The Riddlers facts for kids

The Riddlers was a fun British TV show for kids. It was made by Yorkshire Television for ITV and aired from November 2, 1989, to August 27, 1998. The show featured puppets and taught viewers how to solve problems and understand stories.

Meet the Riddlers

The show was mostly about Marjorie Dawe and two small, puppet creatures called Riddlers. Their names were Mossop and Tiddler. They lived in Marjorie's garden at a place called Riddleton End.

What Do Riddlers Do?

Riddlers love to "riddle things out." This means they enjoy solving puzzles and figuring out the meaning of things. Mossop was voiced by Richard Robinson. Tiddler was a girl, but voiced by Mike Gallant.

Tiddler's Journey

We learn that Tiddler was an orphan, meaning she had no parents. Mossop adopted her when she was very young. "Tiddler" wasn't her real name. It was a special title for young Riddlers who were still learning.

To become a full Riddler, Tiddler had to learn a lot. She listened to twelve stories from a special "Riddlestone." These stories were often "Eesup's Foibles," which is a Yorkshire way of saying Aesop's Fables. After each story, Tiddler had to "riddle out" the moral, or the lesson, of the story.

When Tiddler correctly guessed the morals of all twelve stories, she became a full Riddler. At her special graduation ceremony, she chose her real name: Tiddlup!

Marjorie Becomes a Riddler

Marjorie wanted to go to Tiddlup's ceremony. But Mossop told her that only Riddlers and Tiddlers were allowed. It was a special Riddler rule! So, Marjorie decided to become a Riddler herself. She started studying to learn how to "riddle things out" too.

Other Characters

The show also featured other interesting characters:

• Mr. Montgomery Grimley: Marjorie's neighbor, who was a gardener and helped with odd jobs.
• Middler: Another young Riddler, like Tiddler.
• Glossop: Mossop's brother.
• Eesup: A wise storyteller.
• Monica: Marjorie's sister, who appeared often.

Many of the stories in the show involved the male characters making mistakes. Then, the female characters would often help them solve the problems!

Who Played Who?

Here are the main actors and puppeteers from the show:

• Marjorie Dawe: Victoria Williams
• Mr. Montgomery Grimley: Peter Llewellyn Jones
• Monica: Sally Sheridan
• Mossop and Middler: Richard Robinson
• Tiddlup, Glossop, Eesup, and McEyup: Mike Gallant

How the Show Was Made

The Riddlers ran for nine years and produced many episodes.

Behind the Scenes

• Ian Fell produced many episodes, and Chris Ryder directed them. Later, Ann Ayoub directed some series.
• Chris Jelley was the executive producer, overseeing the whole show.
• All the main stories were written by Rick Vanes. He also wrote for other children's shows like Puddle Lane and The Raggy Dolls.
• The "Eesup's Foibles" stories were written by Shirley Isherwood.
• The music and songs were created by Neil Innes.
• Richard Robinson, who was also a puppeteer, designed the puppets. He also drew the pictures for the "Eesup's Foibles" stories.
• David Baker and Garry Rutter helped with the puppetry. Garry Rutter later worked on other puppet shows like MacDonalds Farm and The Fimbles.

Where It Was Filmed

Many episodes were filmed at Yorkshire Television's studios in Leeds, England. Some later episodes were filmed in real-life locations outside the studio.

Riddlers on Video

You could also find The Riddlers outside of TV!

• Five VHS tapes were released.
• Two DVDs were released by Kids Club (VCI).
• Several books based on the show were published.

An episode from the fifth series was shown again on the CITV channel on January 6, 2013. This was part of a special weekend of old shows to celebrate CITV's 30th birthday!

Episode Guide

The Riddlers had nine series in total. Here's when each series first aired:

Series 1 (1989-1990)

This series started on November 2, 1989.

Series 2 (1990-1991)

This series began on November 15, 1990.

Series 3 (1991-1992)

This series started on December 12, 1991.

Series 4 (1992-1993)

This series began on November 26, 1992.

Series 5 (1993-1994)

This series started on September 7, 1993.

Series 7 (1995-1996)

This series began in 1995.

UK VHS releases

You could buy these VHS tapes of The Riddlers: