I find Joshua Jones (1991) is a very good Animated Series made by Bumper Films, The same animated company, who made Fireman Sam (1987-1994), Unlike the characters from Fireman Sam (1987-1994), Who were voiced by the narrator called John Alderton, Joshua Jones (1991) characters' voices are done by two individual voice actors called George Layton and Barbara Flynn, Fireman Sam (1987-1994) was lasted for 4 seasons and 33 episodes, Joshua Jones (1991) on the other hand has lasted for 1 season and 12 episodes, I'm giving this short-lived animated series a 9/10.
3 Reviews
Sadly underrated, deserves a lot more attention!
williamchristianwilson17 May 2022
If anybody here has watched the early episodes of Fireman Sam (Series 1-4), then they should immediately see a similarity in the looks of the characters. The very same studio that produced those early Fireman Sam episodes, Bumper Films, also produced this show.
However, this one seemingly did not enjoy the same success and longevity as the other one, in a similar way to how TUGS didn't last in the way Thomas the Tank Engine did, even though the following it built up is just as big as Thomas's fan following nowadays. Anyways, back to this show, I think it should've gotten more episodes. I've seen 6 of the 12 that were released, and I think that it's just as good as, if not better, than classic Fireman Sam.
This show has many things in common with classic Fireman Sam, the title character himself having a very similar personality to Sam. He goes around the village with his dog, helping out whenever they're needed. The calm, chill, relaxing, but also charming vibes from Fireman Sam are present here, with a lot of the humor and warmth that made OG Sam such a fun time. The characters are really well-done as well, just like with Fireman Sam, you relate to everybody in the show, either because you knew people in your life who were similar, or because they remind you of yourself. One of the characters, Spanner, is like an older, but slightly more mature/responsible version of Norman Price, with a little bit of the air-headedness of Elvis Cridlington mixed in.
I really recommend giving this program a watch, it really is worth your time. It's like a lot of vintage British children's programming, in that while the primary audience is children, anybody can get something out of it. This is something programs like this, Fireman Sam, Thomas the Tank Engine, The Trap Door, The Wind in the Willows, Noddy's Toyland Adventures, and many others I can think of do so well. If you want to find the episodes, they are all available on YouTube from the user "Johnson and Noddy". Give this program some love, share it with your friends, it really is one of the underrated gems of children's programming.
However, this one seemingly did not enjoy the same success and longevity as the other one, in a similar way to how TUGS didn't last in the way Thomas the Tank Engine did, even though the following it built up is just as big as Thomas's fan following nowadays. Anyways, back to this show, I think it should've gotten more episodes. I've seen 6 of the 12 that were released, and I think that it's just as good as, if not better, than classic Fireman Sam.
This show has many things in common with classic Fireman Sam, the title character himself having a very similar personality to Sam. He goes around the village with his dog, helping out whenever they're needed. The calm, chill, relaxing, but also charming vibes from Fireman Sam are present here, with a lot of the humor and warmth that made OG Sam such a fun time. The characters are really well-done as well, just like with Fireman Sam, you relate to everybody in the show, either because you knew people in your life who were similar, or because they remind you of yourself. One of the characters, Spanner, is like an older, but slightly more mature/responsible version of Norman Price, with a little bit of the air-headedness of Elvis Cridlington mixed in.
I really recommend giving this program a watch, it really is worth your time. It's like a lot of vintage British children's programming, in that while the primary audience is children, anybody can get something out of it. This is something programs like this, Fireman Sam, Thomas the Tank Engine, The Trap Door, The Wind in the Willows, Noddy's Toyland Adventures, and many others I can think of do so well. If you want to find the episodes, they are all available on YouTube from the user "Johnson and Noddy". Give this program some love, share it with your friends, it really is one of the underrated gems of children's programming.
Great Childhood Program Why Isn't It On DVD!?
alasdairandrew26 March 2023
I believe this show should have been just as popular as Fireman Sam as it was made by The Same Creators and has man similarities to Fireman Sam but sadly that may be due to Rosie and Jim being more popular at the time that Joshua Jones lost a lot of viewers that way and will sadly never be anywhere near as Fireman Sam so I guess the best we can do is hope for a DVD release so new generation will get a chance to see this underrated kids show hopefully at least. Still at least on the bright side I am glad to feel that no CGI rubbish remake will be ever be made out of Joshua Jones unlike Fireman Sam and Postman Pat.
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