Little Robots
Encyclopedia
Little Robots is a stop-motion animated
children's TV series
, produced by Cosgrove Hall Films
for Create TV and Film Limited and broadcast on CBeebies
(the BBC's children's channel). The fiction series was based on the eponymous book by Mike Brownlow, published by Ragged Bears Publishing. It is distributed by BBC Worldwide
to over 60 countries.
The centre of their world is the Nut And Bolt Tree, a big, metallic structure that serves as a home to Tiny. Other important features of their world are the Day-Night lever, which causes the sky to rotate 180 degrees, switching from night to day; and the junkyard, that's constantly receiving junk from the surface through a chute.
The main stories are presented in 10 minute scripts. They focus mainly on the life of the robots as a community, often dealing with topics such as resolution of conflicts, collaboration and friendship. Several shorter stories have been produced, called Little Robots Learn. These short pieces are much different from the main stories, with the characters "interacting" with the viewers, introducing simple topics like gravity, contraptions, sounds, counting and even confidence and self-esteem, sometimes featuring a song.
The programme uses the talents of several British comedians, including Lenny Henry
, Martin Clunes
, Morwenna Banks
, Emma Chambers
, Su Pollard
and Hayley Carmichael
.
But They Fix Their Friends Like Robots Should
Hayley Carmichael
Emma Chambers
Martin Clunes
Mel Giedroyc
Mike Haley
Lenny Henry
Jimmy Hibbert
Sue Perkins
Su Pollard
Bridget Appleby, Art Director
Vanessa Chapman, Executive Producer
Michael Carrington, Executive Producer
Theresa Plummer-Andrews, Executive Producer
Bob Heatlie
, Composer
Hilary Baverstock, Script Editor
Mellie Buse, Writer
Jimmy Hibbert, Writer
Neil Arksey
, Writer
Other characters are Flappy the Bat, and the Robo-birds, who often play important roles on the show.
First broadcast: 1/7/2003
Production Code: LAQC525T
Convinced by Tiny that it'll be impossible play five instruments all by herself, Noisy decides to form a band, but Sporty is horrified to discover that Noisy wants him to be the singer.
2. The Hiccalots
First broadcast: 1/14/2003
Production Code: LAQC520Y
Sporty bumps into Noisy who gets a bad case of robotic hiccups. Everyone tries different ways to cure her.
3. A Friend for Teddy
First broadcast: 1/21/2003
Production Code: LAQC521S
Rusty is embarrassed when she discovers Spotty's secret affection for her pink fluffy slippers.
4. Robot Race Day
First broadcast: 1/28/2003
Production Code: LAQC522L
The Little Robots hold a sports day.
5. Knock Knock
First broadcast: 2/4/2003
Production Code: LAQC524A
Spotty and Scary keep getting confused about which home belongs to which of the Sparky twins. Upset that they are always being mistaken for each other the twins decide to put shiny things on their doors to identify which is which.
6. Spotty's Clean Machine
First broadcast: 2/11/2003
Production Code: LAQC519E
Wanting to get all their stuff clean, Spotty tries out Stretchy's new cleaning machine, but it goes out of control.
Writer: Jimmy Hibbert
7. One Hundred
First broadcast: 2/18/2003 Production Code: LAQC523F
When their artificial moon breaks, Tiny enlists the help of the other robots to make a new one.
Writer: Jimmy Hibbert
8. Stretchy in a Twist
First broadcast: 2/25/2003
Production Code: LAQC526N
Trying to do too many things at once, Stretchy gets his neck stuck in a knot.Tiny and Rusty try to help.
Writer: Neil Arksey
9. Stripy on the Ball
First broadcast: 3/4/2003
Production Code: LAQC527H
Stripy makes a new ball, but the Sparky Twins steal it.They get trapped and the other robots rescue them.
10. Scary Scary
First broadcast: 3/11/2003
Production Code: LAQC528B
Scary has been trying to frighten the little robots, but is unsuccessful until he accidentally gets covered in his magnetic props.
11. Hole in the Sky
First broadcast: 3/18/2003
Production Code: LAQC529W
Rusty is terrified on finding a hole in the sky above her home.
12. Noisy's New Song
First broadcast: 3/25/2003
Production Code: LAQC531J
The hatch in Stretchy's junkyard is jammed, no-one can unstick it and Noisy has a new song.
13. A Bit of Give and Take
First broadcast: 4/1/2003
Production Code: LAQC530P
Tiny needs some help with the Nut and Bolt Tree.
distributes the series, and licensed it in over 60 countries. In the U.S., Little Robots is part of Cartoon Network
's Tickle-U programming block and debuted in 2003. It is also aired on TVOKids in Ontario, Canada, on Kids Central in Singapore
, and on Nick Jr.
in Australia (formerly for a short time on Nickelodeon
). The BBC website lists further customers: Germany (ZDF and KiKa), Canada (SCN and The Knowledge Network), Norway (NRK), Finland (YLE), Denmark (TV2), Iceland (RUV), Italy (RAI 13), Portugal (RTP), Malta (MEBC), Russia (RTR Kultura) and South Africa (SABC), Mexico (Discovery Kids), Slovenia (TV Slovenia).
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
children's TV series
Children's television series
Children's television series, are commercial television programs designed for, and marketed to children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run in the early evening, for the children that go to school...
, produced by 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...
for Create TV and Film Limited and broadcast on CBeebies
CBeebies
CBeebies is the brand used by the BBC for programming aimed at children 6 years and under. It is used as a themed strand in the UK on terrestrial television, as a separate free-to-air domestic British channel and used for international varients supported by advertising, subscription or both...
(the BBC's children's channel). The fiction series was based on the eponymous book by Mike Brownlow, published by Ragged Bears Publishing. It is distributed by BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide Limited is the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in 1995. In the year to 31 March 2010 it made a profit of £145m on a turnover of £1.074bn. The company had made a profit of £106m...
to over 60 countries.
Background
The show is centered on eleven Little Robots, each with his own distinct looks and personality. They were abandoned on a scrap heap in a junkyard until Tiny, the central figure of the story, fixed them. The robots set to build a world of their own, using junk to build their houses, gadgets, plants and flowers, and even their own sun and moon.The centre of their world is the Nut And Bolt Tree, a big, metallic structure that serves as a home to Tiny. Other important features of their world are the Day-Night lever, which causes the sky to rotate 180 degrees, switching from night to day; and the junkyard, that's constantly receiving junk from the surface through a chute.
The main stories are presented in 10 minute scripts. They focus mainly on the life of the robots as a community, often dealing with topics such as resolution of conflicts, collaboration and friendship. Several shorter stories have been produced, called Little Robots Learn. These short pieces are much different from the main stories, with the characters "interacting" with the viewers, introducing simple topics like gravity, contraptions, sounds, counting and even confidence and self-esteem, sometimes featuring a song.
The programme uses the talents of several British comedians, including Lenny Henry
Lenny Henry
Lenworth George "Lenny" Henry, is a British actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :...
, Martin Clunes
Martin Clunes
Alexander Martin Clunes is an English actor and comedian. Clunes is perhaps best known for his roles as Gary Strang in Men Behaving Badly, Doctor Martin Ellingham in Doc Martin and the title character in Reggie Perrin....
, Morwenna Banks
Morwenna Banks
Morwenna Banks is a British comedy actress, writer and producer.Banks is perhaps best known in the UK as a cast member of the British Channel 4 comedy series Absolutely, where her best-known character was a schoolgirl who sat on the edge of a desk.She appeared as the Keeper of the Rules in the...
, Emma Chambers
Emma Chambers
Emma G. Chambers is an English actress. Her work includes the role Alice Tinker in the BBC comedy The Vicar of Dibley and Honey Thacker in the film Notting Hill .-Early life:...
, Su Pollard
Su Pollard
Susan Georgina "Su" Pollard, 7 November 1949, Nottingham) is an English comedy actress, most famous for her roles in the sitcoms Hi-de-Hi! and You Rang, M'Lord?. She is also well known for her unusual and flamboyant dress sense and her abrupt voice....
and Hayley Carmichael
Hayley Carmichael
Hayley Carmichael is an English actress and theatre-director. She is co-founder of Told By An Idiot and has both devised and performed in almost all their productions...
.
But They Fix Their Friends Like Robots Should
Cast List
Morwenna BanksMorwenna Banks
Morwenna Banks is a British comedy actress, writer and producer.Banks is perhaps best known in the UK as a cast member of the British Channel 4 comedy series Absolutely, where her best-known character was a schoolgirl who sat on the edge of a desk.She appeared as the Keeper of the Rules in the...
Hayley Carmichael
Hayley Carmichael
Hayley Carmichael is an English actress and theatre-director. She is co-founder of Told By An Idiot and has both devised and performed in almost all their productions...
Emma Chambers
Emma Chambers
Emma G. Chambers is an English actress. Her work includes the role Alice Tinker in the BBC comedy The Vicar of Dibley and Honey Thacker in the film Notting Hill .-Early life:...
Martin Clunes
Martin Clunes
Alexander Martin Clunes is an English actor and comedian. Clunes is perhaps best known for his roles as Gary Strang in Men Behaving Badly, Doctor Martin Ellingham in Doc Martin and the title character in Reggie Perrin....
Mel Giedroyc
Mel Giedroyc
Mel Giedroyc is an English television presenter, actress, and writer.-Mel and Sue:Giedroyc is best known for presenting comedy items alongside Sue Perkins. The two women met whilst students at Cambridge and both were members of the famous Footlights comedy club.As Mel and Sue, the duo were...
Mike Haley
Lenny Henry
Lenny Henry
Lenworth George "Lenny" Henry, is a British actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :...
Jimmy Hibbert
Jimmy Hibbert
James "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...
Sue Perkins
Sue Perkins
Sue Perkins is an English comedienne, broadcaster, actress, and writer.-Education:Perkins was educated at Croham Hurst School, an independent school for girls in Croydon in South London, at the same time as the BBC Breakfast News presenter Susanna Reid...
Su Pollard
Su Pollard
Susan Georgina "Su" Pollard, 7 November 1949, Nottingham) is an English comedy actress, most famous for her roles in the sitcoms Hi-de-Hi! and You Rang, M'Lord?. She is also well known for her unusual and flamboyant dress sense and her abrupt voice....
Crew List
Franc Vose, ProducerBridget Appleby, Art Director
Vanessa Chapman, Executive Producer
Michael Carrington, Executive Producer
Theresa Plummer-Andrews, Executive Producer
Bob Heatlie
Bob Heatlie
Bob Heatlie is a Scottish songwriter and produced and has worked Music industry creating songs for the chats and also television.-Background:...
, Composer
Hilary Baverstock, Script Editor
Mellie Buse, Writer
Jimmy Hibbert, Writer
Neil Arksey
Neil Arksey
Neil Arksey is the author of a number of books for children, teenagers and young adults, published by Penguin and Random House. Early in his career he helped develop Little Robots, a pre-school TV show broadcast on BBC in the UK...
, Writer
Characters
(In order they were mentioned in the opening)- Tiny - The central character of the show. He is blue, has a red antenna on top of his head, and a red button on his belly which opens the lid of his head, uncovering a couple of tools which he uses for fixing machines and robots. He is also responsible for pulling the Day-Night lever at the right times. Tiny lives on the Nut And Bolt Tree, right next to the Day-Night lever. He always has a positive view on things, and always tries to help his friends to live in peace and harmony together. Voiced by Hayley CarmichaelHayley CarmichaelHayley Carmichael is an English actress and theatre-director. She is co-founder of Told By An Idiot and has both devised and performed in almost all their productions...
. - Messy - The robot dog of the Little Robots' world, he loves things dirty and messy. Scary teaches him tricks and makes shows with him, where he's known as "Messy, the Wonderhound".
- Sporty - The strongest and fittest of all the robots, he's constantly running, playing games and sports, and never gets tired of making himself stronger and fitter. Sporty has his own, private gym with a trampoline and a conveyor belt. Voiced by Lenny HenryLenny HenryLenworth George "Lenny" Henry, is a British actor, writer, comedian and occasional television presenter.- Early life :...
. - Stretchy - Very organised and efficient, he's in charge of sorting the junk that comes from the chute on the junkyard. He's blue and tall, and has a long, flexible neck. Though his main worry is to keep the junkyard organised so his friends can use, his workaholismWorkaholicA workaholic is a person who is addicted to work.The term generally implies that the person enjoys their work; it can also imply that they simply feel compelled to do it...
and obsession for organisation sometimes causes problems - on one occasion, he accidentally tied a knot on his neck due to overwork. He lives in the junkyard, inside an abandoned radiator. Voiced by 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...
. - Rusty - A feminine and sensitive Little Robot, she has a red dress made with rusty metal, and wears a funnel on top of her head. She lives in an old, rusty bucket, and she constantly has new ideas on how to improve and decorate it. She's very impulsive and accident prone, though, and tense situations or anything that causes her to get overexcited can make her overheat and release puffs of steam. She also has a notable, childish crush on Sporty. Voiced by Morwenna BanksMorwenna BanksMorwenna Banks is a British comedy actress, writer and producer.Banks is perhaps best known in the UK as a cast member of the British Channel 4 comedy series Absolutely, where her best-known character was a schoolgirl who sat on the edge of a desk.She appeared as the Keeper of the Rules in the...
. - Stripy - Big and made with coloured stripes of metal, he's practically the complete opposite of Sporty: moves and talks slowly, but he's a deep and introspective thinker, also a specialist in flowers and storytelling. His best friend is Teddy, his metallic teddy bear, and his favourite activities are taking care of his garden, telling stories to his friends and playing games that require little agility and lots of skill. Voiced by Martin ClunesMartin ClunesAlexander Martin Clunes is an English actor and comedian. Clunes is perhaps best known for his roles as Gary Strang in Men Behaving Badly, Doctor Martin Ellingham in Doc Martin and the title character in Reggie Perrin....
. - Noisy - Speaks loudly, has a trumpet for a nose, plays instruments, writes and sings songs, and loves whatever kind of noise she can produce. Her house is an old drum, with a xylophone-themed entryway. Her passion for loud music and noise can often be bothersome for her friends, but she's also a great entertainer. Her laughter is unforgettable, too. Voiced by Su PollardSu PollardSusan Georgina "Su" Pollard, 7 November 1949, Nottingham) is an English comedy actress, most famous for her roles in the sitcoms Hi-de-Hi! and You Rang, M'Lord?. She is also well known for her unusual and flamboyant dress sense and her abrupt voice....
. Pbs Kids Sprout - Spotty - She's round, yellow, covered in coloured spots, wears specs, and can retract all her limbs and roll around like a ball for fast locomotion. She has a strong personality, likes rules and orders, and tends to give orders to her friends (often causing conflicts with her friends). Her dream is to be an artist. Voiced by Emma ChambersEmma ChambersEmma G. Chambers is an English actress. Her work includes the role Alice Tinker in the BBC comedy The Vicar of Dibley and Honey Thacker in the film Notting Hill .-Early life:...
. - Scary - He's purple and wears a black cape. Scary is a great actor with a Donald SindenDonald SindenSir Donald Alfred Sinden CBE is an English actor of theatre, film and television.-Personal life:Sinden was born in Plymouth, Devon, England, on 9 October 1923. The son of Alfred Edward Sinden and his wife Mabel Agnes , he grew up in the Sussex village of Ditchling, where their home doubled as the...
-esque voice, likes to scare his friends (though he's often not successful) and stage shows to entertain his friends. He has his own stage, which is also his house. Voiced by Mike HayleyMike HayleyMike Hayley is a comedian, impressionist, actor and writer. He starred alongside Shane Richie in the BBC's sketch shows, Something For The Weekend and Up To Something ....
. - The Sparky Twins - They are debatably green or blue with red and yellow belly. Sparky One and Sparky Two are almost identical twins who are full of energy, love dancing and doing practical jokes on other robots. Sparky One has a red spot on her belly and Sparky Two has a yellow spot on her belly. They are able to communicate over distances by exchanging electrical rays through the antennae on their heads, and their catch phrase is Gimmie Three, Sparkee! when they high-five. They live in a pair of speakers by an old record turntable. Voiced by Mel GiedroycMel GiedroycMel Giedroyc is an English television presenter, actress, and writer.-Mel and Sue:Giedroyc is best known for presenting comedy items alongside Sue Perkins. The two women met whilst students at Cambridge and both were members of the famous Footlights comedy club.As Mel and Sue, the duo were...
and Sue PerkinsSue PerkinsSue Perkins is an English comedienne, broadcaster, actress, and writer.-Education:Perkins was educated at Croham Hurst School, an independent school for girls in Croydon in South London, at the same time as the BBC Breakfast News presenter Susanna Reid...
.
Other characters are Flappy the Bat, and the Robo-birds, who often play important roles on the show.
Season 1
1. The Sound of MusicFirst broadcast: 1/7/2003
Production Code: LAQC525T
Convinced by Tiny that it'll be impossible play five instruments all by herself, Noisy decides to form a band, but Sporty is horrified to discover that Noisy wants him to be the singer.
2. The Hiccalots
First broadcast: 1/14/2003
Production Code: LAQC520Y
Sporty bumps into Noisy who gets a bad case of robotic hiccups. Everyone tries different ways to cure her.
3. A Friend for Teddy
First broadcast: 1/21/2003
Production Code: LAQC521S
Rusty is embarrassed when she discovers Spotty's secret affection for her pink fluffy slippers.
4. Robot Race Day
First broadcast: 1/28/2003
Production Code: LAQC522L
The Little Robots hold a sports day.
5. Knock Knock
First broadcast: 2/4/2003
Production Code: LAQC524A
Spotty and Scary keep getting confused about which home belongs to which of the Sparky twins. Upset that they are always being mistaken for each other the twins decide to put shiny things on their doors to identify which is which.
6. Spotty's Clean Machine
First broadcast: 2/11/2003
Production Code: LAQC519E
Wanting to get all their stuff clean, Spotty tries out Stretchy's new cleaning machine, but it goes out of control.
Writer: Jimmy Hibbert
7. One Hundred
First broadcast: 2/18/2003 Production Code: LAQC523F
When their artificial moon breaks, Tiny enlists the help of the other robots to make a new one.
Writer: Jimmy Hibbert
8. Stretchy in a Twist
First broadcast: 2/25/2003
Production Code: LAQC526N
Trying to do too many things at once, Stretchy gets his neck stuck in a knot.Tiny and Rusty try to help.
Writer: Neil Arksey
9. Stripy on the Ball
First broadcast: 3/4/2003
Production Code: LAQC527H
Stripy makes a new ball, but the Sparky Twins steal it.They get trapped and the other robots rescue them.
10. Scary Scary
First broadcast: 3/11/2003
Production Code: LAQC528B
Scary has been trying to frighten the little robots, but is unsuccessful until he accidentally gets covered in his magnetic props.
11. Hole in the Sky
First broadcast: 3/18/2003
Production Code: LAQC529W
Rusty is terrified on finding a hole in the sky above her home.
12. Noisy's New Song
First broadcast: 3/25/2003
Production Code: LAQC531J
The hatch in Stretchy's junkyard is jammed, no-one can unstick it and Noisy has a new song.
13. A Bit of Give and Take
First broadcast: 4/1/2003
Production Code: LAQC530P
Tiny needs some help with the Nut and Bolt Tree.
Distribution
BBC WorldwideBBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide Limited is the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in 1995. In the year to 31 March 2010 it made a profit of £145m on a turnover of £1.074bn. The company had made a profit of £106m...
distributes the series, and licensed it in over 60 countries. In the U.S., Little Robots is part of Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
's Tickle-U programming block and debuted in 2003. It is also aired on TVOKids in Ontario, Canada, on Kids Central in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, and on Nick Jr.
Nick Jr. Australia
Nick Jr. Australia is a 24-hour children's channel in Australia designed for pre-schoolers. Nick Jr. was a morning programming block on Nickelodeon until 2004, when Foxtel arrived and it was launched as a full 24-hour kids channel. The channel is run by XYZnetworks, under license from Viacom, and...
in Australia (formerly for a short time on Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon Australia
Nickelodeon is the Australian counterpart of the Nickelodeon network in the United States. It is operated by a joint venture of XYZnetworks and MTV Networks Australia.-History:...
). The BBC website lists further customers: Germany (ZDF and KiKa), Canada (SCN and The Knowledge Network), Norway (NRK), Finland (YLE), Denmark (TV2), Iceland (RUV), Italy (RAI 13), Portugal (RTP), Malta (MEBC), Russia (RTR Kultura) and South Africa (SABC), Mexico (Discovery Kids), Slovenia (TV Slovenia).