Lavender Castle
Encyclopedia
Lavender Castle is a British
stop motion
/CGI
television series created by Rodney Matthews
and produced by Gerry Anderson
. It produced between 1996 and 1998 through a collaboration between Carrington Productions International, Gerry Anderson Productions and Cosgrove Hall Films
, and was first broadcast on CITV
between 1999 and 2000.
The series follows the story of Captain Thrice and his crew, on a quest to find the peaceful city of Lavender Castle before the evil Dr Agon.
In order to prevent this, Captain Thrice has set out on a quest to find the elusive Lavender Castle before Dr Agon. A previous encounter with Lavender Castle gave life to Thrice's walking stick and left the Captain with a special knowledge of its power and abilities. Travelling in his cottage spaceship, the Paradox, Thrice assembles a crew of misfits to join him in his quest, combatting evil wherever they find it as they travel the universe searching for clues that will lead them to Lavender Castle. But Lavender Castle works in mysterious ways and lends its power to the Paradox crew to protect them when they most need help.
Isambard : Captain Thrice's first mate and engineer, in charge of the Paradox 's engines. A brilliant mechanic
, his methods are however rather unorthodox (for instance, whacking the central engine with his hammer to make it work is always a viable solution for him). He is very proud of his position and refers to the Paradox 's engine as his "baby". He also invented many gadgets in the past; "some of them even work", according to him.
Roger : The Paradox 's pilot
, anciently a pilot in the Space Force, then a freelance mercenary before being captured by Short Fred Ledd, along with his last passenger Lyca. Talented and heroic, but also reckless and gung-ho, Roger has a tendency to act before thinking, which sometimes leads the whole crew into troubles. He seems often bent on impressing the lovely Lyca, but fails most of the time.
Lyca : The Paradox 's doctor, a talented healer, and an adept of herbal medicine, who joined the crew after being freed from Short Fred Ledd along with Roger. The only female of the crew, Lyca is a very sweet and gentle soul, but she is also far removed from the classic Damsel in Distress
stereotype, being on the contrary quite brave and adventurous. She is very protective of Sproggle and tends to see him as a little brother.
Sproggle : The Paradox 's lovable but extremely incompetent navigator, who would like to define himself as such, while he can hardly make apart his left from his right. Originally an orphaned child who served as Short Fred Ledd's slave before being rescued by Captain Thrice. Gentle, naïve and easily bewildered, Sproggle also has a somewhat simplistic syntax, usually speaking in third person and with very few words. "Oooooh... Sproggle scared!" seems to be one of his favorite expressions.
Sir Squeakalot : a robot designed to look like a knight
's suite of armour
, but who behaves more like a mild-mannered and nervous servant. He is the Paradox 's housekeeper, originally owned by Short Fred Ledd. Somewhat phlegmatic and refined, he is much of a gentleman and speaks in a distinguished English accent. He tends to be moderately nervous around Isambard, who seems often bent on having him test his new inventions.
Dr. Cedric Agon : the series' main antagonist, an evil, megalomaniac mad scientist who is bent on destroying Lavender Castle, and thus plunging the whole universe into darkness and despair forever. Self-proclaiming himself "Destroyer of Worlds", he constantly travels in pursuit of the Paradox and its crew, aboard the Dark Station, his own gigantic, heavily armed space fortress manned by an unseen crew of slaves imprisoned into the ship's bowels.
Short Fred Ledd : a one-legged, dim-witted space pirate who roams galactic seastreams in his own galleon-shaped craft, the Cutting Snark. He often uses a pair of crutches to move around, though being perfectly able to stand on his unique leg all the same. Mean, greedy and rancorous, he is bent on hijacking the Paradox and selling its crew as slaves, which occasionally drives him to work for Dr. Agon.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
stop motion
Stop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
/CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
television series created by Rodney Matthews
Rodney Matthews
Rodney Matthews is a fantasy artist and illustrator.In 1978, he published Yendor: The Journey of a Junior Adventurer, a hard-back picture book featuring his distinctive paintings of "The Wild Country", a fantasy world seen through the eyes of young Yendor, named after his son...
and produced by Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
. It produced between 1996 and 1998 through a collaboration between Carrington Productions International, Gerry Anderson Productions and Cosgrove Hall Films
Cosgrove Hall Films
Cosgrove Hall Films was a British animation studio based in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, that once was a major producer of children's television programmes. Cosgrove Hall's programmes are still seen in over eighty countries...
, and was first broadcast on CITV
CITV
CITV is a British television channel from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive, as well as commissions and acquisitions. CITV itself is the programming block on the main ITV Network .The CITV channel broadcasts from 06:00 to 18:00...
between 1999 and 2000.
The series follows the story of Captain Thrice and his crew, on a quest to find the peaceful city of Lavender Castle before the evil Dr Agon.
Format
Lavender Castle is a place of mystery and legend, fabled throughout the universe, a floating city of light, a place of peace, harmony and all the things that have ever been dreamt of. It is the centre of the universe and the greatest source of power - should it be destroyed, the universe would be plunged into darkness forever. Evil scientist Dr Agon plans to do just that. A lonely meglomaniac with technology-assisted powers of transmutation, he yearns for darkness and has pledged to destroy Lavender Castle from his fortress spaceship, the Dark Station, the most awesome destructive power in the universe, crewed by unseen slaves working deep in the bowels.In order to prevent this, Captain Thrice has set out on a quest to find the elusive Lavender Castle before Dr Agon. A previous encounter with Lavender Castle gave life to Thrice's walking stick and left the Captain with a special knowledge of its power and abilities. Travelling in his cottage spaceship, the Paradox, Thrice assembles a crew of misfits to join him in his quest, combatting evil wherever they find it as they travel the universe searching for clues that will lead them to Lavender Castle. But Lavender Castle works in mysterious ways and lends its power to the Paradox crew to protect them when they most need help.
Characters
Captain Thrice : the wise, elderly three-eyed captain of the Paradox, always accompanied by his talking, sentient Walking Stick. Years before, he fortuitously came across Lavender Castle during his space travels, and is since that time bent on finding it anew to try to protect it from Dr. Agon's evil schemes.Isambard : Captain Thrice's first mate and engineer, in charge of the Paradox 's engines. A brilliant mechanic
Mechanic
A mechanic is a craftsman or technician who uses tools to build or repair machinery.Many mechanics are specialized in a particular field such as auto mechanics, bicycle mechanics, motorcycle mechanics, boiler mechanics, general mechanics, industrial maintenance mechanics , air conditioning and...
, his methods are however rather unorthodox (for instance, whacking the central engine with his hammer to make it work is always a viable solution for him). He is very proud of his position and refers to the Paradox 's engine as his "baby". He also invented many gadgets in the past; "some of them even work", according to him.
Roger : The Paradox 's pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
, anciently a pilot in the Space Force, then a freelance mercenary before being captured by Short Fred Ledd, along with his last passenger Lyca. Talented and heroic, but also reckless and gung-ho, Roger has a tendency to act before thinking, which sometimes leads the whole crew into troubles. He seems often bent on impressing the lovely Lyca, but fails most of the time.
Lyca : The Paradox 's doctor, a talented healer, and an adept of herbal medicine, who joined the crew after being freed from Short Fred Ledd along with Roger. The only female of the crew, Lyca is a very sweet and gentle soul, but she is also far removed from the classic Damsel in Distress
Damsel in distress
The subject of the damsel in distress, or persecuted maiden, is a classic theme in world literature, art, and film. She is usually a beautiful young woman placed in a dire predicament by a villain or monster and who requires a hero to achieve her rescue. She has become a stock character of fiction,...
stereotype, being on the contrary quite brave and adventurous. She is very protective of Sproggle and tends to see him as a little brother.
Sproggle : The Paradox 's lovable but extremely incompetent navigator, who would like to define himself as such, while he can hardly make apart his left from his right. Originally an orphaned child who served as Short Fred Ledd's slave before being rescued by Captain Thrice. Gentle, naïve and easily bewildered, Sproggle also has a somewhat simplistic syntax, usually speaking in third person and with very few words. "Oooooh... Sproggle scared!" seems to be one of his favorite expressions.
Sir Squeakalot : a robot designed to look like a knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
's suite of armour
Plate armour
Plate armour is a historical type of personal armour made from iron or steel plates.While there are early predecessors such the Roman-era lorica segmentata, full plate armour developed in Europe during the Late Middle Ages, especially in the context of the Hundred Years' War, from the coat of...
, but who behaves more like a mild-mannered and nervous servant. He is the Paradox 's housekeeper, originally owned by Short Fred Ledd. Somewhat phlegmatic and refined, he is much of a gentleman and speaks in a distinguished English accent. He tends to be moderately nervous around Isambard, who seems often bent on having him test his new inventions.
Dr. Cedric Agon : the series' main antagonist, an evil, megalomaniac mad scientist who is bent on destroying Lavender Castle, and thus plunging the whole universe into darkness and despair forever. Self-proclaiming himself "Destroyer of Worlds", he constantly travels in pursuit of the Paradox and its crew, aboard the Dark Station, his own gigantic, heavily armed space fortress manned by an unseen crew of slaves imprisoned into the ship's bowels.
Short Fred Ledd : a one-legged, dim-witted space pirate who roams galactic seastreams in his own galleon-shaped craft, the Cutting Snark. He often uses a pair of crutches to move around, though being perfectly able to stand on his unique leg all the same. Mean, greedy and rancorous, he is bent on hijacking the Paradox and selling its crew as slaves, which occasionally drives him to work for Dr. Agon.
Voice actors
- David Holt - Captain Thrice / Sproggle
- Rob RackstrawRob RackstrawRobert "Rob" Rackstraw is a British voice actor. He is perhaps best known for his various voices in the television series Bob the Builder, mainly the scarecrow Spud. He has an extensive voice over career over 15 years long and is considered to be one of the UK's leading male voice actors...
- Roger / Isambard - Kate HarbourKate HarbourKate Harbour is a voice actor who provides many voices for the television series Bob the Builder including Wendy, Dizzy, Mrs. Potts, Mrs. Broadbent and Mrs...
- Lyca / Walking Stick - Jimmy HibbertJimmy HibbertJames "Jimmy" Hibbert is an English television writer and voice actor best known for his work for Cosgrove Hall.He was brought up and educated at Leighton Park School and in Henley-on-Thames and later studied at the University of Manchester achieving a BA in drama...
- Sir Squeakalot / Dr. Cedric Agon / Trump
Credits
- From an original concept by Rodney MatthewsRodney MatthewsRodney Matthews is a fantasy artist and illustrator.In 1978, he published Yendor: The Journey of a Junior Adventurer, a hard-back picture book featuring his distinctive paintings of "The Wild Country", a fantasy world seen through the eyes of young Yendor, named after his son...
- Produced at Cosgrove Hall Films Limited
- Producer: Gerry AndersonGerry AndersonGerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
- Executive Producer: Craig Hemmings
- For Cosgrove Hall: Brian Cosgrove
- For HIT Entertainment: Kate Fawkes, Peter OrtonPeter OrtonPeter Charles Orton was a British media entrepreneur and television producer noted for his work in children's television. He founded HiT Entertainment in 1989.Orton lead the company from 1989 to 2005 when he sold it to Apax...
- Director: Chris Taylor
- Designer: Rodney MatthewsRodney MatthewsRodney Matthews is a fantasy artist and illustrator.In 1978, he published Yendor: The Journey of a Junior Adventurer, a hard-back picture book featuring his distinctive paintings of "The Wild Country", a fantasy world seen through the eyes of young Yendor, named after his son...
- Line Producer: Chris Bowden
- Script: Gerry AndersonGerry AndersonGerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
, Chris Trengrove, Pauline Fisk - Stories: Gerry AndersonGerry AndersonGerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
, Rodney MatthewsRodney MatthewsRodney Matthews is a fantasy artist and illustrator.In 1978, he published Yendor: The Journey of a Junior Adventurer, a hard-back picture book featuring his distinctive paintings of "The Wild Country", a fantasy world seen through the eyes of young Yendor, named after his son...
, Craig Hemmings, Chris Trengrove, Pauline Fisk - Music: Crispin Merrell
- Dialogue Recording: Angelsound
- Puppets: Mackinnon & Saunders
- Animators: Tim Collings, Matt Palmer, Lisa Goddard, Justin Exley
- Sets: Jess Spain, Richard Sykes, Rick Kent, Paul Jones, Samantha Hanks, Nick Wilson
- Props: Owen Ballhatchet, Alison Davies
- Costumes: Clare Elliott, Geraldine Corrigan, Karen Betty, Barbara Biddulph
- Visual fx: Stephen Weston
- Assistant: Manfred-Dean Yurke
- Art director: Peter Hillier
- Lighting Camera: Tim Harper
- Off-line Editing: Flix Facilities
- Production Manager: Laura Duncalf
- Co-ordination: Mary Anderson
- Production Assistant: Debbie Peers
- Audio Post: Hullabaloo studios
- On-line Facility: 4:2:2 Manchester