Breakfast Serials
| Breakfast Serials | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Children's anthology |
| Written by | Russell T Davies The Salad Pig (David Green, Stuart Smith, Andrew Wilcott, Martin Raynor, Darren Bradley) |
| Production | |
| Producer | Russell T Davies |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC1 |
| Release | 22 September – 29 December 1990 |
Breakfast Serials is a twenty-five-minute anthology series for children that aired on BBC1 for one series in 1990.[1]
Format
[edit]The series comprised various shorts that were based on a variety of genres such as dialogue comedy (Cheapo TV), drama (Runners and NiceChap), stand-up comedy (Zounds) and narrative (Single Tales).[2]
Each serial would be prefaced by a conversation between a puppet Teapot, a Tin can, and a Tomato (known as The Kitchen Crew). On occasion, they would interact with the serial characters. The final discussion of the overall episode would lead into a song performed by all three that would play over the end credits.
All voices and acting roles/guises in the series were performed by Caroline Berry, John Biggins, Lucy Jenkins and William Petrie.[3]
Nice Chap
[edit]One segment of the show was Nice Chap, an adventure/drama about a cartoon strip character that is brought to life. The serial comprised three "series", each connected in continuity, but could also be viewed as stand-alone storylines
Nice Chap: "Nice Chap", a permanently positive, curious man-child who speaks in rhyme, is the creation of a depressed and lonesome female illustrator (Suzie, creator of Cozicomix). Suzie's only friends are plants, one of which is a yucca named Peter. Nice Chap is brought to life when a bolt of lightning strikes Suzie's drawing board. The two are placed in mortal danger by a rival comics company (Megacomix), managed by Joyce (nicknamed "Clench") and Norris and manned by a megalomaniacal supercomputer (It) and at least one other computer (Chuck). Clench and Norris become friends with Suzie at the end.
Nice Chap 2: Six months later the Supercomputer takes control of Norris and lays siege to a television station which is known as 'Norris Vision'. Nice Chap and Suzie foil its plans and all returns to normal.
Nice Chap 3: Another six months later on the anniversary of his first coming to life Nice Chap himself is turned evil when his creator, in a fit of anger, draws dark eyebrows on him. At the serial's conclusion, The renegade Nice Chap is killed by a doppelganger and his creator gives in to her despair, using a device called a Crash Machine to send herself into Nice Chap's dimension to be with a positive version of him forever.
Critical reaction
[edit]TV Cream was critical, calling Cheapo TV "unfunny TV parodies" and Zounds "terrible drama school style surrealism", and criticising other strands for boredom or lack of originality.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ "Breakfast Serials". BFI Film and TV Database. Archived from the original on 21 January 2010. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ^ a b "Breakfast Serials". TV Cream. Retrieved 8 March 2013.
- ^ "Raving mad puppets should rouse the kids from their beds". Evening Chronicle. 2 October 1990. Archived from the original on 26 June 2023. Retrieved 26 June 2023 – via Newspapers.com.