Round the Twist facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Round the Twist
Created by	Patricia Edgar Esben Storm Paul Jennings
Developed by	Australian Children's Television Foundation
Directed by	Esben Storm Steve Jodrell Mark Lewis Pino Amenta Ray Boseley David Swann Arnie Custo
Opening theme	Round The Twist lyrics and music by Andrew Duffield sung by Tamsin West
Ending theme	Round The Twist lyrics and music by Andrew Duffield sung by Tamsin West
Country of origin	Australia
No. of series	4
No. of episodes	52 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Patricia Edgar
Running time	25 mins
Production company(s)	Australian Children's Television Foundation
Release
Original network	BBC One (1990) Seven Network (1990) ABC (1993–2001)
Picture format	4:3
Original release	6 April 1990 (1990-04-06) – 2 May 2001 (2001-05-02)

Round the Twist is a funny Australian TV show for kids. It's all about the Twist family and their amazing, sometimes spooky, adventures. The show was created by Patricia Edgar and developed by the Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF). They wanted to make a show that both kids and their parents would enjoy watching together. Patricia Edgar got the idea after reading short stories by the author Paul Jennings, like his book Unreal. She asked if they could turn his stories into a TV series.

What the Show is About

Round the Twist takes place at an old lighthouse on the coast of Victoria, Australia. It features the Twist family: Pete and Linda, who are 14-year-old twins, their 8-year-old brother Bronson, and their dad, Tony. Tony is an artist who makes sculptures and is a widower (meaning his wife has passed away). In every episode, the Twist kids get into wild, supernatural adventures. The show is known for being funny and a bit magical.

There were four series of Round the Twist made over 11 years. The first 13 episodes were based on popular books by Paul Jennings, such as Unreal!, Quirky Tales, and Unbelievable!. Paul Jennings wrote the scripts for the first two series. Later series were written by other writers, but they kept the same style and characters.

Theme Song

The show's catchy theme song was written by Andrew Duffield. Tamsin West, who played Linda Twist in the first series, sang it. The song uses lines from famous nursery rhymes like "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" and "Humpty Dumpty". You might have even heard it in some Halloween TV ads in the United Kingdom!

Who Played Who

Because Round the Twist ran for over a decade, the child actors grew up! This meant they had to find new actors for the kids' roles in later series. Most of the adult characters were also played by different actors over time.

Main Characters

The show is mostly about the Twist family:

• Tony Twist ("Dad") is a kind widower. He likes Bronson's teacher, Ms. James, and often makes his kids feel a bit embarrassed.
• Pete Twist is Linda's 14-year-old twin brother. He sometimes dates his classmate Fiona. Pete and Linda enjoy teasing their younger brother Bronson. Pete often gets into tricky situations and is picked on by James Gribble and his friends.
• Linda Twist is Pete's 14-year-old twin sister. She cares a lot about fairness and the environment. She also enjoys judo. Linda is serious and tries to keep her family grounded when things get crazy. She's the most grown-up of the Twist kids.
• Bronson Twist is the twins' 8-year-old younger brother. He loves food and smells! He often mixes up words in a funny way. As the youngest, he sometimes feels left out but always joins his siblings' adventures, even if they are dangerous.

Other Characters

• Helen "Nell" Rickards (or Nell Sands in Series 2) is an old woman who lives next door. Her family's spirits, including her brother Tom, haunt the lighthouse.
• Harold Gribble is a greedy local businessman. He often tries to make the Twists leave the lighthouse so he can use it for his own plans.
• "Matron" Cecilia Gribble is Harold's wife and a nurse. She's just as sneaky as her husband.
• James Gribble is Harold's son. He's a bully at school and often bothers Pete.
• "Rabbit" and "Tiger" Gleeson are James Gribble's friends.
• Fay James is Bronson's schoolteacher. She is Tony's girlfriend and lives with the Twists in the lighthouse in Series 3 and 4.
• Ralph Snapper is Pete and Linda's teacher. He is strict with students but can be awkward around adults.
• Fiona Richmond is Linda's friend and Pete's occasional girlfriend.
• Hugh Townsend is Linda's crush in Series 1.
• Anthony is a smart, well-meaning boy who likes Linda in Series 3 and 4.
• Padre, Sacha, and Emily are three girls Pete tries to impress in Series 4.
• Ghosts of Nell Rickard's family members: her parents Stanley & Louise, and her siblings Tom and Sarah.
• Ghost Matthew and Ghost Jeremiah are two ghosts trapped in the lighthouse in Series 2.
• Ariel is a girl from the "Isle of Dreams" who wants Pete to join her in Series 4.
• Mr. Nic Papadelioises is a local deli owner who gave Bronson his first job.

Storylines of Each Series

Round the Twist was known for pushing the limits of what was usually shown on kids' TV. Each episode had its own story, but each series also had a bigger theme or mystery that was solved in the last episode. The Twist family often had problems with the greedy Harold Gribble and his family, who wanted to take over the lighthouse.

Series 1 (1990)

The first series had these episodes:

• "Skeleton on the Dunny"
• "Birdsdo"
• "A Good Tip for Ghosts"
• "The Cabbage Patch Fib"
• "Spaghetti Pig Out"
• "The Gum leaf War"
• "Santa Claws"
• "Wunderpants"
• "Lucky Lips"
• "Know All"
• "The Copy"
• "Without My Pants"
• "Lighthouse Blues"

In this series, strange music comes from upstairs in the lighthouse. In the final episode, "Lighthouse Blues", it's revealed to be played by the ghosts of Nell's family. These ghosts help the Twists stop Mr. Gribble from destroying the lighthouse. Dad Tony also starts a relationship with Fay, and he proposes to her at the end of the series. The series was full of laughs and surprises, just like Paul Jennings' books.

Series 2 (1993)

The second series brought back the Twist family and other characters from Port Niranda. The 13 stories were all new, but they kept the same funny and magical style as the first series.

The second series had these episodes:

• "Second Time Around"
• "Copy Cat"
• "Little Squirt"
• "Pink Bow Tie"
• "Nails"
• "Sloppy Jalopy"
• "Smelly Feet"
• "Grandad's Gift"
• "Ice Maiden"
• "Yuckles"
• "Quivering Heap"
• "Little Black Balls"
• "Seeing The Light"

Richard Moir played Tony again, but new actors played his children. The lighthouse is haunted by two ghosts, Matthew and Jeremiah. They were being punished for failing to guide a ship to shore 100 years ago. In the final episode, "Seeing the Light", everyone helps turn on the lighthouse light to save a lost ship and help the ghosts find peace. Tony and Fay get engaged, break up, and then get re-engaged by the end of the series.

Series 3 (2000)

Because Round the Twist was so popular around the world, Series 3 and 4 were made one after the other with the same child actors.

The third series had these episodes:

• "The Big Burp"
• "Viking Book of Love"
• "Whirling Derfish"
• "UMI"
• "Truth Hits Everybody"
• "The Nirandathal Beast"
• "Mail-Boo"
• "Brainless"
• "Toy Love"
• "Tears of Innocence"

"The Ice Cream Man Cometh"

• "If the Walls Could Talk"
• "The Big Rock"

Most of the characters were played by new actors in this series. Mr. Gribble tries to turn Port Niranda into a tourist spot by tearing down the lighthouse and building a casino. Fay moves in with Tony and the kids to see if they can all live together happily.

Series 4 (2001)

The fourth series had these episodes:

• "Welcome Back"
• "Monster Under the Bed"
• "Linda Godiva"
• "Dog by Night"
• "TV or Not TV"
• "Face the Fear"
• "Hair Brain"
• "Princess and the Pete"
• "Bird Boy"
• "The Shadow Player"
• "Radio Da Da"
• "Skunkman"
• "The Isle of Dreams"

In each episode, a knight in armor comes into the lighthouse through a magical door. In the final episode, "The Isle of Dreams", the knight is revealed to be a girl named Ariel. She offers the children a perfect life on the Isle of Dreams if Pete will marry her. They say no, and Ariel and the island disappear. Also in this series, Fay becomes pregnant with Tony's baby, who is born in the finale and named Ariel.

How the Show Was Made

The Split Point Lighthouse was used for the outside scenes of the Twist family's lighthouse home.

Series 1

Filming for the first series of Round the Twist started in April 1989 and lasted for 13 weeks. They filmed at Melbourne Film Studios and at a real lighthouse on the Victorian coast. The outside scenes of the Twist family's lighthouse home were shot at the Split Point Lighthouse in Aireys Inlet. The school and some town scenes were filmed in Williamstown, Point Lonsdale, and Queenscliff.

One episode, "Frozen Stiff", was supposed to be made, but it was too expensive to freeze a house and 30 animals in ice! Also, Nell was originally supposed to die in the final episode, "Lighthouse Blues", but the director thought it would be too sad. Paul Jennings, the author, even made small appearances in some episodes.

Series 2

Because the first series was so popular, a second series of 13 episodes was made. Filming took place from March to June 1992. Patricia Edgar was still the Executive Director, and Paul Jennings and Esben Storm wrote the scripts. New child actors were chosen to play Pete, Linda, and Bronson. This series was bought by TV channels in Australia, the UK, Germany, and Italy before it even finished being made!

Series 3

The ACTF started planning a new series of Round The Twist in 1997. It was produced by Patricia Edgar and written by Esben Storm and others. The series was sold to ABC, BBC, Nickelodeon UK, and Disney European channels. They searched all over Australia for new child actors, with over 800 kids trying out for the roles. Filming happened at Aireys Inlet and a studio in Melbourne in early 1999.

Series 4

Ideas for the fourth series were being written in 1998. Filming for Series 4 started in February 2000 and lasted for three months around Melbourne. The main actors from Series 3 came back for Series 4.

How Popular the Show Was

Round the Twist was very popular around the world. In 1995, TV 4 Sweden said the show won its time slot with a 25% audience share. In Denmark, it was called “The Children Of The Lighthouse,” and in Germany, “Twist Totale.” The show was also shown in France, Canada, Italy, Japan, and the United States.

In 1997, Round the Twist was called "Kids’ Vid of the Week" and got four stars from The Age Green Guide. The series reached number two in the Top 10 Children's Programs in the UK. By 1997, Series 1 and 2 had been sold and re-sold in 54 countries!

The second series was a huge hit when it aired on BBC1 in the United Kingdom in early 1993. It was rated the most popular children's program in the UK by the time it finished.

Series 3 Popularity

Round the Twist was the number one show on the BBC in mid-1998. When the third series aired from January to April 2000, the BBC's audience grew by 13-18%. About two million people watched it, which was 37% of everyone watching TV at that time! In Finland, the show was a "great success" during the summer holidays in June 2000, with up to 75% of 10-14-year-olds watching it.

Series 3 was very popular in Australia too, with 323,300 people watching it. This included an average of 61% of children aged 5-12, and over 31% of kids aged 13-17.

The Queen's Visit

Queen Elizabeth II visited the set of the fourth series in Melbourne on March 23, 2000. She wanted to see the show because it was the most successful and popular Australian children's drama series ever made.

Awards and Nominations

Round the Twist won many awards and was nominated for many more! Here are some of them:

Round The Twist Series 2

Round The Twist Series 3

Round The Twist Series 4

Website

The Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF) created a special Round the Twist website. It launched in February 2000 when the third series first aired. The website had sections like "Meet The Cast" and "Where Are They Now" for older actors. It also shared where the show was playing around the world and where to find books and videos. Visitors could email the ACTF with their questions and comments. The website was updated with "behind the scenes" material from the fourth series.

DVD Releases

In Australia, all seven volumes of Round the Twist were released on DVD between 2000 and 2001. In the UK, the DVDs were given a "U" rating (meaning suitable for all ages) or a "PG" rating (parental guidance suggested). In 2005, all seven volumes were sold together as a box set. In 2010, a new box set called the "Completely Twisted Collection" was released.

Images for kids

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  Panorama view of Aireys Inlet with lighthouse in background

See also

In Spanish: La Familia Twist para niños