Space Pirates (2007 TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Space Pirates |
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Space Pirates promotional poster
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| Directed by | Bridget Caldwell |
| Starring | Luke Toulson Kirsty Rider Connor Panayi Adam Carter Dominic Byrne |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 30 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Tony Reed |
| Running time | 28 mins |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBeebies |
| Original release | 3 November 2007 – 22 March 2008 |
Space Pirates is a fun British TV show for kids that was first shown on CBeebies. It mixes real actors with animation and takes place on a spaceship orbiting Earth. The show stars Luke Toulson as Captain DJ and features the voice of Dominic Byrne as Zorst, an alien news reporter. There are 30 episodes in total, which aired from November 3, 2007, to March 22, 2008.
Contents
About the Show: Space Pirates
Space Pirates was made for the BBC's CBeebies channel. While it was mostly for kids aged four to six, the show was designed for everyone to enjoy. It aimed to bring families together to explore different kinds of music. Back in 2007, viewers could even use their TV remote's red button to choose which of three songs they wanted to hear at the end of the show. The show also appeared on BBC Radio 7.
In 2008, one episode called "Music to Paint to" was nominated for a Banff World Television Award. The show also got a nomination for Best Pre-School Live Action Series at the 2008 BAFTA Children's Awards.
Meet the Crew: How Space Pirates Works
The show is set on a spaceship called the Guisto. Captain DJ, who is a bit silly and loves himself, leads the ship. They orbit Earth, looking for cool music for their radio show, Guisto Radio.
- Captain DJ: He's the leader, but often gets tricked. His real name is sometimes revealed as "Leslie."
- Honk and Tonk: These two clever kids often trick Captain DJ or Lippy. They sell them worthless things for lots of "doubloons" (money) or even junk food.
- Lippy: This is a cheeky microphone who loves to make fun of Captain DJ.
- Zorst: He's an alien barnacle stuck to the back of the ship (near the exhaust, which is how he got his name!). Zorst is the news, weather, and traffic reporter, and he always ends his reports with funny, sometimes bad, jokes.
Each episode features three musical performances:
- One is performed live on the set.
- Another is a music video.
- The third is a cover song by three puppet rats called The Jingles: Windy, Stringy, and Brassy.
At the end of the show, a group of kids on Earth, called the Pirate Posse, vote for their favorite song. The winning song then plays as the show finishes.
The Music of Space Pirates
The main song for Space Pirates was written by Darren Loveday and Chris Banks, who used to play keyboards for the band Busted. It was even released as a song you could download on iTunes. Radio DJ Chris Moyles helped make the song popular by playing it on his show. He hoped it would get into the UK music charts and beat The X Factor Christmas song. While it didn't make it onto the main charts, the Space Pirates theme song was number one on the iTunes Children's Chart for eleven weeks! Chris Banks even made a fun mix of the song with the theme from Ghostbusters.
Many famous music acts appeared on the show, including:
- McFly
- The Cheeky Girls
- Jamelia
- The Drifters
- The Puppini Sisters
- Julie Felix
- The London Community Gospel Choir
- The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
Who's Who: The Cast of Space Pirates
Here are the main actors and puppeteers who brought the characters to life:
- Captain DJ (also known as 'Leslie'): Luke Toulson
- Lippy: Adam Carter
- Honk: Kirsty Rider
- Tonk: Connor Panayi
- The Jingles:
- Stringy: Brian Herring
- Brassy: Sarah Burgess
- Windy: Dave Chapman
- Zorst: Dominic Byrne
- Jolly Rogers: Stephen Cannon
- Assistant Puppeteers: William Banyard, Yvonne Stone, Warrick Brownlow-Pike
The puppets in the show, including Lippy and The Jingles, were designed and created by Yvonne Stone and Sacha Choat.
Episode Guide
There were 30 episodes of Space Pirates. Each one had a unique theme and featured different musical performances. Here are some of the episodes:
| # | Title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | "Music to Drum Along To" | 3 November 2007 |
| 1.2 | "Music for Playtime" | 10 November 2007 |
| 1.3 | "Music to Paint to" | 17 November 2007 |
| 1.4 | "Music that Makes Me Laugh" | 24 November 2007 |
| 1.5 | "Music to Listen to On a Journey" | 1 December 2007 |
| 1.6 | "Music for a Trip to Space" | 8 December 2007 |
| 1.7 | "Music that Makes Me Feel Special" | 15 December 2007 |
| 1.8 | "Music to Listen to on Holiday" | 17 December 2007 |
| 1.9 | "Music to Dress up to" | 18 December 2007 |
| 1.10 | "Music for When We Feel Bored" | 19 December 2007 |
| 1.11 | "Music for the Countryside" | 20 December 2007 |
| 1.12 | "Music to Surprise Me" | 21 December 2007 |
| 1.13 | "Music to Listen to with My Family" | 22 December 2007 |
| 1.14 | "Music Not to Sing to" | 24 December 2007 |
| 1.15 | "Music to Cheer Me Up" | 26 December 2007 |
| 1.16 | "Music to Explore with" | 27 December 2007 |
| 1.17 | "Music to Party to" | 28 December 2007 |
| 1.18 | "Music to Listen to with a Group of People" | 29 December 2007 |
| 1.19 | "Music to Jump Around To" | 5 January 2008 |
| 1.20 | "Music to Go to Sleep To" | 12 January 2008 |
| 1.21 | "Music to Dance to" | 19 January 2008 |
| 1.22 | "Music to Warm Me Up" | 26 January 2008 |
| 1.23 | "Music to Count to" | 2 February 2008 |
| 1.24 | "Music to Spin Around to" | 9 February 2008 |
| 1.25 | "Music to Sing to" | 16 February 2008 |
| 1.26 | "Music to Splash Around to" | 23 February 2008 |
| 1.27 | "Music to Relax to" | 1 March 2008 |
| 1.28 | "Music for a Sunny Day" | 8 March 2008 |
| 1.29 | "Music to Tidy My Room with" | 15 March 2008 |
| 1.30 | "Music that Makes Me Want to Shout" | 22 March 2008 |
