Colargol ~ Barnaby ~ Jeremy - The Music

The Aspiring Singer

Music was an important part of the show from the beginning, and it was the successful Philips recordings that began it all. As the show was translated from French into Dutch, Norwegian, English, Polish, (and even Hebrew!), I imagine the creators wanted to ensure that the musical appeal of the show would remain universal. To this end, they mostly succeeded. Colargol sounds adorable in Dutch, Polish, and Norwegian, and here in Canada, I quickly grew accustomed to the English Jeremy theme, as did so many other young TVO watchers. Of course, Jeremy was supposed to be a bad singer, and over time, with the help of the King of Bird's Magic Whistle and some practice, he did improve.

So just where did the name Barnaby come from? Maybe it was determined that the distinctive name Colargol just wasn't suitable for an English speaking audience. Perhaps this was because there was already a patented drug with the name Collargol (or Collargolum in Latin - see image below).

A fan by the name of Tony Clark from the UK suggested that Barnaby was chosen as the name in Britain because there was already a bear called Jeremy used to advertise Sugar Puffs breakfast cereal at the time. Tony points out the Hanna-Barbera series Top Cat was also re-named Boss Cat as there was a cat food called Top Cat at the time.

With some new light shed on the subject, I now believe the best explanation for the name Barnaby is a very personal one. You see, Barnaby was also the name that the British narrator, Colin Jeavons, had chosen for his own son! Naturally, why not name the program's hero after your own son, if you had the choice? In the UK, Colin Jeavons is remembered for his many roles on such shows as Sherlock Holmes, Billy Liar, Lucky Jim, Jackanory, and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. This begs the question however: whatever happened to Barnaby Jeavons?!

Aside from the name Barnaby, the most obvious difference with the British version of the show was the choice of the voice of Barnaby. Rather than casting a female voice for the young little bear, a man's voice was used instead. This may have been a mistake. Not everyone fondly remembers the name Barnaby, as this quote from the web illustrates:

"... Something is amiss here....a better way to insult Barnaby. You see, he has an identity crisis. His original name, in French, is Colargol. But his English name is Barnaby. So what, you say, many characters get different names in different languages....but Barnaby is his English name, in England....on the other side of the pond, where I live, he was known as "Jeremy the Bear". Unfortunately, it seems like those in the UK got his worst song...don't call me Jack or James? How much was Barnaby, I mean Jeremy, or Colargol I mean, drinking that night? And has he seen a shrink yet? Also, while Colargol and Jeremy have a nice sounding boy's voice, Barnaby has a terrible voice....and what happened to him when the show was pulled off the air? He now works for the London Underground, telling people to "Mind the Gap"...even where there's no gap to mind!!! Yes, that's what "Barnaby" is doing.........if they ever resurrect the show, insist that they use "Jeremy"!!!!"    C. S. Leschhorn  [source]
 

TJ Worthington gives his account of the Barnaby story in his online article: OF FINGER MICE AND MR MEN - THE STORY OF WATCH WITH MOTHER, part six: These Hands Were Made for Making, written April 2006.
 

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