Greenclaws

{{short description|British children's TV series}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}} {{Infobox television | image = Greenclaws.jpg | caption = | genre = Children's television series | writer = Ursula Jones | runtime = 15 mins | producer = Christine Hewitt | starring = Nick Mercer, Stella Goodier | theme_music_composer = Jonathan Cohen | country = United Kingdom | language = English | network = BBC Two | first_aired = {{start date|1989|1|3|df=yes}} | last_aired = {{end date|1990|2|6|df=yes}} | num_series = 2 | num_episodes = 26 }}

'''''Greenclaws''''' is a children's television series aired on the BBC between 3 January 1989 and 6 February 1990. It starred Nick Mercer and Stella Goodier, was written by Ursula Jones, directed by Adrian Mills (not to be confused with ''That's Life!'' host Adrian Mills), and produced by Christine Hewitt.<ref name="BFI">{{cite web |title=Green Claws (1988) BFI |url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7961879b |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210616042901/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7961879b |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 June 2021 |publisher=British Film Institute|access-date=15 June 2021}}</ref>

== Content ==

Greenclaws, played by Nick Mercer, was a big green monster who lived in a greenhouse. Every week, Iris (Stella Goodier) would visit Greenclaws. They would put one of Greenclaws' fabulous seeds in a plant pot, put the plant pot inside a secret growing place in the Riddle Tree, wait for Owlma (a mechanical owl) to alert them that the plant was ready, answer three riddles/questions correctly from Owlma (which were always along the lines of "Twit twoo, twoo, twit twit twoo?" and then translated into English by Iris for her and Greenclaws to solve), then open the tree to find the plant had grown into something bearing unusual fruit. Each episode featured a song filmed (lip-synched) on location, most of which were written by [https://www.childrensmusic.co.uk Hilary James and Simon Mayor]. There would also be a story told featuring relatives of Greenclaws while the plant was growing, accompanied by illustrations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Greenclaws |url=https://www.retrojunk.com/t/Q-PTShdTcz/greenclaws |website=Retrojunk}}</ref>

== Broadcast == Only one series of ''Greenclaws'' was produced – reportedly due to the fact that some young pre-schoolers at which the series was aimed, were frightened by Greenclaws's appearance, regardless of his gentle-natured persona. Despite this, the series was repeated several times, including in a later-afternoon Children's BBC slot, where a slightly older demographic audience less likely to be intimidated by Greenclaws' appearance would be watching.{{citation needed|date=August 2025}}

== Theme ==

<blockquote style="border: 1px solid #777777; padding: 1em 1em; background: #dddddd;"> In the greenhouse, Greenclaws' greenhouse,<br> Greenclaws grows them amazing plants.<br> They're surprising, mystifying,<br> Greenclaws grows them crazy plants! </blockquote>

== Episodes ==

# Gadgets, Cooking (14th February 1989)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=BBC Genome |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/5e4cce0770e84f0d85d09c31406769f4}}</ref>: Greenclaws decides to go in for gadgets this week but they do not turn out to be as useful as he thought and when he decides to give Iris a pancake party he realises he is not such a great cook even though his Aunt Saucy Claws is a famous chef. The party is nearly ruined but Iris and Owlma save the day. # No Joke (21st February 1989)<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Genome |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/bc69b572889941cd90e2bb533ff28b17}}</ref>: Poor old Green Claws is down in the dumps. No one comes to see him, his clothes are full of holes and his telephone plant is ill. Iris does her best to comfort him and has an idea but Green Claws takes matters into his own claws and makes himself another outfit. # Playtime, Cricket (7th March 1989)<ref name=":0" /> # Birthday (14th March 1989)<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Genome |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/34f509492a4f4bcc8d57ba076ee7e4bc}}</ref> # Play Up (21st March 1989)<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Genome |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/17b34830190a41e6851ee1fc12e83c92}}</ref> # Fancy Dress, Magic (28th March 1989)<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Genome |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/4d653979e5a94fdc82b60c149ea63d29}}</ref> # Dancing (7th November 1989)<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Genome |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/acf765bc715d4246a48d9e852b6cf6a3}}</ref> # Flowers (21st November 1989)<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Genome |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/d8e656b2abc44b98acea9740ee637a13}}</ref> # Bad Day (28th November 1989)<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Genome |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?order=first&q=Green+Claws+Bad+day&before=2026-12-31T23%3A59%3A59.999Z}}</ref> # Spring Clean (3rd August 1990)<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Genome |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/a63ff9a7eeed45229fcbc278c7d83faf}}</ref> # Sleepless Night (21st January 1991)<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Genome |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/4262176725d64726a2cf358790089996}}</ref>

== Notes == Owlma is meant to be a female owl. The "Twit Twoo" cal is actually two owls calling to each other. The female calls out the "twit" sound to whichGreenca male owl answers with a call of "twoo".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trust |first=Woodland |date=2023-12-21 |title=Identify UK owl calls |url=https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2023/12/owl-call-identification/ |access-date=2025-08-31 |website=Woodland Trust |language=en-GB}}</ref>

== Reception == "The wh Claws. When Iris goes off on her bike she finds some puzzling things in the countryside. ole premise of the show was pretty bizarre, but for many 90′s kids, Greenclaws was their answer to Alan Titchmarsh.", commented retrospectively ''The Huffington Post.''<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-07-03 |title=25 Much-Loved Kids' TV Shows From The 90s You'd Probably Forgotten About |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/90s-kids-tv-forgotten-shows_uk_5efde71dc5b612083c58577b |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=HuffPost UK |language=en}}</ref> ''The Guardian'' characterised the show by its "melancholy".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Heritage |first=Stuart |date=2019-08-29 |title=Why ChuckleVision is the greatest CBBC show ever |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/aug/29/why-chucklevision-is-the-greatest-cbbc-show-ever |access-date=2024-08-08 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

== External links == *{{IMDb title|id=0292799|title=Greenclaws}} *[https://www.classickidstv.co.uk/wiki/Greenclaws ''Greenclaws''] at ClassicKidsTV.co.uk

Category:1989 British television series debuts Category:1990 British television series endings Category:1980s British children's television series Category:1990s British children's television series Category:1980s preschool education television series Category:1990s preschool education television series Category:British preschool education television series Category:BBC children's television shows Category:British television shows featuring puppetry Category:English-language British television shows Category:Television series about monsters