Chorlton and the Wheelies facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chorlton and the Wheelies |
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|---|---|
| Genre | Children's |
| Created by | Brian Cosgrove Mark Hall |
| Written by | Brian Trueman |
| Directed by | Chris Taylor |
| Voices of | Joe Lynch Ringo Starr |
| Theme music composer | Joe Griffiths |
| Composer(s) | Joe Griffiths |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 40 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Brian Cosgrove Mark Hall |
| Running time | 11 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Cosgrove Hall Productions |
| Distributor | FremantleMedia |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV TVNZ Kidzone |
| Original release | 27 September 1976 – 18 December 1979 |
Chorlton and the Wheelies is a popular animated children's TV show. It was shown in the UK on ITV from September 1976 to December 1979. A total of 40 episodes were made. The show tells the stories of Chorlton, a happy dragon, in a magical place called Wheelie World.
The show was created by Cosgrove Hall Films for Thames Television. It was broadcast on the ITV network in the UK. It also aired on the TVNZ Kidzone network in New Zealand.
The main character, Chorlton, got his name from a place in Manchester. This is where the Cosgrove Hall studio was located. In the very first episode, it says "Made in Chorlton-cum-Hardy" inside the egg he hatches from.
Contents
Welcome to Wheelie World
This section explains the setting and main characters of the show.
Life in Wheelie World
The series takes place in a magical land called "Wheelie World". This world is mostly home to "wheelies". These are creatures that look a bit like people but move around on wheels. Each wheelie has three wheels: two big ones at the front, like feet, and a smaller one at the back, like a tail. Their wheels can be replaced. Special plants in Wheelie World grow suitable wheels for them.
Fenella the Kettle Witch
The wheelies often have trouble with Fenella the Kettle Witch. She speaks with a strong Welsh accent. Fenella lives in Wheelie World, but separately from the wheelies. Her home is Spout Hall, which is a giant kettle. Fenella hates happiness. She uses her magical powers to make the wheelies unhappy.
Fenella can teleport, which is how she usually moves around. She also has magical helpers. These include a magic book called 'Claptrap Von Spilldebeans'. She also has O'Reilly the Telescope, who helps her with spells. Fenella's helpers include spikers and toadies. Spikers look like conker shells with mean eyes. They roll everywhere. Toadies are pointed toadstools with similar eyes. They move by bobbing through the ground as if it were water. They speak with a Chinese accent.
Chorlton the Happiness Dragon
The wheelies have welcomed a "happiness dragon" named Chorlton into their society. Chorlton appears in Wheelie World at the very start of the series, hatching from an egg. Chorlton is always cheerful and a bit clueless. For example, he doesn't see Fenella as a bad guy. He even calls her a "little old lady".
However, Chorlton's presence stops Fenella's unhappiness magic from working. So, the wheelies see him as a hero. Even though he's "Made in Chorlton-cum-Hardy", he speaks with a strong Yorkshire accent. This is likely because of the voice actor, Joe Lynch.
Simple Stories
The stories in the show are quite simple. They mostly involve Fenella's plans to make the wheelies unhappy. Then, Chorlton accidentally fixes everything that goes wrong. Through these events, you get to see the characters' simple and funny personalities.
The idea for "wheelies" came from the challenges of stop-frame animation. It was easier to move characters on wheels than those with legs. Characters with legs needed tiny movements many times for each second of filming. Also, Fenella's teleportation meant that Chorlton was often the only character whose walking needed to be animated.
Meet the Characters
Here are some of the main characters you'll meet in Wheelie World:
- Chorlton the Happiness Dragon - Happiness follows him wherever he goes.
- Fenella Fellorick the Kettle Witch - She doesn't like anyone to have fun.
- Zoomer - A wheelie boy who is known for how fast he can move.
- Jenny - A wheelie girl with blonde hair who likes Chorlton.
- King Otto and Queen Doris - They are the rulers of Wheelie World.
- The Minister of Wheel Estate - This is a political wheelie. He looks a lot like Harold Wilson, who was a UK Prime Minister. His real name is Arthur.
- Claptrap von Spilldebeans - A German spellbook who often speaks in rhymes. He helps Fenella come up with her plans.
- O'Reilly the One-Eyed Telescope - An Irish telescope that Fenella took from a pier.
- Clifford - Fenella's giant son. He is so tall that usually only his leg is seen on screen.
- Pablo Perdito - A famous Latin American dancing duck.
- Floyd - The only toady with pink spots instead of green.
Voices and Music
Joe Lynch was the narrator for the show in the UK. He also did all the voices for the characters. In New Zealand, Ringo Starr narrated the show and provided all the character voices. The show's theme song was written and sung by Joe Griffiths in both the UK and New Zealand.
Episodes
Credits
This section lists some of the people who helped make the show.
UK Production Team
- Narrator: Joe Lynch
- Written by: Brian Trueman
- Music: Joe Griffiths
- Executive Producer: John Hambley
- Produced by: Brian Cosgrove, Mark Hall
- Directed by: Chris Taylor
New Zealand Production Team
- Narrator: Ringo Starr
- Written by: Brian Trueman
- Music: Joe Griffiths
- Executive Producer: John Hambley
- Produced by: Brian Cosgrove, Mark Hall
- Directed by: Chris Taylor
