Toonhound - Alias the Jester (1986)

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Alias the Jester        (1986)

   producers: Cosgrove Hall for Thames TV
  animation: cel animation
    episodes: 13 x 10 minutes

   "Alias the Jester was a time-traveller bold..."

  According to the title track, Alias the Jester was a time-traveller bold, by sheer
    bad luck his ship got caught in the earth's magnetic hold. Which was just as well,
    really, because it meant we got thirteen cracking episodes of an oft-forgotten
    Cosgrove Hall classic which went on to earn itself a shining gold star next to
    its entry in the Big Book Of Cult TV...

    Alias and his green doggy pet Boswell actually crashlanded in the realm of
    Houghton Bottoms, whereupon he took on gainful employment as Court Jester
    to King Arthur and Queen Edith and made friends with Meredith the muddlesome
    wizard and magician, a feeble knight called Sir Pinkly, and the blue-haired
    Princess Amaranth. When trouble brewed around the castle (which was all
    too often) Alias would don his nippy red suit and attempt to save the day.
    Our alien-visitor-turned-fool saved the castle folk from the machinations of
    The Black Najjer, Erik the Brainless and a shaggy Beast, who had a
    scheme to steal the heart of Princess Amaranth with the aid of a
    perilously perfumed plant. But despite his brave feats, Alias had an
    unfortunate habit of putting his foot in it. His good deeds would regularly
    backfire, or worse, he'd come out with an ill-conceived quip in front
    of his employers. And that meant we'd conclude each tale with an
    inevitable"firing" from King Arthur:

        "Jester!"
      "Yes, Your Majesty?"
      "You're fired!"
      "Yes, Your Majesty!
      Thank you, Your Majesty!"

    That title track, by the way, was written by Keith Hopwood and Malcolm Rowe of
    Pluto Music. Keith was formerly a member of that legendary combo Herman's
    Hermits. The Alias theme was Pluto's first outing for Cosgrove Hall, who've since
    written themes for Wind in the Willows, The BFG, and their "Discworld"
    adaptations, and much more besides...

      Awards

      1986 BAFTA - Best Animation

     Episode titles

    Alias the Jester                              Monster of the Lake
    The Ring                                       Magic Metal
    The Amazing Dancing Bear               The Lost Ark
    The Viking Airship                           Revenge of the Najjer
    Ready When you are, King Arthur!     Fiery Fred
    The Giant's Visit                            Amaranth and the Beast
    The Walking Island

     Broadcast info

     The series premiered on ITV, on 13th November 1985...

     Alias the Jester on DVD

    Alias the Jester
                Region 2 / Delta / January 2006

     Most Wanted Classic Kids TV
                "The Viking Airship" is included in this Cosgrove Hall
                compilation disc produced by Fremantle Home Ent.

    Cosgrove Hall productions

    producers:             Brian Cosgrove, Mark Hall
    exec producer:      John Hambley
    director:                Chris Randall
    writer:                   Brian Trueman
    music:                   Keith Hopwood, Malcolm Rowe
    asst director:         Jean Flynn
    prod supervisor:     Bob Burrows
    layout:                  Chris Randall
    storyline:               Chris Randall
    animation:             Dan Whitworth, Denise Heywood,
                                 Andy Wilson, Phil McMylor
    backgrounds:         Margaret Riley
    special fx:              Roy A Huckerby
    painting:                Lorraine Thomas, Bev Phillips,
                                 Yascha Huckerby, Jackie Mitchell,
                                 Karen Brumell, Lesley Scott
                                 Edmund Williams, Sue Halliwell,
                                 Judy Ringrose, Jane Storey,
                                 Andrea Hancock, Lynne Hardie,
                                 Gloria Vassilou, Tony McAleese,
                                 Stephen Simpson, Mark Roney
    camera:                 Frank Hardie, Wendy Senior,
                                 Peter Kidd, Phil Atack,
                                 Mark Sutton
    editing:                  Nigel Rutter, Nibs Senior,
                                 Zyggy Markiewicz
    voices:                   Richard Briers (Alias)
                                 Brian Wilde (Meredith)
                                 Brian Trueman (King Arthur)
                                 Jimmy Hibbert (Boswell)
                                 Myfanwy Talog (Amaranth)

      On the web

      Pluto Music
      Info here on the sound studio owned and operated by Keith Hopwood
      and Malcolm Rowe, who wrote that darned-fine Alias theme...

      Cosgrove Hall Ate My Brain
      Wow! - Nyanko's big bright scrolling page is a star. It's stuffed with info,
      facts, images and more. Click around there for everything else Cosgrove
      Hall-based you could possibly ask for too...

      Little Gems
      More info here from the Gems....

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