T-Bag

For the Prison Break character, see Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell.

Not to be confused with Tea bag.

T-Bag
Format	Supernatural / Fantasy drama
Starring	Elizabeth Estensen Georgina Hale John Hasler Kellie Bright Diana Barrand Jennie Stallwood Evelyn Sweeney Natalie Wood Bea Julakasiun
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	9 plus 4 Christmas Specials
No. of episodes	91 x 20 minutes, 3 x 25 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	ITV Network (CITV)
Original run	4 April 1985 – 16 November 1992

T-Bag is a witch-like character who appears in a television series that ran from the mid 1980s to early 1990s on Children's ITV. Written by Grant Cathro and Lee Pressman, each series has a different title and features a single story told over several episodes.

History

The programme was first broadcast on 4 April 1985. From 1985 to 1989, the original T-Bag is Tallulah Bag, played by Elizabeth Estensen. In 1990, Elizabeth Estensen left the show and Tallulah Bag was replaced by her sister Tabatha Bag, played by Georgina Hale. Coincidentally, both actresses subsequently had roles on the ITV soap Emmerdale.

Plot

Both sisters obtain magical powers by drinking tea made from the 'High T-Plant' and both are incapable of brewing it properly themselves, requiring an assistant (T-Shirt) to do it for them. In return, T-Bag shares her magical powers with T-Shirt (Thomas Shirt), played by John Hasler throughout the series. He started as a small child in the early series, and grew up on screen until he towered above Georgina Hale by the time the final series ended in 1992. T-Shirt is presented as T-Bag's constant companion, part harassed surrogate son, part household servant. T-Bag and T-Shirt's magical powers, (rather limited, owing to cheap 1980's special effects) mostly consist of conjuring objects out of thin air when needed, sending objects elsewhere and teleporting across time and space instantaneously. T-Bag triggers her teleport ability by clicking her fingers. T-Shirt finds finger clicking too difficult and blinks instead.

Sally Simpkins

T-Shirt

The premise of each series involves various items hidden across time and space with T-Bag and the heroine both trying to find them. Debbie Carter, played by Jennie Stallwood, is the heroine of the first three series. Diana Barrand took over for series four as child television presenter Holly Anna Jones. Kellie Bright, who later appeared in The Upper Hand and The Archers, played Sally Simpkins in series five and six plus a Christmas special. In T-Bag and the Rings of Olympus, the heroine is the Goddess Athena's handmaiden, Polyzena, or Polly, played by Natalie Wood. In T-Bag and the Sunstones of Montezuma, Archeologist's daughter; Penny Hunt is played by Evelyn Sweeney. Typically, each episode also features two non-regular cast members to progress the story.

Each episode has a different setting in which the magical item is hidden. These are often historical settings or settings from folklore or literature, such as ancient Egypt, ancient Rome, Renaissance Italy and Elizabethan England or Tom Sawyer's American South, Robin Hood's Sherwood Forest, or a French Foreign Legion station in North Africa which owes something to Beau Geste. Sometimes historical figures such as Napoleon, Leonardo da Vinci or Queen Elizabeth I make a guest appearance. Thus, there is an educational element to the show, although these settings and characters are always treated lightly rather than with great accuracy.

Series

The series titles and broadcast dates are given below:

Title	Year of broadcast	Series on IMDb
Wonders in Letterland	(1985)	[1]
T-Bag Strikes Again	(1986)	[2]
T-Bag Bounces Back	(1987)	[3]
Turn on to T-Bag	(1988)	[4]
T-Bag's Christmas Cracker	(1988)	[5]
T-Bag and the Revenge of the T-Set	(1989)	[6]
T-Bag's Christmas Carol	(1989)	[7]
T-Bag and the Pearls of Wisdom	(1990)	[8]
T-Bag's Christmas Ding Dong	(1990)	[9]
T-Bag and the Rings of Olympus	(1991)	[10]
T-Bag's Christmas Turkey	(1991)	[11]
T-Bag and the Sunstones of Montezuma	(1992)	[12]
Take Off with T-Bag	(1992)	[13]

A new DVD, T-Bag: The Reunion Documentary, featuring interviews with many principal cast and crew members was released on 17 September 2007, through UK based company Fantom Films. In December 2008 it was broadcast on Film24.

In May 2010, Revelation Films announced plans to release the series on DVD, with the first series released on 8 November 2010, the second series was released on 24 January 2011 and the third series was released on 2 May 2011. Revelation Films have confirmed that the fourth series will be released on 8 August 2011. Pre-order listings have also started to appear for series five (tentively scheduled for 7 November 2011). Revelation Films have also confirmed on their website that the entire collection will be released in a boxset in January 2012.

Reception

The Guardian described the show as '...time travel drama somewhere between Doctor Who and Blackadder^{[citation needed]}

External links

• The High-T Website Fan website with video clips, image galleries, merchandise info, cast biographies and Nitpicker's Guide.
• The T-Room Including sound and video clips; episode guides etc.
• Fantom Films Information about the reunion DVD
• Classic Kids TV Classickidstv page on T-Bag.