The Raggy Dolls, the 1987 animated series
The Raggy Dolls is a 1986-1994 British cartoon series originally broadcast on ITV. The series is set in Mr. Grimes' toy factory, where imperfect dolls are thrown into a discard bin. While not observed by human eyes, the dolls come to life and come out of the discarded basket for adventures. The series was designed to encourage children to think positively about physical disabilities. 112 episodes were produced.
History
The series was produced for Yorkshire Television from 3 April 1986 to 20 December 1994. It was produced by Melvyn Jacobson, with scripts, narration and music by Neil Innes. Yorkshire Television produced the first two series of The Raggy Dolls before awarding the commission to Orchid Productions Limited in 1987.
This was the first Yorkshire Television program commissioned by an independent production company. Orchid Productions went on to produce over 100 more episodes of the series. The initial animator for Yorkshire TV was Roy Evans. Following the move to Orchid Productions, Mark Mason took on the role, animating and storyboarding for 26 episodes, and directing the storyboard and directing other animators on another 26 episodes before moving on to work on other children's shows.
He was replaced by Peter Hale from the 7th series onwards. The series has been sold overseas to numerous other countries.
Characters
The Raggy Dolls
Sad Sack - A sample of a design deemed too expensive for mass production; his appearance is somewhat different from that of the others. He is the oldest of the seven Raggy Dolls in the Trash. As his name suggests, he is very somber and cynical, but still appreciates his friendship with other dolls.
Dotty - Being the eldest alongside the lethargic Sad Sack, she considers herself the leader of the group and is often very bossy. She is so named because she accidentally got paint stained on her hair and clothes. Dotty's main slogan is: "Good thinking!"
Hi-Fi - Converse with stuttering due to his fall during tests. It was also stated in the episode "The Trouble with Claude" that he was wired incorrectly, hence the stutter. He always wears headphones, which allow him to tune into radio and communication signals from seemingly any source.
Lucy - Its limbs are inadequately attached with nylon thread. She is shy and easily scared, but always kindhearted and loyal to her friends. She can be brave at times, as she is first seen in the episode "Ghosts". You speak with a Derbyshire accent.
Back-To-Front - She's a do-it-all doll with her head turned back (because the manufacturer put her head in the wrong direction) and a love of machines. Always calm in a crisis, Back-To-Front's slogan is “No problem!”.
Claude - A French doll, which, unlike her companions, is actually perfect in everything. He fell out of a box of dolls shipped to France and was left behind, put in the bin for lack of other places. She speaks with a French accent and sometimes alternates between English and French. He also has a remarkable talent for cooking.
Princess - She was supposed to be a beautiful princess doll, but the machine accidentally cut her hair and left her dress in rags. In the manner of a typical aristocrat, her voice is characterized by the addition of H. As the opening credits indicate, Princess is the youngest of the original seven Raggy Dolls.
Ragamuffin - A wandering traveler doll who had lost her owner and decided to spend her life admiring new sights and experiences. Introduced in the fifth series.
Friends
Pumpernickle - A scarecrow friend of the Raggy Dolls.
Edward - Mr. Grimes's lost teddy bear who becomes a good friend of the Raggy Dolls.
Mr Marmalade - Mr. Grimes's pet cat who has a playful trait.
Hercules - An old farm horse.
Rupert the Roo - An Australian toy kangaroo that was shipped from Australia until he became a new friend of the Raggy Dolls.
Natasha - A Russian doll purchased by Mrs. Grimes.
Human
Mr Oswald "Ozzie" Grimes - The owner of the toy factory.
Cynthia - She appeared later in the series to be the love interest of Mr. Grimes and later his wife.
Florrie Fosdyke - The kind but forgetful in charge of the factory canteen.
Farmer Brown - The farmer from One Pin Farm.
Ethel Grimes - Mr. Grimes's sister.
Oz and Boz - Ethel's rude children (and Mr. Grimes's grandchildren), known as the terrible twins.
Episodes
1 Season
1 The flying machine The Raggy Dolls see a radio-controlled airplane flying overhead and, when it crashes, they decide to repair it and fly into it.
2 The Big Top The Raggy Dolls wind up inside a circus tent and perform stunts as they try to get out.
3 The race of the pigeons While Hi Fi and Back-to-Front are out for a walk, they encounter a carrier pigeon who got injured while tangled in some electrical wires and go to help him, with the help of the other dolls.
4 War of the wizards With Back-to-Front's magic tricks out of order, the Hi-Fi uses its metal detector to discover a chest that holds a real book of magic, in which Back-to-Front uses to fix its head, but soon the book creates problems.
5 The special offer The Raggy Dolls were brought to a toy store in London and were made as special offers to anyone who buys a video game. However, despite this new life, they did not want to give up their friendship when they were bought individually, which happens when Lucy was bought by a rich girl.
6 The Litter Bugs After Sad Sack is chased by a duckling, the Raggy Dolls discover that the quiet area of a field they are in is littered with a distracted family on a picnic.
7 The Dark Wood When they visit the Dark Wood, the Raggy Dolls realize that the wood is in danger from a poacher.
8 The funfair A man named Toby Martin came and took the Raggy Dolls to a carnival; they were then put on hooks as prizes for the shy coconut. However, when they saw the coconuts being hit by the balls, they soon see that there is something funny about Toby Martin.
9 Too many cooks Claude is a great cook for the Raggy Dolls, but when he saw Florrie Fosdyke making a cake for the competition at the factory, he was disgusted by her meager efforts. So the gang decides to help her by replacing her with an even better cake.
10 After the storm After a storm passes, the Raggy Dolls go to find Pumpernickle, but find him on the ground. They also note that Farmer Brown is not around to help the animals and, with the help of the shepherd dog Rufus, they find him stuck in an old mining pit and help rescue him.
11 Christmas Dolls One snowy Christmas Eve, the Raggy Dolls decided to sled in the snow, but poor Sad Sack meanwhile wished he were still in bed. And they end up bumping into the doors of a children's hospital, where they become temporary Christmas gifts for sick children.
12 Trouble with Claude After hearing about a French week held at the Bunce Emporium, the Raggy Dolls decided to go there to check it out, but as they did, Claude got into a lot of trouble when he walked away. From there he gets lost and meets another French doll called Babette.
13 Happy Binday She is Princess' binday and she feels she is being ignored as her friends make preparations in secret. She decides to reward them with a flight to Owl.
2 Season
14 The genius An American artist, Andre G. Hamburger needs inspiration for his new work and takes Dotty and Back-to-Front. Only when Hi-Fi rescues them do they end up making his art even more famous.
15 Speak French Claude teaches Raggy Dolls French. At first he tries the Princess, then the rest of the Raggy Dolls except Sad Sack, who he thought was silly, until he stumbles upon a tormented French doll in an apple tree.
16 The Swan in Winter The Raggy Dolls find a Swan in distress on a cold winter night and decide to help him.
17 The terrible twins Mr. Grimes's nephews come to visit him for the weekend and cause problems not only for him but also for the Raggy Dolls.
18 Sports day The Raggy Dolls were organizing a sports day and everyone is having fun, except poor Sad Sack.
19 To the rescue The Raggy Dolls help repair a doll they find dumped in the landfill.
20 Spring toys Mr Grimes is running out of ideas and it is up to the Raggy Dolls to find more to make his business work.
21 Trip to the sea Mr. Grimes goes to the beach for his vacation, followed by the Raggy Dolls.
22 The Royal Tour Princess feels like she isn't real enough, so the Raggy Dolls dress her up like royalty and take her on a royal tour around the countryside, but things don't go according to plan when her crown is stolen by a magpie and a ferocious bull sees his red dress.
23 Onion soup Claude gets into trouble when he searches for the onion soup, made by Florrie, and ends up being put in a saucepan.
24 Moving house Dotty decides the dolls should move to a new home. But when night falls and a thunderstorm occurs, she climbs inside a tree for shelter. When the other Raggy Dolls hear that she is in trouble, they build a raft and go to the rescue.
25 factory mice After giving a little mouse some of their picnic food, the Raggy Dolls tell him where they got it. The next day, the factory is overrun with a huge pile of rats and now they have to find a way to get rid of them.
26 A trip to France The Raggy Dolls set sail on a toy boat and you end up getting lost in the sea. They reach a beach that Claude thinks is France and camp there before returning home. Eventually, Dotty discovers that they were on an island in the middle of the sea.
3 Season
27 Hot air balloon One day, the Raggy Dolls were enjoying watching the clouds, then he was disturbed when a hot air balloon landed in the large field. The pilot left a boy in charge and while looking for help, the boy accidentally climbed up and passed out as the balloon took off in the strong wind, and it is up to them to save the boy.
28 Ghosts One night, Lucy wanted to be brave for once, she succeeded when she and the other Raggy Dolls met with ghostly skeletons Raggy Dolls.
29 The tree house The Raggy Dolls decided to build a tree house as a gathering place, but while they were building they noticed that a magpie was stealing jewelry from Mr. Grimes' toy factory.
30 The Memory Machine Claude had an idea to get all the Raggy Dolls to dance for the evening, and while they were planning to do so, they later found a Memory Machine with the wrong answers in the wastebasket. They managed to fix it, in exchange by lighting up the nightclub.
31 Doll Overboard The Raggy Dolls decided to go sailing, only to have a bad time with the speedboats.
32 The unfortunate hedgehog One fall, the Raggy Dolls decided to camouflage their treehouse, but as they were gathering things, they eventually found a stubborn hedgehog, living in a bonfire where it would soon be lit.
33 Easter bunny The Raggy Dolls find out what happens when a greedy rabbit has too many chocolate eggs.
34 In Days of Old Sad Sack was having trouble drawing a picture, so he decided to read a book about a magic sword, which made him have the most incredible dream of his life.
35 Old Clock soft toys Lady Grimes are getting a green light. The Raggy Dolls find themselves thrown into a dumpster and taken to the city dump. A poor old woman visits the landfill in search of junk items to sell so that she can earn some money to buy food and drink. She sees the Raggy Dolls in the dumpster and takes them home with her.
In exchange for her kindness, the Raggy Dolls help the old lady by fixing all the broken watches she has so that she can sell them.
36 Peace and quiet It was a quiet day in their new tree house until they were interrupted by jets and airplanes.
37 We don't have fun The Raggy Dolls found an amusement park but quickly found out it's not fun at all.
38 The lost puppy Mr Grimes took care of his sister's mischievous puppy as the Raggy Dolls soon noticed him getting into all sorts of trouble and getting lost.
39 Horse Sense One day, The Raggy Dolls found something odd in Big Field, which turns out to be Horse Jumps for a Welsh Pony, belonging to farmer Brown's daughter who later got into an accident. The Raggy Dolls come to the rescue, once again.
4 Season
40 The terrible storm After the terrible storm was brewing, the Raggy Dolls have to repair their new tree house.
41 The stolen parrot The Raggy Dolls must help a parrot that was kidnapped by poachers.
42 crazy wave Mr. Grimes had found a game of golf, so the Raggy Dolls must play crazy golf for themselves.
43 Pumpernickle party The Raggy Dolls try to help Pumpernickle by scaring all the crows.
44 So the terrible twin nieces of Safari Mr. Grimes were on a trip to the zoo while the Raggy Dolls followed him with the help of the other animals.
45 Grimacing Deciding to cheer Sad Sack, the Raggy Dolls had put on a puppet show to make him believe himself.
46 The old windmill The Raggy Dolls had found an old windmill as soon as they discovered it.
47 The little workhorse The rag dolls who met a little draft horse who doesn't know who he is with a little help from Hercules the farm horse.
48 Making jam The Raggy Dolls were all picking wild apples and blackberries and decide to make jam with them.
49 The Teddy Bear Picnic While the Raggy Dolls were having a picnic lunch, they encounter Mr. Grimes's long-lost teddy bear named Old Edward, who had long since disappeared while trying to help him.
50 Mr Marmalade The Raggy Dolls had had enough of Mr Marmalade's tricks after he scared them, on their way to the factory, they were terrified of a mouse so Mr. Marmalade tries to save them by scaring the mouse.
51 Treasure Hunt Mr Marmalade and the Raggy Dolls had provided them with clues as they searched for hidden treasure.
52 Rupert the Roo Sad Sack had met a toy kangaroo, Rupert the Roo who was shipped from Australia, so the Raggy Dolls try to help him before returning to Australia.
5 Season
53 The witch is which one? When a witch tries to ruin their Halloween party, the other Raggy Dolls think her magic is the surprise laser show promised by Back-To-Front and Hi-Fi, and their laughter drives the witch away. When the boys explain that their show didn't work out, the Raggy Dolls make sure to laugh all the way home.
54 Bonfire night The Raggy Dolls explain to Claude the meaning of November 5th and set off to watch the fireworks display. Claude is captured by some guys who are planning their own bonfire in an abandoned paint factory. They tie Claude to a rocket and light their bonfire, oblivious to the sparks, which set the factory on fire. Hi-Fi calls the firefighters, but before a spark arrives, it detonates the boys' fireworks box and drives them away. In the hustle and bustle, the Raggy Dolls free Claude, just before a spark ignites the rocket.
55 Rainbow's End Princess discovers that good friends are worth more than a whole pot of gold.
56 Lost in Space The Raggy Dolls have been abducted by some aliens and the Hi-Fi befriends an alien who stutters just like him.
57 Roman Ramblers The Raggy Dolls hike, but get lost in the scorching sun. Fortunately, the Romans left some signs at hand to help them find their way. Sad Sack dreams that they are all back to Roman times.
58 The great expedition The Raggy Dolls were in the jungle and encounter a lone gorilla.
59 The Twitcher The Raggy Dolls finds out who the Twitcher is.
60 Too overbearing Dotty learns a valuable lesson about being bossy today.
61 The toy fair The Raggy Dolls were at the toy fair and the monkey wreaks havoc and takes over the shop.
62 Ragamuffin The Raggy Dolls meets Ragamuffin, a wandering traveling doll who had lost her owner and has decided to spend her life observing new sights and experiences of her adventures.
63 Grand Prix Dolls Ragamuffin and the Raggy Dolls were playing Grand Prix.
64 affectionate farewells The Raggy Dolls gives Ragamuffin a tearful goodbye.
65 Doctor Dolls The Raggy Dolls played doctors and nurses.
6 Season
66 Old fashioned dolls Raggy dolls teach Edward old-fashioned things from the past.
67 Lady luck The Raggy Dolls meets a mysterious woman called Lady Luck who takes them on an adventure they will never forget.
68 Invisible dolls Raggy dolls are invisible today.
69 The great outdoors The Raggy Dolls decide to hitchhike with Mr. Grimes when he goes camping. After setting up homemade tents and sleeping bags, they notice that a climber is in trouble. The Raggy Dolls come to the rescue.
70 The boomerang games Rupert teaches the Raggy Dolls how to use a boomerang.
71 Down to the farm The Raggy Dolls and Rupert the Roo were having a good time in One Pin Farm.
72 The lonely echo While in the countryside, the Raggy Dolls encounter a lonely cliff.
73 Homeward Bound The Raggy Dolls learn that there is no place like home.
74 railway dolls The Raggy Dolls have fun at the station.
75 Windy weather The wind brings a young crow out of the nest. With the help of Back-To-Front's kite and a helpful cow, the Raggy Dolls manage to bring him back to the top of the tree.
76 Purple diamonds When the Raggy Dolls dig into a problem rock they think they have discovered precious purple diamonds. They dream of what they would do with their wealth, until Mr. Marmalade, the factory cat, explains that he is only amethyst and is worth very little.
77 The giant hornet Mr. Grimes's sister leaves the terrible twins Oz and Boz with Mr. Grimes. She suggests they collect bugs to study, but when the Raggy Dolls discover they've trapped the bugs in a jar with no vents, they disguise Sad Sack as a giant hornet to teach the twins a lesson.
78 The return of the Roo The Raggy Dolls were thrilled when Rupert returns from Australia.
7 Season
80 The Royal County Show The Raggy Dolls and Rupert the Roo are at the Royal County Show.
81 Open Day The Raggy Dolls and Rupert the Roo went to the Open Day with excellent results.
82 The city carnival The Raggy Dolls are at the city carnival with over the top results.
83 Cave dolls Raggy Dolls dream of being in the stone age.
84 Barbecue dance The Raggy Dolls are having a barbecue dance and Claude asks Princess if she would like to dance.
85 High and dry sad Sack accidentally drives "The Spirit of Adventure" into a sandbar, but this leads him to discover a secret cave on the beach.
86 Dolls on Wheels Hi-Fi and Back to Front build a skateboard, but have a hard time finding the right wheels for the job. Rupert the Roo brings them the wheels of Mr. Grimes' tea cart. Sad Sack doubts these are the best wheels for a skateboard and it looks like he might be right.
87 Sad Cave Smugglers Sack befriends the ghost of the fisherman who tells the stories of the seven seas.
88 William the Conker The Raggy Dolls play conker.
89 Bonnie ScotlandMore The Raggy Dolls travel to Scotland.
90 In the city The Raggy Dolls were going to London with Ragamuffin.
91 Danger, men at work During the London holidays, there is trouble for the Raggy Dolls and the workers.
92 Sight Seeing Dolls The Raggy Dolls travel to London with their friend Ragamuffin.
8 Season
93 Robot After Florrie went shopping, Mr. Grimes hired a robot to do the hard work while the Raggy Dolls tried to come up with a plan to get Florrie back.
94 Mister Mole The Raggy Dolls met a mole during their picnic lunch together.
95 The empty house During rehearsals on an airplane until she landed on an empty house, when the Raggy Dolls try to find her before flying home with an owl.
96 Mon Repose Mr. Grimes was having a vacation by the sea, but it doesn't work at all when the Raggy Dolls try to help people not be swept away by the sea.
97 The monkey on the run The Raggy Dolls have made their plans to catch a mischievous monkey.
98 Lucy's greenhouse When snails eat cabbage in Lucy's garden, the Raggy Dolls build her a greenhouse. Overwhelmed by the heat she dreams of, she shrinks and encounters many strange plants and insects. The Raggy Dolls save her, but she realizes that parasites must eat too.
99 The horrible princesses Three haughty princesses make fun of Princess, but the Raggy Dolls convince them that a terrible wizard is on their trail so they can teach them a lesson.
100 The city gala The Raggy Dolls watch Cynthia and Mr. Grimes skydive through the city gala.
101 Mr. Grimes in love The Raggy Dolls decide to write a love letter to Mr. Grimes thinking it was from Cynthia Popplethwaite.
102 Wedding bells Mr. Grimes is too shy to declare his feelings to Cynthia Popplethwaite, so the Raggy Dolls play Cupid. When Mr. Grimes and Cynthia get married, he takes the Raggy Dolls with him to the cottage so they can all live happily ever after.
9 Season
103 In honeymoon The Raggy Dolls were very proud of Mr. Grimes after he got married to Mrs. Grimes until they decided to go on their honeymoon as the Raggy Dolls followed them in their suitcase.
104 A cruise in the Mediterranean When they arrived in Spain on a cruise ship, Princess was captured by a monkey, so it was up to the Raggy Dolls to rescue her before returning to the cruise ship with the help of the seagulls.
105 Stormy weather The Raggy Dolls decided to have a kiddie pool to swim in when the weather came and it worked very well for the Raggy Dolls.
106 When in Rome When they arrive in Italy, the Raggy Dolls try to help the Italian stray cat by finding the lost kitten.
107 Just a Minotaur While inside the Secret Temple leaving chips and peanuts for a trail until they find a lizard who knew the way out until the Minotaur was just Mr. Grimes carrying a bicycle thanks to one of Back's funny jokes -to-Front on them.
108 Rami's eyes When they went to Egypt, the Raggy Dolls were tricked by a Scorpio until they met an Egyptian princess doll named Shehabi who helped them find the emeralds for the eyes of the Princess Rami statue before she magically guided them home to the trash can.
109 Elephants forget The rag dolls and Mr. Marmalade help the baby elephant trying to remember everything by frightening him with the help of a mouse that Mr. Marmalade had captured.
110 What is the time? The Raggy Dolls try to help Sad Sack remember that the time has come.
111 The Russian doll Natasha, a seven-year-old Russian doll in the care of Mrs. Grimes, befriends the dolls Raggy, Rupert the Roo and Old Edward.
112 bored The final episode of the series sees Rupert the Roo bored of Natasha and Old Edward, so he decides to join the Raggy Dolls with a ride on a boat until they find out that some famous actresses and actors were filming on the bridge of the pond water just there. 'they saw, the actor threw him off the bridge and Rupert discovers he was no longer bored.
Technical data
Gender Fantasy, family, comedy, adventure
Author Melvyn Jacobson
Developed by John Walker
Written by Neil innes
Music Neil innes
country of origin UK
Original language English
Serial No. 9
No. of episodes 112
The executive producer John marsden
The manufacturer Jo Kemp / Neil Molyneux / Joy Whitby
Duration 11 minutes
Production company Yorkshire Television (1986-1994), Orchid Productions (1987-1994)
Distributor ITV Studios
Original network ITV Network / CITV
Image format 4:3
Original release date April 3, 1986 - December 20, 1994
