h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Skippy was the Australian version of Lassie. Skippy was a kangaroo/wallaby. (I'm sure someone can inform me of the correct species )

Typical dialogue:

"What's that, Skippy?"
*tut tut tut tut tut* (this is the sound kangaroos make, apparently)
"Little Timmy (or whoever) fell down a well?"
*tut tut tut tut tut*

etc. etc.

RF

Skippy was a kangaroo Mate! Don't you remember the song? (Ahem - clearing throat) 'Skippppppppy, Skipppppppy, Skippy the bush kangaroooooo, Skippppppy, Skippppppy, Skippy the bush kangaroo, dum de dum, de dum de dum de dum, de dum de dum de dum de dum de dum dum, dum de dum, de dum de dum de dum, de dum de dum de dum de dum de dum dum, (much higher key now) Skippppppppppy, Skippppppy, Skippy the bush kangaroooooooo, Skipppppppy, Skipppppppy, Skippy the bush kangaroooo.' Strewth, better get myself a tinny now to soothe the vocal chords!

OBB

Hi OBB!

Yeah, now if we could only fill in those dum de dums, we'd be on to a winner!

The original words must be around here somewhere.

RF

By the way, you might want to put something in your personal space, cos it helps people talk to you. Even if you just type "Hi, I'm new here" or something like that.

RF

I think those 'dum de dum's were in fact the original lyrics. The only actual words were, 'Skippy the bush kangaroo / Skippy a friend ever true' or something as excruciating as that.

(My local pub has 'skippy burgers' on the menu. Delicious.)

Ivan.

G'day RF,

You know, I don't think there were any words to the de dum de dum bits! It just some 'plinking' banjo/guitar music. You'll have to think hard Mate but I'm sure I'm right!!

OBB

D'you know, I've only had kangaroo in a restaurant in London, never on my visits to GOC.

Oh well, next time...

RF

I am humbled by your superior knowledge!

RF

Char-grilled roo with a plum and redwine glaze, served with bok choy and potatoes with wattleseed... Mmmmm.... If your next visit takes you to Adelaide (which it probably won't), the best roo I've ever had can be found at the Austral, on Rundle St. (Well, not one that I've personally had, 'cos that would have tooth-marks all over it, but you know what I mean. Maybe.)

But to get back on track slightly - the remote Australian bushland that appears in 'Skippy' is in fact Kuring-Gai Chase, in Sydney's northern suburban sprawl. That's today's trivia quota taken care of.

Ivan.

Eating the natives? Or can roo be described as bushtucker?

Hey, OBB, you updated your personal space!

What should we call you, by the way? OBB? or Billy? or Bob?

Back in the good old, bad old days, you'd get a visit from an ACE (Assistant Community Editor) pretty well as soon as you joined, who would give you a helping hand through H2G2. These days, it seems you can wait a week or more before someone turns up (This is not meant as a dig at the ACEs, btw. OK, maybe a little bit ) but you seem to have got the hang of posting to conversations on the front page, anyway. If you need any more help, give me a shout (click on my name at the top of this post to get to my personal space).

RF

Roo is bush tucker, at least when one's in the bush, but around here it's more likely to be found in really expensive restaurants and the occasional pub. Roo's great, emu's not bad, and crocodile is better than you'd think (which probably isn't all that good).

Roos can't really be farmed, seeing as they can leap fences, so the ones we eat are completely organic and free-range. I might also point out that they are *not* an endangered species, contrary to the assertions of various foreign hippy-drippy animal rights activists. There's kangaroos outside my house as I type, eating bits of the garden...

I have no moral objections to eating roo.

I had crocodile once, but I found it very bland, so it's on the "eaten that, bought the t-shirt" list, no desire to try it again.

Emu I've not had, but I've eaten a lot of ostrich, which I guess is similar. I like ostrich.


When I was in South Africa, I'd go out in the daytime and see lots of wildlife wandering around. In the evening, I'd see it again, on the menu!


RF

ah, good old Skip. There's rumours he's now stuffed and in an attic somewhere in Tamgambalanga. Hearsay, or heresy, one of the two. However, which Skippy it is no-one will know. There were about 5 of 'em from memory and none of them were blokes. Male kangaroos can be ever so nasty, so the producers used relatively timid females so as the kiddies that 'acted' alongside Skip weren't in much danger. Just a little bit. Kangaroos can quite often eviscerate if they get a bit narky. Another point in fact is that Skip was on most parts a small Eastern Grey female Kangaroo, however there were stand-ins for shots and the odd stunt and he, uh I mean she, was sometimes a wallaby. But you're right of course, the standard 'Lassie' formulae was used. There were attempts at making programmes as popular as Skippy, most notably the Late Show's 'Charlie the Wonder Dog' but these mere trifles were never a patch on the legend.
PG(finding his antipodean roots and desperately looking for hair dye to rectify the situation )HF

Sorry to sidetrack. Billy-Bob is fine.

I've always liked croc too - mainly on my arm with a slim clasp and two discreetly placed gold 'c's back to back!

Billy-Bob

You know, I was convinced that there was more to the lyrics - I seem to remember singing a whole song, but all I can find anywhere is:

Skippyyyyyy Skippyyyyyy Skippy the Bush Kangarooo
Skippyyyyyy Skippyyyyyy Skippy a (our, your) friend ever true

Just to let you know, not all of us aussies think we can talk to kangaroo's.

Nothing wrong with talking to kangaroos - it's when you think they're talking back, that's the time to start worrying!

RF

I'm old enough to remember Skippy
I normally go to the cinema on a Tuesday morning (can't in the school hols) and they give away postcards, so I help myself to a few or a lot.

I then give them away at h2g2 meets.

First time I meet you lot you're all gonna get "Skippy" postcards.