a Mediterranean beach resort on holiday, turn on your hotel TV and have no idea what the fuck was going on.
The fast show was BRILLIANT! I loved the randomness of this sketch. I can tell it's parody (because I recognise the style of show from older ones, but what is it inspired by exactly) I still find it funny even though it seems to be a bit of an in-joke. Also cars by gary numan on the steps was great and everyone in this scene is awesome!
It's a take off of a 1959 East German TV show The Singing Ringing Tree that.wss broadcast bu the BBC in the 1960's and scared the Willie's of half the kids who watched it. Deeply creepy like many fairy tales can be.
This is classic comedy! This was the number one comedy prgram of its day and it's still funny which is more than can be said of Ricky Gervais and the Mighty Boosh who people only like because its popular to like them.
No child in Scotland since 1964 has ever married a princessen what happened to the golden fish , love to know ,it was a great 3 part tales from Europe , also the girl with the golden hair ,and the tinder box , also never go 8nside a tree 🌳 lol 🙂🙂
If you don't get the references, you won't get the jokes! It's not 'bad-comedy', it's just beyond your understanding!! 🤣 Me? I thought it was funny as f**k!! 🤣
yes i enjoy Ted and the 2 lads in the tailors shop(although that is a direct copy from Monty Python) but this sketch was shite. The audience scarcely laughs.
