Pie In The Sky

Pie In The Sky was a very low budget affair set in Universal Pies, a pie shaped bakehouse (aka Piehouse) run by Pieman and Piewife. In every episode they recieve a live video message (two decades before Skype remember!), on a small spherical screen on a stick, from Piepilot (a spaceman from the planet Pi who wears a pie shaped helmet) requesting that they bake him a pie with a special ingredient in it.... a song! The songpie is for the children of pie who apparently have no songs of their own. Pieman cycles (or carries whatever remains of his bike in one or two episodes) up the hill to collect a pie dish beamed down to him by PiePilot, before heading back to Piehouse, whereupon they decide which piesong(s) to use in that weeks songpie, and which shaped-cutter would be best suited to the theme. We then see the same main actors playing different roles, performing the selected song(s) before returing to Pieman and Piewife in time to see the finished pie have it's song added to it (by way of a advanced (for the time) digital effect that causes a high speed version of the song performance to heard and to be seen in a trianglular part of the screen, being sucked through the crow shape pie vent into the pie). Once this is done the pie is taken back up the hill and Piepilot beams it up, and sings a bar or two of that weeks song himself (usually in garbled form) as the credits begin to roll. 13 Episodes were made and first shown in 1986, then the whole series (more or less) was wheeled out another 7 times between 1987 and 1991, before dissappearing from the schedules, and possibly the archives. Thankfully most of the episodes can now be found on youtube for those of you who want to see a slice of televisual pie from the days before it became virtually illegal to make pies (and other unhealthy foods) seem appealing to children. One wonders what a 2010s remake might look like, and suspects that it would now have to centre around a food stuff that was not just healthy, but also vegetarian and ethnic.... but Vegetable Biryiani In The Sky just wouldn't have the same charm about it, would it?


Pie In The Sky – Episode Guide/Transmission History (BBC1* 1986-8 and BBC2 1987-1991)

Piewife CHLOE ASHCROFT, Pieman DAVID HARGREAVES, Piepilot BEN THOMAS, Devised by CHLOE ASHCROFT and PETER GOSLING, Music PETER GOSLING, Series Producer MICHAEL COLE, Producer SHARON MILLER

Original Run (13 Episodes) – All BBC1 – Mondays – Autumn 1986
01. 1986/09/15 15:55 – The Pieman and Piewife at Universal Pies receive the strangest order when they are chosen by the Planet Pi to make pies full of song for the children of Pi. The Pieman and Piewife are introduced to the Piepilot and the first Pie for the Sky is ordered. Their choice: 'Sing a song of sixpence'. Puppets ANDY HALL

02. 1986/09/22 15:55 – The Piepilot leads the Pieman and Piewife a merry dance, playing tunes on his piepipe. It causes chaos but provides the obvious song for the song pie: 'Tom, He was a piper's son!'. Masks ANDY HALL

03. 1986/09/29 15:55 – The Piepilot makes an emergency call to the Piewife and Pieman, having sighted a huge giant in the fields very near the piehouse! It turns out to be a false alarm but gives the perfect clue for the songpie. The Jolly Miller. Puppets CLARE BEATON

04. 1986/10/05 15:55 – Piewife decides it's high time that the Universal Pies bicycle was cured of its squeaky wheels, but the Piepilot has other ideas. A pie full of squeaks is ordered but whoever heard of a squeaky song... ? Old King Cole. Puppets CLARE BEATON

05. 1986/10/12 15:55 – Lavender's Blue. The Pieman and Piewife have a hard job describing lavender to the ever inquisitive Piepilot. Is it a flower, or a bud or a song? Maybe the song pie will help explain it to him. Graphics CLARE BEATON

06. 1986/10/19 15:55 – The Pieman, Piewife and Piepilot have a day of disasters and rescues involving fairgrounds, musical boxes, thunderstorms and burnt pies! Fortunately they all help in making the choice for the song pie! Raggle-Taggle Gypsies. Shadow puppets ANDY HALL

07. 1986/10/26 15:50 – There's an unexpected Scottish influence on the Piehouse this week, which the Piepilot isn't slow to pick up. A north-of-the-border song pie is definitely the order of the day. Skyeboat Song.

08. 1986/11/03 15:50 – The Pieman and Piewife buy a grandfather clock on the very day that a family of mice decide to move into the Piehouse as well! What with scuttling feet and chiming clocks, the Piepilot and a song pie won't be far behind! Hickory Dickory Dock. Masks ANDY HALL

09. 1986/11/10 15:50 – Piestalls, punctures and pies for the sky - a busy day in the Pie house. – The Pieman and Piewife are up to their eyes in pies preparing for a local fair when they are interrupted, firstly by an old friend looking for a job, and then by the Piepilot looking for a song pie! And pies for the sky won't be kept waiting! Simple Simon. Puppets CLARE BEATON

10. 1986/11/17 15:50 – An invitation to a fancy-dress ball starts the Pieman and Piewife on a suitable costume search. And the last person to miss out on the fun is the Piepilot. Soldier, Soldier. Designers WILL NOBLE, CHARMIAN ADAMS

11. 1986/11/24 15:50 – The Pieman has an exhausting time chasing the pieship up hill and down dale! Fortunately it's all in a good cause - a clue to the song for the pie! The Grand Old Duke of York Special props ANDY HALL

12. 1986/12/01 15:50 – When the Pieman brings home a stray dog, the Piewife loses a day's baking and the Piepilot gains a friend. Old Mother Hubbard. Featuring Astra as Fido. Masks ANDY HALL

13. 1986/12/08 15:50 – Holidays are in the air today when the Pieman and Piewife return from the seaside to find the Piepilot waiting for the last songpie before his holiday. See Deedle Deedle Dee Puppets CLARE BEATON

First Repeat Run (ALL) – BBC1/BBC2 – Wednesdays – Spring/Summer 1987
01 – 1987/04/08 13:50, 02 – 1987/04/15 13:50, 03 – 1987/04/22 13:50, 04 – 1987/04/29 13:50, 05 – 1987/05/06 13:50, 06 – 1987/05/13 13:50, 07 – 1987/05/20 13:50, 08 – 1987/05/27 14:00, 09 – 1987/06/03 14:00, 10 – 1987/06/10 14:00, 11 – 1987/06/17 13:50, 12 – 1987/06/24 13:20*, 13? – 1987/07/01 13:20*.
*Last two episodes of this repeat run were shown on BBC2 due to Wimbledon 87.

Second Repeat Run (ALL?) – BBC2 – Mondays – Autumn/Winter 1987/8
01? – 1987/10/05 13:20, 02? – 1987/10/12 13:20, 03? – 1987/10/19 13:20, 04? – 1987/10/26 13:20, 05 – 1987/11/02 13:20, 06? – 1987/11/09 13:20, 07? – 1987/11/16 13:20, 08? – 1987/11/23 13:20, 09? – 1987/11/30, 10? – 1987/12/07 13:20, 11? – 1987/12/14, 12? 1988/01/04 13:20, 13? 1988/01/11 13:20.

Third Repeat Run (11/13) – BBC1 – Thursdays/Wednesdays – Spring 1988
01? – 1988/03/24 15:50, 02 – 1988/04/06 16:00, 03 – 1988/04/13 16:00, 04 – 1988/04/20 16:00, 05 – 1988/04/27 16:00, 06? – Seems to have been skipped in this repeat run then later repeated in isolation in Autumn 1990? 07 – 1988/05/04 15:50, 08 – 1988/05/11 15:50, 09 – 1988/05/18 15:50, 10 – 1988/05/25 15:50, 11 – 1988/06/01 15:50, 12 – 1988/06/08 15:50, 13? – Seems to have been skipped in this repeat run then later tacked on the beginning of the sixth repeat run in Winter/Spring 1991?

Fourth Repeat Run (ALL?) – BBC2 – Fridays – Winter 1988/9
01 – 1988/11/04 13:25, 02? – 1988/11/11 13:25, 03? – 1988/11/18 13:25, 04 – 1988/11/25 13:25, 05? – 1988/12/02 13:25, 06 – 1988/12/09 13:25, 07? – 1988/12/16 13:25, 08? – 1988/12/23 13:25, 09? – 1989/01/06 13:45, 10? – 1989/01/13 13:25, 11? – 1989/01/20 13:25, 12? – 1989/01/27 13:25, 13 – 1989/02/03 13:25.

Fifth Repeat Run (ALL?) – BBC2 – Wednesdays – Spring/Summer 1990
01 – 1990/04/04 13:20, 02 – 1990/04/11 13:20, 03 – 1990/04/18 13:20, 04? – 1990/04/25 13:20, 05 – 1990/05/02 13:20, 06 – 1990/05/09 13:20, 07 – 1990/05/16 13:20, 08? – 1990/05/23 13:20, 09? – 1990/05/30 13:20, 10? – 1990/06/06 13:20, 11? – 1990/06/13 13:20, 12? – 1990/06/20 13:20, 13 – 1990/06/27 13:25.

Isolated Repeat (1 Episode) – BBC2 – Thursday – Autumn 1990
06 – 1990/09/13 13:20.

Sixth Repeat Run (ALL?) – BBC2 – Wednesdays – Winter/Spring 1991
13 – 1991/01/02 13:45, 01 – 1991/01/09 13:20, 02 – 1991/01/16 13:20, 03 – 1991/01/23 13:20, 04 – 1991/01/30 13:20, 05 – 1991/02/06 13:20, 06 – 1991/02/13 13:20, 07? – 1991/02/20 13:20, 08? – 1991/02/27 13:20, 09? – 1991/03/06 13:20, 10? – 1991/03/13 13:20, 11? – 1991/03/27 13:20, 12? 1991/04/03 13:20, 13? – Skipped at the end of the run, having been tacked on the beginning of the run?

Seventh Repeat Run (12/13?) – BBC2 – Fridays – Spring/Summer 1991
01? – 1991/04/05 13:20, 02? – 1991/04/12 13:20, 03? – 1991/04/19 13:20, 04? – 1991/04/26 13:20, 05? – 1991/05/03 13:20, 06? – 1991/05/10 13:20, 07? – 1991/05/17 13:20, 08? – 1991/05/24 13:20,
09? – 1991/05/31 13:20, 10? – 1991/06/07 13:20, 11? – 1991/06/14 13:20, 12? – 1991/06/21 13:20, 13? – Skipped once again? Or was one of the other 12 episodes skipped this time?