"They had always lived in the corners of the world, but
     suddenly there weren't many corners left..."
 

     Faced with imminent extinction, and guided by a mysterious handheld black
     box, the surviving members of an alien race of small people - Nomes - embark
     upon a quest to find a new home, safe from the unwelcome attentions of us
     destructive humans...

     Terry Pratchett's popular children's book is adapted into a splendid stop-motion
     series by the folk at Cosgrove Hall. Much of the detail and business of  TP's work
     is faithfully incorporated. Truckers' design and atmosphere is quite similar to that
     of the Bollex Brothers Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb, which was released a
     year later, in 1993 - even down to the "real-life" humans inserted into the
     animated world.

      

     There were plans afoot to adapt all three titles in Terry's Bromeliad Trilogy, but
     the projects were folded when Thames lost their broadcast franchise and,
     consequently, were forced to re-evaluate their relationship with Cosgrove Hall.
     In 1997 Cosgrove Hall adapted two of Terry's Discworld novels into animated
     form. "Wyrd Sisters" and "Soul Music" were animated using traditional cel
     techniques (with a smidgen of CGI)...

     big screen bromeliads

     In 2001 DreamWorks announced aquisition of screen rights to the Bromeliad
     Trilogy, and at one point Truckers was to have been turned into a CG feature
     from Andrew Adamson and Joe Stillman ("Shrek", etc). The film now
     appears to be developing upon live-action lines, with Sam "Spiderman" Raimi
     being a prominent attachment, last time the project surfaced...

 

     principal characters


                         

     Masklin
      A relucant leader, Masklin wears the worries of the world upon his brow....

     Grimma
     She's Masklin's right-hand and closest friend. She's akeen Nome, with
     a myriad of bright ideas...

     Granny Morkie & Old Torrit
     This aged Nome duo can still remember a brighter, happier past...
      
     Angalo
     A streetsmart Store Nome, Angalo is the son of the Duke de Haberdasheri.
     This savvy chap even keeps a rat on a lead, as a pet...

                         

      Dorcas
      A master technician, Dorcas keeps the Nomes' store home shipshape
      and up-to-speed. Clever Dorcas has even mastered the basics of electricity...

      Gurder
      Gurder is the dour aide to the Store Nomes' spritual leader, The Abbot.
      He takes his duty very seriously...
               
      The Abbot
      The spritual leader of the Store Nomes. The aged Abbot quotes liberally
      from The Book Of Nome and publically dismisses talk of the world Outside.
      But privately he harbours different thoughts...

      The Thing
      The Nomes' small black box is a precious artefact, feted as a prophet and
      guide for the small people. All are aghast when it snaps into life once more,
      upon arrival at Arnold Bros. Dept. Store...

 

      expanded storyline

      Truckers stars the principal Nome quartet of Masklin, Grimma, Granny Morkie
      and Old Torrit. When we first encounter them they are clutching perilously to
      their countryside existence, and an encounter with a savage fox almost seals
      their fate. Masklin takes the brave decision to take his tribe to a new home.
      They hitch a ride upon a rumbling truck in to town and, eventually, arrive at
      Arnold Bros. Dept. Store...

      The department store is teeming with Nome compatriots, but unfortunately
      they're an insular bunch lacking any knowledge of the world outside their
      building...

            

      The Store Nomes are lead by The Duke de Haberdasheri. He does not take 
      kindly to the new arrivals or their bizarre guiding black box, which Masklin and
      his friends refer to as 'The Thing' and which, strangely, has come to life again
      since their arrival at The Store. Still, the foursome find friendship with three new
      Nome faces, Angalo, Dorcas and Gurder - the latter being aide to an aged
      Abbot Nome, the Store Nomes' spritual guide who, like the Duke, consistently
      denies the prescence of the outside world too. But events soon conspire to
      turn the Store Nomes' realm on its head...
 
      First The Thing predicts the building's imminent destruction. Then our friends
      unearth the Big People's plans to demolish the place. Any lingering doubts
      are finally dispelled when, upon his deathbed, the Abbot urges Masklin to lead
      the Nomes to safety away from the Store and the humans who run it.

      A plan is hatched to steal a store lorry and drive themselves to a new home,
      and our friends set to persuading the other Store Nomes to join them. With
      Dorcas' technical skill, brilliant teamwork and co-ordination they do just that,
      coercing all of the Store Nomes in to the truck with them, ready to head to
      a new life...

      The series climax begins as the escaping Nomes are caught out by the
      arrival of a human. During the resulting confusion, the man's cigarette ignites
      a collection of fuel barrels and engulfs the building in flames. Arnold Bros.
      burns to the ground. The Nomes get out just in time, only to find a Police
      patrol car in hot pursuit of their stolen truck. Cleverly evading capture, Masklin
      and his friends steer the truck on to another new  Nome home, in an old
      stone quarry...

      Well. Home for now, anyway.

 

      broadcast info

      The series first premiered on ITV on 10th January 1992.
      It concluded its first run on 3rd April 1992...

      Episodes were given numerical titkles, so there are no  titles to share here.
      And each episode ended on a cliffhanger...

 

      Truckers by Terry Pratchett

      a Brian Cosgrove & Mark Hall production

      producer:             Jackie Cockle
     executive
      producer:              John Hambley
     director:               Jackie Cockle
     writer:                  Brian Trueman
                                 from Terry Pratchett's novels
     music:                  Colin Towns
     animators:            Andrea Lord, Paul Berry,
                                 Lloyd Price, Sue Pugh
     model characters
     constructed by:     Noel Baker, Colin Batty,
                                 Bridget Smith, Ian MacKinnon,
                                 Peter Bentley, Peter Saunders,
                                 Georgina Hayns, Stuart Sutcliffe,
                                 Marcia E Pidgeon, Patricia Brennan
     models, sets
     and props:            Graham G Maiden, Pippa Greenwood,
                                Paul Simpson, Richard Sykes,
                                Jeff Spain, Rick Kent,
                                Christine Keogh
     costume design:   Helen Plaumer
     costume makers:  Clare Elliott, Geraldine Corrigan
     art direction:         Bridget Appleby
     prod supervisor:    Christine Walker
     prod assistant:      Sian Thomas
     post-prod
      manager:              Chris Phillips
     
                                          with grateful thanks to
                                          West Pennine Trucks Ltd
                                          Lewis's Department Store Manchester

     model camera
     & lighting:             Joe Dembinski, Jerry Andrews,
                                 Mark Stewart
     rostrum camera:    Peter Kidd
     film editor:            Zyggy Markiewicz
     sound fx editor:     Jane kicks
     dubbing mixer:      John Wood
     voices:                  Joe McGann (Masklin)
                                  Debra Gillette (Grimma)
                                  John Jardine (Old Torrit)
                                  Rosalie Williams (Granny Morkie)
                                  Edward Kelsley (The Thing)
                                  Brian Trueman (additional)
                                  Jimmy Hibbert (additional)

 

      On the web


      Terry Pratchett
      The author's official site...