A long series of early readers based on the stories was produced by Ladybird Books, also under the title Puddle Lane.

[1][2] The programme was made by Yorkshire Television in Leeds for ITV and ran on from 1985 (as a replacement for the then-recently discontinued series Mooncat & Co.) until 1989.

The main characters were the Magician (played by Neil Innes, who also composed music for the programme), and a Spell Dragon named Toby (voiced by Richard Robinson); the Magician told Toby stories by moving his finger around in a puddle (when using the interior set) and a bird bath (when using the exterior set) and producing images.

The stories he told were presented as animations, narrated by Kate Lee (who also played a minor character, Aunt Flo).

In an interview in 2014, Neil Innes recalled his involvement with Puddle Lane: ...it wasn't really a plan [to work in children's television].