Roobarb & Custard
| Roobarb | |
|---|---|
The Canine Inventor Supreme
|
|
| Genre | AnimatedComedy |
| Created by | Grange Calveley |
| Directed by |
Bob Godfrey (1974 series) Jason Tammemagi (2005 series) |
| Voices of | Richard Briers |
| Theme music composer | Johnny Hawksworth |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 30 |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 5 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Audio format | Monaural sound |
| Original release | 21 October – 27 November 1974 |
Roobarb is a British animated children's television programme, originally shown on BBC1 just before the evening news. Each cartoon, written by Grange Calveley and animated by Bob Godfrey, was about five minutes long. Thirty episodes were made, and the show was first shown on 21 October 1974. The theme is that of the friendly rivalry between Roobarb the green dog and Custard the pink cat from next door.
The narration of the series was provided by the actor Richard Briers. On 17 February 2013, Briers died, followed three days later by animator Godfrey.
Roobarb is a green dog, and Custard is a pink cat. This an inversion of the popular children's pudding (dessert) rhubarb crumble (pink) and egg custard (yellow). Roobarb is always involved in some kind of misadventure which he approaches with unbounded enthusiasm. Custard is cynical and sets out to sabotage Roobarb's fun. Which one comes out on top varies from episode to episode. Other characters in the series are the birds, who watch the antics of the other two from the safety of a nearby tree, often making snide remarks, and siding with whoever is winning. There is also a rather timid, pink mouse.
The series is animated in a deliberately rough style, using marker pens and a very sketchy drawing technique, so that the pictures are constantly moving. This effect, known to animators as "boiling", gives an energetic character to the show, and was a contrast to the slick, smooth colouring of the imported Hanna-Barbera shows that were being widely shown on British television. The series was voiced by actor Richard Briers and the famous theme tune was written by Johnny Hawksworth. It was the first fully animated television series to be made in the United Kingdom. The series was later shown in reruns on the American children's television series Eureeka's Castle on Nickelodeon.
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