Sir Gadabout: The Worst Knight in the Land

Did You Know?

• The show was nominated for Best Drama at the BAFTA Children's Awards in 2002.
• It won Best Children's Programme at the INDIE Awards 2003.
• The show was repeated on CITV in 2007, then in December 2008 through January 2009, and again from August to September 4, 2009.

Plot

In Camelot, Sir Gadabout is a bumbling knight whose sincere efforts to serve King Arthur constantly go wrong. His fellow knights, especially the smug Sir Lancelot, mock him, and Gadabout and his allies often scheme to outwit Lancelot. King Arthur puts up with Gadabout’s mistakes because he is equally clumsy himself. Arthur’s clever teenage daughter, Princess Elenora, is far sharper than her father and frequently helps Gadabout and his squire, Will (later Juan), on their quests. The kingdom faces threats from the villainous duo Sir Rancid and his Nanny, a parody of Mordred and Morgan le Fay, who aim to ruin Camelot. Their plots are always foiled by Gadabout, Will, and the masked hero known only as Sir Knight. Merlin alone knows Sir Knight’s true identity, watching over events from his crystal ball.

Episodes

1. Lead Balloons: Accident prone Sir Gadabout loses his job and Nanny tries to replace him as Knight of the Round Table. Nanny is also unsure of Elenora, whose secret dream to become a knight is about to be realised. A battle ensues. 2. Halibut in the Stone: Excalibur is stolen, and King Arthur banishes Sir Gadabout from Camelot. Without Excalibur, Camelot will crumble. Can Excalibur be rescued in time? 3. The Strike: Rancid and Nanny incite the knights to go on strike, and Nanny takes over as Queen of Camelot. Can Sir Gadabout restore the King to the throne? 4. Love Potion: On Cupid's Day, Nanny's plan to make King Arthur fall in love with her goes wrong. Sir Gadabout falls in love with Nanny, and King Arthur falls in love with his horse. 5. Chiller: Rancid awakens Chiller, a demon who takes over Elenora's body. She can freeze people with her breath. The transformation will be permanent unless someone can save her. 6. Ogwozzle: Sir Gadabout brings an Ogwozzle stick to life and is bound to a supernatural imp wreaking havoc in Camelot. 7. Elenora's Betrothal: King Arthur dreams Elenora will one day run Camelot and must marry her off. Rancid wants to win her hand. Will's rescue plan depends on Sir Gadabout winning a duel. 8. Silent Knight: It is the Knight of the Year competition, but Rancid and Nanny plan to steal the prize money. Their young visitor locks Sir Gadabout in the torture chamber. 9. The Ghost: Sir Gadabout sees a ghost, but no one believes him. It may be a plot by Rancid and Nanny to scare the knights out of Camelot.

Characters

Sir Gadabout, played by Jason Thorpe, is the worst knight in the land. He is good-natured but clumsy and not very bright, and he shares a rivalry with Sir Lancelot. King Arthur, played by Kim Wall, is the eccentric ruler of Camelot who tolerates Gadabout out of sympathy and underestimates his daughter Elenora. Sir Rancid and Nanny, played by Vincent Franklin and Gillian Wright, are the main antagonists who live in a claw-shaped castle and scheme Camelot's downfall. Princess Elenora, played by Tamsin Egerton, is Arthur's tomboyish daughter who wishes to be a knight and secretly dons silver armour as the enigmatic Sir Knight; only Merlin knows her identity. Master Will Watford, played by Will Theakston, is Gadabout's squire and Elenora's best friend who dreams of becoming a knight; Elenora becomes smitten with him but cannot reveal her secret. Juan de Frisco, played by Asier Newman, becomes Gadabout's squire in the second series; he hails from Spain and initially rivals Elenora, who misses Will.