Help! I'm a Teenage Outlaw facts for kids

Help! I'm a Teenage Outlaw is a fun British TV show that was filmed in the Czech Republic. It first aired on CITV. The show is all about three unlucky outlaws during the English Civil War. They try their best to bring fairness back to their land. This exciting programme is based on a classic children's book called The Children of the New Forest by Frederick Marryat.

Meet the Teenage Outlaws

The story takes place in 1643, during a big war in England. Twelve-year-old Tom York lives in Hampshire. He finds out his mom was a famous highwayman named Swiftnick. Now, Tom has inherited this secret job!

Tom loves being famous as Swiftnick. Seeing his face on "wanted" posters is pretty cool. If only he didn't have to do dangerous highway robberies! Tom thinks he's super good at being an outlaw. This often gets him and his friends into trouble. When things get too risky, Tom might try to trick or charm his way out. If all else fails, he's a very fast runner!

The Swiftnick Gang includes Tom, Moses, and Deedee. They face many strange problems together. They have to solve these problems in the most unusual ways. Their adventures involve outsmarting Sir John and robbing coaches.

Who's Who: The Cast

• Lucinda Dryzek plays Lady Devereux, also known as Deedee.
• Benjamin Smith plays Tom, who is also Swiftnick.
• Eliot Otis Walters plays Moses.
• Brian Hibbard plays Sir John.
• Steve O'Donnell plays Captain Watt.
• Mattew Curtis plays the Food Tester.
• George Pearcy plays Giles.

Characters in the Show

The Main Heroes

Tom: The Reluctant Leader

Tom York is 12 years old. He finds out his mom was the famous highwaywoman Swiftnick. Even though Tom is a bit of a scaredy-cat, he puts on the mask. He thinks he looks dashing and decides to continue the family tradition. Tom can be a bit annoying. He also has a soft spot for Lady Devereux. He will do anything to get money. Sometimes his plans are terrible, like when he and Moses dressed as women. This happened in the episode "Kidnapped" to get into the castle. Tom thinks he's unbeatable, even though he knows he's not.

Moses: The Young Inventor

Tom's best friend, Moses, joins him on his risky adventures. Moses is a smart ten-year-old. He thinks he's a great inventor. But his inventions hardly ever work! He used to be Sir John's inventor. Sometimes Moses seems weak and not very helpful. However, he is fiercely loyal to Tom. You can see this in the episode "Pants."

Deedee: The Brave Tomboy

Deedee is a tomboy who is much braver and smarter than the boys. She is also better at solving problems. Deedee pretends to be a peasant. But she is actually Lady Devereux, who lives in the local castle. Tom and Moses don't know her secret. She makes up excuses when she gets news from the castle. She even has a secret tunnel from her wardrobe! This tunnel leads out of the village.

In the episode "Locked In," the three friends get stuck in a crypt. Deedee decides to write about how they first met. It turns out she tricked Tom and Moses into giving her their clothes when they tried to rob her. She decided to become an outlaw when she thought her father was kidnapped. He had gone away to war. Lady Devereux sometimes likes a rich lord named Felix. She might criticize Tom's leadership. But she prefers him as leader. Without him, the gang falls apart. This happens in "Pants" and when Bardolph becomes leader.

The Villains and Others

Sir John Snakelaw: The Evil Uncle

Lady Devereux's uncle, the mean Sir John Snakelaw, has taken over her castle. He makes the local people pay very high taxes. Sir John has a strange group of helpers. These include Captain Watt and some clumsy guards. He also has a food tester. This tester has eaten so much poison that he looks 50, but he's only 20! Sir John hates his mother. He will do anything to get money. He also pays a lot to catch the Swiftnick Gang. He is Lady Devereux's legal guardian. In one episode, he sang to a rich widow for money. But Swiftnick tricked him. Sir John gets very sick from shellfish, especially prawns.

Giles: The Spoiled Son

Giles is Sir John's spoiled son. He has a crush on Lady Devereux, but she doesn't like him back. He takes lessons in flirting and fencing. But he's not as good at fencing as Lady Devereux. He will do anything to make his "Daddy" proud. Giles once messed up Lord Montague's kart during a village race.

Captain Watt: Sir John's Right Hand

Captain Watt is Sir John's main guard and loyal helper. He was a big part of the episode "Fools Day." He tricked Sir John into thinking an assassin was coming. Sir John believed him and dressed as a peasant. Even though he's loyal, Watt is usually quite nice. He often seems unsure about Sir John's ideas. He even thinks some of Sir John's actions are terrible. For example, when Sir John threatened to burn the village.

Bardolph: The Village Idiot

Bardolph appeared in four episodes. In "Valentine," Tom gives him a valentine. Bardolph thinks it's for a brother he never had. Then he realizes it's for him and runs off yelling! He also became the leader of the Swiftnick Gang once. This happened when he saw Tom take off his mask. He ended up in the stocks. He was about to tell Sir John their real identities, but Tom stopped him. Bardolph also won the village karting race. He later became Sir John's mother's servant.

Food Tester: The Poison Taster

The Food Tester is Sir John's servant. His job is to taste Sir John's food. Almost every time, the food has poison in it. He is actually 20 years old. But because of all the poison he's eaten, he looks 50.

Lord Montague: Giles's Friend

Lord Montague is Giles's friend. In one episode, he almost got engaged to Lady Devereux. He also raced in the village karting race. Giles messed up his kart, and Lord Montague messed up Giles's kart back!

Felix: The Rich Suitor

Felix is the son of a very rich widow named Countess Cornacopia. He likes Lady Devereux, which makes Tom dislike him. His mother is being courted by Sir John, but only for her money.

Countess Cornacopia: The Wealthy Widow

Countess Cornacopia is a very rich widow. Her wealth made Sir John want to court her. She is also the proud mother of Felix Cornacopia.

Episode Guide

Here is a list of all the episodes as they were shown on CITV. The last two episodes of series two were shown in the wrong order on CITV. Other channels like ABC and Nickelodeon showed them in the correct order.

Series One

• Evicted – 22 October 2004
• Kidnapped – 29 October 2004
• Betrayed – 5 November 2004
• Fakes – 12 November 2004
• Thief Taker – 19 November 2004
• Valentine – 26 November 2004

Series Two

• Sheer Torture – 4 January 2005
• Pants – 11 January 2005
• Locked In – 18 January 2005
• Fools' Gold – 3 January 2006
• Swine Fever – 24 January 2006
• The New Guy – 31 January 2006
• Love Hurts – 7 February 2006

Show's History: When it Aired and Ended

The second series of the show was split into two parts. The first three episodes were shown right after series one. This made a total of nine episodes at first. The last four episodes of series two did not air on ITV until January 3, 2006. After that, episodes from the first series were repeated. Then the final three episodes were shown. A third series was never made. This was because ITV stopped making children's shows in-house. Since the second series ended, the show has been repeated on many channels. It was shown on the CITV Channel until 2010. In Australia, it was repeated on ABC Kids and ABC2. It was last shown on ABC1 from January 29, 2013, to February 19, 2013.