Iconic British animated series from 1970s is now available to stream for free

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The infamous, cowardly and bumbling pirate Captain Pugwash has sailed onto streaming.

Okay, so get this – a real blast from the past is now available for streaming! That beloved children’s show, the one many of us grew up with back in the ’70s, finally hit ITVX Kids on February 20th, 2026, and the best part? It’s totally free! I was thrilled to revisit this classic, and I think a whole new generation will love it too.

The story follows Captain Horatio Pugwash and his adventures sailing the seas in the Black Pig. He’s joined by his crew, including Tom the Captain Boy, the pirates Willy and Barnabas, and his first mate.

Captain Horatio Pugwash was the creation of John Ryan and first appeared in a comic strip for children in the very first edition of the Eagle comic book in 1950.

After appearing in 19 issues of the Eagle, the comic strip moved to TopMob and continued running for eight years, from 1960 to 1968.

In 1957, Ryan created Captain Pugwash: a Pirate Story, the first of a beloved series of children’s books that he both wrote and illustrated.

That same year, Ryan also developed an animated TV show based on Captain Pugwash for the BBC. It originally aired in black and white from 1957 to 1966, and later in color from 1974 to 1975.

I’ve always loved Captain Pugwash, and Ryan, the creator, had a really interesting take on why he’s so relatable. He pointed out that Pugwash is basically driven by two things we all feel sometimes: being a bit of a coward and wanting stuff! It’s the struggle between those two sides of him that makes the stories so funny and engaging. Ryan even wondered if that’s why we like him – because we see a bit of ourselves in his flaws. He put it brilliantly: what would you do if there was a tasty toffee sitting right on a crocodile’s nose? It really makes you think!

A live-action Captain Pugwash movie starring Nick Frost was planned as early as 2016, but Frost later shared in 2021 that the project ultimately fell through because they couldn’t secure the necessary funding.

On the podcast ‘Celebrity Catch Up: Life After That Thing That I Did,’ Frost explained his surprise at the large budget for some films. He questioned spending £80 million on a movie about a character largely unknown in China, noting the funding seemed to be coming from Asia. As a producer himself, he found the decision questionable.

He admitted the project will likely never happen, which he regretted because the initial designs were very promising.

Captain Pugwash is available to stream on ITVX Kids.

Want to keep up with Captain Pugwash? Add it to your watchlist on the TopMob: What to Watch app! Download the app now for daily TV suggestions, exclusive features, and more.

Authors

Molly MossTrends Writer

Molly Moss writes about the newest happenings in TV, movies, and other entertainment for TopMob. She has a master’s degree in journalism and has also contributed to major news outlets like The Guardian, The Times, and The Sun Online.

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2026-02-20 18:12