Bertha
Bertha is the best machine at Spottiswood and Co. When programmed right, she can produce just about anything. All the employees at the factory love her and almost treat her like a real person.
- 1985-1986
- 1 season
- Animation, Comedy, Family, Science Fiction
- TV-Y
Bertha is the best machine at Spottiswood and Co. When programmed right, she can produce just about anything. All the employees at the factory love her and almost treat her like a real person.
Season 1 Episode Guide
13 Episodes 1985 - 1986
Episode 1
The Great Painting Job
14 mins
The Spottiswood Factory is making jigsaw puzzles. But Bertha the big machine is keeping some of the pieces to herself to make one of her own. Tracy designs a robot to help around the factory, a 'Talk Operated Machine', or T.O.M. for short.
Episode 2
The Windmills
14 mins
Bertha is making musical money boxes shaped like windmills. During lunch, Roy and Nell decide to test one of them, but can't find a way to get their coins out again. Meanwhile, Flo has lost her purse with all her money in it.
Episode 3
A Mouse in the Works
14 mins
Spottiswood and Co. are making Jack-In-The-Boxes, but the jacks keep escaping from their boxes because Bertha doesn't have enough glue to fasten them properly. When Panjit discovers there's a mouse running lose in the factory, Mr. Sprott is asked to develop a mouse trap.
Episode 4
The Best Machine Competition
14 mins
Bertha is busy making humming tops. Mr. Willmake tasks Mr. Sprott to design an unusual toy for a competition. Mr. Duncan insists this toy is produced by the new Super Bumper & Presser machine instead of Bertha. But Ted decides to let Bertha have a go at it as well.
Episode 5
Tom Gets Lost
14 mins
Tom is sent on an errant with a note for Panjid, but a magnet upsets his circuits, making him lose his way in the factory. Along the way he presents the note to a lot of people it wasn't meant for. Bertha refuses to work until Tom is found.
Episode 6
The Flying Bear
14 mins
It is a very warm day in the factory and Bertha is producing inflatable bears. But because of the heat, the plastic bears keep expanding in size.
Episode 7
The Tea Nurse
14 mins
The C-246 lever that turns Bertha on and off is broken and keeps turning her off automatically. Nell hurts her finger, so Mrs. Tupp the tea lady gets out her nurses uniform and first aid kit. Maybe she can do something for broken Bertha as well?
Episode 8
More Speed Less Work
14 mins
While Mr. Willmake and Mr. Sprott are away, Mr. Duncan does a time and motion study and decides Bertha is moving too slowly. He orders her to be shut down and gives all the factory workers new tasks. But the workers don't take things lying down and form a protest.
Episode 9
The Big Order
14 mins
Mr. Willmake receives an order to make 365 springs. Roy and T.O.M. have great difficulty transferring the whippy, springy steel that is to be used to make the springs from the dispatch dept. to Bertha.
Episode 10
The Burglars
13 mins
By day, Bertha is producing jumping toy kangaroos, that are difficult to catch once turned on. By night, two burglars, Bill and Chas, break into the Spottiswood factory. Luckilly, T.O.M. never sleeps.
Episode 11
Bertha's Birthday Party
14 mins
Bertha is making cuckoo clocks. Roy wonders why a clock has got 'hands' instead of 'arms'. Miss McClackerty discovers that tomorrow is the 50th anniversary of Bertha's installment at Spottiswood & Co.
Episode 12
The Big Sneeze
14 mins
It's wintertime and the heating system has broken down, so everyone, including Bertha, is freezing. Ironically they are making beach balls for the summer season.
Episode 13
Tom's New Friend
14 mins
Bertha doesn't seem to enjoy making plastic sponges very much. Mr. Duncan proudly reveals a new automatic vending machine. This means Mrs. Tupp's services will only be needed in the offices from now on.