Roary the Racing Car
Roary the Racing Car is a British stop-motion children's television series created by David Jenkins and produced by Chapman Entertainment[1] and Cosgrove Hall Films for Five and Nick Jr. It follows the adventures of Roary and his racing car friends at Silver Hatch race track.
| Roary the Racing Car | |
|---|---|
 Series 1 characters (from left to right): FB/Trucksy, Zippee, Tin Top, Dinkie, and Mr. Carburettor (behind Tin Top), Hellie, Maxi, Big Chris, Rusty (behind Big Chris), Roary, Marsha, Flash/Furzz, Cici/Zizzy, Drifter/Dragga, Plugger/Lugga, and Farmer Green. | |
| Genre | Comedy Children's television show |
| Created by | David Jenkins |
| Developed by | Keith Chapman |
| Directed by | Tim Harper |
| Voices of | Maria Darling Tim Whitnall Marc Silk Dominic Frisby Peter Kay (UK) Kerry Shale (US) Katie Leigh (US) Danny Katiana (US) Phil Lollar (US) |
| Narrated by | Sir Stirling Moss (UK) Sam Hornish Jr. (US) |
| Theme music composer | Alan Coates and Kim Goody |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 104 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Greg Lynn (S3-S4) |
| Producer | Owen Ballhatchet (S1-S2) |
| Running time | 10 minutes (approx.) |
| Production companies | Chapman Entertainment Cosgrove Hall Films |
| Release | |
| Original network | Five Nick Jr. |
| Picture format | 576i (16:9) |
| Audio format | Dolby Digital |
| Original release | 7 May 2007 – 29 September 2010 |
| Related | |
| Fifi and the Flowertots | |
Overview
Plot
The series follows the lives and adventures of five racing vehicles, Roary, Maxi, Cici/Zizzy, Drifter/Dragga, Tin Top, and the people who they work for, Big Chris the Mechanic, Marsha the Race Marshall and the owner of the racetrack, Mr. Carburettor.
Setting
Roary the Racing Car is set around a fictional motor racing circuit called Silver Hatch (a portmanteau of the names of the two British Grand Prix racing circuits, Silverstone and Brands Hatch). The majority of the action takes place at the track's pits and workshop, although we often follow the cars on their laps around the track. Occasionally, the characters venture to external locations such as the nearby beach.
Sometimes, a race will happen, which will take up most of the episode.
Narration
Every story begins and ends with some brief narration normally from racing car driver Sir Stirling Moss, who is also used as a voiceover. The US version is narrated by American stock car driver Sam Hornish Jr.
Characters
Main
- Roary (voiced by Maria Darling) is a red British Formula Ford car who is the titular character of the show with the mindset of a schoolboy and a heart of gold. He has the number 1 and a healthy rivalry with Maxi and the two of them are often at odds frequently, but they do show that they care for each other and will often hang out together. Roary is only young and inexperienced at racing, but is constantly learning things from his friends and fellow racers. He sometimes gets into trouble over something, but he always makes up for it. He is very intelligent, friend to everyone around him and eager to learn. His best friend is Cici/Zizzy.
- Maxi (voiced by Marc Silk) is a yellow Italian Formula One car who is very hot-tempered and is obsessed with winning. He has the number 5 and is very arrogant and snooty, often only thinking about himself. He is Mr. Carburettor's favourite race car at Silver Hatch and thinks very highly of himself. He has a healthy rivalry with Roary and the two of them often fight over who is the star car. He occasionally bullies and belittles Roary, but does show that he cares for him deep down. He is sometimes irresponsible and reckless, occasionally doing stunts that are harmful and risky. He loves to show off.
- Cici (Zizzy in North America) (voiced by Maria Darling) is a pink and purple French rally car who is very bubbly and friendly, and is number 3. She's also Roary's best friend.
- Drifter (Dragga in North America) (voiced by Marc Silk) is an orange Japanese drift car, and is number 6.
- Tin Top (voiced by Peter Kay in the UK and Kerry Shale in the US) is a dark blue American stock car who is very accident prone, and is number 88.
- Big Chris (voiced by Peter Kay in the UK and Kerry Shale in the US) is the mechanic of Silver Hatch who is slightly absent-minded.
- Marsha (voiced by Maria Darling) is the racing marshal of Silver Hatch. She waves the flag when the race begins, and also is the one who takes calls from her workstation.
- Mr. Antonio Carburettor (voiced by Tim Whitnall) is the flamboyant owner of Silver Hatch who speaks with an Italian accent. He loves singing opera.
Vehicles
- Plugger (Lugga in North America) (voiced by Tim Whitnall) is an aqua blue Mitsubishi Triton L200 tow truck.
- FB (Trucksy in North America) (voiced by Dominic Frisby) is a green second generation Ford F-Series pickup truck who is Farmer Green's main vehicle.
- Zippee is an orange Vespa motor scooter who is Marsha's main vehicle.
- Rusty (voiced by Dominic Frisby) is an old caravan that Big Chris lives in.
- Breeze (voiced by Maria Darling) is a turquoise Meyers Manx buggy who lives at the beach and is one of Roary's other friends.
- Hellie (voiced by Marc Silk) is a red, purple and yellow helicopter.
- Loada (voiced by Dominic Frisby) is a dark orange and light green race car transporter lorry that transports and delivers parcels to Silver Hatch. He speaks with a Welsh accent.
- James (voiced by Dominic Frisby) is a silver Aston Martin DB5 convertible who is Mamma Mia's main vehicle.
- Nick (voiced by Marc Silk) is a blue and orange Lamborghini Gallardo police car who is the main vehicle of PC Pete.
- Conrod (voiced by Craig Lowndes) is a silver and red Australian Team Vodafone liveried Ford Falcon V8 Supercar. He speaks with an Australian accent.
Humans
- Farmer Green (voiced by Tim Whitnall) is a farmer who is very humble and slightly messy. The Silver Hatch racing crew often go to his farm to buy its products.
- PC Pete (Officer Pete in North America) (voiced by Dominic Frisby) is a police officer who is Marsha's brother.
- "Mamma" Mia Carburettor (voiced by Maria Darling) is Mr. Carburettor's mother. She is very prim and proper.
- Big Christine (voiced by Peter Kay in the UK and Kerry Shale in the US) is Big Chris' mother who loves dancing.
- "Copter" Keith (voiced by Marc Silk) is a helicopter mechanic/engineer and a good friend of Big Chris.
Animals
- Flash (Furzz in North America) (voiced by Marc Silk) is an anthropomorphic rabbit who likes to cause trouble on the racetrack.
- Molecom (voiced by Dominic Frisby) is an anthropomorphic mole who wears glasses. He is a skilled mechanic and banjo player.
- Dinkie (voiced by Marc Silk) is an old donkey who lives on Farmer Green's farm.
Production
Roary the Racing Car uses a combination of computer-generated imagery and stop motion animation; the stop motion animation was initially provided by Cosgrove Hall Films, the producer of Noddy's Toyland Adventures, Engie Benjy, Little Robots, Fetch the Vet, the third to sixth Postman Pat series, Pocoyo, the original 1981 Danger Mouse series, Count Duckula, The Wind in the Willows and many other shows produced by this company, and latterly by Chapman Entertainment's own in-house studio, along with its sister show Fifi and the Flowertots. The series was created by David Jenkins, who spent four years working in senior management at Brands Hatch Race Circuit. The idea was conceived while watching the Grand Prix on television with his then-18-month-old son, Tom. It was designed and developed by Keith Chapman, creative director of Chapman Entertainment and the creator of Bob the Builder (both 1999 and the later 2015 series), Fifi and the Flowertots, and later, PAW Patrol and Mighty Express, and the series' executive producer is Greg Lynn. When the show came to the US, HIT Entertainment took the distribution rights, along with Fifi and the Flowertots. The theme music was produced by Alan Coates and Kim Goody.
Episodes
Series 1 (2007)
| Overall | Episode | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 01 | "Roary's First Day" | Roary feels nervous as he waits to take part in a big race and Big Chris reminds him of his first day at Silver Hatch. |
| 02 | 02 | "Roary Slips Up" | Roary feels foolish and very oily when he forgets to clean up a mess before a big race occurs. |
| 03 | 03 | "Big Chris Flags it Up" | When Marsha suddenly comes down with a cold and gets sent home, Big Chris mistakes Marsha's flags for oil rags when he accidentally sends fuel dripping onto the ground instead of into Roary's fuel tank. |
| 04 | 04 | "Express Delivery" | Roary fetches a box of six eggs, together with a bottle of milk from the farm for Big Chris, but unfortunately, he ends up breaking the eggs and spilling the milk over and over again. |
| 05 | 05 | "Roary's Day at the Seaside" | Roary spends a day at the beach with Big Chris, Tin Top, and Plugger/Lugga. |
| 06 | 06 | "Roary Takes Off" | Big Chris discovers a new way of cleaning Roary's fuel intake. |
| 07 | 07 | "Cici Takes the Blame" ("Zizzy Takes the Blame" in North America) | Marsha's picnic blanket is badly damaged and she believes that Cici/Zizzy is to blame. |
| 08 | 08 | "Big Chris' Big Workout" | Big Chris tries to prove to Marsha that he is in good shape after she rescues Roary before he can after he gets stuck in mud. |
| 09 | 09 | "Flash Flips Out" ("Furzz Flips Out" in North America) | Flash/Furzz causes a problem when Roary and the other cars test out their new turbo chargers. |
| 10 | 10 | "Rusty Remembers" | Rusty the caravan needs Roary to cheer him up, despite Big Chris being repeatedly told by Marsha to find a certificate before an inspector comes to the race track. |
| 11 | 11 | "Easy on the Fuel" | Roary tries to include Maxi in the big race, even after he runs out of fuel. |
| 12 | 12 | "Communication Breakdown" | Roary has a crash and is overheating at Hare-Pin Bend and Marsha and Zippee the Scooter must find a way to get him back to be fixed when the walkie-talkies break down. |
| 13 | 13 | "Blue Light Job" | Big Chris tries to fix Drifter/Dragga's neon light. |
| 14 | 14 | "Make Your Mind Up Roary" | The gang prepare for a special trip, but Roary cannot decide whether the Silver Hatch crew should go to the countryside or the beach. |
| 15 | 15 | "Workshop Roary" | Roary and Tin Top offer to run the workshop while Big Chris has a nap. However, it proves to be harder than it looks. |
| 16 | 16 | "Tip Top Tin Top" | Tin Top impresses a visiting car designer named Hugo Amarillo. |
| 17 | 17 | "Tunnel Vision" | Roary helps Maxi get over a fear of the dark after he breaks down in Ton-Up Tunnel. |
| 18 | 18 | "Molecom Makes Music" | Molecom wants to be more musical like Big Chris. |
| 19 | 19 | "Roary Goes Missing" | Roary gets stuck at the beach, but no one knows where he is, not even Marsha. |
| 20 | 20 | "Mama Mia" | Mr. Carburettor learns that his mother, Mama Mia, is coming to visit. |
| 21 | 21 | "Surround Sound" | Big Chris is annoyed when his karaoke machine breaks down just when he needs to rehearse for an important competition. |
| 22 | 22 | "Plugger's on the Case" ("Lugga's on the Case" in North America) | Plugger/Lugga discovers that he cannot do everything by himself - sometimes he needs his friends to help him. |
| 23 | 23 | "Big Chris Learns to Fly" | Big Chris has problems while flying in Hellie. |
| 24 | 24 | "Musical Mayhem" | Hellie the Helicopter breaks down and is unable to take Mr. Carburettor to the opera. |
| 25 | 25 | "Braking Promises" | Maxi is angry when Roary is offered his spare tyre warmers overnight, so he tries to get Roary into trouble. |
| 26 | 26 | "Secret Treasures" | Roary, Tin Top and Drifter/Dragga head to the beach to find some buried treasure, just like pirates. |
Series 2 (2008)
| Overall | Episode | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 01 | "Roary on Thin Ice" | On a cold day at Silver Hatch race track, Roary must find a way to warm everyone up in time for an important race. |
| 28 | 02 | "Drifter's Last Day" ("Dragga's Last Day" in North America) | The cars worry that Drifter/Dragga is to be taken to the scrapheap for good. |
| 29 | 03 | "Out of Juice" | Big Chris takes delivery of special rainwater to make the cars run more smoothly, and Maxi drinks it all without sharing. |
| 30 | 04 | "Roary's Wake Up Call" | Farmer Green has problems getting up in the mornings, so Roary finds a way to help. |
| 31 | 05 | "Big Chris Says Sorry" | Big Chris thinks that Marsha is cross with him after he accidentally tells Mr. Carburettor that she made a mistake. |
| 32 | 06 | "Maxi's New Engine" | Maxi's engine needs to be rebuilt, so he has to use a tractor engine, much to his horror. |
| 33 | 07 | "Busy Day for Big Chris" | Big Chris struggles to find time to relax, because, every time he sits down, someone at Silver Hatch race track wants his help. |
| 34 | 08 | "Tin Top Gets Scared" | Flash/Furzz the rabbit decides to play a mischievous trick on Tin Top. |
| 35 | 09 | "Roary Loses a Friend" | Big Chris accidentally throws away Roary's lucky teddy, and sets out to retrieve it before it reaches the rubbish dump. |
| 36 | 10 | "Spooky Forest" | Maxi and his friends think that the spooky forest is haunted. |
| 37 | 11 | "FB in the Fast Lane" ("Trucksy in the Fast Lane" in North America) | FB/Trucksy competes against Roary at the racetrack - along with disastrous results! |
| 38 | 12 | "Roary Goes Back to School" | Roary is abusively forced back to school to brush up on his safety skills. |
| 39 | 13 | "Rabbit That Yelled Stop" | Flash/Furzz challenges Roary to take part in a race. However, Flash/Furzz decides to cheat in order to win. |
| 40 | 14 | "Cici Gets Fired Up" ("Zizzy Gets Fired Up" in North America) | Silver Hatch Race Track suffers a fuel crisis, so everyone relies on solar-powered Cici/Zizzy! |
| 41 | 15 | "Stars 'n' Cars" | Big Chris is invited to sing karaoke on television, but Roary and the other cars are worried the fame might get to his head. |
| 42 | 16 | "Crash Test Roary" | Roary is nervous about racing after crashing into a tree while racing with Maxi. |
| 43 | 17 | "Roary Sees Red" | Roary and Cici/Zizzy have an argument and fall out. And while helping Farmer Green and FB/Trucksy with their annual hay harvest, Cici/Zizzy gets stuck in the mud. |
| 44 | 18 | "Rusty Takes a Trip" | Roary and his friends plan a surprise for Rusty. |
| 45 | 19 | "Roary Cleans Up His Act" | Roary tackles a water shortage at Silver Hatch race track to make sure that he and the gang are ready in time for a tremendously important photo shoot! |
| 46 | 20 | "Green-Eyed Roary" | Maxi chooses Cici/Zizzy as his training partner, making Roary jealous. |
| 47 | 21 | "Big Chris Forgets" | Marsha celebrates her birthday, but Big Chris forgets all about the occasion. |
| 48 | 22 | "Big Chris Babysits" | Big Chris looks after Roary and Cici/Zizzy, but it seems that he is the one who needs babysitting! |
| 49 | 23 | "Roary and Nigel" | Roary makes friends with Nigel the crab, who lives in a rock pool on the beach. |
| 50 | 24 | "Roary Gets it Wrong" | Farmer Green asks Roary to deliver parcels around the track, but in spite of his singing that he does while driving around the track, Roary gets the parcels all mixed up. What a muddle! |
| 51 | 25 | "Computer Calamity" | Mr. Carburettor announces he wants to move with the times and be more modern. But Big Chris, fed up with Mr. Carburettor's irrationality and nonsense, decides to quit his job, leaving Roary and everyone else shocked, broken-hearted and highly depressed, and also fed up with Mr. Carburettor. |
| 52 | 26 | "Roary Digs Deep" | Roary faces his demons when he races against Maxi. |
Series 3 (2009)
| Overall | Episode | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | 01 | "Cici Spectacular" ("Zizzy Spectacular" in North America) | Roary tries to ease Cici/Zizzy's nerves when Mr Carburettor asks her to perform one of her stunts in front of a big crowd. |
| 54 | 02 | "Dodgems" | Marsha tries her best to be the mechanic for the day while Big Chris takes a nap. |
| 55 | 03 | "Flash the Marshall" ("Furzz the Marshall" in North America) | Mr. Carburettor wants Flash/Furzz to get out of Silver Hatch race track forever, but Flash/Furzz is given a second chance to stay by becoming a race marshall. |
| 56 | 04 | "Tall Story Roary" | The Silver Hatch team must find a way to bring Roary back to the race track after the loud-speakers break down, and he has an accident. |
| 57 | 05 | "Hot Stuff" | The cars go on a day trip to the beach. |
| 58 | 06 | "Car Boot Sale" | Big Chris tries to get rid of his junk at Farmer Green's car boot sale. |
| 59 | 07 | "Testing Time for Maxi" | PC Pete and his important police car Nick visit Silver Hatch to give the cars their road tests, but Maxi fails every single one. Oh, no! |
| 60 | 08 | "Horse Powered Dinkie" | Maxi and Drifter/Dragga have an accident and they both become stuck in a ditch. FB/Trucksy and Dinkie the Donkey come to their rescue. |
| 61 | 09 | "Flash's Tea Party" ("Furzz's Tea Party" in North America) | Flash/Furzz the rabbit invites everyone for afternoon tea, but he forgets to tell them to bring a dish. |
| 62 | 10 | "FB's Sleepover" ("Trucksy's Sleepover" in North America) | FB/Trucksy is invited to a sleepover at the workshop with the cars. |
| 63 | 11 | "Hellie's a Winner" | Maxi accuses Hellie of cheating when he joins the cars out on the track, but soon learns the error of his ways after Hellie rescues him. |
| 64 | 12 | "Cry Cold" | Big Chris catches a cold, and enjoys being fussed over so much that he decides not to tell everyone when he starts to feel better. |
| 65 | 13 | "Motormouth" | A commentator (Murray Walker) is invited to commentate for a very big race, much to Big Chris' fury. |
| 66 | 14 | "Demolition Derby" | Tin Top keeps crashing into things, and Big Chris tries to help him focus his energy into something productive. |
| 67 | 15 | "Manners, Please" | Farmer Green and FB/Trucksy are nervous about going to Mamma Mia's garden party, so James and the other cars teach them how to behave at the event. |
| 68 | 16 | "Big Bangs" | Tin Top overcomes his fear of fireworks. |
| 69 | 17 | "Plugger's New Job" ("Lugga's New Job" in North America) | James breaks down, causing Mamma Mia to ask Plugger/Lugga to drive her around, but when the pair have fun together, the out-of-action chauffeur begins to get jealous. |
| 70 | 18 | "Big Chris' Fun Run" | Big Chris is uncertain about taking part in a fun run, so Roary and Plugger/Lugga try to make sure he trains for it without realising. |
| 71 | 19 | "Silver Hatch Heroes" | A film director visits Silver Hatch to record his new movie. |
| 72 | 20 | "Nick Solves the Case" | Nick solves the case of the missing bio fuel. |
| 73 | 21 | "Crash Landing" | Hellie makes an emergency landing. Despite everyone's efforts, Hellie won't fly again - what could the problem be? |
| 74 | 22 | "Hi-Tech Overload" | Drifter/Dragga's computer breaks down and he becomes stranded in the countryside. Meanwhile, he starts to enjoy the peace and quiet. |
| 75 | 23 | "The Silver Hatch Stars" | Conrod and Roary rescue Breeze when she gets stuck on a cliff edge. |
| 76 | 24 | "New Juice" | Conrod and Maxi have a race to test out some biofuel. |
| 77 | 25 | "Simply the Best" | Plugger/Lugga rescues Molecom, and Roary tries to beat his best lap time. |
| 78 | 26 | "Heavy Loada" | Loada gets stuck in the sand on the beach and realizes that sand and lorries don't mix! |
Series 4 (2010)
| Overall | Episode | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 79 | 01 | "Marsha's Wonderful Life" | Marsha overhears her friends and she believes that she is bossy, so, she decides to take Zippee and depart Silver Hatch for good. But she soon discovers Silver Hatch isn't the same without her. |
| 80 | 02 | "Silver Hatch Shapes Up" | Conrod is having trouble with his engine and Loada has a rattling sound in his engine. |
| 81 | 03 | "Silver Hatch Pizza" | Mr. Carburettor wants pizza for lunch, but what's he going to do when the pizzeria is closed? |
| 82 | 04 | "Homesick Tin Top" | The cars try to cheer up Tin Top when he feels homesick. |
| 83 | 05 | "How the Hatch Was Won" | Big Chris and Tin Top are watching a cowboy film, while Flash/Furzz is causing trouble on the race track! |
| 84 | 06 | "Law and Order" ("Rules are Rules" in North America) | Mr. Carburettor is fed up with the cars running amok on his track and summons PC Pete and Nick to restore order to the track. But might our overzealous policeman overstep the mark? |
| 85 | 07 | "Mum's the Word" | Big Chris' mum is visiting Silver Hatch, so is Mama Mia. |
| 86 | 08 | "FB for Football" ("Trucksy for Soccer" in North America) | Big Chris and his friends decide to play football/soccer on the beach. |
| 87 | 09 | "Big Chris' Big Jump" | Big Chris does a parachute jump for charity. |
| 88 | 10 | "Save Our Tree" | Mr. Carburettor wants to cut down Flash/Furzz's tree to build a new control tower, so he tries to stop it happening. |
| 89 | 11 | "Cici Wins the Day" ("Zizzy Wins the Day" in North America) | Cici/Zizzy is fed up of never winning, and decides not to take part in the big race. Can Roary make her change her mind? |
| 90 | 12 | "Big Chris Gets Lucky" |
Big Chris loses his lucky vest, and all the cars are nervous. |
| 91 | 13 | "Putting on a Show" | Roary is very nervous about a big race, so he goes off for a practice lap, and ends up crashing. This leads to all the other cars crashing too. |
| 92 | 14 | "Workshop Chaos" | Big Chris is furious after Marsha and Molecom tidy up his workshop while he is gone. |
| 93 | 15 | "Mr. Carburettor's Birthday Suit" | On a rainy race day, Mr. Carburettor's suit gets wet. What will he wear now? |
| 94 | 16 | "Dancing Queen" | When Big Christine cannot go to a dancing contest because of her partner cancelling, the Silver Hatch gang prepare a surprise to cheer her up. |
| 95 | 17 | "Go Gadget James and Maxi" | Maxi is jealous of James' gadgets, so he persuades Molecom to give him some, with hilarious results. |
| 96 | 18 | "Mr. Carburettor or Bust" | A statue of Mr. Carburettor is to be unveiled, but it gets destroyed. |
| 97 | 19 | "Let's Hear it for Big Chris" | The Silver Hatch gang prepare a surprise for Big Chris being the longest-serving member of the Silver Hatch staff. |
| 98 | 20 | "Funny Business" | Big Chris gets a box of jokes, which leads to all the cars playing tricks on each other. |
| 99 | 21 | "Pit Stop Perils" | When Roary and Maxi keep arguing over who is the fastest car, Mr. Carburettor organises a big race with pit stops to settle their argument. |
| 100 | 22 | "Home is Where the Hatch Is" | Roary and Breeze swap places for one night. However, Roary misses Silver Hatch, and Breeze misses the beach. |
| 101 | 23 | "It's Go, Go, Go at Silver Hatch" | Murray Walker returns to Silver Hatch to commentate for a stunt display. |
| 102 | 24 | "PC Roary" ("Officer Roary" in North America) | PC Pete makes Roary a police car for the day, but Roary soon goes a little too far. |
| 103 | 25 | "Winter Breeze" | Breeze visits Silver Hatch to help them get ready for Mama Mia's winter festival, but she keeps messing up. |
| 104 | 26 | "Brassless Band" | Mr. Carburettor wants a brass band to open a parade, so Roary and the gang make up their own music. |
References
- "Toonhound - Roary the Racing Car (2007-)". www.toonhound.com. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
External links
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.