Clangers Logo 'Visiting Friends'
by Oliver Postgate
Clangers

We see the telescope that Small Clanger and Tiny Clanger have. Tiny Clanger is looking for the small star where she thinks the iron chicken lives. They locate the star and see the iron chicken and Tiny Clanger sees that it is wearing the gold chain she made for it. Mrs. Clanger climbs out and calls them in to tea. Small Clanger goes in but Tiny Clanger remains outside alone.

She has found a bright jewel berry and looks at the chicken on its star again. She waves and hoots at the bird but of course it is too far away to understand that she wants to give it the jewel to go on the gold chain.

Tiny Clanger sits under the music tree and sheds a tear.

The music trees tinkle sympathetically and a few ripe notes fall. Tiny Clanger picks up some of the notes and plays with them. She holds them together like the spokes of a wheel and when she twirls it it plays a rising scale and rises. She fetches a hoop and attaches the ring of notes to it. She sits on the hoop and twirls the ring. It lifts her. Small Clanger, sent to call her in, sees her sailing past like a musical helicopter. Small Clanger raises the alarm. The Clangers rush out. There is panic and pandemonium. Small Clanger sees the helicopter speeding towards the Chicken's star. The Clangers wheel out their space-rocket. They count down. They light the blue paper. There is a blast and the two rockets hurtle into space. As the smoke clears we see a blackened Mr. Clanger sitting in the centre section which has been left behind.

Small Clanger is alarmed. He sees the musical helicopter breaking up and losing its notes. Tiny Clanger gesticulates and hoots. The iron chicken on its star sees her and flaps over and collects her, scoops her up and carries her back to its star. The Clangers are even more alarmed. They wonder what will become of her. Tiny Clanger is very pleased. She greets the chicken as an old friend and gives it the jewel. They drink tea and chat interstellar small-talk. The chicken goes below and fetches her a small iron hat, with aerial and earpiece. It is their personal radio communicator.

Meanwhile the Clangers are distraught. Small Clanger confers with the small white cloud. Small Clanger lines up the Clangers in a special line. The cloud floats over the first clanger who blows at it as hard as he can. The cloud is blown from clanger to clanger down the line, gaining speed as it goes until the last group blowing all together set the cloud going at a fair speed towards the chicken's star. It arrives at that untidy place which is mostly spiky nest and is greeted. Tiny Clanger departs on the cloud. She arrives home very pleased with herself but her reception is very chilly. She is ordered straight to bed. She tries to show her new toy to Mrs. Clanger but she is ordered straight to bed. Before she goes to sleep she calls up her friend and says goodnight.

Original Conception:
Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin

Scenery and Puppets:
Peter Firmin

Music:
Composed by Vernon Elliott

Filming and Editing:
Oliver Postgate

Film Company:
Smallfilms

TX:
1st January 1970 @ 5.55pm

Notes:
*This synopsis is the original outline written by Oliver Postgate for the BBC prior to production, and may differ slightly from the transmitted version.

*The Clangers voices were played on swannee whistles by Oliver Postgate and Stephen Sylvester.