Hammy Hamster was the invention of Paul Sutherland and David Ellison, who introduced him in 1959. The show debuted as Tales of the Riverbank, and was shot in a makeshift Toronto studio with a crew of two: Sutherland and Ellison penned the scripts, manned the cameras, did the voiceovers and even composed the accompanying music. The 15-minute segments were initially rebuffed by the CBC, but were soon picked up by the BBC.
People still speak wistfully of Sutherland’s gentle, artless narration, which was as integral to the show’s charm as the sight of twitchy, uncomprehending rodents scurrying across a simulated nature set. (Sutherland, who went on to voice Honda ads in the ’90s, died in 2004, at the age of 73.) Sutherland and Ellison halted production in the mid-’60s when Hammy failed to attain the popularity they’d hoped for. The show experienced several revivals, however: first in the ’70s, when it was produced out of a British studio, and then in the ’90s, when it appeared on Canada’s YTV network.
At its pinnacle, Once Upon a Hamster was seen in more than 30 countries. It didn’t reach a U.S. viewership until the ’90s, where it delighted insomniacs and stoners on late-night television. That’s where it caught the notice of Alan Ball, creator of HBO’s Six Feet Under, who ended up using a clip of Once Upon A Hamster in an episode of his lauded series. The show was retired for good in 1998, but Hammy and his furry clan are syndicated in the hearts and minds of Canadian viewers.
- 35 Episodes
- 11 DVD ISO files
- Video & Sound Quality 9.5/10
- Region Free
- Digital Download ONLY
You will be given a link to download all the DVD ISO files you've ordered within 24 hrs.
Download all the ISO files to your computer and either burn them to DVD Discs using IMGburn or Nero or simply watch all the DVD ISO Files using VLC Media Player from your PC/Laptop.
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Each ISO file contain a DVD menu with episode selections, just like a regular DVD disc.
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Episode Listing:
Disc #1
Diving
Garage Sale
Disc #2
Birdwatchers
Kite
Disc #3
Golden Flower
Racing The Wind
Disc #4
Bubbles
Monsters
Disc #5
Golden Coach
Hammy's Wings
Disc #6
Windy Weather
The Magic Word
GP To The Rescue
King Gus's False Alarm
The Race
Hammy's Crystal Ball
Roderick To The Rescue
The Flood
Disc #7
Spring Has Sprung
Little Red Hammy Hoops
Package From The Sky
The Music Box
Disc #8
Ship Ahoy
The Bat Story
The Visit
Sherlock Hammy
Disc #9
Soap Box Derby
Hammy To The Rescue
Corkers
Captain Toadie's Band
GP's Amazing Machine
Disc #10
Who Am I?
Dig
The Big Wheel
The Riverbank Fair
Disc #11
BONUS DVD