Pirates (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pirates |
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| Genre | Children's Comedy |
| Written by | Rebecca Stevens Peter Tabern Matthew Tabern Dave Freedman Alan Gilbey Michael Malaghan |
| Directed by | Peter Tabern |
| Starring | Liz Smith Paul Bown Andrew Sachs Hayley Elliott Benjamin Rennis Rebecca Stevens Toby Sedgwick |
| Theme music composer | Jonathan Cohen |
| Composer(s) | Jonathan Cohen |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 24 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Albert Barber Jeremy Swan |
| Producer(s) | Peter Tabern |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Childsplay Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One CBBC |
| Original release | 6 October 1994 – 26 August 1997 |
Pirates was a fun British TV show made for kids. It was a sitcom, which means it was a comedy show with a group of characters in different situations. The show was made by Childsplay Productions for the BBC and aired on Children's BBC from 1994 to 1997. It told the story of a pirate family whose ship gets stuck in North London. Because they can't sail anymore, they decide to live in a regular house on a street called Wordsworth Terrace. Imagine pirates living next door!
Contents
Meet the Characters
The Main Crew
- Lambkin Bones (played by Hayley Elliott): She is Roger's daughter. Lambkin is a lively and confident girl who loves to have fun. Even though she seems tough, she has a secret: she doesn't actually like the sea!
- Roger Bones (played by Paul Bown): He is the dad of the Bones family and a single father. Roger can be a bit sarcastic and sometimes struggles to get things organized.
- Gran (Abigail Blood) (played by Liz Smith): Roger's very unique mother-in-law. Gran thinks she's the ultimate pirate and is quite good with a blunderbuss (an old type of gun). She's not afraid to stand up for herself. As the family's cook, her special dish is "mince pies made of squirmy things" – sounds interesting!
- Lawrence Kitten (played by Benjamin Rennis): He's a smart boy who lives next door to the Bones family. Lawrence often finds the pirates' behavior strange, but he and Lambkin are good friends.
- Grog Blossom Kate (played by Rebecca Stevens): She was part of Gran's old pirate crew. Grog Blossom Kate joins the Bones family later in the series. She and Roger don't always get along.
Other Fun Characters
- Pustule the Macaw: Gran's colorful pet macaw.
- The Man in the Sack (played by Toby Sedgwick in Series 1, Paul Fillipak in Series 2): A mysterious member of the Bones family whose whole body is hidden inside a sack. No one knows who he really is!
- Mollie Blood (played by Buffy Davis): Roger's ex-wife and Gran's daughter. She's also a pirate and has a strong reputation.
- Mr. Neville Jones (played by Andrew Sachs): He's another neighbor of the Kittens. Mr. Jones has a secret life as a pirate known as Basmati Bill.
- Mrs. Mildred Jones (played by June Brown in Series 1, Jill Meers in Series 2-3): Neville's wife.
- Helen Kitten (played by Debby Bishop): Lawrence's mom and a neighbor.
- Jill Crutchworthy (played by Helen Lederer): A local healthcare worker who often visits the Bones family's chaotic home.
- Gail Fleshy (played by Charlotte Coleman in Series 1, Claudie Blakley in Series 3): Another pirate who is often an enemy of the Bones family and tries to cause trouble.
- Baby Bones: The youngest member of the Bones family. You never actually see Baby Bones, but you know they are there because of a green glow coming from their black pram.
Adventures in Each Series
The show had three series, each filled with funny and exciting adventures as the pirate family tried to fit into their new London life.
Series 1 (1994)
In the first series, we meet the Bones family as they settle into their new home on Wordsworth Terrace. Lawrence Kitten, their next-door neighbor, is surprised to find real pirates living beside him! Lambkin starts school and learns how to deal with bullies the pirate way. We also see the family dealing with everyday things like a health visitor coming to check on Baby Bones, and Gran having a scary dream about a "Black Spot" on her 84th birthday. Roger's ex-wife, Mollie Blood, also makes an appearance, leading to some pirate-style family arguments. The series even includes a special Christmas episode where the Bones family tries to get into the festive spirit, even if Gran tries to stop Santa!
Series 2 (1995)
The second series brings more pirate chaos to Wordsworth Terrace. Gran tries to reunite her old pirate gang, but Roger isn't happy about one of them, Grog Blossom Kate, joining them. Mollie Blood returns, causing more funny situations, and Gran believes she can see the future by reading people's feet! Roger also has to take care of Baby Bones when Gran goes away, which proves to be a big challenge. The series introduces more mysterious characters and continues to explore the funny clashes between pirate life and modern city living.
Series 3 (1997)
The third and final series sees Roger trying to win a "Garden of the Year" contest to prove himself. Lambkin deals with feeling down, while Roger accidentally joins a secret pirate group led by Mr. Jones. There are attempts to put Gran in a care home, which leads to her taking all the family's gold in revenge! The family also faces a ruthless conman and meets a pirate named Long Gone Silver, who causes more trouble and charm. Another pirate, Gail Fleshy, tries to cause havoc. The series ends with the Bones family losing their fortune and having to move out of Wordsworth Terrace, bringing their land adventures to a close.
