Grasshopper Island facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Grasshopper Island |
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| Genre | Children's |
| Created by | Joy Whitby |
| Narrated by | Keith Dewhurst |
| Theme music composer | Wilfred Josephs |
| Country of origin | UK |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Joy Whitby, Doreen Stephens |
| Production location(s) | Corsica |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Original release | 1971 |
Grasshopper Island is a fun British TV show made for kids. It was created by Joy Whitby and first shown in 1971. The show was filmed in cool places like London, Milford Haven, and Corsica.
Contents
What is Grasshopper Island About?
This TV series is about three brothers known as Toughy, Smarty, and Mouse. Their real names are never told. Toughy wants to be a soldier, Smarty is super clever, and Mouse loves cheese.
The boys have lived with many different people. They don't really like their situation. They are often in trouble because they are so adventurous and imaginative. So, they decide to run away and go to sea!
They get a ride on a strange boat with a person called the Elderly Boy. He has a converted lifeboat. They finally arrive at an island that seems empty. The Elderly Boy leaves them there, and they make a home.
Later, they find out the island is not empty at all! It's home to Cornelius Button, an expert on grasshoppers. His strong housekeeper, Lupus, also lives there. The boys become friends with them.
Together, they must stop the mean Doctor Hopper. He wants to ruin Cornelius Button's good name. He also wants to take over Grasshopper Island. After they defeat him, the boys decide to live on the island forever.
Meet the Characters
The Brothers
Smarty: The Clever Planner
Smarty is the smartest of the three brothers. He always has answers to all kinds of questions. He often comes up with detailed plans. Sometimes, his brothers prefer simpler ideas!
Toughy: The Soldier-to-Be
Toughy is called that because he wants to be a soldier. He loves to read books. He is also very creative. He is good at painting and drawing.
Mouse: The Cheese Lover
Mouse got his nickname because he really likes cheese. He also loves hats! You will often see him wearing more than one hat in each episode.
Island Residents
Cornelius Button: The Grasshopper Expert
Julian Orchard plays Cornelius Button. He is an unusual grasshopper expert. He has lived on Grasshopper Island for many years. He spends all his time studying grasshoppers. He tries to avoid being told what to do by Lupus.
Years ago, he found a very rare grasshopper. It was named the "Button's Blue" in his honor. He was also given Grasshopper Island as a reward. When the bad Dr. Hopper tries to remove him, Cornelius must find another Button's Blue. This will help him keep his island.
Cornelius also has a sister named Amelia. She is a headmistress at a girls' school. She sometimes visits him. He really doesn't like these visits. He will do anything to stop them, even pretending to be a cannibal!
Lupus: The Strong Housekeeper
Patricia Hayes plays Lupus. She is Cornelius Button's tough housekeeper. She has lived with him for 20 years. Even though she works for him, Cornelius is often scared of her. She makes him do chores like taking out the trash. But under her strict manner, she is kind. She truly cares for Button and the boys.
Other Important Characters
Dr. Hopper: The Island Threat
Frank Muir plays Dr. Hopper. He is a long-time enemy of Cornelius Button. Dr. Hopper creates a plan to kick Cornelius off Grasshopper Island. If Cornelius can't find another Button's Blue grasshopper, Dr. Hopper will take over the island. Dr. Hopper doesn't believe the Button's Blue even exists.
He drives a pedalo and arrives at the island in the last episode. But Toughy, Smarty, and Mouse quickly scare him away.
The Elderly Boy: The Boat Owner
Charles Hawtrey plays the Elderly Boy. He owns the converted lifeboat. He gives the boys a ride to the island. He has a pet dove named Cecil. He first wants to stay with the boys. But he soon leaves because the island is too hot and hard to walk on.
The Voices of Authority: The Grown-Ups
All these characters are played by Tim Brooke-Taylor. They are a series of bossy grown-ups. The boys knew them before they ran away from home. These characters include a businessman who yells at them. A woman who tells Toughy not to talk with his mouth full. A barber who gives Smarty a haircut he doesn't want. And a grumpy taxi driver who takes them to the docks.
Episode Guide
| No. | Title | |
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| 1 | "Escape" | |
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After becoming tired of a world full of grown-ups telling them what to do, Toughy, Smarty and Mouse decide to escape from their dreary city home in a converted lifeboat owned by the Elderly Boy.
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| 2 | "The Elderly Boy" | |
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After a long voyage, the lifeboat arrives at Grasshopper Island, though the Elderly Boy departs after deciding that the island is too lacking in comforts.
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| 3 | "Supplies" | |
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Having settled into an abandoned hut, the boys search for food. Smarty's fishing rod doesn't work, though Mouse has more success with snail-hunting. After glumly contemplating a diet of snails, they discover a hidden cupboard full of food.
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| 4 | "Beds don't grow on Trees" | |
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Toughy, Smarty and Mouse are finding it hard to manage with just one bed and decide to make some new ones.
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| 5 | "The Egg Tree" | |
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The boys' staple diet of biscuits is running out. Mouse wants to find an egg tree whilst Smarty attempts to catch frogs. Eventually, success comes when they catch a chick— which then eats all the remaining biscuits.
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| 6 | "Strangers" | |
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After a month on Grasshopper Island, Mouse demands proof that it actually is an island. Meanwhile, we are introduced to the grasshopper expert Cornelius Button and his housekeeper Lupus, who are harvesting their apricots.
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| 7 | "Cheese" | |
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After 1.5 months on Grasshopper Island, Toughy, Smarty and Mouse search for buried treasure. Meanwhile, Lupus (who has an affliction to cheese), forbids Cornelius Button (who loves it) to keep it on the island.
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| 8 | "The Big House" | |
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Toughy, Smarty and Mouse make themselves a map of the island and inadvertently discover Cornelius Button's house.
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| 9 | "Discovery" | |
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Cornelius Button's formidable headmistress sister threatens to visit with her pupils because 'too much study has made them stupid'. Horrified at this prospect, Cornelius Button writes a letter to his sister saying that he now eats children. Unfortunately, Toughy Smarty and Mouse overhear this and believe that the people in the Big House are cannibals. Soon after, Lupus discovers them by accident.
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| 10 | "Grasshopper Wine" | |
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Having befriended the boys, Lupus has been secretly visiting them. Cornelius Button misinterprets this and believes that she is ill and takes her away for a holiday. Whilst they are gone, Toughy, Smarty and Mouse try making wine using an old recipe book, but after it has fermented, they do not like the taste, so Lupus gives it to Cornelius Button (who enjoys it).
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| 11 | "Rescue" | |
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Toughy and Smarty have invented 'grasshopper tennis' (similar to volleyball), but whilst they play, Mouse floats out to sea on an old oil drum. Cornelius Button finally becomes aware of them when he rescues Mouse.
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| 12 | "Button's Blue" | |
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The unpleasant Dr Hopper arrives with a threat that unless Cornelius Button can find another Button's Blue grasshopper, he will take over the island. Toughy, Smarty and Mouse ambush Dr Hopper and drive him away, before realising that a grasshopper which they caught earlier is the sought-after Button's Blue. After the danger has passed, the three boys decide to stay permanently on the island.
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Where to Watch Grasshopper Island
You can find Grasshopper Island on DVD! Grasshopper Productions, which is Joy Whitby's own company, has made the series available since 2008.
More About Grasshopper Island
There is also a book about Grasshopper Island.
