Dizzy Heights

Dizzy Heights was a part live-action and part puppetry children's series set in Dizzy Heights Hotel. It featured, as the hotel's management, puppeteers Heap and Wall (who would also work underneath a pair of wolves on ITV's Whats Up Doc, and the do pretty much the same routine under a pair of Leprachauns on the BBC's Live and Kicking). The gristle family, Victor, Vera and their son Eustace, were a relatively grotesque puppet family who were guests of the hotel. There was also two puppet heads, a bear and a pig (if memory serves) who were mounted on the wall, as if hunting spoils, and came to life to chatter and joke amongst themselves when no-one was watching. Finally a pair of puppet mice, Morty and Myrtle lived under the floor boards, and their sketches offered another storyline in each episode. After four series of Dizzy Heights the Gristle family were spun off into their own series, The House Of Gristle, in 1994, and a further one-off spin-off, The Curious Case Of Dr Hertz Van Rental, a comic gothic horror story featuring the Gristle family, was aired on new years eve 1995, becoming the families final appearance on UK terrestrial television. The puppets also joined many other children's puppet characters from both BBC and ITV, to record a song 'Everybody Needs A Helping Hand' in aid of Comic Relief, for Red Nose Day 1991.
 

Dizzy Heights, The House Of Gristle and The Curious Case Of Dr Hertz Van Rental – Episode Guides/Transmission Histories

Dizzy Heights Series 1 – BBC1 – Thursdays – Winter/Spring 1990
By Andy Walker, Alan Heap and Mick Wall. Starring Heap and Wall (the management).
Director CLAIRE WINYARD Producer MARTIN FISHER Executive producer CHRISTOPHER PILKINGTON Assistant producer David Coyle

DH1.01 – 1990/02/15 16:30 - 'Tricky Ricky becomes the boss, as he creates his flashy chaos.' DizzyHeights is a curious hotel. Ricky has come to stay and Ms Marvo the magician has just left without her wand. The management try to return it, without success! Ricky finds it.... oh no! With Alan Heap and Mick Wall. This week's visitor is Richard Stoughton.
DH1.02 – 1990/02/22 16:35 - This week's visitor is Kamlesh Gupta (karate kid).There are curious happenings at Dizzy Heights hotel. Bear is calm, but Hog is excited that Kamlesh is allowed to shout and kick. Morty Mouse , against Myrtle's advice, lovingly starts to redecorate their home, with the management's things!
DH1.03 – 1990/03/01 16:35 - This week's visitor is Anna Madeley (dancer). Anna is amazed at the calamity and Eustace is excited by new toys. Meanwhile Morty Mouse revels at being really frightening. Ouch! Heap gets gonged.
DH1.04 – 1990/03/08 16:35 - This week's visitor is Martin Brennan (drummer). Headaches at the Heights are extra - extra bad when the band isn't coming.
DH1.05 – 1990/03/15 16:35 - At Dizzy Heights it is crucial that safety is uppermost in all minds at all times. Eager as ever to enlighten the guests on dangerous pitfalls, Heap and Wall try to make a safety video. Eager to learn other uses of the video camera, Sharon Gavin (reporter) sets out to explore the hotel.
DH1.06 – 1990/03/22 16:30 - This week's visitor is Tim Matthews (writer). Why is there a tent pitched over the family's dining-room table? Believe it or not, everything's possible at Dizzy Heights hotel. Writers Andy Walker.

Dizzy Heights Series 2 – All BBC1 – Thursdays – Winter/Spring 1991
Written by Andy Walker Director Claire Winyard Producer Martin Hughes
DH2.01 – 1991/02/14 16:30 - NEW Children's puppet comedy set in a hotel.1: In the Bleak Mid- Winter 
As winter draws on, a chill descends on Dizzy Heights, so Alan Heap and Mick Wall do their best to break the ice.
DH2.02 – 1991/02/21 16:30 - 2: Alan does his best to relate to customers while Mr Gristle does his worst for Anglo-American relations.
DH2.03 – 1991/02/28 16:30 - 3: Mable Shufflebottom helps the Gristles keep a secret.
DH2.04 – 1991/03/07 16:35 - 4: A reporter visits.
DH2.05 – 1991/03/14 16:35 - 5: All is not what it seems when two strangers approach Alan with an offer he can't refuse. Will they make a monkey out of Mick?
DH2.06 – 1991/03/21 16:30 - 6: With Alan sickly and the Gristles sickening, the Doctor finds himself well and truly in the soup.
DH2.07 – 1991/03/28 16:35 - The last in the series of the children's puppet comedy. Darren arrives from the employment agency.

Dizzy Heights Series 1 First Repeat Run – All BBC1 – Thursdays – Summer 1991
DH1.02 – 1991/07/18 16:30, DH1.03 – 1991/07/25 16:35, DH1.04 – 1991/08/01 16:30, DH1.05 – 1991/08/08 16:30, DH1.06 – 1991/08/15 16:35. It would appear that the first episode of the series was not repeated as part of this run, as Radio Times describes episode two (with guest Kamlesh Gupta) as being the first in a series of five episodes. Possibly DH1.01 was in fact a pilot episode, and had a different agreement, in terms of repeat rights, to the five later episodes, or possibly the production team felt that,as a result of being the first show they made, it was a little below par compared to the later episodes and didn’t wish to repeat it?

Dizzy Heights  Series 3 – All BBC1 – Thursdays – Winter/Spring 1992
With Alan Heap and Mick Wall. Wntten by Robin Kingsland
DH3.01 – 1992/02/20 16:30 - NEW Return of the I children's comedy drama set in a hotel. Another season begins at the Dizzy Heights Hotel and Mick's cousin pays a surprise visit. 
DH3.02 – 1992/02/27 16:30 - Mrs Gristle 's parachute drop has unexpected consequences.
DH3.03 – 1992/03/05 16:30 - Alan subjects Mick and the Gristles to the "Heap-plan" fitness regime.
DH3.04 – 1992/03/12 16:30 - Eustace shows his family heirloom to a passing stranger.
DH3.05 – 1992/03/19 16:30 - A desperate animal is on the loose. 
DH3.06 – 1992/03/26 16:30 - Do Mick and Alan stand a chance with their new theme weekends? Titles Only (from 17/09/92 repeat) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHT-Tf4RSXo
DH3.07 – 1992/04/02 16:35 - Mick's dreams of entrepreneurial success bring him up against a wall.

Dizzy Heights Series 2 First Repeat Run – All BBC1 – Thursdays – Summer/Autumn 1992
DH2.01 – 1992/08/20 16:35, DH2.02 – 1992/08/27 16:35, DH2.03 – 1992/09/03 16:35, DH2.05? – 1992/09/10 16:35, DH2.06? – 1992/09/17 16:30, DH2.07? – 1992/09/24 16:35. The episode shown on 10th August was numbered as 4 by Radio Times, but the description matches episode 5. Both the 17th and 24th August episodes were described by Radio Times as the last in the series, but the description of the 17th August episode is for episode 6. One episode was dropped from the repeat run, and it appears, from the available evidence, to be episode 4, which, according to the description in Radio Times during the original run of this series, featured a visit by a reporter, which could have possibly been a repeat of episode DH1.05 rather than an actual series 2 episode, in which case that repeat taken with the subsequent series one repeats of five episodes could mean that all of series 1 was in fact repeated, although having said that the series 1 episode featuring a reporter was, according to the descriptions published during the Series 1 repeat run, one of the episodes repeated at that time, so would have got two repeats, with DH1.01 getting none, if that theory was the case.

Dizzy Heights  Series 4 – All BBC1 – Thurdays – Winter/Spring 1993
Written by Robin Kingsland.
DH4.01 – 1993/02/18 16:35 - 1: An opera star and the Gristle family take to the theatre. Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UY-3tzyAug , Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JqIFT56Zr8 , and Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5ld2A6Rnlo
DH4.02 – 1993/02/25 16:35 - First in a two-part tale of further chaos at the mismanaged seaside hotel.
DH4.03 – 1993/03/04 16:30 - Second in a two-part tale of further chaos at the mismanaged seaside hotel.
DH4.04 – 1993/03/11 16:35 - A valuable piece of furniture is discovered at the seaside hotel.
DH4.05 – 1993/03/18 16:20 - The Gristles struggle to rid themselves of an evil duke.
DH4.06 – 1993/03/25 16:20 - There's further chaos at the mismanaged seaside hotel.
DH4.07 – 1993/04/01 16:25 - Last in the comedy series

Dizzy Heights Series 3 First Repeat Run – All BBC1 – Thursday – Summer/Autumn 1993
DH3.01 – 1993/08/12 – 16:35, DH3.02 – 1993/08/19 16:35, DH3.03 – 1993/08/26 16:35, DH3.04 – 1993/09/02 16:35, DH3.05 – 1993/08/09 16:30, DH3.06 – 1993/08/16 16:30, DH3.07 – 1993/08/23 16:30.

The House Of Gristle – All BBC1 – Thursdays – Spring/Summer 1994
HG1.01 – 1994/04/07 16:30 - A new series with the small, terrible, rubber Gristle family from Dizzy Heights Hotel.
HG1.02 – 1994/04/14 16:35 - A new series with the small, terrible, rubber Gristle family from Dizzy 
Heights Hotel. The House of Gristle doors are now open.
HG1.03 – 1994/04/21 16:35 - The puppets try to re-enact the French Revolution.
HG1.04 – 1994/04/28 16:35 - More madcap fun with the rubber Gristle family.
HG1.05 – 1994/05/05 16:35 - Puppet fun. Vera's blue rinse makes Vic see red and Eustace go green.
HG1.06 – 1994/05/12 16:35 - Puppet fun with the terrible, rubber Gristle family.
HG1.07 – 1994/05/19 16:35 - Puppet fun.
HG1.08 – 1994/05/26 16:35 - Puppet fun.
HG1.09 – 1994/06/02 16:35 - Last in the puppet series.

Dizzy Heights Series ? Repeat Run – BBC1* - Fridays – Summer 1994
DH?.01? – 1994/07/29 09:05, DH?.02? – 1994/08/05 09:05, DH?03? – 1994/08/12 09:05, DH?04? – 1994/08/19 09:05, DH?05? – 1994/08/26 09:05*, DH?06? – 1994/09/02 09:05.
NB CBBC was on BBC2 on 26th August 1994, to make way for Commonwealth Games Grandstand on BBC1.

The Curious Case Of Dr Hertz Van Rental – BBC2 – Sunday – Winter 1995
HV01.01 – 1995/12/31 09:15 - A comic gothic horror story featuring the puppet stars of Dizzy Heights and House of Gristle.