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Although almost forgotten now, A Rubovian Legend was a BBC puppet show for the very young. Like a lot of such shows, it was repeated for decades. The peculiar technology of Rubovia might just have percolated away in the subconscious of various authors, as explained in this Wiki bit:
I loved it, it's a shame surviving copies seem low quality. I also wonder if Albert Wetherspoon was part of the influences on Terry Pratchett's Albert, death's servant, as well as the pint-sized swamp dragons.