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{{Use British English|date=February 2015}} {{short description|British animated children's television series}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2013}} {{Use British English|date=February 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox television {{Infobox television
| show_name = Fireman Sam | image = Fireman Sam logo.png
| image_size = 250
| image = ]
| Caption = Logo of Fireman Sam | genre =
| years = ] | creator = {{plainlist|
* Dave Gingell
|characters = ]
* Dave Jones
| genre = ] (1991-2009)<br />] (2010-present)
* Rob Lee
| runtime = 10 minutes (series)<br />20 minutes (Christmas special episode)
}}
| company = ] (1991-00) ] (2001-present) (])
| creator = Dave Gingell<br />Dave Jones<br />Rob Lee | writer = Laura Beaumont<br />Paul Larson (2012-present)
| director = Jerry Hibbert<br />Gary Andrews<br />Cam Lizotte<br />Greg Richardson<br />Katrina Hadley<br />Jennifer Guglielmucci<br />Oskar Nilsson<br />William Gordon<br />Connor Ferguson
| producer = Ian Frampton<br />John Walker
| writer = Nia Ceidiog<br />Rob Lee | voices = {{plainlist|
* ] (series 1–4)
| music = ]<br />]{{disambiguation needed|date=January 2016}}
* ] (2005 era)
| narrated = ] (1991-00)<br /> Gareth Lewis (Welsh)
* ] (2005 era)
| voices = ]<br/>] (2001 series.)<br />Joanna Ruiz<br />] (2001)<br />David Carling<br />Su Douglas<br />Tegwen Tucker (2010-2016)<br>]{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}
* ] (2005 era)
| editing = ]<br />]<br />]
* Steven Kynman
| released = 17 November 1991- 29 October 2015
* David Carling
| country = ] of ]
* Su Douglas
| network = ] (1991-2000)<br>] (2001-Presents)<br />] (2010- present) <br /> ] (2006-Presents)
* Tegwen Tucker
| num_series = 9
* Ifan Huw Dafydd
| num_episodes = 162
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
}}
| narrated = ] (1987–1994)
| country = United Kingdom
| language = {{plainlist|
* Welsh (series 1–4)
* English
}}
| num_series = 15
| num_episodes = 304
| list_episodes = List of Fireman Sam episodes | list_episodes = List of Fireman Sam episodes
| first_aired = 17 November 1991 | producer = Various
| last_aired = present | runtime = {{plainlist|
* 10 minutes (series)
| picture_format = ] ] (1991–2000)<br/>] ] (2001–present)
* 20 minutes ("Snow Business" only)
| audio_format = {{unbulleted list||]|]}}
|}} }}
| company = {{plainlist|
* ] (1987–1994)
* ] (2003–2017)
* ] (2017–present)
}}
| network = {{plainlist|
* ] (Welsh version)
* ] on ] (series 1–4)
* ] (series 5)
* ] (series 6–present)
* ] (series 8–present)
}}
| first_aired = {{Start date|1987|11|17|df=y}}
| last_aired = {{End date|1994|11|17|df=y}}
| first_aired2 = {{Start date|2005|04|04|df=y}}
| last_aired2 = {{End date|2005|12|26|df=y}}
| first_aired3 = {{Start date|2008|11|24|df=y}}
| last_aired3 = {{End date|present|df=y}}
| music = {{plainlist|
* Ben Heneghan (from 1987 to 2005)
* Ian Lawson (from 1987 to 2005)
* David Pickvance (from 2008 to 2019)
* Blain Morris (from 2020 onwards)
* Mike Shields (from 2021 onwards)
* Amanda Cawley (from 2021 onwards)
}}
}}
'''''Fireman Sam''''' ({{langx|cy|Sam Tân}}) is a British animated ] about a fireman named Sam, his fellow ]s, and other residents in the fictional ] rural village of Pontypandy (a ] of two real towns, ] and ]). It was broadcast for the first time in November 1987 on Welsh TV channel ] and is shown in more than 155 countries across the world.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-20 |title='No stereotype problem' in Fireman Sam |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-47629489 |access-date=2023-09-08 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-41762714|title=Happy 30th birthday Fireman Sam|first=Peter|last=Shuttleworth|work=BBC News|date=17 November 2017}}</ref>


==History==
'''''Fireman Sam''''' is an animated comedy ] about a fireman called Sam, his fellow firefighters, and other townspeople in the fictional Welsh rural town of Pontypandy (a ] of two real towns, ] and ], which are situated approximately {{convert|5|mi}} apart in the ]). The original idea for the show came from two ex-firemen from ], who took their idea to artist and writer Rob Lee who developed the concept, and the show was later commissioned by ].
''Fireman Sam'' first appeared in ] on ] on 1 November 1987,<ref>Regional Television Variations. Date: Saturday, Oct. 31, 1987 Publication: The Times (London, England) Sunday: 1st 7.20. {{lang|cy|Sam Tân}}</ref> and a few weeks later on ] on 17 November. The original series finished in 1994, and a new series that expanded the character cast commenced in 2003. The series was also shown as ''{{lang|gd|Sam Smalaidh}}'' in ] in Scotland. The series was sold to over 40 countries and has been used across the United Kingdom to promote ].


The theme song was performed by ] in a classic rock style from 1987 to 1994, then by a different singer, Cameron Stewart, in a 2000s alternative rock style since the 2003 new episode broadcasts.
''Fireman Sam'' first appeared in Welsh on ] as ''Sam Tân'' in 1991, and later that year in English on ]. The original series finished in 1999, and a new series that expanded the character cast commenced in 2006. The series was also shown in ] in Scotland, where it was known as ''Sam Smalaidh''. The series was sold to over 40 countries and has been used across the United Kingdom to promote ].


==Development== ==Development==
The original idea came about from two ex-firemen from Kent – Dave Gingell and ]. They approached Mike Young, creator of '']'' in ], Wales, and asked them to further develop their concept. The idea was then brought to S4C's Director of Animation, Chris Grace, who saw potential in the idea and commissioned the series. Grace had previously commissioned ], which had achieved success across the United Kingdom and worldwide. The characters and storylines were created by Rob Lee, an illustrator from Cardiff, and the program was produced using stop-motion. It could take up to 4 days to produce 1 minute of this form of puppet animation. Fireman Sam has to this day been translated into over 25 different languages including Mandarin.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.firemansamonline.com/uk/Parents/About_Sam/index.asp | title=About Sam | accessdate=4 January 2011}}</ref> The original idea came about from two ex-firemen from ], England – Dave Gingell and David Jones after ] a ] animation book by artist Anthony Miller. They approached ], creator of '']'', in ], Wales, and asked him to further develop their concept. The idea was then brought to S4C's Director of Animation, Chris Grace, who had previously commissioned ''SuperTed'', saw potential in the idea and commissioned the series. The characters and the storylines were created by Rob Lee, an illustrator from Cardiff, and the programme was made using ]. It could take up to four days to produce one minute of this form of puppet animation. ''Fireman Sam'' has to this day been translated into over 25 different languages including Mandarin.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.firemansamonline.com/uk/Parents/About_Sam/index.asp | title=About Sam | access-date=4 January 2011}}</ref>
In the first four series, all the character voices were performed by John Alderton (in English) and Gareth Lewis (in Welsh). The later series used several actors' voices. Voice direction in Welsh was by Pat Griffiths.


In the original series, all the character voices were performed by ]. The later series used several actors' voices.
==Series history==


In 2021, Mike Young said that shows like ''Fireman Sam'' and ''SuperTed'' would not be able to exist without government subsidies to ].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-10-21 |title=TV: Fireman Sam and SuperTed 'wouldn't exist' without subsidies |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-58955393 |access-date=2023-12-13}}</ref>
===Original series===
The series originally comprised 32 ten-minute episodes and a 20-minute ]. The narration and character voices were done by ] (and by Gareth Lewis in the Welsh version).

Sam is the protagonist in the show, and interacts with both colleagues at the ] and local townspeople. He is seen as somewhat of a hero in the village. Despite being so small, and with so little activity, the town sees its fair share of fires, which Sam and his team can easily handle. The vehicles at the fire station include a four-wheeled Bedford TK fire engine called '''Jupiter''', a six-wheeled 1981 Range Rover Rescue Tender named '''Venus''' and Trevor's bus a 1987 Ford Transit Dormobile. Sam's colleagues are '''Elvis Cridlington''' and '''Station Officer Basil Steele''' (renamed Norris Steele in the new series). The townspeople are Bus Driver/Auxiliary Firefighter '''Trevor Evans''', Italian Cafe Owner '''Bella Lasagne''', '''Norman Price''', Norman's mother '''Dilys Price''', and the twins '''James''' and '''Sarah Jones'''. The objects include Bentley the Robot, trash can robot, and Mechanical Master Chef.

The original series aired on BBC One, CBBC and CBeebies since 1991-2001, most commonly airing on CBeebies on a daily basis with repeats showing until 2009. In the original television series produced by ] between 1991 and 2000, the firefighters had yellow and black ], whereas in the new ] television series produced by ] and Hibbert Ralph, the firefighters had yellow and blue uniforms.{{clarify|date=December 2013}}

In 1991, the series was nominated for a BAFTA TV Award for Best Short Animated Film. The potential recipients were Ian Frampton and John Walker.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0329829/awards | title=Awards for "Fireman Sam" (1991) | accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

===2001 series===
In 2001 a new ''Fireman Sam'' series was produced by ] (now known as Calon TV), comprising twenty-six episodes, each ten minutes in length. These episodes used more modern techniques of stop-motion animation including mouths that move with the dialogue. This series featured all the original characters, but also introduced some new faces, such as '''Tom Thomas''', the Australian pilot of rescue helicopter '''Wallaby One''' and the Mountain Rescue 4×4 Jeep, an unnamed photographer/news reporter, and the '''Flood''' family; consisting of Mike the plumber, his wife Helen the nurse, and their daughter Mandy. The updated Jupiter has six wheels, loosely based on a Bedford 6×4, and Venus is loosely based on a Mini Cooper. The characters in this series were voiced by ], Joanna Ruiz and Sarah Hadland. The series premiered on CBeebies in 2001 and repeats were shown until 2009.

The show's production companies were Bumper Films and Siriol Productions (2006–present), and its distributors were British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Sianel 4 Cymru (S4C).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0329829/companycredits | title=Company credits for "Fireman Sam" (1991) | accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

===2010–2015 series===
Pontypandy is now a seaside fishing village instead of a village set deep in the hills as in the early series, though most of the locations have retained their appearances. Another change in this series is that the twins' parents appear for the first time; their new-age mother '''Bronwyn''', and fisherman father '''Charlie''', Sam's brother, who run a cafe/fish-and-chip shop called 'Whole Fish Cafe'. The series is produced by Hibbert Ralph Animation in association with HIT Entertainment.

Jupiter was upgraded again, now loosely based on a Volvo FL6 Fire Engine, with a grille between the sirens and rectangular headlamps on the bump. Venus was still the same vehicle like the 2001 series, but it can now shoot water out of a mounted water cannon. Trevor's bus was new but with triangular headlamps. New vehicles introduced were Mike Flood's Van in the sixth season onwards, and '''Mercury''', '''Saturn''', '''Pontypandy Flyer''', and '''Bessie''' introduced from the eighth season onwards.

The outfits were updated throughout the series (except for Norman Price): Every firefighter have white lining on the sleeves and the fire badges on the left sleeves and on the back. Dilys Price has eye shadows, glasses, black hair, necklace, green shirt with pink polka dots, and blue trousers. James Jones, has a green sweater and olive green trousers. Sarah Jones has a pink shirt, sky blue vest, and bright blue trousers. Mike Flood has green overalls, white shirt and a blue cap. Tom Thomas has orange rescue suits. Mandy Flood has a yellow shirt with a blue tank top with flowers, and a purple skirt with flowers.

Many characters also had aspects of their personalities made more apparent. Norman Price is far more mischievous and inconsiderate than in the 2001 series where his pranks were often planned out and his accidents were due to badly planned ideas rather than outrageous schemes. For example, in the episode "Pontypandy Extreme", Norman gets trapped down a ] after attempting to climb down in order to retrieve the coins from the bottom. Other examples are Station Officer Steele's strictness and maturity and Elvis's decrease in general competence. For example, in one episode where a first aid training exercise is taking place, Elvis is told off by Steele for dancing with the dummy that is being used. At the same time, Steele is not afraid to unleash the child within him, showing an interest in kite flying and paper planes. He also occasionally causes emergencies himself, and always seems to gasp when an emergency comes in. Also Station Officer Steele's name has changed to '''Station Officer Norris Steele'''

Other changes include the removal of Bella, although her cafe can still be seen opposite Dilys' shop, now a ]-esque convenience store called the "Cut Price Supermarket". It seems the Whole Fish Cafe and Bronwyn and Charlie have replaced them. Penny also now has another string to her bow, as she is a trained lifeguard and the driver of Neptune (the town's lifeboat). Also Rosa and Dusty have been replaced by Lion, Nipper, and Radar.

Since 2013, additional characters were introduced: a firefighter named '''Chief Fire Officer Boyce''', one animal called '''Norris''' the Guinea Pig, five new townspeople named '''Derek Price''', '''Moose Roberts''', '''Gareth Griffiths''', '''Lily''', and '''Mrs. Chen''', and two new objects were the ukelele named '''Marjorie''', AKA '''Marjorie Stays With Me''', and a thermal heating tracking device named '''Saturn'''.

In 2016, other characters were introduced: one lifeguard named '''Ben Hooper''', one mechanic named '''Joe Sparkes''' with his wife '''Lizzie Sparkes''', and their daughter '''Hannah Sparkes'''. Also, new vehicles were introduced: a jet ski named '''Juno''' and a fire boat named '''Titan'''. Also in "Ultimate Heroes" or "Heroes of the Storm" There is '''Ellie Phillips''' and '''Arnold McKinley''', new firefighter members. There is '''Hydrus''' (later '''Catfish''' or '''Wildcat''') the 6-wheeled vehicle boat, and an unnamed Mobile Command Unit too.

The characters in this series were voiced by ], ], ], and ]. Also in 2013, ], ] and ] joined the cast. ] and ] joined the cast in 2015.

CBeebies last aired Fireman Sam in early 2001, before Turner Broadcasting and Channel 5 started airing it from mid-2009.

== Main characters ==

===Firefighters===
* '''Fireman Samuel 'Sam' Peyton Jones''' is referred to as the "hero next door", Charlie's older brother and Bronwyn's brother-in-law. He is the brave archetypal ] and protector, who remains composed in an emergency and unfailingly offers assistance to all those in need. Sam is single, but maintains a close relationship with his nephew, James, and niece, Sarah. He lives at 3 Vale Road next to Trevor Evans. Sam spends his spare time in his "inventing shed", in which he makes devices ranging from a potato picker made from old bicycle parts to a machine capable of replacing the town band. On occasion his inventive streak can undermine his emphasis on ]. His catchphrase is "Great fires of London." and "Action stations everybody."
* '''Fireman Elvis Cridlington''' who is named after the ] ] for his ] hairstyle and his admiration of ] provides a stark contrast to Sam in both competency and demeanour. His catchphrase is "Great balls of fire."
* '''Station Officer Norris Steele''', previously '''Station Officer Basil Steele''' in the original series, is the chief of Pontypandy Fire Station. As a former ], he insists upon a high standard of both hygiene and efficiency in the fire station. His catchphrase in the old series was "Now who needs the fire service." but in the new series it is "Action stations men.", which fell out of use in the CGI series.
* '''Firefighter Penny Morris''' is the only female member of the Pontypandy ]. In the original series, she only visited occasionally (hailing from ] fire station), although in the new series, she seems to work at Pontypandy full-time. Penny doubles as a ]. Her ideas are often unconventional and at odds with her male colleagues, but she usually turns out to have been right. Penny is often known to go on adventures with the town's children – James and Sarah, Norman Price and Mandy Flood. A relationship between her and Elvis has been hinted more than once. It is also hinted that Penny is a ]. Her catchphrase is: "Action stations at last" and "Stand by everybody".
* '''Chief Fire Officer Boyce''' hails from Newtown, and visits Pontypandy. (2012-onwards)
* '''Firefighter Ellie Phillips''' - Ellie Phillips is the new female firefighter introduced in the latest feature-length special Heroes of the Storm. She attended the Newtown Fire Academy and was one of the best in the batch. (2016-onwards)
* '''Firefighter Arnold McKinley''' - Arnold McKinley is the new fireman introduced in the latest feature-length special Heroes of the Storm. It is him who gave the name "Hydrus" to the new rescue vehicle introduced at the end of this special. He attended the Newtown Fire Academy and was one of the best in his batch.(2016-onwards)

=== Townspeople ===
* '''Trevor Evans''' is a ] former auxiliary fireman with the Pontypandy brigade. His job is as the town's ]. He is known for his fondness for ], his fear of heights, his awkward manner and general bad luck streak, but nonetheless exhibits a great devotion to the welfare of others (especially Dilys). In the 2001 and 2009 seasons, Trevor is no longer an auxiliary firefighter but is still the bus driver, and the spark between him and Dilys still holds strong.
* '''Dilys Price''' runs the town ]. She is a well known ], and has great affection for Trevor, the bus driver (something which poor Trevor is too shy to act upon). Dilys is the mother of town mischief-maker Norman Price, but is frequently blind to her son's troublesome ways. She dotes on her only child, or "Mummy's Little Darling" or ''My Little Treasure'' as she sometimes calls him. In earlier series', Dilys is shown to be more snobbish than later. She also appears to use ]s in her speech (EG: 'Inhalation' becomes 'Installation', 'Hysterical' becomes 'Historical'). She is also known to be self-centered; when she and Bella think they are going to be abducted by aliens, Bella says "It's-a coming straight for us!", to which Dilys replies "Stands to reason, if they want an intelligent life forms." while looking disapprovingly at Bella.
* '''Bella Lasagne''' (1991-2009) - Bella is the absent-minded town cafe owner, hailing from ]. Bella appears to be based on the real ] who ran cafes known as "]" in South Wales Valleys.
* '''Photographer''' was an unnamed character that appeared in ' Fit For Nothing '.
* '''Charlie 'Charles' Jones''' (2010 onwards) - Charlie is a fisherman, Bronwyn's husband, Fireman Sam's brother and father of Sarah and James. He is running his fishing boat.
* '''Bronwyn Jones (née Griffiths)''' (2010 onwards) - Bronwyn is a Pontypandy citizen who runs the Wholefish Café and is the mother of Sarah and James.
* '''Gareth Griffiths''' (2013 onwards) - Gareth is Father of Bronwyn, Maternal Grandfather of Sarah and James and Charlie's Father-in-Law.
* '''Helen Flood''' (2001 onwards) - Helen is the town's Nurse and mother of Mandy Flood.
* '''Mike Flood''' (2001 onwards) - Mike is a handyman and father of Mandy Flood.
* '''Tom Thomas''' (2001 onwards) - Tom is a helicopter pilot who hails form Australia. He helps with certain emergencies if the firefighters need his assistance.
* '''Moose Roberts''' (2013 onwards) - Moose is a famous mountain climber who hails from Canada and works at the Mountain Activity Centre.
* '''Mrs. Chen''' (2013 onwards) - Mrs. Chen is mother of Lily.
* '''Ben Hooper''' (2015 onwards) - Ben is the new coastguard who operates the ocean rescue center.
* '''Joe Sparkes''' (2015 onwards) - Joe is the town's mechanic and father of Hannah Sparkes.
* '''Lizzie Sparkes''' (2015 onwards) - Lizzie is Joe's husband and Hannah's mum.

===Children===
* '''Sarah''' & '''James Jones''' are the relatively well-behaved five-year-old twins of Charlie, niece and nephew of Fireman Sam. They are often more sensible in an emergency than Norman. When they grow up they want to be firefighters like their uncle Sam. They started acting more like naughty twins in the 2008 series (i.e. insulting each other, having arguments, and sometimes being the cause of an emergency, but it is made clear they still care for each other). Sarah's catchphrase from 2012 is "I have/What a totally brilliant idea!" while James' is "Here I go."
* '''Norman Stanley Price''' is a seven-year-old boy with a love of ] and ]. Unfortunately, Norman regularly fails to set appropriate limits on his own behaviour, and has been known to cause mischief and sometimes causes havoc at the fire station, and for many of Pontypandy's residents. He has shown interest in becoming a firefighter himself one day.
* '''Mandy Flood''' is a seven-year-old girl and daughter to Helen and Mike Flood.
* '''Derek Price''' is Norman's cousin, Mr. Price's Son.
* '''Lily Chen''' is the three-year-old daughter of Mrs. Chen and youngest child on the show.
* '''Hannah Sparkes''' is an eleven-year-old girl and the daughter of Joe and Lizzie's daughter. She is the only child in Pontypandy to use a wheelchair.

===Animals===
* '''Radar''' is a Fire station Dalmatian Dog.
* '''Norris''' is James and Sarah's Guinea Pig
* '''Lion''' is Bronwyn's striped, ginger Cat
* '''Nipper''' is Gareth's brown Dog
* '''Wooley''' is the mother of
* '''Lamikins''', both sheep, that Norman tries to look after.

===Transportation===
* '''Jupiter''' is a Fire engine. Fireman Sam, Firefighter Elvis drive it, and occasionally Chief Officer Boyce or Firewoman Penny Morris also drive it.
* '''Trevor's Bus''' is the only road vehicle which is public transport and is driven by Trevor Evans.
*'''Venus''' is Pontypandy's second fire vehicle and is a rescue tender driven by Firewoman Penny Morris and occasionally by Fireman Sam and Station Officer Steele.
*'''Nurse Flood's Ambulance''' is the only medical vehicle in Pontypandy. The ambulance is a car and has only ever been driven by Nurse Flood.
*'''Wallaby One''' is the rescue helicopter manned by Tom Thomas and occasionally Fireman Sam. It is stationed at the mountain rescue centre where Tom Thomas works. It has a double harness which is used by Fireman Sam.
*'''Mountain Rescue 4x4''' is a Jeep based at the mountain rescue centre. It is used in occasional mountain emergencies and is driven by Tom Thomas, Fireman Sam and Firewoman Penny Morris.
*'''Neptune''' is the rescue boat driven by Firewoman Penny Morris and Fireman Sam and was the original boat in the series until series 9. After two series of it appearing, Elvis occasionally drove it.
*'''Charlie's Fishing Boat''' is a boat owned by Charlie Jones who is a fisherman and it is used for his work.
*'''Mike's Van''' is a two-seated van driven and used for Mike Floods' job as a handyman.
*'''Mercury''' is the third vehicle which is used for fire emergencies. It is a quad-bike mainly driven by Fireman Sam, but in the last episode of series 9, Station Officer Steele drove it when he was needed on an emergency.
*'''Saturn''' is the GPS tracker and finds missing people.
*'''Bessie''' is the old fire engine used when Station Officer Steele was a young fireman. It is driven by Station Officer Steele, Fireman Sam and Firewoman Penny Morris.
*'''The Pontypandy Flyer''' is a railway steam train driven and owned by Gareth Grithiths. It goes from Pontypandy Station to the mountain activity centre owned by Canadian, Moose Roberts.
*'''Hydrus''' is the land-water vehicle the is the 6th fire vehicle in the show.
*'''Titan''' is the main fire boat manned by Ben Hooper, the lifeguard alongside Firewoman Penny Morris. It has two water cannons.
*'''Juno''' is the new jet ski driven by Fireman Sam.

===Locations===

*'''Pontypandy Fire station'''* is the fire station which has been re-built 4 times. Originally, it had 1 vehicle bay for Jupiter, and Venus parked outside. For the 2001 series, there was still only 1 vehicle bay, but Venus had a room at the back of the station. In the CGI series, there were two stations overall, one from 2010-15 and one from Hereos of the Storm onwards. In the third station, there were two vehicle bays (one for Jupiter and one for Venus). Finally, in the last station, there are three vehicle bays (One for Mercury, Jupiter and Venus). It has a sitting room, kitchen and dining room. It also has a bedroom with 3 beds and there are two poles.
*'''Cut Price Supermarket''' is the only supermarket in Pontypandy and is run by Dilys Price the small market sells almost everything and is has a 7/11 gas store look. It has a second level which is like a house and Norman lives up on the second level. In Season 1 - 5 it was called N.W Price

==Main theme song==
The series had an main theme song composed by Ben Heneghan and Ian Lawson. The lyrics were written by ], and sung by ]. A full-length version was also released on BBC Records, which was the same as the TV series version, albeit without the ] which was heavily featured. The verse of the song alternates between notes a fifth apart – the intention being to suggest the sound of a fire engine siren.

The same composers wrote a new arrangement of the theme tune for the 2001 remake, although this time in straight quavers rather than the 'swung' twelve-eight of the original theme. Robin Lyons also updated the lyrics. This version was sung by Cameron Stewart, singer and guitarist with the Cardiff-based function band Session,<ref>{{cite web | title = The Ultimate Wedding and Function Band | work = ] | year = 2014 | url = http://www.sessionuk.com | accessdate = 2014}}</ref> and also the originals outfit Calling Madison. It was shortened for the 2010 CGI series.


==Episodes== ==Episodes==
{{main|List of Fireman Sam episodes}} {{main|List of Fireman Sam episodes}}
{{:List of Fireman Sam episodes}}


==Spinoffs== ==Characters==
{{Main|List of Fireman Sam characters}}
In 2001, a stage production was turned into a feature, Fireman Sam In Live, and released on BBC Video VHS.


==Spin-offs==
In 2010, Fireman Sam appeared with other animated children's television characters in a Children In Need single. The single was put together by Peter Kay.
In 1996, there was a stage show that was later released on video, titled '']''. It was interspersed with scenes of children learning about fire safety with Gary Lewis, the actor playing Fireman Sam in the stage show.


In 2009, ''Fireman Sam'' appeared with other animated children's TV characters in the '']'' single '']''. The single was put together by ].
The show saw its first feature-length movie, The Great Fire of Pontypandy, released to DVD and iTunes in 2013'
and was shown in select cinemas.


Fireman Sam was adapted into a live musical theatre show, which began touring the UK in June 2012. ''Fireman Sam'' was adapted into a live musical theatre show, which began touring the UK in June 2011.


In 2014, ] redubbed ''Fireman Sam'' using American voices instead of British voices for children in the United States. However, the characters of ], ] and ] have their regular, respective Australian, Canadian and Italian voices (instead of being dubbed with a US voice actor), due to their characters' accents. This cast includes the voices of Andrew Hodwitz, Jonah Ain, Chris D'Silva, Margaret Brock, Lily Cassano, Dave Pender Crichton, Jacob James, Scott Lancastle, Ashley Magwood, Michael Pongracz, Becky E. Shrimpton, Sarah Lynn Strange, Carter Treneer, Mark Ricci, Joe Marth (later replaced by Dave MacRae), Adam Turgeon and Christa Clahane.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}
In 2016, the show's second feature-length movie "Heroes of the Storm" (also known as "Ultimate Heroes" in the USA) due to be released September 2016 however it was released for US audiences December 2015.{{citation needed|date=January 2016}}


==Reception==
Chief Fire Officer Boyce announces that the old Pontypandy fire station will be closed down to make way for a new, more modern fire station and two new members of the firefighting crew. In the meantime, the team will have to co-ordinate rescues from a Mobile Command Unit whilst the new fire station is being built.
The ] website said of the series, "All the characters blend together into an appealing mixture of fun and entertainment for children everywhere".<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.abc.net.au/abckids/shows/prog64.htm | title=Fireman Sam at ABC | website=] | access-date=4 January 2011}}</ref>


] recommended the 2005 series for ages three and up, praising it for showing how to "stay calm in a crisis" and rely on a team to solve problems. The American website found that the "distinctly Welsh characters, community, accents, and expressions may pose some minor comprehension problems for kids on this side of the pond", but considered it a useful example of life in another part of the world.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/Fireman-Sam.html | title=Fireman Sam at commonsensemedia | date=16 October 2006 | access-date=4 January 2011}}</ref>
Up at the mountains, Penny is taking Norman, Mandy, Sarah and James on a pot-holing trip in the old mines. And at the Mountain Activity Centre, Moose and Tom are using Moose’s new amphibious vehicle to take wildlife photographs, but they haven’t quite mastered the controls and it’s not long before they’re swept out to sea and Sam has to come to their aid.


In 2014, Dean Burnett wrote in '']'' calling Fireman Sam the "worst children's programme ever" due to its lack of realism.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Burnett |first=Dean |date=2014-02-07 |title=Fireman Sam: the worst children's programme ever? |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2014/feb/07/fireman-sam-the-worst-childrens-programme-ever |access-date=2023-12-13 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>
Elsewhere at sea, Charlie and coastguard Ben see a hurricane has rapidly developed and is heading straight for Pontypandy; they immediately warn Sam. So it’s action stations as Sam has to rescue Penny and the kids from the old mines, Elvis helps prepare Pontypandy for the storm and Station Officer Steele gathers everyone at the new fire station.


==Controversies==
But when a fire breaks out at the new fire station, it’s a race against time as Sam has to hurry back to Pontypandy to help the rest of the team and save the day.
] appearing in ''Fireman Sam''.]]
In July 2016, it emerged that in Series 9, Episode 6 called "Troubled Waters" – in which Elvis slips on a piece of paper and falls into a stack of sheets of paper, causing them to fly everywhere – one of the flying pages that briefly came into view was identified as a page from the ]: "Surah ] (67), verses 13–26".<ref name="Quran">{{cite web|last1=Evans|first1=Patrick|title=Fireman Sam episode pulled amid Quran row|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36900310|publisher=BBC|access-date=30 July 2016|date=27 July 2016}}</ref> The production company Mattel apologised for this accident, removed the episode from broadcast, and ceased work with Xing Xing, the animation company responsible for the error. Mattel stated: "Someone from the production company thought they were just putting in random text.<ref name="Quran"/> We have no reason to believe it was done maliciously." It was at first thought that this episode would have to be removed from broadcast circulation, but instead was censored by having the scene edited to show Elvis just slipping on a blank piece of paper, so the television networks were still able to broadcast it.<ref name="Quran"/> The BBC received more than 1,000 complaints and forwarded them to ] as the BBC has not aired ''Fireman Sam'' since 2008.<ref name="Quran"/> Ofcom decided not to investigate the episode stating that even at the highest resolution it was impossible to tell if the text was from the Quran or not.<ref name=BBC>{{cite news |date=12 September 2016 |title=Fireman Sam 'Koran' scene cleared by Ofcom|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37338265 |work=BBC News |location= |access-date=11 April 2024}}</ref>


{{Clear}}
The hurricane passes, Pontypandy made it through. As life goes back to normal in Pontypandy, Moose donates the amphibious vehicle to Sam and the team – newly painted in fire station colours and renamed Hydrus.

==Critical response==
The ] website said of the series, "All the characters blend together into an appealing mixture of fun and entertainment for children everywhere."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.abc.net.au/abckids/shows/prog64.htm | title=Fireman Sam at ABC | accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>

] recommended the 2006 series for ages 3 and up, praising it for showing how to "stay calm in a crisis" and rely on a team to solve problems. The American website found that the "distinctly Welsh characters, community, accents, and expressions may pose some minor comprehension problems for kids on this side of the pond", but considered it a useful example of life in another part of the world.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/Fireman-Sam.html | title=Fireman Sam at commonsensemedia | accessdate=4 January 2012}}</ref>


==References== ==References==
{{Reflist|2}} {{reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
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* {{BBC programme}}
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* {{IMDb title|id=0329829|title=Fireman Sam}} * {{IMDb title|id=0329829|title=Fireman Sam}}
{{Fireman Sam}}{{Media in Cardiff}}
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Latest revision as of 23:38, 19 January 2025

British animated children's television series

Fireman Sam
[REDACTED]
Created by
  • Dave Gingell
  • Dave Jones
  • Rob Lee
Written byLaura Beaumont
Paul Larson (2012-present)
Directed byJerry Hibbert
Gary Andrews
Cam Lizotte
Greg Richardson
Katrina Hadley
Jennifer Guglielmucci
Oskar Nilsson
William Gordon
Connor Ferguson
Voices of
Narrated byJohn Alderton (1987–1994)
Music by
  • Ben Heneghan (from 1987 to 2005)
  • Ian Lawson (from 1987 to 2005)
  • David Pickvance (from 2008 to 2019)
  • Blain Morris (from 2020 onwards)
  • Mike Shields (from 2021 onwards)
  • Amanda Cawley (from 2021 onwards)
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languages
  • Welsh (series 1–4)
  • English
No. of series15
No. of episodes304 (list of episodes)
Production
ProducerVarious
Running time
  • 10 minutes (series)
  • 20 minutes ("Snow Business" only)
Production companies
Original release
Network
Release17 November 1987 (1987-11-17) –
17 November 1994 (1994-11-17)
Release4 April (2005-04-04) –
26 December 2005 (2005-12-26)
Release24 November 2008 (2008-11-24) –
present (present)

Fireman Sam (Welsh: Sam Tân) is a British animated children's television series about a fireman named Sam, his fellow firefighters, and other residents in the fictional Welsh rural village of Pontypandy (a portmanteau of two real towns, Pontypridd and Tonypandy). It was broadcast for the first time in November 1987 on Welsh TV channel S4C and is shown in more than 155 countries across the world.

History

Fireman Sam first appeared in Welsh on S4C on 1 November 1987, and a few weeks later on BBC1 on 17 November. The original series finished in 1994, and a new series that expanded the character cast commenced in 2003. The series was also shown as Sam Smalaidh in Scottish Gaelic in Scotland. The series was sold to over 40 countries and has been used across the United Kingdom to promote fire safety.

The theme song was performed by Mal Pope in a classic rock style from 1987 to 1994, then by a different singer, Cameron Stewart, in a 2000s alternative rock style since the 2003 new episode broadcasts.

Development

The original idea came about from two ex-firemen from London, England – Dave Gingell and David Jones after purchasing a stop motion animation book by artist Anthony Miller. They approached Mike Young, creator of SuperTed, in Barry, Wales, and asked him to further develop their concept. The idea was then brought to S4C's Director of Animation, Chris Grace, who had previously commissioned SuperTed, saw potential in the idea and commissioned the series. The characters and the storylines were created by Rob Lee, an illustrator from Cardiff, and the programme was made using stop motion. It could take up to four days to produce one minute of this form of puppet animation. Fireman Sam has to this day been translated into over 25 different languages including Mandarin.

In the original series, all the character voices were performed by John Alderton. The later series used several actors' voices.

In 2021, Mike Young said that shows like Fireman Sam and SuperTed would not be able to exist without government subsidies to S4C.

Episodes

Main article: List of Fireman Sam episodes
SeriesEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
1817 November 1987 (1987-11-17)10 December 1987 (1987-12-10)
281 September 1988 (1988-09-01)22 December 1988 (1988-12-22)
3915 October 1990 (1990-10-15)10 December 1990 (1990-12-10)
4821 October 1994 (1994-10-21)17 November 1994 (1994-11-17)
5264 April 2005 (2005-04-04)25 December 2005 (2005-12-25)
62624 November 2008 (2008-11-24)27 February 2009 (2009-02-27)
7264 May 2009 (2009-05-04)19 July 2009 (2009-07-19)
8263 March 2012 (2012-03-03)10 November 2012 (2012-11-10)
9257 April 2014 (2014-04-07)3 September 2014 (2014-09-03)
102515 February 2016 (2016-02-15)26 August 2016 (2016-08-26)
111318 November 2017 (2017-11-18)9 May 2018 (2018-05-09)
121326 October 2020 (2020-10-26)17 February 2021 (2021-02-17)
13264 October 2021 (2021-10-04)7 October 2022 (2022-10-07)
14261 November 2022 (2022-11-01)7 July 2023 (2023-07-07)
152621 October 2023 (2023-10-21)TBA

Characters

Main article: List of Fireman Sam characters

Spin-offs

In 1996, there was a stage show that was later released on video, titled Fireman Sam in Action. It was interspersed with scenes of children learning about fire safety with Gary Lewis, the actor playing Fireman Sam in the stage show.

In 2009, Fireman Sam appeared with other animated children's TV characters in the Children in Need single The Official BBC Children in Need Medley. The single was put together by Peter Kay.

Fireman Sam was adapted into a live musical theatre show, which began touring the UK in June 2011.

In 2014, Amazon Prime redubbed Fireman Sam using American voices instead of British voices for children in the United States. However, the characters of Tom Thomas, Moose Roberts and Bella Lasagne have their regular, respective Australian, Canadian and Italian voices (instead of being dubbed with a US voice actor), due to their characters' accents. This cast includes the voices of Andrew Hodwitz, Jonah Ain, Chris D'Silva, Margaret Brock, Lily Cassano, Dave Pender Crichton, Jacob James, Scott Lancastle, Ashley Magwood, Michael Pongracz, Becky E. Shrimpton, Sarah Lynn Strange, Carter Treneer, Mark Ricci, Joe Marth (later replaced by Dave MacRae), Adam Turgeon and Christa Clahane.

Reception

The ABC website said of the series, "All the characters blend together into an appealing mixture of fun and entertainment for children everywhere".

Common Sense Media recommended the 2005 series for ages three and up, praising it for showing how to "stay calm in a crisis" and rely on a team to solve problems. The American website found that the "distinctly Welsh characters, community, accents, and expressions may pose some minor comprehension problems for kids on this side of the pond", but considered it a useful example of life in another part of the world.

In 2014, Dean Burnett wrote in The Guardian calling Fireman Sam the "worst children's programme ever" due to its lack of realism.

Controversies

A page from the Quran appearing in Fireman Sam.

In July 2016, it emerged that in Series 9, Episode 6 called "Troubled Waters" – in which Elvis slips on a piece of paper and falls into a stack of sheets of paper, causing them to fly everywhere – one of the flying pages that briefly came into view was identified as a page from the Quran: "Surah Mulk (67), verses 13–26". The production company Mattel apologised for this accident, removed the episode from broadcast, and ceased work with Xing Xing, the animation company responsible for the error. Mattel stated: "Someone from the production company thought they were just putting in random text. We have no reason to believe it was done maliciously." It was at first thought that this episode would have to be removed from broadcast circulation, but instead was censored by having the scene edited to show Elvis just slipping on a blank piece of paper, so the television networks were still able to broadcast it. The BBC received more than 1,000 complaints and forwarded them to Channel 5 as the BBC has not aired Fireman Sam since 2008. Ofcom decided not to investigate the episode stating that even at the highest resolution it was impossible to tell if the text was from the Quran or not.

References

  1. "'No stereotype problem' in Fireman Sam". BBC News. 20 March 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
  2. Shuttleworth, Peter (17 November 2017). "Happy 30th birthday Fireman Sam". BBC News.
  3. Regional Television Variations. Date: Saturday, Oct. 31, 1987 Publication: The Times (London, England) Sunday: 1st 7.20. Sam Tân
  4. "About Sam". Retrieved 4 January 2011.
  5. "TV: Fireman Sam and SuperTed 'wouldn't exist' without subsidies". BBC News. 21 October 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  6. "Fireman Sam at ABC". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
  7. "Fireman Sam at commonsensemedia". 16 October 2006. Retrieved 4 January 2011.
  8. Burnett, Dean (7 February 2014). "Fireman Sam: the worst children's programme ever?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  9. ^ Evans, Patrick (27 July 2016). "Fireman Sam episode pulled amid Quran row". BBC. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  10. "Fireman Sam 'Koran' scene cleared by Ofcom". BBC News. 12 September 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2024.

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