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I am trying to identify a TV show I watched as a child in the UK. It is rather obscure.

The show aired on the ITV network in the late 1970's, I would guess between 1978 to 1973 and definitely shown on a week day afternoon as I recall watching it after school.

It may have been a one off TV special or a very short run of episodes and I only caught the final one because I clearly remember tuning in the follow week and being disappointed it was not being broadcast.

Regarding the show itself, it was a mix of puppets and live action. If memory serves (but it is rather blurry) the main characters were a group of robots or aliens reminiscent of and puppeteered in the same manner as the Smash Martians. For those who don't know, Smash was a brand of instant mashed potatoes and was advertised by puppets meant to be martians. Here is a link to one advert on YouTube. I can be sure it was not simply an advert I watched as it was around 25 minutes long. A fairly standard length for a UK children's TV show.

Plot... I cannot recall many details sadly except that one scene involved the hero group of puppets being caught and imprisoned and another with a character who I think was simply a metallic ball with black eyes glued on teleporting into various places in search of something. At one point it surprises a woman in the bath who throws soap suds at it and screams.

It is possible I am conflating one or two different shows, the Children's Film Foundation film "The Glitterball" may account for some scenes but not all.

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  • @TheBeardyMan Not a dupe, no accepted answer this side and the other answer is different to the one suggested here.
    – TheLethalCarrot ♦
    Oct 29, 2018 at 12:16
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    @TheBeardyMan thank you, I think it is very likely to be Stainless Steel and the Star Spies. I checked out the question you mentioned and although it doesn't jog too many memories everything I read about this tallies with what i mention, particularly that it was a one off pilot episode that did not lead to a show. Can you upgrade your comment to an answer please.Thank you.
    – skyjack
    Oct 29, 2018 at 22:47

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Could this have been Button Moon? Note in particular the character of Mr Spoon, the left most figure in the following picture:

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Compared to a Smash Martian:

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From the wikpedia article:

Button Moon is a British children's television programme broadcast in the United Kingdom in the 1980s on the ITV network. Thames Television produced each episode, which lasted ten minutes and featured the adventures of Mr. Spoon who, in each episode, travels to Button Moon in his homemade rocket ship. All the characters are based on kitchen utensils, as well as many of the props.

Once on Button Moon, which hangs in "blanket sky", they have an adventure, and look through Mr. Spoon's telescope at someone else such as the Hare and the Tortoise, before heading back to their home on 'Junk Planet'. Episodes also include Mr. Spoon's wife Mrs. Spoon, their daughter, Tina Tea-Spoon and her friend Eggbert. The series ended in 1988 after 91 episodes.

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  • No this one sadly, I remember Button Moon well so we can rule this out but thanks for the suggestion.
    – skyjack
    Oct 29, 2018 at 22:40

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