A few months back I wrote a list of 10 UK Kids TV shows from the 90's and 00's which I feel are a bit forgotten (the article can be found here) and need bringing back to peoples memories. It's always nice when someone goes "I didn't even know I remembered this".
I decided it's high time I did a second round of shows which have fallen in to obscurity!
10. Roger and the Rottentrolls (CITV 1996-2000)
It actually grieves me that such a fantastic series is so completely underrated!
Roger and The Rottentrolls featured the adventures of 10 and 3/4 old Roger Beckett who accidentally discovers a group of crazy knee high trolls who live in an area called Trollers Ghyl in the Yorkshire Dales. Through a series of misunderstandings, the trolls declare Roger their king.
A hilarious and at times complete barking mad series, narrated by Martin Clunes and featuring puppetry talent such as Simon Buckley, Nigel Plaskitt, Ronnie Le Drew and Steve Nallon and voices provided by Ronni Ancona, Phil Cornwell and John Thompson.
I actually plan to do something in more detail about this show, maybe a more lengthly blog piece or a video in the future.
9. Timmy Towers (CITV 1998-2000)
Everyone who has grew up in the UK since the 1980's knows who Timmy Mallett is, known for his antics on Wacaday. However, I feel I am one of the few who remember his antics on Timmy Towers which turned out to be his final major children's television programme to date. In fact Timmy Towers was how I was introduced to the brash and garish word of Timmy Mallett as Wacaday was a bit before my time.
The show aired for a couple of one of specials in 1998 before getting it's own series in the summer of 2000. Slapstick comedy show in front of a live audience of children. Pretty much every episode featured Timmy trying to win the affections of Miss Thing (Alex Lovell), putting up with his nagging Auntie Knobbly Knees (Roger Bremble) and sabotaging the evil plans of The Abominable No Man (Mark Speight).
8. Bitesize (Playhouse Disney 1999-2000?)
Nope, not the late night GCSE revision programme. A cookery show which aired on Playhouse Disney (Now called Disney Junior) where the presenter and glove puppet Mitzi (who happened to resemble an oven glove) cooked some culinary delight of some form. Presenters included Dave Benson Phillips and Sophie Aldred.
I think the only reason I ever watched this was because the library music track Keystone Chaos (Better known as the theme tune to Zzzap!) was used at the end of every episode when they cleaned up.
7. Tiny and Crew (The Children's Channel/Living TV 1996-2002)
Pre-school show presented by Sophie Aldred and a giant wigasaurus called Tiny. Originally aired on the now defunct Children's Channel on Satellite and Cable, before moving to the Tiny Living programme slot on Living TV in the early 2000's.
You can listen to my interview with Sophie Aldred where one the discussed topics is Tiny and Crew.
6. Dig and Dug (Channel 4 1994)
Dig and Dug (With Daisy) was a stop motion animation series about two hopeless and clumsy builders who always needed the assistance of Dug's niece Daisy to get them out of scrapes.
Originally aired on Channel 4 and I believe the show was later repeated on Channel 5 in the early 2000's. My introduction the show was through an old next door neighbour giving me a VHS of the show as a gift.
5. Archibald the Koala (CITV 1998-1999)
Based on a series of books by Paul Cox, the series featured an anthropomorphic koala called Archibald. A detective who investigated the strange goings on in a land called Rastepappe which is inhabited only by Koala's and Badgers!
Archibald was voiced by actor Richard Griffiths and had an insanely catchy kazoo based theme tune.
4. Against All Odds (CBBC 2000-200?)
You may remember for many years a show called 999 which aired on BBC 1, hosted by Michael Buerk. Which struck fear in to the hearts of children with it's cold theme tune featuring ticking noises and blaring sirens and each episode featuring reconstructions of people being trapped in house fires or nearly drowning in the sea who were then saved by a heroic individual.
Well, someone thought it would be a good idea to have a junior version of the show on CBBC to give us more nightmares. Showcasing brave children who had saved people in a moment of crisis. The show was presented by Kate Sanderson and Jake Humphries.
I distinctly a remember an episode where a young girl wakes up to find the TV in her room on fire. I had a very similar TV in my own bedroom at the time and for months afterwards I always went to sleep with it unplugged, in fact I was pretty much afraid to turn it on at all! Well... I was 6.
I should add that although I may jokingly make jibes about it scaring children, both 999 and Against All Odds were great shows giving brave people the recognition they deserve. They also featured educational items on how to save peoples lives in an emergency. They should bring something like that back.
3. Dr Zitbag's Transylvania Pet Shop (CITV 1994-1997)
Animated series about Dr. Sidney Zitbag who runs a pet shop in Transylvania alongside his companion Horrifido (a talking skeleton of a dog).
That's about the scope of it really. The first series is available to download on Amazon!
2. Whizziwig (CITV 1998-2000)
Science fiction series written by children's author Malorie Blackman. The series featured Ben and his best friend Steve who befriend an alien creature called Whizzwig who resembled a floating rugby ball with hands. Whizziwig had the ability to grant wishes which could at times cause complete chaos.
Wizziwig was voiced by Rebecca Nagan who is best known for voicing and operating Rosie in Rosie & Jim.
1. The Adventures of Dawdle the Donkey (CITV 1996-1998)
Animated series a donkey who funnily enough is called Dawdle. Dawdle is looking for somewhere to live after their orchard home was used to build houses on. During Dawdle's journey, they befriend Rola Polar Bear (Why a polar bear is living in the English countryside is never explained but hey 90's Kids TV didn't need any explanations, just accept it) and Archie (A Cat) who are also looking for a new home.
Featured the voices of David Jason and Josie Lawrence and a theme tune sung by Chris De Burgh. The series was created by Elizabeth Beresford who also created The Wombles.
There we go, ten more lesser remembered oddities. I may write about more in future or even do a video about some of them!
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