There is Something Special about Mr Tumble

 

My youngest is two years old. And his greatest love, besides me, is Mr Tumble. Dubz watches 3-4 episodes of Something Special every day (please don’t judge, but if you do then you can F*** right off). I don’t think there is just one thing Dubz likes, but he seems especially enamored with Mr Tumble’s red nose and the use of sign language.

But let me be clear, this is not a post bashing Mr Tumble. In fact, it is quite the opposite. I love Mr Tumble. He is kind and silly and funny. He makes my son laugh. And in the past few months, while Dubz has struggled to speak, Mr Tumble’s sign language has engaged him. Dubz has begun to use some sign language and the words have finally come. But when you’ve watched as many episodes of Something Special as I have, you inevitably have questions.

 

There's Something Special about Mr Tumble

 

1. Home – Mr Tumble used to live in a big country man or with his extended family. But he has recently moved to a terrace house. Why has he moved? Did Lord Tumble gamble away the family fortune on a high stakes game of croquet? I know that many people have had to downsize and watch their pennies in this economy, but I wish I knew what exactly had happened.

2. Family – Mr Tumble has such a strange array of relatives. Granddad Tumble is a working class cockney. Lord Tumble is a posh aristocrat. Is Aunt Polly a relation by marriage? Why don’t we know her surname? Fisherman Tumble and Cliff Tumble (the pop star) are also quite random. And what about Mr Tumble’s parents? Did they die in a horrific clowning accident? Or are they travelling the world as international clown spies. Why are they never mentioned? I need to know.

3. Narrator – Who is the child speaking to Mr Tumble and Justin? Is he/she trapped in the telly? Or is he/she a figment of Mr Tumble’s imagination? Instead of laughing along to Mr Tumble, should we consider calling a mental health professional?

4. Justin & Mr Tumble – Why can’t there be an episode where Justin and Mr Tumble hang out? Why are they never in the same place? They seem to know each other, but never spend time together. It makes me wonder if Justin and Mr Tumble are perhaps the same person. Hmmmm.

5. First Names – What is Mr Tumble’s first name? Gary? Rupert? Toby? He is awfully formal for a clown. Why don’t we know everyone’s full name (except for Cliff Tumble)? Is the Tumble name an alias? Are they all on the run from an international drug cartel?

If you, or anyone close to you, knows the answer to any of the above questions please contact me as soon as you can. I can’t handle another night lying awake in bed and wondering.

 

*Photo credit: BBC website

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