In the style of Captain Pugwash, Sir Prancelot, knight and inventor, heads off to the Holy Land on a Crusade. Nineteen episodes shown daily on BBC children's television take the Captain and his gallant band through Europe, encountering plots from various foreigners on the way, such as Count Otto the Blot and Duke Uglio, before reaching his destination, which is not quite what he expected.
The band included Sir Prancelot, his overweight, domineering but romantic wife the Lady Hysteria, and their mischievous children Sim and Sue, his overweight but mean majordomo Master Girth, incompetent serfs Bert and Harry, together with Hysteria's pet Pig William.
Also accompanying them was an unnamed cockney minstrel who would narrate the story. Each episode had more or less the same structure. A plan would be laid; a dangerous threat would emerge; there would be a bit of slapstick running around, accompanied by the minstrel's manic lute theme; all would be resolved either by one of 'the Sire's' inventions, or by a piece of sabotage by Sim and Sue. The inventions did go over the top, as there seemed to be nothing beyond the Sire's genius, so it was usually simple to escape at the end of each episode.
The lute music (played on electric guitar) was basically three catchy riffs which would be played once each episode. But the star of the show, without whom it would not have been possible, was Peter Hawkins. He did the voices of all the characters, varying them to make them utterly different, and each with his or her own personality. Bert, Harry and the minstrel are all lower-class cockneys, but completely distinct voices and characters, so it is quite possible to forget that they all come from the same mouth. Only Sim and Sue are silent. A brilliant piece of work by a consummate professional.
For some reason never made clear, the nineteen episodes are numbered 1-20, with no episode 5. However, episode 6 follows on directly from episode 4. It was also followed up with the continuation of the story on an LP a little later, but there was no TV sequel.
A very entertaining show, if overshadowed by the success of Pugwash. The comedy is funny, the slapstick of the cardboard cut-out characters suitably hilarious, and the unfolding quest across Europe involving. (Those who worry about crusades and diversity should be aware that the story does concern the former, and there is precious little of the latter.)
The band included Sir Prancelot, his overweight, domineering but romantic wife the Lady Hysteria, and their mischievous children Sim and Sue, his overweight but mean majordomo Master Girth, incompetent serfs Bert and Harry, together with Hysteria's pet Pig William.
Also accompanying them was an unnamed cockney minstrel who would narrate the story. Each episode had more or less the same structure. A plan would be laid; a dangerous threat would emerge; there would be a bit of slapstick running around, accompanied by the minstrel's manic lute theme; all would be resolved either by one of 'the Sire's' inventions, or by a piece of sabotage by Sim and Sue. The inventions did go over the top, as there seemed to be nothing beyond the Sire's genius, so it was usually simple to escape at the end of each episode.
The lute music (played on electric guitar) was basically three catchy riffs which would be played once each episode. But the star of the show, without whom it would not have been possible, was Peter Hawkins. He did the voices of all the characters, varying them to make them utterly different, and each with his or her own personality. Bert, Harry and the minstrel are all lower-class cockneys, but completely distinct voices and characters, so it is quite possible to forget that they all come from the same mouth. Only Sim and Sue are silent. A brilliant piece of work by a consummate professional.
For some reason never made clear, the nineteen episodes are numbered 1-20, with no episode 5. However, episode 6 follows on directly from episode 4. It was also followed up with the continuation of the story on an LP a little later, but there was no TV sequel.
A very entertaining show, if overshadowed by the success of Pugwash. The comedy is funny, the slapstick of the cardboard cut-out characters suitably hilarious, and the unfolding quest across Europe involving. (Those who worry about crusades and diversity should be aware that the story does concern the former, and there is precious little of the latter.)
