King Arthur's Disasters facts for kids
Quick facts for kids King Arthur's Disasters |
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| Starring | Rik Mayall Matt Lucas Morwenna Banks Phil Cornwell |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 26 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Genevieve Dexter |
| Running time | 30 mins (approx.) |
| Release | |
| Original network | CITV |
| Original release | 11 April 2005 – 1 February 2006 |
King Arthur's Disasters is a fun British animated show that first aired on CITV. It was created by Paul Parkes and Will Ashurst. The series is all about King Arthur (voiced by Rik Mayall) and his funny attempts to impress the beautiful but very self-centered Princess Guinevere (voiced by Morwenna Banks). Arthur gets help from the wizard Merlin (voiced by Matt Lucas).
The show became very popular, so a second series was made. It started on CITV on November 6, 2005. Both series were produced by Genevieve Dexter at Cake Entertainment. King Arthur's Disasters was the most-watched new show on CITV in spring 2005. It often had more than 20% of children watching and usually won its time slot against CBBC. In 2006, the show was even nominated for a children's BAFTA award for Best Animation.
Contents
The Story of King Arthur's Disasters
Princess Guinevere often asks King Arthur to find her something special. It could be an object, an animal, or even a person! Arthur always agrees, hoping she will finally marry him.
Arthur usually goes on these quests with Merlin. Sometimes, other people join them too. They face many dangers and challenges to get what Guinevere wants. But something always goes wrong, or the item doesn't work out. Guinevere is almost never happy for long!
King Arthur also has two knights who cause trouble: Sir Lancelot and Sir Martyn. They argue with each other a lot, but they both dislike the King.
Meet the Characters
The show uses characters from the famous Arthurian Legend, but with a funny, modern twist. Here are the main characters you'll meet:
King Arthur
Arthur (voiced by Rik Mayall) is the main character. His many "disasters" are what the show is all about! He tries his best to please Guinevere.
Princess Guinevere
Guinevere (voiced by Morwenna Banks) is a princess who is very bored and loves herself a lot. The show's creators even called her "the Paris Hilton of her generation." She doesn't really plan to marry Arthur. Instead, she uses her power over him to make him find all sorts of things she desires. These include water from the fountain of youth, a winter palace, or a golden bear. In later episodes, she does start to like Arthur more. Guinevere is so focused on herself that she sometimes doesn't even notice when Arthur is gone!
Merlin
Merlin (voiced by Matt Lucas) is Arthur's only loyal helper. He can be a bit clumsy, but he might also be secretly very smart.
Sir Lancelot
Lancelot (voiced by Phil Cornwell) is Arthur's top knight. He acts a bit like a mix of James Bond and a classic British comedian. Lancelot holds a grudge against Arthur from when they were kids. He always looks for a chance to get rid of Arthur and take his place as king. This often means he encourages Arthur to go on the most dangerous quests!
Lady 'M (Margret)
Lady 'M is King Arthur's clever older sister. She says she lives in France. (In one episode, "Glass Rose," Arthur stays at her castle there.) Arthur doesn't know that she is also the famous Sir Margret, who is loved by the townsfolk. She helps the townsfolk, as seen in "Glass Rose." She has also saved Arthur and Guinevere a few times while disguised as Sir Margret. She first appeared in the episode Glass Rose.
Robin Hood
Robin Hood (voiced by Phil Cornwell) is a cheerful person from the forest. He and his not-so-merry men often cause trouble for Arthur. This started after a funny meeting with the Singing Oak Tree and a clever pig. Even though Robin Hood is from a different time period than King Arthur, he's included in the show for fun. His voice was based on a real person named Tony Blackburn.
Sir Martyn
Sir Martyn is a knight who doesn't quite fit the time period, maybe as a nod to the movie Seven Samurai.
Splag
Splag is Arthur's only other loyal knight. He's a strong, quiet guy who mostly just grunts.
Alan
Alan is King Arthur's horse.
Episodes of King Arthur's Disasters
Series 1 (2005)
| No. | Title | Original air date | |
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| 1 | "Splinters in the Knight" | 11 April 2005 | |
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Guinevere's drumming is terrible! Arthur tries to get her lessons, but she tricks him into finding a branch from the Singing Oak Tree, guarded by Robin Hood.
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| 2 | "The Yodelling Dolphin of Kirkwall" | 18 April 2005 | |
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Arthur and Merlin sail to Scotland to get Guinevere a Yodelling Dolphin. But hearing its yodel makes people dance non-stop!
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| 3 | "The Parchment of Arusella" | 25 April 2005 | |
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Guinevere tells Arthur he needs her father's permission to marry her. She then manipulates him into getting the Parchment of Arusella for her dad.
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| 4 | "The Labyrinth of Lost Souls" | 3 May 2005 | |
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Arthur escapes Robin Hood and hides with Guinevere. She then sends him on a quest to turn her slipper into gold.
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| 5 | "The Surprise Quest" | 10 May 2005 | |
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Merlin makes a love potion. Arthur tries to use it on Guinevere, but accidentally hits her chaperone, Petal, instead!
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| 6 | "The Glass Rose" | 17 May 2005 | |
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Arthur, Merlin, and Splag travel to France to steal the beautiful 'Rose en Verre,' a stained glass window.
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| 7 | "The Viking Venture" | 24 May 2005 | |
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Guinevere orders an expensive table from Norway. Arthur and Merlin must secretly go collect it, to prevent anyone from trying to take over the throne.
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| 8 | "Mission Implausible" | 31 May 2005 | |
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Arthur decides to invade Scotland when Guinevere is taken to Hadrian's castle. But his armies go in the wrong direction!
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| 9 | "The Fountain of Youth" | 7 June 2005 | |
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Guinevere finds a grey hair and worries about getting old. Arthur seeks Merlin's advice, who tells him about the legendary Fountain of Youth.
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| 10 | "Circus Calamity" | 14 June 2005 | |
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Guinevere needs a temporary chaperone. Arthur and Merlin travel to a circus to get Petal's cousin, Tatiana, a trapeze artist.
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| 11 | "The Bear Necessities" | 21 June 2005 | |
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Guinevere wants the tiny Golden Bear of Tundoor as a pet. Arthur accidentally destroys the cottage of the wicked sorceress Morgan Le Fay in the process.
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| 12 | "The Peacocks of Penzance" | 28 June 2005 | |
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Arthur seeks a quill from the mythical 'Peacocks of Penzance' to write to Guinevere's cousin.
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| 13 | "The Ice Palace" | 5 July 2005 | |
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Guinevere demands a special ice palace. Arthur travels to Switzerland, facing mountains, avalanches, and even an abominable snowman.
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Series 2 (2005-2006)
| No. | Title | Original air date | |
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| 14 | "The Forest of Dark Forces" | 6 November 2005 | |
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Guinevere wants to fly, so Arthur gives her a hot air balloon. Robin Hood shoots it down over the scary Forest of Dark Forces, and they must rescue her.
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| 15 | "King of the Moon" | 7 November 2005 | |
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Arthur thinks he's traveled to the moon for a moon rock. He, Merlin, and Splag are captured by "moon people" and battle a giant rock monster.
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| 16 | "King Guinevere" | 13 November 2005 | |
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Merlin's magic goes wrong, and Arthur switches bodies with Guinevere! He must find a special book to reverse the spell without breaking her nails.
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| 17 | "The Quest for the Orange Orange" | 14 November 2005 | |
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Guinevere just wants an orange. Arthur must enter a horse show, travel across Spain, and battle a giant, fire-breathing bull!
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| 18 | "Worms of Regret" | 20 November 2005 | |
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Arthur goes to a jungle to get rare silk worms for Guinevere's dress. When he returns, she's been taken to a tower prison in Paris.
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| 19 | "A Tower with a View" | 21 November 2005 | |
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Guinevere wants a sea view. Arthur and Merlin try to raise the sea level, but it keeps rising, threatening Guinevere's tower.
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| 20 | "The Salmon of Knowledge" | 27 November 2005 | |
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Guinevere wants to choose a husband wisely. Arthur volunteers to get the legendary Salmon of Knowledge from Ireland, facing Robin Hood and Merlin clones.
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| 21 | "The Rocket Man" | 28 November 2005 | |
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Guinevere wants fireworks. Arthur and Merlin rush to the Himalayas to find The Fire Dragon, an old friend of Merlin's who makes the best fireworks.
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| 22 | "Baa Baa Green Goat" | 4 December 2005 | |
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Merlin creates a spell for Arthur to read Guinevere's mind. Arthur tries to get what she desires most, but her mind keeps changing!
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| 23 | "Double Double Wizzard Trouble" | 5 December 2005 | |
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Arthur and Merlin seek a magic mirror for Guinevere. Arthur accidentally finds another mirror that releases an evil Merlin!
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| 24 | "A Dope on a Rope" | 11 December 2005 | |
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Guinevere agrees to marry Arthur if he proposes on her balcony. Petal stops him, so Merlin suggests a magical rope trick from a hermit.
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| 25 | "Donkey Kong King" | 12 December 2005 | |
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Guinevere wants to bathe in donkey's milk. Arthur travels through Spain with a grumpy donkey, meeting Don Quixote and battling a windmill.
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| 26 | "Tournament of Terror" | 1 February 2006 | |
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Guinevere wants Arthur to win the Camelot Tournament so she can marry him. With Merlin's help, Arthur trains and competes against other knights.
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