The Treacle People

Did You Know?

• The concept for the show was created by Bill Dewhurst, a resident of Sabden, Lancashire, who created dolls on which the Treacle People characters were based during a period of unemployment in the 1980s.
• The Dewhurst family developed the show together with a production company after selling the dolls at craft fairs.
• In May 2024, an audio drama follow-up titled The Treacle People - Still Sticky was announced, acting as the show's official third series, written by Jonathan Trueman and released on Audible in April 2025.

Plot

The fictional Northern English village of Sabden in Pendle relies on treacle as a natural resource, supposedly mined from the ground. Overextraction has drained the mines, putting the local economy at risk. Protagonists Bill Wizzle and Rosie employ a Treacle finder, much like a water dowser, to locate a fresh treacle vein in the abandoned workings. This vein is inhabited by Boggarts, creatures that adore treacle. Both series follow the effort to reopen the mines and the resulting challenges, including exporting the treacle.

Characters

Bill Wizzle, voiced by Jim McManus, is the boy who uses a Treacle finder to locate a new treacle vein for Sabden. Rosie, voiced by Caroline Bernstein, is Bill's best friend. Bert, also voiced by Caroline Bernstein, is a white Boggart whom Wizzle and Rosie befriend. The Professor, voiced by Alec Bregonzi, seeks to research treacle and find ingenious ways to export it, though not always succeeding.

Tapper, voiced by Glynn Mills, is a miner and mechanic who owns a steam traction engine called Bessie. Ike, also voiced by Glynn Mills, is Rosie's dad, a blacksmith who works with Tapper in building things. Leyland Lil, voiced by Caroline Bernstein, is the landlady of the Bubble & Boggart inn, serving ginger beer and making parkin as hard as a rock. Charlie, voiced by Brian Trueman, is Lil's small assistant who doesn't talk much and is constantly abused by Lil when given orders.

Nellie Newchurch, voiced by Alec Bregonzi, is Lil's posh rival from the Perfect Parkin Parlour across the street. Brendan Robinson, voiced by Jim Norton, originates from Dún Laoghaire, Ireland, and owns a ginger beer brewery and bottling plant. Silas Mitton, also voiced by Jim Norton, is Rosie's uncle, a wealthy investor who tries to put the village on the map. P.C. Pendle, voiced by Jim McManus, is a local policeman who is oftentimes clueless.

Digger, voiced by Jim Norton, is Brendan's Scottish cousin who appears in Series 2, digging for porridge to cure Boggart flu. Barrow & Furness, voiced by Alec Bregonzi and Brian Trueman, are two crooks appearing in Series 2. Santa, voiced by Willie Rushton, appears only in the Christmas Special. The Queen, voiced by Caroline Bernstein, resembles Leyland Lil and appears briefly in the Christmas Special and the final episode.

Stirling, voiced by Iain Russell, is Digger's pet Haggis resembling a bagpipe. Boggarts, normally brown, are voiced by Caroline Bernstein.