Roobarb facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Roobarb |
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The Canine Inventor Supreme
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| Genre | Animated Comedy |
| Created by | Grange Calveley |
| Directed by | Bob Godfrey (1974 series) Jason Tammemagi (2005 series) |
| Voices of | Richard Briers |
| Theme music composer | Johnny Hawksworth |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 30 |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 5 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network |
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| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Audio format | Monaural sound |
| Original release | 21 October – 27 November 1974 |
Roobarb (also known as Roobarb and Custard) is a fun British animated children's television programme. It was created by Grange Calveley and first shown on BBC1 in the UK. Each cartoon was about five minutes long. Thirty episodes were made in the first series, which started on 21 October 1974. The show is all about the friendly competition between Roobarb, a green dog with a huge imagination, and Custard, the playful pink cat next door.
The stories were written by Grange Calveley and directed by Bob Godfrey. The famous actor Richard Briers was the voice of the narrator for the series. Both Richard Briers and Bob Godfrey passed away in 2013.
Contents
Discover Roobarb and Custard!
Roobarb is a green dog, and Custard is a pink cat. Their colors are a funny twist on the dessert called rhubarb crumble (which is pink) and egg custard (which is yellow). Roobarb loves to try new things and often gets into funny situations with lots of energy. Custard is a bit more laid-back and enjoys playing tricks on Roobarb. Sometimes Roobarb wins, and sometimes Custard does!
Other characters in the show include:
- The birds, who watch everything from a tree. They often make funny comments and cheer for whoever is winning.
- A shy, pink mouse.
- The Sun and the Moon, who can talk to the characters.
The Unique Animation Style
The show has a very special animation style. It looks like it was drawn with marker pens, and the pictures are always slightly "shaking." This effect is called "boiling" by animators. It makes the show feel very lively and energetic! This style was very different from the smooth, perfect cartoons like those from Hanna-Barbera that were popular at the time.
The music for Roobarb was created by Johnny Hawksworth. Did you know that Roobarb was the first fully animated TV series ever made in the United Kingdom? It was very popular with both kids and adults and won many awards. The show was also known for its clever wordplay and funny visual jokes. Later, the series was shown in the USA on the children's show Eureeka's Castle on Nickelodeon.
Meet the Characters
Let's get to know the main stars of the show!
Roobarb: The Green Dog
Roobarb is a green dog with a shaggy tail and just two hairs on each side of his head! He has a wild imagination and loves bones, adventures, and inventing new things. He also seems to eat all sorts of strange items like coal, paper, and even holes in carpets!
Roobarb is usually very kind and friendly to everyone. He loves putting on shows and is always ready to help. His main rival, but also sometimes his best friend, is Custard. Roobarb lives in a cozy house and loves to think deeply about his next big plan. He thinks he is brave and handsome. Even though he can talk and act like a person, Roobarb still runs on all fours and barks like a dog.
Custard: The Pink Cat
Custard is a chubby pink cat. He is Roobarb's cousin, friendly rival, and sometimes his best friend. Custard loves to play pranks on Roobarb and spoil his fun, always looking for the biggest laugh.
Even though he can be mischievous, Custard does care about Roobarb. He has even helped Roobarb out a few times and enjoys his company. For example, he once dressed up as Santa Claus to save Roobarb's Christmas party. Another time, he helped Roobarb scare away some people who had moved into Roobarb's house. Custard often naps on top of a big white fence. Like a typical cat, he loves fishing, though he often struggles to catch anything!
Roobarb and Custard Too: The New Series
A new series called Roobarb and Custard Too started on Channel 5 on 8 August 2005. Like the first series, it was written by Grange Calveley and narrated by Richard Briers. This new series brought in many more animal characters who joined in Roobarb's adventures.
The new show was made by Adam Sharp and Bernadette O'Riordan for A&B TV. Jason Tammemagi directed it, and the animation was done by an Irish company called Monster Animation & Design. This time, they used computer animation, but they made sure to keep the famous "wobbly" look and plain white backgrounds from the original show. The music for this new series was by Jon Atkinson. There were 39 episodes in total.
Episode Adventures
Both Roobarb and Roobarb and Custard Too had many fun episodes! Here are a few examples of the exciting things Roobarb and Custard got up to:
Roobarb (Original Series)
- "When Roobarb Made a Spike"
- "When Roobarb Didn't See the Sun Come Up"
- "When It Was Christmas" - Roobarb plans a big Christmas feast, but he eats it all! A special guest arrives to save the day.
- "When There Wasn't Treasure" - Roobarb dresses as a pirate and searches for hidden treasure.
- "When Custard Stole the Show" - Custard explores how deep the pond is, while Roobarb tries to get the fish out.
Roobarb and Custard Too (2005 Series)
- "When There Was A Surprise" - Roobarb builds a new computer to help with his inventions.
- "When Custard Was Grounded" - Roobarb holds a model plane air show, and Custard almost wins!
- "When There Was An Elephant" - A sneezing elephant visits the garden on a very hot day.
- "When The Books Went Bye Bye" - Roobarb throws out all his books and challenges Custard to a knowledge contest.
- "When There Was A Time Warp" - Roobarb convinces Custard to try some time travel.
Roobarb in Pop Culture
Roobarb has appeared in other places too!
- The band Shaft used samples from Roobarb episodes and its theme song in their 1992 song.
- The end part of the theme tune was used in adverts for Ambrosia flavored custard.
- Roobarb and Custard were featured in the 'Official BBC Children in Need Medley' video by Peter Kay. They appeared on a TV screen because they are 2-D cartoons.
- In 2009, Roobarb and Custard became the stars of a series of children's books.
- The Roobarb theme tune can be heard in the Channel 4 comedy "Spaced."
- Roobarb and Custard were even used as mascots for the PDSA charity in the UK, which helps pets.
