Roger and the Rottentrolls

Did You Know?

• The Barguest is a menacing creature that lives in the valley and terrifies the Rottentrolls.
• Commander Harris is a sheep who used to be an army mascot and is an expert on JimJamYAHA.
• The first series was released on VHS as 'Roger and the Rottentrolls: A Complete Set of Adventures' in 1998.

History

Roger and the Rottentrolls began as a book-and-tape set, a spooky children's story written by Tim Firth and commissioned by EMI and W H Smith, with Robert Howes and The Children's Company producing. Gordon Firth, Tim's father, originally dreamed up the characters and drew the puppet designs. A pilot was shot in and around Yorkshire Dales lead mines by documentary filmmaker Paul Beriff, who supported the project. The TV series itself was filmed at Brimham Rocks near Harrogate. Two spin-offs followed: Combat Sheep, a BBC half-hour special featuring Commander Harris, and Ripley and Scuff, a preschool series for ITV.

Actors and Narrator

The series featured three on-screen humans. The Narrator, voiced by Martin Clunes, told the story and sometimes interacted with the actors and audience; he had some talent for JimJamYAHA. Roger Beckett, played by Nick Barber, became King of the Rottentrolls after crashing in the Valley and shouting Roger was ere. In Series 3 and 4 his presence was reduced due to high school, so Kate handled day-to-day business. Kate Beckett, Roger's little stepsister played by Holly Grainger, followed Roger to the Valley and became Princess, taking over daily running of the valley; she had a natural talent for JimJamJAHA.

The Rottentrolls

The Rottentrolls are small, knee-high beings who spent centuries waiting for their king to return. A millennium ago, their ancestors were accidentally brought to the valley by a snow cloud Merlin conjured while trying to create a ski resort for King Arthur. They discovered the name "Roger Wasere" carved into a rock and believed it was their king's name. When a boy named Roger entered the valley and yelled "Roger was 'ere!", the Rottentrolls crowned him their ruler. Among them are Yockenthwaite, the dimmest Rottentroll, known for his "Yo-o!" catchphrase and surprising skill at reading maps; Aysgarth, the eldest and wisest, a talented landscape artist who became leader when King Roger was away; Penyghent, the cleverest female Rottentroll and a gifted footballer; Kettlewell, a terrible cook who often threatens to "deck yer"; and Askrigg, a sports fanatic with no brain at all.

Episodes

There were four series and 36 episodes. Titles include Coronation Valley, The Rubbish Monster, Rottentroll of the Year, The Extraordrinary Dinner Telephone, King Yockenthwaite, The Giant Floating Sprout, The Great Rescue, Dirty Tricks, The First Rottentroll Revolution, The Civil War, The Great Television Franchise, The Miner's Strike, The Gambling Crisis, The Art Gallery, The Football Sponsorship Scandal, The Complimentary Cafetiere, The Rottentroll Files, The New Princess, The Monsters of Rock Festival, Commander Harris Loses It, The Almighty Underwater Chicken, Twelve Angry Trolls, The Incredibly Frightening Sheet, The Rottentroll Olympics, The Appalling Voice Swap, The Mid-Air Disaster, The Time Capsule, The Trendy Trainers, The Stake Out, Trucklecrag's Aftershave, Commander Harris in Love, The Four Missing Eyes, The Cattle Grid World Tour, The Extremely Tempting Caravan, Full Metal Jimjam, Sigsworthy's Final Rocket, and Yockenthwaite, the Amazing Puppet. Dirty Tricks and The First Rottentroll Revolution were originally a single 15-minute election special later split into two episodes with extra scenes.