#womble

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, a variety of shows were produced that focused on the adventures of a group of little creatures that lived just out of reach of human society. The Smurfs was the big hit, but there was also The Snorks, The Monchhichis, and many more. However, there was one TV show of this nature that completely passed us by, at least in the United States.

The Wombles was a TV series from the United Kingdom focusing on a group of short, furry creatures living in Wimbledon Common, a park in southwest London. It was based on a book series created by Elisabeth Beresford. The most important thing about them was their environmental cred, as they picked up the trash that humans left behind and turned it into all sorts of Rube Goldberg-esque contraptions. It was quite popular in the UK, so much so, in fact, that the Wombles ended up getting their own movie:

The most bizarre turn the Wombles took, however, was when they actually became a bubblegum band, complete with this little novelty hit:

Sadly, the Wombles were never really noticed much in too many places outside of the UK. It's sort of a shame, because the US has been sleeping on such a great thing.