User Reviews

when i was younger i used to love this show! i used to think that the music in it was great and that the guy who played pugwall was dead sexy! although i recently found and episode when i was going through my old videos and to be honest i thought it was pretty tragic! but i guess when you are 10 years old this would seem like a great show.

When people of my age (mid 30's) are asked about classic Australian Kids' TV, most of them will instantly state 'Round The Twist'. Personally,I will say in one word;2 syllables;7 letters;you've got it;

PUGWALL!!

Created in the late80s/early 90s and based on the Penguin books, Pugwall tells the tale of Peter Unwin George Wall;PUGWALL. He and his friends form a pop group against their parents' conservative expectations of them.

Blending humour with band performances - in casting they probably chose young musicians over established actors - this show was highly classy and original. Constantly hassled by ginger sister 'Marmaloid',ambitious father 'Herohead' and control-freak mother Supes' - surreal interpretations of Pugwall's home-life would regularly spring to the screen - Pugwall has to attempt to make a hit record whilst persuaded to lead a normal teenage life!

The show was quite insightful in regards to its account of a group of musicians, both teenage AND independent, breaking through all the obstacles and hardships of the 'Rock'n'Roll' industry,driven by their determination to become successful.

Set in an archetypal early 90s kitsch-but-classy (Melbourne) suburbia - title actor Jason Torrens now has a recording studio in the city - the show is highly evocative of that golden age of TV comedy when the world, despite Thatcherism, was still respectable,relatively sane and had a lot of talent amongst the young and old. I give this show 10/10 for its originality, insight, humour and overall class!

I think there was this hidden love of "Pugwall" when I was at school. We would make fun of it but watch it all the same.

I would say, however, that it wasn't that "cool". Take, for example, the lyrics to the music Puigwall's 'band' put together:

"Morning to midnight (castanet syncopation) I'm thinking o- hov you Tossing & turning What can I do?"

or;

"We're all gonna have a party (guitar riff) Food and drink for everyone one (guitar riff) Laughing, jumping(?) dancing, singing (guitar riff) Every body is welcome"

or the theme song;

"Nobody tells me what to do No not me Nobody tells me what to say Can't you see"

It was great - all the songs were complete with correct, clipped pronunciation; not exactly rock & roll.

Then there was the theme music that came on whenever Pugwall's arch-enemies came hooning past on their BMX's;

"Bad boys, bad boys Bad bad boys"

Sheer late-eighties hard-core kids' TV.

But at the same time, to quote "Seinfeld" - It's grotesque. Yet I can't look away."

I loved this show when it first came out, about 14 years ago. I thought the name "The Orange Organics" was the best name ever for a band, and although Pugwall himself wasn't the hottest boy on TV, he was a decent bloke. I remember Jenny was supposed to be a spunk too, but my recollection of the character is that she whined a lot. There was also a rival for Pugwall's love (I think her name may have been Allison?) who at one point sang "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" at a school carnival. Nice.

My (27 year-old) sister started humming one of the songs from Pugwall at our Mother's Day dinner last night (what a treat for Mum!), and I had the music from this show in my head all night. The number she was singing was one of their instrumental pieces, which included some hand-claps in the middle of it, but there are so many others I thought of: "We're all Gonna Have a Party", "Morning to Midnight"...and a couple of other ones I can't quite remember at the moment (but they were damn good). Aaaah, Pugwall, rock on!