El Nombre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids El Nombre |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Educational animation |
| Created by | Christopher Lillicrap |
| Developed by | Geoff Walker |
| Written by | Christopher Lillicrap |
| Directed by | Chris Mendham Geoff Walker |
| Starring | Steve Steen Sophie Aldred Kate Robbins Janet Ellis |
| Composer(s) | Christopher Lillicrap Steve Marshall |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Theresa Plummer-Andrews |
| Producer(s) | Jilly Joseph Richard Randolph |
| Running time | 5 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One (Series 1) CBeebies (Series 2) |
| Original release | 5 January 2001 – 29 November 2003 |
El Nombre is a fun and educational TV show for kids. It's about a brave, cartoon gerbil from Mexico named El Nombre. He first appeared in Numbertime, a BBC school show about mathematics.
El Nombre was the only character to be in every Numbertime episode. Steve Steen did his voice. Other voices were done by Sophie Aldred, Kate Robbins, and Janet Ellis. The name "El Nombre" means "The Name" in Spanish. It does not mean "The Number," which would be "El Número."
Contents
Meet El Nombre and His Town
The show El Nombre takes place in a made-up town called Santa Flamingo. This town is home to many interesting characters. El Nombre is like a superhero who helps solve simple math problems. He often speaks in rhymes!
El Nombre's Heroic Style
El Nombre is a bit like the famous hero Zorro. He wears a black mask and a huge sombrero. He often swings around using his bullwhip to save the townspeople. But sometimes, he can be a bit clumsy!
How El Nombre Started
When El Nombre first appeared in 1993, his job was simple. He would write numbers in the desert sand. He showed kids how to form numbers correctly. His mariachi band would play music while he worked.
People loved El Nombre right away. Because he was so popular, his role in the show grew. He started with two sketches per episode. Later, he got his own TV series!
From Numbers to Adventures
Over time, El Nombre's stories became more exciting. He still taught math, but in a fun way. He started fighting small crimes, not just solving number problems.
El Nombre became popular with both kids and parents. Many grown-ups liked the show because it reminded them of old Western movies. In 2004, the BBC even released the El Nombre theme song as a single!
Who Are the Characters?
Here are some of the main characters you'll meet in Santa Flamingo:
- El Nombre: He's the main hero of the show. He teaches kids how to write numbers and understand shapes. He also helps with addition, subtraction, time, and money.
- Little Juan: A young gerbil who often needs El Nombre's help. He used to get sad when he couldn't write numbers. El Nombre taught him how to draw and identify shapes.
- Mama: Little Juan's mother. She often waits for El Nombre to arrive to help Juan with his math problems.
- Pedro Gonzales & Juanita Conchita: Two of Juan's friends. They often get into small adventures with Juan.
- Señor Chipito: The town carpenter. He helps fix things in Santa Flamingo.
- Señor Manuel: The town greengrocer. He runs the local store.
- Tanto: Little Juan's pet tarantula. He communicates by mumbling. He's surprisingly fast!
- Maria Consuela Tequila Chiquita: Another one of Juan's friends.
- Señora Fedora: She sells balloons and is also the mayor of Santa Flamingo.
- Miss Constanza Bonanza: The teacher at San Flamingo School.
- Delietta Smith: A TV cook, a funny version of a real-life chef.
- Señor Gelato: The town's ice-cream seller.
- Señor Calculo & Don Fandango: The bank manager and the town bandit. Don Fandango often tries to steal things.
- Pepita Consuela Tequila Chiquita: Maria's younger sister. She started school in a later series.
- Leonardo de Sombrero: The town's pizza delivery boy. His name sounds like a famous artist.
- Señor Loco: The town's steam engine driver. "Loco" is short for locomotive.
- Señor Singalotti: A famous opera singer who appeared in one episode.
- El Presidente: The president who visited the town in a special episode.
- Pablo: A gerbil Juan met on a holiday. Pablo was their guide at a seaside resort.
El Nombre Episode Guide
The original El Nombre sketches on Numbertime didn't have titles. But the spin-off series, which had 26 episodes, did!
Series 1 (2001)
The first 13 episodes aired on BBC One. Some were shown as two episodes together.
| Episode number | Episode name | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Where's That Spider? | 5 January 2001 |
| 2 | Free as a Bird | 5 January 2001 |
| 3 | Sports Day | 12 January 2001 |
| 4 | All the Fun of the Fair | 12 January 2001 |
| 5 | The Phantom Tanto | 19 January 2001 |
| 6 | The Missing Birthday Cake | 19 January 2001 |
| 7 | The Great Train Robbery | 24 January 2001 |
| 8 | The Giant Cactus | 31 January 2001 |
| 9 | The Great Custard Pie Fight | 14 February 2001 |
| 10 | When the Balloon Goes Up | 7 March 2001 |
| 11 | The Great Escape | 14 March 2001 |
| 12 | The Ghost of Santa Flamingo | 21 March 2001 |
| 13 | Match of the Day | 28 March 2001 |
Series 2 (2003)
The second series also had 13 episodes. They were shown on the CBeebies Channel.
| Episode number | Episode name | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Going for a Song | 8 November 2003 |
| 15 | Runaway Train | 8 November 2003 |
| 16 | The Tent | 9 November 2003 |
| 17 | Stuck at the Top | 9 November 2003 |
| 18 | The Great Bank Robbery | 15 November 2003 |
| 19 | The Great Sand Race | 15 November 2003 |
| 20 | The Lemon Tree | 16 November 2003 |
| 21 | Beside the Sea | 16 November 2003 |
| 22 | The Last Dance | 22 November 2003 |
| 23 | Saved by the Whale | 22 November 2003 |
| 24 | Up, Up and Away | 23 November 2003 |
| 25 | A Very Important Visit | 23 November 2003 |
| 26 | Winter Wonderland | 29 November 2003 |
El Nombre on DVD
In 2005, all 26 episodes of El Nombre were released on DVD. Before that, some episodes were on VHS tapes. These releases also included special short videos that helped kids learn numbers.
Show Credits
Here are some of the people who helped make El Nombre:
- Writer: Christopher Lillicrap
- Original designs: Ealing Animation
- Voices: Steven Steen, Kate Robbins, Sophie Aldred, Janet Ellis
- Models: Fin Leadbitter, Humphrey Leadbitter, Katy Maxwell
- Props: Graeme Owen, Fin Leadbitter, Sophie Brown, Katy Maxwell
- Sets: Graeme Owen, Colin Armitage, Sophie Brown, Humphrey Leadbitter
- Animation: Humphrey Leadbitter, Tim Allen, Chris Mendham, Dan Sharp
- Editing and special effects: David Brylewski
- Facilities: Oasis Television
- Theme tune composer: Christopher Lillicrap
- Music and effects: Steve Marshall
- Sound: Adrian Sear
- Executive producer: Theresa Plummer-Andrews
- Producer: Jilly Joseph, Richard Randolph
- Director: Chris Mendham, Geoff Walker
