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Cloppa Castle DVDs (Region 2)
Cloppa Castle - Complete Series (DVD)Cloppa Castle - Complete Series

Cloppa Castle - Complete Series 1

Cloppa Castle - Complete Series 2 (DVD)Cloppa Castle - Complete Series 2

 

Cloppa Castle DVDs (Region 1 - USA)
No Region 1 DVDs available on general release, at the moment.
 
Episodes
Series 1 (1977)
1. Spring is Sprung
2. It's a Gift
3. The Bruda Banga
4. A Champion for Tizzibell
5. Caught in a Jam
6. A State of Emergency
7. Off Duty!
8. Besieged, Bothered and Bewildered
9. A Cold to Catch a Thief
10. No Laughing Matter
11. Red Herring Chase
12. The Good Ship Ethelbruda
13. Muldin Muddles Through
14. You're Fire Cue-ee-Dee
15. Bees in their Bonnets
16. The Frog Prince Caper
17. White Elephant
18. Ups and Downs
19. Celebration
20. Spellbound
21. Idelbone's Idleness Pays Off
22. It's the Real Thing
23. Sent to Coventry
24. A Cuckoo Cook
25. Sheik's Charade
26. Time for a Change
 
Series 2 (1978)
1. The Blues
2. When You Gotta Grow, You Gotta Grow
3. Squatters Wrongs!
4. Water on the Brain.....
5. It’s a Monster!
6. A Fatal Attack of the Lovee Doves
7. Folkbangas For All!
8. Blow Your Own Trumpet!
9. A Big Heart Beats in a Small Frame
10. To The Victor the Spoils
11. The Call of the Cloppa Clarion
12. A Chain is as Good as a Rest
13. The Crusade That Never Was
14. Go to Blazes!
15. Doughnuts
16. The Pied Piper of Cloppa Castle
17. A Vulture for Culture
18. Operation Facelift
19. The Friendly Enemy
20. Young at Heart
21. Taters in the Mould
22. Clothes Maketh the Man
23. Oil for One and One for Oil
24. What Goes Up Must Come Down
25. Low Treason
26. A Complete Washout!
 
 
Cloppa Castle DVDs | Episode Guide | Interview with Mary Turner
 

Cloppa Castle

History

Cloppa Castle came to our TV screens in 1977.

The idea for the show came from John Read and Mary Turner (click to see our interview with Mary), who had previously been asked by ATV to make 'The Adventures of Rupert Bear' and 'Here Comes Mumfie' programmes, which had originated from existing Books.

John and Mary had their own idea for a show called Cloppa Castle and kept submitting their idea to ATV.  Eventually ATV gave them the green light to make it.

 

Two series of Cloppa Castle were made, consisting of a total of 52 episodes, each lasting 11 minutes. The characters were all puppets and the crew details can be found here.

Although John and Mary submitted another idea after this, ATV decided to revert back to existing books for programme inspiration and so were commissioned to make The Munch Bunch for them.

In 1998 Cloppa Castle puppets appeared in a 'Watch with Mother Exhibition' at Dudley in the West Midlands.

I would like to thank Mary Turner and John Read for their help with this page.

 
Each episode began with this theme tune - 
 
If you go down to Cloppa Castle be prepared to stay a while
The Bygones and the Hasbeenes always doing battle for the oil
The wealth they found beneath the ground has made the Bygones free
And everyday at three o'clock they all sit down to tea
Living in harmony, at Cloppa Castle
With the friendly enemy, at Cloppa Castle
Living in harmony, at Cloppa Castle
At Cloppa Castle

From the day the world was born man has had to make a stand
Over seas and over mountains battles rage across the land
A jolly bunch of chaps they are, the friendly Enemy
And everyday at three o'clock they all sit down to tea
Living in harmony, at Cloppa Castle
With the friendly enemy, at Cloppa Castle
Living in harmony, at Cloppa Castle
At Cloppa Castle
 

 

Story

Set in the Dark Ages, Cloppa Castle follows the adventures of groups of people - The Bygones and The Hasbeenes.

The Bygones live in Cloppa Castle and the Kingdom is ruled by King Woebegone and Queen Ethelbrudaa.  Although the real power is held by Queen Ethelbrudaa, who rules with a rod of iron and the King just does as he's told. 

The Hasbeenes are a group of rogues led by Beosweyne.

Both sides battled each other for the oil that was found under the castle by Cue-ee-Dee (the inventor).  It was more like The Bygones defending themselves from The Hasbeenes.

 

There is also her long-suffering husband, King Woebegone. Their children are appropriately named Prince Idelbone and Princess Tizzibel. Other inhabitants are Muldin, the befuddled magician, court jester - Jest-a-Minit, Cue-ee-Dee, the inventor, and Albrite the servantboy. Elbow heads the Queen's Bodyguard, with Osmosis, the pint-sized one always in trouble.

Cue-ee-Dee has discovered oil under the castle and invents all sorts of ways of using it. The army of Hasbeenes camped outside the castle are a party of rogues, headed by Beosweyne, whose main aim is to get their hand on the oil.

 
 
Queen Ethelbrudaa

She is the Queen of Cloppa Castle and keeps her husband in his place.  She likes to drive around her kingdon in the Brudabanga, which is a wooden horse contraption. She even has her initial as part of the Royal Crest!

 
 
King Woebegone

He is the downtrodden King of the kingdom, as his wife rules for him.

 
 
Princess Tizzibel

The Princess.

 
 
Prince Idlebone

The Prince.

 
 
Cue-ee-Dee

He is the Inventor in Cloppa Castle.  One of his most successful inventions was the Brudabanga, which the Queen likes.

 
 
Albrite

He is a Servant Boy of the Queen.

 
 
Osmosis

He is one of the most lovable characters in Cloppa Castle.  He stands guard at the front of Cloppa Castle. Most of the time he seem to get himself into trouble.

 
 
Elbow

He is head of the Queen's Guard and is always giving Osmosis a hard time.

 
 
Muldin

He is The Bygones Magician.

 
 
Jest-a-Minit

He is The Bygones Jester.

 
 

Beosweyne

He is the head of The Hasbeenes and is always trying to come up with ways to steal the Bygones Oil.

 
 
Hench

He is the second in command to Beosweyne and always seems to look on the bright side of life (NOT!!).

 
 

The rest of the Hasbeenes

Lead by Beosweyne, they always seem to be on the receiving end of all their schemes to get their hand on the oil. They also sit down with The Bygones at 3 O'clock and have tea!! (seems a bit too civilised to me).

 
 
Beosweyne is up to something OK lads here I go
   
Why has the boss got flowers? I thought you might like these
   
Thank you They try to cheer the King up
   
Oh No, the flowers made 
Osmosis Sleep
The King is suddenly unhappy,
I wonder why
   
I've heard a rumour that we
are under attack
Now, what can I invent to help us
- Eggs, yes that's it!
   
Get ready - throw!! And the winners are - The Bygones
   
Now we've captured them,
its time for tea
King Woebegone is escaping from
his Wife (poor man)
   
Albrite is spying on
the Hasbeenes
The Cast decide its time for a break