The Trap Door
British animated series about monsters and a trap door.
The Trap Door is a British animated television series that originally aired in the United Kingdom in 1984. Created by animators Terry Brain and Charlie Mills, the show follows the daily misadventures of monsters living in a castle, centering on a blue creature named Berk, a spider-like being named Drutt, and a skull named Bonnie. Though marketed as a children's programme with an emphasis on humour, the series drew heavily from horror and dark fantasy.
- original_run
- 1984
- total_episodes
- 40 (26 in first series, 14 in second series)
- voice_actors
- Willie Rushton, Nick Shipley, Charlie Mills
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Comedy horror / Clay animation / Stop motion
- Runtime
- 5 minutes
- Creator
- Terry Brain / Charlie Mills
- Company
- CMTB Animation / Queensgate Productions
- Voices
- Willie Rushton / Nick Shipley / Terry Brain
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Network
- ITV (Children's ITV)
- Num Series
- 2
- Num Episodes
- 40
- List Episodes
- List of The Trap Door episodes
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The world of The Trap Door is inhabited solely by monsters, with almost all action taking place in a castle, particularly the pantry or cellar where Berk lives. Beneath the castle lies a series of dark caverns accessible by the trap door, home to various 'horrible things'. The unseen master, 'The Thing Upstairs', resides in the attic and shouts orders to Berk. In most episodes, Berk accidentally leaves the trap door open, admitting troublesome monsters, though some emerge from below on their own. Recurring monsters include the hostile Big Red Thing and the amiable Rogg.
Reader's Guide
The Trap Door was produced by CMTB Animation and Queensgate Productions Ltd, with editing services for the first series provided by KPTV. The theme song was written by Scottish songwriter Bob Heatlie, who also wrote the Shakin' Stevens hit 'Merry Christmas Everyone' and 'Japanese Boy' by Aneka. Vocals were performed by Zygott. A 7" record of the extended theme song was released with a B-side instrumental called 'Ghost Chase' by The Ghost Chasers. The show's introduction parodied Vincent Price's horror film introductions, and the outro featured a spoken warning about creatures lurking beneath the trap door. The series remains notable for its blend of horror and comedy, and for the distinctive voice work of Willie Rushton, who voiced Berk, Boni, The Thing Upstairs, and Rogg.
Did You Know?
- The show's creators, Terry Brain and Charlie Mills, were collectively referred to as 'Brainbox Mills'.
- Willie Rushton, who voiced multiple characters, co-founded the satirical magazine Private Eye.
- The theme song was written by Bob Heatlie, who also wrote the Christmas hit 'Merry Christmas Everyone'.
- A stop motion movie called The Pudding was planned but never made.
More in Dark fantasy television series 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record