Roger and the Rottentrolls facts for kids

Roger and the Rottentrolls (also known as The Rottentrolls) was a fun children's TV show. It mixed puppets with real actors, making it quite unique! The show first aired on September 13, 1996, and finished on February 25, 2000.

The series was created by Gordon Firth and written by his son, Tim Firth. It was directed by Julian Kemp and produced by Robert Howes. The first season was a big hit! It won a BAFTA award in 1997 for "Best Children's Entertainment Show." Later seasons were also nominated for awards, showing how popular the show was.

Meet Roger and the Story!

The show follows the exciting adventures of Roger Beckett, a 10-year-old boy. He becomes the King of the Rottentrolls in a place called Troller's Ghyll. This valley is known for its "slightly mad" rocks!

Roger becomes king after he crashes his bike in the valley. He shouts "Roger was ere!" and the Rottentrolls think he is their long-lost leader. As king, Roger tries to teach the Rottentrolls about things like sport and how groups work together (like simple politics). In return, he learns a lot from them too!

Who's Who in Troller's Ghyll?

There are three main human characters you see on screen:

• The Narrator – This voice tells the story and is played by Martin Clunes. He sometimes talks to the characters and even to you, the audience! He can get a bit worried when things go wrong. The Narrator is good at something called JimJamYAHA, which is a special way to get Roger's attention.
• Roger Beckett – Played by Nick Barber, Roger is the main character. He became King of the Rottentrolls by accident! He often tries to teach the Rottentrolls new things. In later seasons, Roger is busier with high school, so his stepsister Kate helps out more.
• Kate Beckett (also known as Princess Kate) – Roger's younger stepsister, played by Holly Grainger. She follows Roger to the valley and becomes the Princess. She takes over running the valley when Roger is busy. Kate is naturally good at JimJamYAHA.

The Rottentrolls: Strange Valley Creatures

The Rottentrolls are small, knee-high creatures who have been waiting for their king for hundreds of years! Long ago, their ancestors arrived in the valley by accident. A snow cloud summoned by Merlin (a famous wizard) brought them there. Merlin was trying to turn the valley into a ski resort for King Arthur!

The Rottentrolls found the name 'Roger Wasere' carved into a rock. They thought it was the name of their future king. So, when young Roger crashed into the valley and shouted "Roger was 'ere!", they crowned him their new king!

Here are some of the Rottentrolls you'll meet:

• Yockenthwaite – He's a lovable but silly Rottentroll who often messes things up. His catchphrase is "Yo-o!". He's known as "the stupidest of the Rottentrolls." Even though he's a slow reader and not great with numbers, he's excellent at reading maps!
• Aysgarth – The oldest and wisest Rottentroll. He likes to think of himself as a leader. He's a talented artist who draws beautiful landscapes. But he doesn't like modern art!
• Penyghent – A creative female Rottentroll who is also great at football. She's often called "the cleverest of the Rottentrolls."
• Kettlewell – She's not a good cook and often says, "I'll deck yer!" She has very strong muscles, and her special (and often disliked) dish is the garlic pasty.
• Askrigg – This Rottentroll is obsessed with sports! He tries every sport you can imagine, even without teammates.
• Blacksyke – The scariest and most mysterious Rottentroll. She always carries a spiky umbrella and has a cat. Her catchphrase is "Cackle cackle cackle." She can also use JimJamJAHA without even knowing it!
• Trucklecrag – A wizard who isn't very good at magic. He often accidentally creates strange things like dustbins, toasters, or even mackerel! Once, he tried to make Penyghent float, but he accidentally turned her into a pizza.
• The Nab Twins – These are two teenage Rottentrolls who use old slang words like 'radical' and 'wicked'. They are also in a rock band called 'Cattlegrid'.
• Little Strid – Kettlewell's daughter and the youngest Rottentroll.
• Sigsworthy Crags – A completely mad inventor who often makes dog noises to relieve stress. He dreams of being the most traveled Rottentroll. He tried to build an airship and rockets, but they usually failed!
• Ripley and Scuff – These are Sigsworthy Crags' sons. They appear in the fourth season and even had their own spin-off show! They also make dog noises and communicate by drumming.
• Lukeskye - Kettlewell's son and Little Strid's brother. He was only seen in a flashback where Penyghent told Princess Kate how she grew up with him.

All the Rottentrolls are named after real places in Yorkshire, England. The show's writer, Tim Firth, picked the names from a map! He said the names helped him imagine what each character would be like.

The voices for the Rottentrolls were done by John Thomson, Phil Cornwell, and Rebecca Front in the first season. Later, Ronni Ancona joined the cast.

Other Valley Creatures

• The Barguest is a scary creature that lives in the valley. It often frightens the Rottentrolls.
• Commander Harris is a sheep who used to be an army mascot. He loves to tell stories about his old army days! Commander Harris is also an expert in the ancient art of JimJamYAHA and often helps Roger in his adventures.

Episode Guide

There were four seasons of Roger and the Rottentrolls, with a total of 36 episodes.

Season 1

• Coronation Valley
• The Rubbish Monster
• Rottentroll of the Year
• The Extraordrinary Dinner Telephone
• King Yockenthwaite
• The Giant Floating Sprout
• The Great Rescue

Season 2

• The Civil War
• The Great Television Franchise
• The Miner's Strike
• The Gambling Crisis
• The Art Gallery
• The Football Sponsorship Scandal
• Dirty Tricks
• The First Rottentroll Revolution
• The Complimentary Cafetiere

Season 3

• The New Princess
• The Monsters of Rock Festival
• Commander Harris Loses It
• The Almighty Underwater Chicken
• Twelve Angry Trolls
• The Incredibly Frightening Sheet
• The Rottentroll Olympics
• The Appalling Voice Swap
• The Mid-Air Disaster
• The Time Capsule
• The Trendy Trainers
• The Stake Out
• Trucklecrag's Aftershave

Season 4

• Commander Harris in Love
• The Four Missing Eyes
• The Cattle Grid World Tour
• The Extremely Tempting Caravan
• Full Metal Jimjam
• Sigsworthy's Final Rocket
• Yockenthwaite, the Amazing Puppet