Rainbow poster

TV series

Rainbow

197223 seasons6.8 / 10

Children's puppet programme featuring music and stories. Join George, Bungle, Zippy, and all their friends at the Rainbow House, always an exciting place to be.

Availability

Not streaming in United States

Checked Jul 22, 2026

Rainbow premiered October 16, 1972. We don't have a confirmed streaming, rental or purchase option yet.

Synopsis

Children's puppet programme featuring music and stories. Join George, Bungle, Zippy, and all their friends at the Rainbow House, always an exciting place to be.

Season 19 episodes

Choose an episode, then use the watch options above for the show.

← Season 18

Episode 2

Borrowing

Jane borrows Geoffrey's Wellington boots so she can dig up some potatoes from the garden and Mrs Smith from next door borrows some sugar. Bungle wants Geoffrey to buy him a jigsaw puzzle he's seen, but doesn't have enough money of his own. Zippy and George borrow Bungle's crayons and drawing book but end up breaking the crayons and wasting all the paper. Bungle gets upset, so George and Zippy agree to let Bungle borrow some of their money so that Geoffrey can buy the jigsaw for him. Rod looks after Bungle, Zippy and George while Geoffrey goes to the shop to buy Bungle the jigsaw and while he's out, Mrs Smith borrows some milk. Rod Jane and Freddy sing "We'd Like To Borrow". Mrs Smith returns with some milk and sugar to replace the milk and sugar she borrowed earlier.

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Episode 3

Floating and Sinking

Bungle, Zippy and George are supposed to be helping Geoffrey with the washing-up, but instead they are having a lot of fun using the water in the sink to sail their pretend boats. Rod, Jane and Freddy sing "Deep Blue Sea".

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Episode 4

Monster Makes

Geoffrey pretends to be a funny looking monster and Zippy, George and Bungle make some funny monster masks. Rod, Jane and Freddy sing "We'll Make A Monster". Geoffrey makes a sock puppet. Rod, Jane and Freddy sing "We'll Make A Monster". Then they help Geoffrey, Zippy, Bungle and George make a monster called Arnold for a party.

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Episode 5

Sensitivity

First everyone upsets Bungle, then Jane and finally Tat. What else can go wrong?

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Episode 6

Describing

Zippy and George have hidden Bungle's teddy so he tries to find it. Geoffrey's going shopping so Bungle asks him for some crunchy things, Zippy wants some red stuff in a jar and George wants some long stringy things. A lady rings the Rainbow house, but they don't know who he is. Geoffrey returns with the items for Zippy, George and Bungle - breakfast cereal, tomato ketchup and liquorice. Rod, Jane and Freddy sing "Here's A Game You Can Play". Maggie reads a story called Zoe's Zoo.

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Episode 8

Wind

It's a very stormy night and Bungle, Zippy and George get woken up by the noise of the wind blowing outside. Next morning they all learn about the wind and Geoffrey says a rhyme about the wind. Rod, Jane and Freddy are out in the garden in the wind and they sing a song called "There's Nothing Like A Windy Day". Geoffrey tells the story of "Cocky the Weather Cock".

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Episode 12

Small World 2

Geoffrey shows Zippy, George and Bungle a dollhouse. Rod, Jane and Freddy sing "Little Train". Geoffrey makes a little doll for the dollhouse. Bungle imagines what it would be like to be so small that he could fit inside a doll's house.

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Episode 13

Bits and Pieces

Geoffrey's been to an arts and crafts fair, and George, Zippy and Bungle are so taken by the idea that they decide to hold their own for Rod, Jane and Freddy. First, though, they're going to have to get creative with whatever materials they have lying around.

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Episode 14

Rumpelstiltskin

The Rainbow gang out out the story of Rumpelstiltskin. Zippy tells the story, whilst Rod plays the miller and Bungle plays his daughter. George plays the baby, Geoffrey plays the king, Jane plays the maid and Freddy plays a peasant. Rod, Jane and Freddy sing "Fairy Stories".

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Episode 16

Decorations

finale

Geoffrey and Bungle can't find the Christmas decorations to put up, so George suggests they make their own decorations. Geoffrey makes a Christmas tree out of an old cardboard tube, George makes some snowflakes out of old newspapers and Zippy makes a banana snowman. John tells the story of 'The Great Marzipan', a magician who is always forgetting things. Rod, Jane and Freddy sing "Happy Christmas". They visit the rainbow house. George uses a magic wand to make a fairy appear at the top of the Christmas tree. Zippy uses the magic wand, but accidentally magics himself into a fairy costume. Everyone sings "Christmas Is Coming".

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Episode information updated Jul 25, 2026

More about Rainbow

Cast

Peter HawkinsZippy
Roger WalkerHimself
Stanley BatesBungle
David CookHimself
Hugh PortnowHimself (Telltale member)
Tim ThomasHimself (Telltale member)
Fluff JoinsonHerself (Telltale member)
Dawn BowdenHerself

Credits

Created by
Pamela Lonsdale
Written by
Stanley Bates, Roy Skelton, Geoffrey Hayes, John Kershaw, Christopher Lillicrap, Freddy Marks, Diane Wilmer, Denis Bond, Michael Bartlett

Production details

Status
Canceled
Series type
Scripted
Episodes
1,044
Original language
English

Networks & production

  • ITV1United Kingdom
  • Thames TelevisionUnited Kingdom

Themes

anthropomorphismeducationalpuppet