Lavender Castle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lavender Castle
Genre	Adventure Children's Fantasy Science fiction
Created by	Gerry Anderson Rodney Matthews
Written by	Gerry Anderson Pauline Fisk Chris Trengove
Directed by	Chris Taylor
Voices of	Kate Harbour Jimmy Hibbert David Holt Rob Rackstraw
Composer(s)	Crispin Merrell
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	26 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Brian Cosgrove Craig Hemmings
Producer(s)	Gerry Anderson
Camera setup	Single
Running time	10 minutes
Production company(s)	Cosgrove Hall Films Gerry Anderson Productions Carrington Productions International
Distributor	Entertainment Rights
Release
Original network	ITV (CITV)
Picture format	4:3
Audio format	Dolby Surround
Original release	7 January 1999 (1999-01-07) – 9 March 2000 (2000-03-09)

Lavender Castle is a British TV show made using stop-motion (like claymation) and CGI animation. It was created by Rodney Matthews and produced by Gerry Anderson. The show first aired on CITV in the UK between 1999 and 2000.

The story is about Captain Thrice and his brave crew. They are on an important mission to find the peaceful city of Lavender Castle. They must find it before the evil Dr. Agon can destroy it.

The Quest for Lavender Castle

Lavender Castle is a mysterious and legendary place in the universe. It's a floating city of light, known for peace and harmony. It's also the center of the universe and a huge source of power. If it were destroyed, the whole universe would fall into darkness forever.

The bad guy, Dr. Agon, wants to destroy it. He is a lonely scientist who loves darkness. He plans to ruin Lavender Castle from his giant spaceship, the Dark Station.

To stop Dr. Agon, Captain Thrice is searching for Lavender Castle. He wants to find it first and protect it. Captain Thrice once met Lavender Castle, which gave life to his walking stick. This meeting also gave him special knowledge about the castle's power.

Captain Thrice travels in his unique cottage-like spaceship, the Paradox. He gathers a team of unusual characters to help him. They fight evil across the universe while looking for clues to Lavender Castle. The castle itself helps the Paradox crew with its power when they need it most.

Meet the Characters

This show has many interesting characters, both heroes and villains.

The Heroes of the Paradox

• Captain Thrice: He is the wise, older captain of the Paradox. He has three eyes and is always with his talking walking stick. Years ago, he found Lavender Castle by chance. Now, he wants to find it again to protect it from Dr. Agon. David Holt voices him.
• Walking Stick: This is Captain Thrice's talking walking stick. She came to life when Thrice first found Lavender Castle. She has a special connection to the castle. When things get tough, she can shoot a lavender ray to stop enemies. Kate Harbour voices her.
• Roger: He's the pilot of the Paradox and comes from Australand. Roger used to be a starfighter pilot. He is brave and talented but often acts without thinking. He tries to impress Lyca, but usually fails. Rob Rackstraw voices him.
• Isambard': He is Captain Thrice's first mate and the engineer of the Paradox. He's a brilliant mechanic, but his ways are a bit strange. For example, he often hits the engine with a hammer to make it work! He is very proud of the Paradoxs engine, calling it his "baby." He also invented many gadgets, though not all of them work. Rob Rackstraw voices him.
• Lyca: She is the doctor on the Paradox and comes from the planet Flora. Lyca is a skilled healer who uses herbal medicine. She is kind and gentle, but also very brave. She cares a lot for Sproggle, like a little brother. Kate Harbour voices her.
• Sir Squeakalot: This robot looks like a knight in shining armor. However, he acts more like a polite and nervous servant. He is the housekeeper on the Paradox. He speaks with a fancy English accent. Sir Squeakalot was knighted by Queen Zarla for his great reasoning skills. Jimmy Hibbert voices him.
• Sproggle: He is the lovable but not-so-good navigator of the Paradox. He often gets confused about left and right. Sproggle is gentle and easily confused. He usually speaks in short sentences and in the third person. He can see through Dr. Agon's disguises. Sproggle also unknowingly holds the final clue to finding Lavender Castle. David Holt voices him.

The Villains of the Universe

• Dr. Cedric Agon: He is the main villain of the show. Dr. Agon is an evil scientist who wants to destroy Lavender Castle. He wants to plunge the universe into darkness. He travels in his huge, armed spaceship, the Dark Station. Jimmy Hibbert voices him.
• Trump: Dr. Agon's pet and helper. He looks like a bat and a lizard mixed together, with a trumpet-like face. Trump can talk and often makes sarcastic noises. He doesn't like his name. Jimmy Hibbert voices him.
• Short Fred Ledd: A one-legged, not-so-smart space pirate. He sails his galleon-shaped ship, the Cutting Snark, through space. He is mean and greedy. He often tries to capture the Paradox crew to sell them as slaves. Sometimes, he even works for Dr. Agon. Jimmy Hibbert voices him.
• Tin Lizzy: Short Fred Ledd's robot parrot. She can annoy Ledd by repeating everything he says. She can also reprogram other robots, like Sir Squeakalot. David Holt voices her.
• Colonel Clump: An android created in the same factory as Sir Squeakalot. He became evil due to a faulty switch. He tries to turn the Paradox crew into exhibits for his collection. David Holt voices him.
• The Guardian: A mysterious alien thief. He wears a metal helmet to stop himself from hypnotizing others. He tries to trap the Paradox crew in a tower or trick them into finding a compass for him. He seems to have many lives, surviving even big explosions. Rob Rackstraw voices him.
• Mr Dank: He is a four-armed creature who lives in a swamp. He speaks with a southern accent. He is vain and selfish, and drinks a special "Dank Juice." He captures anyone who tries to steal his plant leaves. Jimmy Hibbert voices him.

Other Interesting Characters

• The Twaddle Twins: Two one-legged alien brothers named Dim and Duff. They are traders who are a bit sneaky and love money. They can teleport and often steal things. Despite their questionable methods, they sometimes help the Paradox crew. Jimmy Hibbert (Twaddle Dim) and Rob Rackstraw (Twaddle Duff) voice them.
• Wearizy: An invisible dog from an invisible planet. Sproggle briefly owns him. Wearizy can turn into a fierce Doberoid, which Dr. Agon finds out the hard way! Rob Rackstraw voices him.
• The Nice Old Lady: This is a disguise Dr. Agon often uses to trick the crew. You can tell it's him because she always wears purple clothes. Kate Harbour voices her.

Planets They Visit

The Paradox crew travels to many different planets on their journey.

• Thestal: A dry, desert planet where the Twaddle Twins do business.
• Quagmire: A planet full of swamps and bogs, home to the Danks.
• Flora: Lyca's home planet, which faces danger from an asteroid.
• Zark: A planet with thick forests and wild weather. The Lavender Compass is hidden here.
• Icester: A cold planet of ice and snow. The huge Icester Diamond is found here.
• Brightonia on Sea: A warm, tropical planet popular for holidays.
• Trimbo: A desert planet with twin peaks where the Paradox once got stuck.
• Bharron: Another desert planet where Lavender Castle can be seen only once every thousand years. This happens when its two suns eclipse.
• Themea: A planet with jungles and mountains, home to the Galactic Park.
• Australand: Roger's home planet, though it's not seen in the show.
• Toma: This planet is where the Laplon tree grows. Captain Thrice's Walking Stick was carved from this tree.

Amazing Machines and Vehicles

The characters in Lavender Castle use many cool spaceships and machines.

• The Paradox: This is Captain Thrice's unique spaceship. It looks like a half-timbered cottage with a thatched roof! It's home to the crew as they search for Lavender Castle. It's super fast and agile, even if it doesn't have many guns. Isambard powers it with an MD-646 engine, often by hitting it with a hammer!
• The Firefly: This was Roger's old Starfighter ship. It could carry both passengers and cargo. Sadly, Dr. Agon's Dark Station destroyed it.
• The Dark Station: This is Dr. Agon's massive and destructive spaceship. It has endless fuel thanks to its "1001 Unseen Slaves." It can even make a sun explode with its lasers!
• The Mammoth Machine: When the Dark Station is too big, Dr. Agon uses this. It's a versatile spacecraft that looks like an elephant and even trumpets like one! It runs on steam and can travel on land, underwater, and in space.
• The Giant Mechanical Spider: A huge, remote-controlled robot belonging to Dr. Agon. It can weave strong steel webs and crush things with its pincers.
• The Cutting Snark: Short Fred Ledd's pirate ship. It sails through special "ether streams" in space. It has robot slaves working below deck. Its only weapons are two laser cannons.

Episodes

Series 1

Planned Second Season

A second season of Lavender Castle was planned. It was even approved by CITV before the first season aired. Many scripts were written for these new episodes. The plan was for a Canadian company, Nelvana, to animate the CGI parts. New characters would also have joined the show. However, the company that funded the show was bought by another company. Even though they tried, the plans for a second season were eventually dropped.

Who Made the Show?

Here are some of the main people who helped create Lavender Castle:

• Original Idea by: Rodney Matthews
• Produced by: Gerry Anderson
• Directed by: Chris Taylor
• Designed by: Rodney Matthews
• Music by: Crispin Merrell