Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk

*Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk*
Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk
Genre	Animated
Created by	Grange Calveley
Voices of	Richard Briers ; Peter Hawkins
Theme music composer	Peter Gosling
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	30
Production
Producer	Bob Godfrey
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	5 minutes
Original release
Network	BBC1; Carlton Kids (1998–2000)
Release	13 September 1976 –; 1977

Noah and Nelly in... SkylArk is a British children's animated television series produced by Bob Godfrey's Movie Emporium.^[1] it was broadcast on BBC1 on 13 September 1976 to 1977.

Introduction

Noah and Nelly was created by Grange Calveley, writer of the earlier and better known Roobarb cartoon. The five-minute films depict a world loosely based around Noah's Ark. However, Calveley's surreal interpretation involves two-headed talking animals reminiscent of the pushmi-pullyu known to Doctor Dolittle. Each animal has a cheerful, optimistic head at one end and an unhappy, pessimistic head at the other. Even the SkylArk itself is a longship with a figurehead at either end, one smiling, the other frowning. Although there is only one animal of each type, they are referred to in the plural, as in "Brian the lions" and "Rose the elephants". As with the earlier Roobarb, the main narration is provided by British actor Richard Briers. However, co-narrator Peter Hawkins manages to find a different and appropriate voice for each of the many animals.

Story

The story follows roughly the same pattern in each episode. Captain Nutty Noah consults his map – which is completely blank except for a compass marking in the top right-hand corner – and randomly picks out a place to visit. The SkylArk is then shown travelling to its destination by balloon, on wheels, underwater with snorkelling figureheads, or occasionally even by sea. On arriving at their destination, the SkylArk's crew find various strange inhabitants such as talking television sets who are suffering some kind of problem they can't solve themselves (for example, the television sets are stuck showing the news over and over again and getting bored). The animals often help in some way, but the day is invariably saved by Noah's wife Nelly, who uses her knitting skills to create machines which solve the problem in some way. Nelly knits everything from drilling rigs to crash helmets; her supply of wool seems almost inexhaustible, but she occasionally has to unravel the ship's sails when she runs out.

Episodes

During a Savings Week
During the Time We Were Here
During Tea
During a Long Time Ago
During a Stay at Reservoir Desert
During Something and Nothing
During a Smashing Time
During a Very Damp Spell
During a Steam Up
During a Flower Show
During a Wail of a Time
During a Sweep Stake
During a Very Funny Day
During a Visit to the Theatre
During One Afternoon
During a Picnic
During a Frame-Up
During a Journey Abroad
During a Splashing Time
During a Wild Day
During a Jumpy Time
During a Quiet Time
During a String of Events
During a Stay at Clockwork Canyon
During a Very High Flight
During Lunch
During a Reading Lesson
During a Fishing Holiday
During a Seasonal Time
During a Strange Time

Home releases

The series was released on two VHS tapes in the mid-1990s.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ Sheridan, Simon (2004). The A-Z of Classic Children's Television: From Alberto Frog to Zebedee. Reynolds & Hearn Ltd. pp. 190–192. ISBN 1903111277.

External links

[1] Sheridan, Simon (2004). The A-Z of Classic Children's Television: From Alberto Frog to Zebedee. Reynolds & Hearn Ltd. pp. 190–192. ISBN 1903111277.

[1]