Victor and Hugo
Encyclopedia
Victor and Hugo, Bunglers in Crime is an animated series made by Cosgrove Hall for Thames Television
and screened on CITV
from 6 September 1991 to 29 December 1992 and is a spin off from Count Duckula
.
The series centres on the exploits of two bumbling French criminals - the eponymous brothers of the title. Despite referencing the French author Victor Hugo
in their names, neither brother was particularly intelligent.
The plot of each episode dealt with Victor and Hugo and their English-based business "Naughtiness International" being hired by crime figures to steal something. Victor would come up with a "meticulous plan" to achieve this goal, which was routinely botched by Hugo. The episodes would traditionally end with the brothers imprisoned.
hat (worn all the time) and his manicured moustache
, which enabled him to appear suave. Victor's English was significantly better than Hugo's, however, he was constantly at risk of spoonerism
s. Despite his anger whenever Hugo bungled one of his schemes, he secretly cared about his brother, as seen in the episode "Dummy Run", when he thought that Hugo had frozen to death.
Victor was voiced by Jimmy Hibbert
.
and looked like a burglar (right down to his ever-present eye-mask). Always subservient to "My Victor", Hugo was often the butt of slapstick
comedy. While his intelligence and English skills were notably inferior to Victor's, Hugo was able to make sense of some of his brother's spoonerisms, and he would often describe their chosen profession as "criminiminals". Hugo, despite the notable handicap of a lack of ability, was always given the job of driving the van. Hugo's voice bears a striking resemblance to the Goon Show
character Bluebottle, and the two characters often make similar exclamations. Hugo was voiced by David Jason
.
English. It is not saying very much to comment that Interpoll was by far the most intelligent of the group. Aside from residing in the van constantly, Interpoll was also able to function as a telephone - his beak was put to the person's ear. Victor also used him to dial out by pressing his chest like a keypad. In one episode, Hugo used Interpoll as a makeshift pair of scissors. Interpoll was also voiced by David Jason.
tale The Hound of the Baskervilles
), although, he is never referred to as such on screen.
One episode, for example, has Victor asking Hugo about how he thought they went in robbing "The Duke of Battersea's Home". Hugo's response is "The Duke of Battersea, he is having a lot of doggies, yes?", to which Victor corrects him, "The Duke of Battersea, he is having a lot of doggies, no! That was the Battersea Dogs Home!"
Similarly, an episode begins with a news broadcast about the theft of the Christmas lights from Piccadilly Circus
. Over this report, we hear Victor telling Hugo that, "I said 'Pull up the van at the lights in Piccadilly Circus.', not 'Pull down the lights in Piccadilly Circus and put them in the van.'!"
The standard greeting on the phone is "Hello, this is Victor of Victor and Hugo: Naughtiness International, no crime too big, no crime too small. How may I help you?", delivered in the cod-French accent adopted by Victor. Hugo's alternate rendering begins, "Hello, this is Hugo of Hugo and Victor: Naughtiness International, no big small crime too..." before trailing off.
One example of this, is the plan to steal a quick-growth formula from Professor Peak at St Spooner's Hospital in order to let a criminal mastermind grow an army of giant ants to devour the world. Hugo renders this as "We peek at the spoon in the hospital and grow quickly a professor's formula for devouring ants.". Invariably, the plan goes awry. This is usually flagged by Victor's question of "Hugo, did you perform a particular action?" Hugo's response takes the form of, "Yes" (at which Victor looks pleased) "And no" (at which he looks crestfallen) "But mainly...no" (at which time something exceedingly dangerous occurs).
Having fallen to the ground, they enter their van and prepare to drive off. Victor, laughing, tells Hugo "You know Hugo, it will be alright this time. Nothing can go wrong!" Hugo responds "Yes Victor, I know!" and begins to drive. At this point, the van falls to pieces and the brothers escape that disaster only to find their way blocked by police cars. They turn around and are immediately hit by the falling safe, the door of which falls off to reveal Hugo making his alternative suggestion of the title - "Hugo and Victor. That's what I think, anyway.".
Season Two:
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
and screened 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...
from 6 September 1991 to 29 December 1992 and is a spin off from Count Duckula
Count Duckula
Count Duckula is a British animated television series created by British studio Cosgrove Hall, and a spin-off from DangerMouse, a show in which the Count Duckula character was a recurring villain. The series first aired on September 6, 1988 and was produced by Thames Television for 3 seasons and...
.
The series centres on the exploits of two bumbling French criminals - the eponymous brothers of the title. Despite referencing the French author Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
in their names, neither brother was particularly intelligent.
The plot of each episode dealt with Victor and Hugo and their English-based business "Naughtiness International" being hired by crime figures to steal something. Victor would come up with a "meticulous plan" to achieve this goal, which was routinely botched by Hugo. The episodes would traditionally end with the brothers imprisoned.
Victor
The taller of the brothers, Victor was also clearly the leader of "Naughtiness International". Victor's two most striking characteristics were his fedoraFedora (hat)
A fedora is a men's felt hat. In reality, "fedora" describes most any men's hat that does not already have another name; quite a few fedoras have famous names of their own including the famous Trilby....
hat (worn all the time) and his manicured moustache
Moustache
A moustache is facial hair grown on the outer surface of the upper lip. It may or may not be accompanied by a type of beard, a facial hair style grown and cropped to cover most of the lower half of the face.-Etymology:...
, which enabled him to appear suave. Victor's English was significantly better than Hugo's, however, he was constantly at risk of spoonerism
Spoonerism
A spoonerism is an error in speech or deliberate play on words in which corresponding consonants, vowels, or morphemes are switched . It is named after the Reverend William Archibald Spooner , Warden of New College, Oxford, who was notoriously prone to this tendency...
s. Despite his anger whenever Hugo bungled one of his schemes, he secretly cared about his brother, as seen in the episode "Dummy Run", when he thought that Hugo had frozen to death.
Victor was voiced by 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...
.
Hugo
Victor's little brother, Hugo always wore a beretBeret
A beret is a soft, round, flat-crowned hat, designated a "cap", usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, or wool felt, or acrylic fiber....
and looked like a burglar (right down to his ever-present eye-mask). Always subservient to "My Victor", Hugo was often the butt of slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
comedy. While his intelligence and English skills were notably inferior to Victor's, Hugo was able to make sense of some of his brother's spoonerisms, and he would often describe their chosen profession as "criminiminals". Hugo, despite the notable handicap of a lack of ability, was always given the job of driving the van. Hugo's voice bears a striking resemblance to the Goon Show
The Goon Show
The Goon Show was a British radio comedy programme, originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960, with occasional repeats on the BBC Light Programme...
character Bluebottle, and the two characters often make similar exclamations. Hugo was voiced by David Jason
David Jason
Sir David John White, OBE , better known by his stage name David Jason, is an English BAFTA award-winning actor. He is best known as the main character Derek "Del Boy" Trotter on the BBC sit-com Only Fools and Horses from 1981, the voice of Mr Toad in The Wind In The Willows and as detective Jack...
.
Interpoll
A talking parrot with attitude, Interpoll lived in Victor and Hugo's van and provided a voice of reason in rapid-fire CockneyCockney
The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End...
English. It is not saying very much to comment that Interpoll was by far the most intelligent of the group. Aside from residing in the van constantly, Interpoll was also able to function as a telephone - his beak was put to the person's ear. Victor also used him to dial out by pressing his chest like a keypad. In one episode, Hugo used Interpoll as a makeshift pair of scissors. Interpoll was also voiced by David Jason.
Lord and Lady Hobbes-Suttclyffe
The token "English country family" from which the brothers would often have to burgle, the Hobbes-Suttclyffes lived at Hobbes-Suttclyffe Hall, where Lord Hobbes-Suttclyffe kept his elephant gun and his wife hosted dinner parties.The Dog
A small dog played a very important role in every episode. At various points - often when the plot appeared to be flagging, this dog would run up one of Victor's trouser legs, remove his underpants and run off with them down his other leg. This running gag also appeared at the end of every episode, prefaced by the statement by a glum Victor that "At least in here, nothing else can possibly go wrong!". Hugo particularly enjoyed the appearances of the dog, often muttering "good doggie!". In production material from the studio, the dog's name is given as Baskerville (as in the Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
tale The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Hound of the Baskervilles is the third of four crime novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in The Strand Magazine from August 1901 to April 1902, it is set largely on Dartmoor in Devon in England's West Country and tells the story of an...
), although, he is never referred to as such on screen.
Penelope
Penelope was Hugo's pet earwig who lived in a matchbox. Hugo would always affectionally refer to her as 'My Penelope'. Penelope did not actually speak, instead communicating by squeaking, and rarely came out of her matchbox. On the rare occasions, that she did come out, she looked like a small grey bug with blonde hair and a dress.Monsieur Meccaneaux
Despite his French name, Meccaneaux was a working-class accented English rat who was frequently called by the brothers to repair the van (generally, after Hugo's driving had caused an accident) and, on occasion, to provide other forms of technical expertise - such as the building of the Concrete Destruction Ray (known by Victor as the "Discreet Correction Ray"). Meccaneaux was almost unintelligible, due mainly to his habit of interrupting his own trains of thought as he went along and punctuating certain observations with laughter. On one occasion, Hugo politely asked Victor what the mechanic had just said, only to be met with the response "he say...he say...I am not sure what he say.". He would also appear very quickly at the scene of the accident once requested over the radio by Victor.The Opening Crime
Most episodes began with the brothers on the run from having committed another crime. However, as the opening dialogue continued, it always became apparent that Hugo had done precisely the wrong thing.One episode, for example, has Victor asking Hugo about how he thought they went in robbing "The Duke of Battersea's Home". Hugo's response is "The Duke of Battersea, he is having a lot of doggies, yes?", to which Victor corrects him, "The Duke of Battersea, he is having a lot of doggies, no! That was the Battersea Dogs Home!"
Similarly, an episode begins with a news broadcast about the theft of the Christmas lights from Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus
Piccadilly Circus is a road junction and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster, built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with the major shopping street of Piccadilly...
. Over this report, we hear Victor telling Hugo that, "I said 'Pull up the van at the lights in Piccadilly Circus.', not 'Pull down the lights in Piccadilly Circus and put them in the van.'!"
The Phone Call
With only one exception, the brothers receive their latest commission (around which the plot of the episode revolves) by telephone. The phone is located in the van and Victor answers it - as Hugo is engaged in driving (badly). In one episode, Hugo attempts to assume superiority in the partnership and answers the phone himself.The standard greeting on the phone is "Hello, this is Victor of Victor and Hugo: Naughtiness International, no crime too big, no crime too small. How may I help you?", delivered in the cod-French accent adopted by Victor. Hugo's alternate rendering begins, "Hello, this is Hugo of Hugo and Victor: Naughtiness International, no big small crime too..." before trailing off.
The Meticulous Plan
In his capacity as the brains of the partnership, Victor would devise a "meticulous plan" and explain it to Hugo - who at one point refers to it as a "ridiculous plan". Hugo would then repeat it back to Victor in a garbled form, full of spoonerisms and other puns.One example of this, is the plan to steal a quick-growth formula from Professor Peak at St Spooner's Hospital in order to let a criminal mastermind grow an army of giant ants to devour the world. Hugo renders this as "We peek at the spoon in the hospital and grow quickly a professor's formula for devouring ants.". Invariably, the plan goes awry. This is usually flagged by Victor's question of "Hugo, did you perform a particular action?" Hugo's response takes the form of, "Yes" (at which Victor looks pleased) "And no" (at which he looks crestfallen) "But mainly...no" (at which time something exceedingly dangerous occurs).
The Arrest
Generally as a result of the dangerous omission by Hugo, the brothers are arrested and jailed. Victor takes this opportunity to explain that "At least in here, nothing else can possibly go wrong!" - at which point the dog steals his underpants.Catchphrases
Much of the humour of the series came from catchphrases. Among these were:- That is what I said. - Victor, on being corrected (by anyone).
- Yes, my Victor. - Hugo
- What is it that it is, my Victor? - Hugo
- Nothing else can possibly go wrong. - Victor (normally), the cue for the dog to remove his underpants.
- Where's me tablets? - Interpoll expressing surprise and consternation.
- That's what I think, anyway. - Hugo's summation of the situation.
- Do you understand the plan? - Victor, to Hugo, who rarely did.
- Yes and no, mainly no. - Hugo, answering Victor's question.
- Victor and Hugo, Naughtiness International, no crime too big no crime too small, how may I help you? - Victor answering the phone
- Bon! What? Good! Oh!
- Help, the police! No, help!! - Hugo's panic attacks on hearing the word "police".
- Mama always wanted for me to be a occupationOccupationOccupation may refer to:*Job , a regular activity performed for payment, that occupies one's time**Employment, a person under service of another by hire**Career, a course through life**Profession, a vocation founded upon specialized training...
. - Hugo's reaction to Victor's disguise ideas (including a general and a doctor). - We are famous international criminals. - Hugo inadvertently revealing his identity.
- Brain of a ... - Victor, on realising Hugo's innate stupidity. This is followed by something else, usually an inanimate object - "You have the brain of a letterbox" for example.
- This is all your fault.
- But Victor it was not my fault [lists things that happened]. - Whenever the duo get caught.
- This is usually followed by Victor's famous saying to Hugo: "It is your fault. It is all your fault. It is ALWAYS your fault."
- The monies and the jewels and the golds and the so-forths. - Victor's traditional litany of what they will steal.
Opening Sequence
The opening sequence features the two brothers preparing to blow up a safe as the theme music is sung. Unfortunately for them, the explosion propels the safe through the ceiling and, in the confusion, they both run out of what is revealed to be an upper-storey window.Having fallen to the ground, they enter their van and prepare to drive off. Victor, laughing, tells Hugo "You know Hugo, it will be alright this time. Nothing can go wrong!" Hugo responds "Yes Victor, I know!" and begins to drive. At this point, the van falls to pieces and the brothers escape that disaster only to find their way blocked by police cars. They turn around and are immediately hit by the falling safe, the door of which falls off to reveal Hugo making his alternative suggestion of the title - "Hugo and Victor. That's what I think, anyway.".
Episode list
Season One:- Pandomonium! - First broadcast: 6 September 1991
- Special Event - First broadcast: 13 September 1991
- Water Boobies - First broadcast: 20 September 1991
- Cowboys and Indiscipline - First broadcast: 27 September 1991
- Hyp-Not-Isn't - First broadcast: 18 October 1991
- Automanic Transmission - First broadcast: 25 October 1991
- The Hole Truth and Nothing... - First broadcast: 1 November 1991
- The Case of the Vose Vase - First broadcast: 8 November 1991
- Dummy Run - First broadcast: 15 November 1991
- Scout's Dishonour - First broadcast: 22 November 1991
- Escort Red-Handed - First broadcast: 29 November 1991
- Private Ears - First broadcast: 6 December 1991
- Blunder on the Orient Express - First broadcast: 13 December 1991
Season Two:
- Acting the Goat - First broadcast: 11 September 1992
- Artful Dodgers - First broadcast: 18 September 1992
- Is There a Doctor in the House? - First broadcast: 25 September 1992
- Woof and Tumble - First broadcast: 2 October 1992
- Treasure Haunt - First broadcast: 9 October 1992
- Tempers Fugit - First broadcast: 16 October 1992
- French Exchange - First broadcast: 23 October 1992
- The Poultry-Geist - First broadcast: 30 October 1992
- Jester Moment - First broadcast: 6 November 1992
- Stone Me! - First broadcast: 13 November 1992
- Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Dolt - First broadcast: 20 November 1992
- Pie in the Sky - First broadcast: 27 November 1992
- Unstable Fable - First broadcast: 4 December 1992
- The Hound of the Hobbes-Sutclyffes - First broadcast: 11 December 1992
- Yule Be Sorry! - First broadcast: 18 December 1992
- But Me, No Butlers! - First broadcast: 24 December 1992
- Do-in Yourself - First broadcast: 29 December 1992
Season 1
- Written by: Brian Trueman and Jimmy Hibbert
- Original Music by: Dave Roylance
- Designers: Andy Roper, Jon Doyle, Paul Salmon, Stephen Simpson and Jez Hall
- Supervised by: Ben Turner
- Layouts: José Maria Zumel, Ricardo Machuca, Miguel Angel Aisa, Tom Bailey, Ted Pettengell, Neil Graham and Trevor Ricketts
- Colour Models: Bruce McNally, Carol A. Hughes and John Martin
- Storyboards: Jaime Diaz Studios, Dan Whitworth, Andy Janes, Wayne Thomas, Harold Whitaker, Dino Athanassiou, Bruce McNally, Keith Scoble, John Offord, Andy Roper, Vincent James, Jean Flynn, Jez Hall, Mike Whaite, Billy Allison, John Martin and Gregory Tiernan
- Special Effects: Carlos Alfonso
- Backgrounds: Milagros Banares, Conchi Echare, Roberto Garcia, Miguel Angel Gil, David Jariaz and Higashi Taruma
- Supervised by: Carlos Alfonso
- Key Animators: Mariano Rueda, Luis Varela, Eduard Sasu, Francisco Tena, Bujor Stefanescu, Angel Jariego, Valentin Cain, Fernando Jariego, Manuel G. Galiana, Pedro Delgado, Carmen Sanchez, Pedro Jorge Gil, Ignacio Amero, Sergio Alfonso, Valentin Domenech, Angel Garcia, Vicente Rodriguez, Jose Luis Torres, Paca Morena, Manuel Sirgo, Maria Elena Marquez, Baltasar Pedrosa, Pedro Jose Molina, Fernando Gallart and Juan Antonio Serrano
- Assistant Animators: Sandra Sasu, Julio Altozano, Maria Luisa Ruis, Luis Amor, Armando Berdones, Borja Montoro, Mario Moroillo, Fernando Ollero, Angel Marcano, Mercedes Manzanvo, Marta Diaz, Jesus Albiol, Juan Jose Mora and Maria Isabel Fernandez
- Checkers: Carmen G. Sangrador and Maribel Lopez
- Colourist: Joan Jones
- Cel Painters: Carmen G. Sangrador, Angeles Vacas, Maribel Lopez, Marimar Fernandez, Loli Pina, Marta Vegue, Susana Diez, Asuncion Tomas, Maria Jose Alvarez, Evelia Rodriguez, Julia Garcia, Angeles Sanz, Maite Garcia, Antonia Ucar, Tere Diego, Ana de la Guerra, Elvira Hernandez, Concha Calabuig, Elena Garcia, Mari Carmen Rivas, Herminia Burgaleta, Pilar Quesada and Maria Dolores Torres
- Xerox: Alex Alphonso, Jose Luis Aisa, Marta Rodriguez, Julio Angel Garcia and Agustin Sepulveda
- Camera: Victorio Gonzalez and Guillermon Rodriguez
- Video Line Test: Eva Maria Montera
- Film Editor: Leo Casserly
- Sound Effects Editor: Bob Ashton
- Dubbing Mixer: John Wood
- Music Coordinator: John Merrifield
- Digital Dub Editors: Darren Cox and Simon Hall
- Animation Director: Carlos Alfonso
- Pre-Production Coordinator: Ed Williams
- Production Controller: Julio Diez
- Post Production Manager: Chris Phillips
- Executive Producer: John Hambley
- Directed by: Brian Cosgrove
- Produced by: Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall
- A Brian Cosgrove / Mark Hall Production for Thames Television
Season 2
- Written by: Brian Trueman and Jimmy Hibbert
- Original Music by: Dave Roylance
- Designers and Layouts: Andy Roper, Jon Doyle, Paul Salmon, Stephen Simpson, Jez Hall, Tom Bailey, Neil Graham, Ted Pettengell and Martin Edwards
- Colour Models: Colour Crew
- Storyboards: Jaime Diaz Studios, Ian Whitworth, Dino Athanassiou, Bruce McNally, Ellen Meske, Keith Scoble, Jez Hall, Chris Randall, Ian Jackson, Jean Flynn, John Millington and Martin Edwards
- Special Effects: Garry Owen, Jackie Mitchell, Roy Huckerby and David Birkinshaw
- Backgrounds: Maggie Riley, Beverly Bush, Michelle Graney, Pete Hillier, Philip Jackson, Weston Samuels and Rosie Mafriol
- Key Animators: Big Jack Bradley, Meryl Edge, Dave Livesey, Denise Heywood, Alistair Fell, Andy Wilson, Claire Grey, Malcolm McGookin and Adrian Bell
- Animators: Les Brooksbank, Paul Greenall, Mair Thomas, Mark Povey, Alan Lee Moult, Tim Window, Sandra Ryan, Richard Bazley, Rick Villeneuve, Brian Ainsworth, Ian Whitworth, Lloyd Sutton, Phil McMylor, Keith Scoble and Robert Brown
- Assistant Animators: Jennie Langley, Bob Sparkes, Judy Pilsbury, Karen Heywood, Helen Michael, Helen Smith, Steven A. Playdell-Peuroy, Bill Tapp, Craig Whittle, Michael Whaite, Steve Horrocks and Paul Jesper
- Checkers: Laura Cosgrove, Bev James, Sue Halliwell, Katie Nutter and Yasodha Huckerby
- Colourist: Joan Jones
- Cel Painters: Dusle Abribrum, Stefanie Gilore, Althea Deane, Lynn Hardie, Marie Dembinski, Andrea Hough, Joyce Flowers, Christine Kershaw, Helen Fraxwr, Anne Place, Mark Fulton, Karl Scoble and Gloria Vassiliou
- Supervised by: Lorraine Thomas and Laura Cosgrove
- Xerox: Tony McAleese, Don Geering and Joan Simmons
- Camera: Peter Kidd, Frank Hardie, Wendy Senior and Mark Sutton
- Video Line Tests: Phil Atack and Lesley White
- Film Editor: Leo Casserly
- Sound Effects Editor: Steve Perry
- Dubbing Mixer: John Wood
- Music Coordinator: John Merrifield
- Digital Dub Editors: Darren Cox and Simon Hall
- Animation Directors: Willard Kitchen, Jean Flynn and John Offord
- Animation Checkers: Phil McMylor and Andy Bax
- Pre-Production Coordinator: Ed Williams
- Production Controller: Sian Thomas
- Production Coordinator: Simon White
- Post Production Manager: Chris Phillips
- Executive Producer: John Hambley
- Produced by: Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall
- Directed by: Brian Cosgrove
- A Brian Cosgrove / Mark Hall Production for Thames Television