The Woodentops joined the Watch with Mother line-up in 1955. They were a big part of what made Fridays fun for people too young to crave the end of the work week. They were a very nice family of crude puppets resembling clothes pegs. They were endearing, mainly because they sounded like real people... except Spotty dog, of course. They had simple rural adventures that were appealing because they were comprehensible - as a child, it was easy to imagine yourself helping Daddy Woodentop mend a fence or help Mummy Woodentop and Mrs. Scrubbit bake bread. And who wouldn't love a giant talking Dalmation like Spotty Dog , who could wave bye-bye with his ears!

The soothing piano theme music was capable of making you forget whatever mayhem you were presently engaged in. Then a perfect
mummy voice introduced the Woodentops thus:

This is the story about the Woodentops. There was Mummy Woodentop and the baby; and Daddy Woodentop; then there were Willy and Jenny, the twins; and Mrs Scrubbit, who comes to help Mummy Woodentop; and Sam, who helps Daddy Woodentop; and last of all... the very biggest Spotty Dog you ever did see! And they all lived together in a little house in the country..."