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The Raggy Dolls

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The Raggy Dolls
Title card
GenreFantasy
Children and family series
Comedy drama
Adventure
Created byMelvyn Jacobson
Developed byJohn Walker
Written byNeil Innes
Voices ofNeil Innes
Narrated byNeil Innes
Theme music composerNeil Innes
Opening themeRaggy Dolls, Dolls like you and me
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series9
No. of episodes112
Production
Executive producerJohn Marsden
ProducerJo Kemp / Neil Molyneux / Joy Whitby
Running time11 minutes
Production companiesYorkshire Television (1986–1994)
Orchid Productions (1987–1994)
Original release
NetworkITV (CITV)
Release3 April 1986 (1986-04-03) –
20 December 1994 (1994-12-20)

The Raggy Dolls is a 1986-1994 British cartoon series which originally aired on ITV. The series is set in Mr Grimes' Toy Factory, where imperfect dolls are thrown into a reject bin. While unobserved by human eyes, the dolls come to life and climb out of the reject bin to have adventures. The series was designed to encourage children to think positively about physical disabilities.[1] 112 episodes were produced.[2]

Production history

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The series was produced for Yorkshire Television from 3 April 1986 to 20 December 1994. It was created 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 programme Yorkshire Television commissioned from 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. After the move to Orchid Productions Mark Mason took over the role, animating and storyboarding 26 episodes, and storyboarding and directing other animators on a further 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 was sold abroad to a number of other countries.

Characters

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The Raggy Dolls

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  • Sad Sack – A sample of a design that was deemed too expensive to mass-produce; his appearance is somewhat different from that of the others. He is the oldest of the seven Raggy Dolls in the Reject Bin. As his name suggests, he is very gloomy and cynical, but he still values his friendship with the other dolls.
  • Dotty - As the oldest next to the lethargic Sad Sack, she sees herself as the leader of the group and is often very bossy. She is so named because she accidentally had paint spilt on her hair and clothing. Dotty's main catchphrase is: "Good thinking!"
  • Hi-Fi – He converses with stammer due to him being dropped during testing. It was also stated in the episode "The Trouble with Claude" that he was wired incorrectly, hence the stammer. He always wears headphones, which allow him to tune into radio and communication signals from seemingly any source.
  • Lucy – Her limbs are inadequately attached with nylon thread. She is shy and easily frightened, but always kind-hearted and loyal to her friends. She can be brave on occasion, as first seen in the episode "Ghosts". She speaks with a Derbyshire accent.
  • Back-To-Front – He is a handyman doll with a backward-facing head (as a result of the manufacturer putting his head on the wrong way round) and a love of machines. Always calm in a crisis, Back-To-Front's catchphrase is "No problem!".
  • Claude – A French doll, who, unlike his companions, is actually perfect in every way. He fell out of a box of dolls being shipped to France and was left behind, being put in the bin out of a lack of other places. He speaks with a French accent and sometimes alternates between speaking English and French. He also has a notable talent for cooking.
  • Princess – She should have been 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 characterised by H-adding. As the opening titles indicate, Princess is the youngest of the original seven Raggy Dolls.
  • Ragamuffin – A wandering traveller doll who had lost his owner and decided to spend his life taking in new sights and experiences. Introduced in the fifth series.[3]

Friends

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  • Pumpernickle – A Scarecrow who is a friend to the Raggy Dolls.
  • Edward – Mr Grimes's lost teddy bear who becomes a good friend to the Raggy Dolls.
  • Mr Marmalade – Mr Grimes's pet cat who has a playful trait.
  • Hercules – An old farmhorse.
  • Rupert the Roo – An Australian toy kangaroo who had been mailed from Australia until he had become a new friend to the Raggy Dolls.
  • Natasha – A Russian Doll bought by Mrs Grimes.

Humans

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  • Mr Oswald "Ozzie" Grimes – The owner of the toy factory.
  • Cynthia – Appeared later in the series to be Mr Grimes's love interest, and later wife.
  • Florrie Fosdyke – The kind but forgetful canteen manager of the factory.
  • Farmer Brown – The farmer of One Pin Farm.
  • Ethel Grimes – Mr Grimes's sister.
  • Old Mrs Grimes - Mr Grimes and Ethel's Mother
  • Oz and Boz – Ethel's badly-behaved sons (and Mr Grimes's nephews), known as the Terrible Twins.

Episodes

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Series overview

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SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1133 April 1986 (1986-04-03)26 February 1987 (1987-02-26)
21313 November 1987 (1987-11-13)28 September 1988 (1988-09-28)
31316 November 1988 (1988-11-16)30 August 1989 (1989-08-30)
4136 September 1989 (1989-09-06)30 August 1990 (1990-08-30)
5136 September 1990 (1990-09-06)20 December 1990 (1990-12-20)
6136 September 1991 (1991-09-06)13 December 1991 (1991-12-13)
7138 September 1992 (1992-09-08)8 December 1992 (1992-12-08)
81028 September 1993 (1993-09-28)7 December 1993 (1993-12-07)
91011 October 1994 (1994-10-11)20 December 1994 (1994-12-20)
Series 1
# Prod Air date Title Summary
1 101 3 April 1986 The Flying Machine The Raggy Dolls see a radio-controlled aeroplane fly overhead and, when it crash-lands, decide to fix it up and fly in it.
2 102 10 April 1986 The Big Top The Raggy Dolls wind up inside a circus tent and perform stunts as they try to make their way out.
3 103 17 April 1986 The Pigeon Race Whilst Hi-Fi and Back-to-Front are out for a walk, they meet a homing pigeon that has become injured whilst tangled on some electric wires and they go to help him, with the help of the other dolls.
4 104 24 April 1986 The War of the Wizards With Back-to-Front's magic tricks being out of practice, Hi-Fi uses his metal detector to uncover a chest that has a real magic book in it, in which Back-to-Front uses to fix his head, but the book soon causes problems.
5 105 1 May 1986 The Special Offer The Raggy Dolls were taken to a toy shop 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 being bought individually, which is what happens when Lucy had been bought by a rich girl.
6 106 8 May 1986 The Litter Bugs After Sad Sack gets chased by a duckling, the Raggy Dolls discover that the peaceful area of a field they are in is being littered by a careless family on a picnic.
7 201 20 November 1986 The Dark Wood When visiting the Dark Wood, the Raggy Dolls come to realise that the wood is under threat because of a poacher.
8 202 27 November 1986 The Funfair A man called Toby Martin came and took the Raggy Dolls to a Fun Fair; they were then put on hooks as prizes for the coconut shy. However, as they saw the coconuts get hit by the balls, they soon see that there is something funny about Toby Martin.
9 203 4 December 1986 Too Many Cooks Claude is a very good cook for the Raggy Dolls, but when he saw Florrie Fosdyke bake a cake for the factory competition, he was then disgusted with her poor efforts. So the gang decide to help her out by replacing it with an even better cake.
10 204 11 December 1986 After the Storm After a storm has passed, the Raggy Dolls go to see Pumpernickle but find him on the ground. They also notice that Farmer Brown is not around to help the animals, and with the help of Rufus the sheepdog, they find him stuck in an old mineshaft and help to rescue him.
11 205 18 December 1986 Christmas Dolls One snowy Christmas Eve, the Raggy Dolls decided to go tobogganing in the snow, but poor Sad Sack meanwhile wished he was still back in bed. And they end up crashing into the doors of a children's hospital, where they become temporary Christmas presents to sick children.
12 206 19 February 1987 The Trouble with Claude After hearing about a French Week being held in Bunce's Emporium, the Raggy Dolls decided to go there to have a look, but as they did, Claude got into a lot of trouble when he had wandered off. From there he gets lost and meets another French doll called Babette.
13 207 26 February 1987 Happy Binday It is Princess's "binday", and she feels that she is being ignored as her friends get the preparations ready in secret. She decides to award them with a flight on Owl.
Series 2
# Prod Air date Title Summary
14 301 13 November 1987 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.
15 302 20 November 1987 Speaking French Claude teaches the Raggy Dolls French. At first, Princess tries, then the rest of the Raggy Dolls except Sad Sack, who thought it is silly until he comes across a troubled French doll in an apple tree.
16 303 27 November 1987 The Winter Swan The Raggy Dolls find a Swan in distress one cold winter's night and decide to help it.
17 304 4 December 1987 The Terrible Twins Mr Grimes's nephews come to visit him for the weekend and cause problems not just for him, but for the Raggy Dolls as well.
18 305 11 December 1987 Sports Day The Raggy Dolls were having a Sports Day, and everyone is enjoying it, except for poor Sad Sack.
19 306 8 January 1988 To the Rescue The Raggy Dolls help to repair a knitted doll that they find thrown away at the dump.
20 401 19 August 1988 Spring Toys Mr Grimes is running out of ideas, and it is up to the Raggy Dolls to find some more, in order to keep his business running.
21 402 26 August 1988 A Trip to the Sea Mr Grimes goes to the seaside for his holiday, and the Raggy Dolls follow.
22 403 2 September 1988 The Royal Tour Princess feels like she is not royal enough, so the Raggy Dolls dress her up in royalty and give her a royal tour around the countryside, but things do not go according to plan when her coronet is stolen by a magpie and a fierce bull sees her red dress.
23 404 7 September 1988 Onion Soup Claude gets himself into trouble, when he went after Onion soup, made by Florrie, and ends up being put inside a saucepan.
24 405 14 September 1988 Moving House Dotty decides that the dolls should move to a new home. But when night falls and a storm takes place, she climbs inside a tree to shelter. When the other Raggy Dolls hear she is in trouble, they build a raft and set off to the rescue.
25 406 21 September 1988 Factory Mice After giving a baby mouse some of their picnic food, the Raggy Dolls tell it where they got it. The next day, the factory is overtaken by a huge hoard of mice, and they now have to find a way on getting rid of them.
26 407 28 September 1988 A Trip to France The Raggy Dolls sail on a toy boat and end up lost at sea. They reach a beach which Claude thinks is France, and camp there before sailing back home. In the end, Dotty discovers they were on an island in the middle of the sea.
Series 3
# Prod Air date Title Summary
27 501 16 November 1988 Hot Air Balloon One day, The Raggy Dolls were having a great time watching clouds, it was then disturbed when a hot air balloon landed in the big field. The pilot left a boy in charge and while he went for help, the boy accidentally clambered in and got unconscious as the balloon took off by high winds, and it is up to them to save the boy.
28 502 23 November 1988 Ghosts One night, Lucy wanted to be brave for once, she managed to succeed when she and the other Raggy Dolls met up with some spooky skeleton Raggy Dolls.
29 503 30 November 1988 The Tree House The Raggy Dolls decided to build a Tree House as their hang-out place, but whilst they were building, they noticed that a Magpie had been stealing jewelry from Mr Grimes’ Toy Factory.
30 504 7 December 1988 The Memory Machine Claude had come up with an idea for all The Raggy Dolls to dance for the evenings, and whilst they were planning to do that, they then found in the reject bin a Memory Machine with faulty answers. They managed to fix it up, in return of it lighting up the disco.
31 505 14 December 1988 Doll Overboard The Raggy Dolls decided to go for a sail, only for them to have a rough time with speed boats.
32 506 21 December 1988 The Unlucky Hedgehog One autumn, The Raggy Dolls decided to camouflage their tree house, but as they were gathering things together, they eventually came to find a stubborn hedgehog, living in a bonfire in which would soon be alight.
33 601 19 July 1989 Easter Bunny The Raggy Dolls find out what happens when a greedy bunny has too many chocolate eggs.
34 602 26 July 1989 In Days of Old Sad Sack was having trouble drawing a picture, so he decided to read a book about a magic sword, which then caused him to have the most amazing dream of his life.
35 603 2 August 1989 The Old Clock Lady Grimes Soft Toys are having a clearout. The Raggy Dolls find themselves thrown in a skip and taken to the town dump. A poor old lady visits the dump looking for scrap items to sell so that she can make some money to buy herself food and drink. She spots the Raggy Dolls in the skip and takes them home with her.

In return for her kindness, the Raggy Dolls help the old lady by repairing all the broken clocks that she has so that she can sell them.

36 604 9 August 1989 Peace and Quiet It was a peaceful day in their new treehouse until they were interrupted by jets and aeroplanes.
37 605 16 August 1989 We are Not Amused The Raggy Dolls have found an amusement park but they soon discovered that it is not much fun at all.
38 606 23 August 1989 The Lost Puppy Mr Grimes was looking after his sister's naughty pet puppy as the Raggy Dolls had soon spotted him getting into all kinds of trouble and gets lost.
39 607 30 August 1989 Horse Sense One day, The Raggy Dolls found something strange in the Big Field, which turns out to be Horse Jumps for a Welsh Pony, belonging to Farmer Brown's daughter that then had an accident. The Raggy Dolls come to the rescue, once again.
Series 4
# Prod Air date Title Summary
40 608 6 September 1989 The Terrible Storm After the terrible storm was brewing, the Raggy Dolls must fix their new treehouse.
41 609 13 September 1989 The Stolen Parrot The Raggy Dolls must help a parrot who had been birdnapped by poachers.
42 610 20 September 1989 Crazy Golf Mr Grimes had found a game of golf, so the Raggy Dolls must make a game of crazy golf for themselves.
43 701 28 June 1990 Pumpernickle's Party The Raggy Dolls try to help Pumpernickle by scaring all the crows away.
44 702 5 July 1990 So Safari Mr. Grimes's terrible twin nephews were on a trip to the zoo as the Raggy Dolls followed with the help of the other animals.
45 703 12 July 1990 Making Faces Deciding to cheer Sad Sack up, the Raggy Dolls had made a puppet show to make him believe himself.
46 704 19 July 1990 The Old Windmill The Raggy Dolls had found an old windmill as they soon discovered it.
47 705 26 July 1990 The Little Carthorse The Raggy Dolls have met a little carthorse who does not know who he is with a little help from Hercules the farm horse.
48 706 2 August 1990 Making Jam The Raggy Dolls were all harvesting crabapples and blackberries and they decide to make jam with them.
49 707 9 August 1990 The Teddy Bear's Picnic While the Raggy Dolls were having a picnic lunch, they meet Mr Grimes's long lost teddy bear named Old Edward who had been lost for a long time as they tried to help him out.
50 708 16 August 1990 Mr Marmalade The Raggy Dolls had quite enough of Mr Marmalade's tricks after he had scared them, as they made their way to the factory, they were terrified by a rat so Mr. Marmalade tries to rescue them by scaring the rat away.
51 709 23 August 1990 The Treasure Hunt Mr Marmalade and the Raggy Dolls had given them clues as they were on a search to find a hidden treasure.
52 710 30 August 1990 Rupert the Roo Sad Sack had met a toy kangaroo, Rupert the Roo who had been mailed from Australia, so the Raggy Dolls try to help him out before heading back to Australia.
Series 5
# Prod Air date Title Summary
53 711 6 September 1990 Witch is Which? When a witch tries to spoil 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 their show did not work, the Raggy Dolls make sure to laugh all the way home.
54 712 13 September 1990 Bonfire Night The Raggy Dolls explain the significance of 5 November to Claude and set out to watch the firework display. Claude is captured by some boys who are planning their own bonfire in an abandoned paint factory. They tie Claude to a rocket, and light their bonfire, oblivious of the sparks, which set the factory alight. Hi-Fi calls the Fire Brigade, but before they arrive a spark sets off the boys' box of fireworks and drives them away. In the commotion, the Raggy Dolls free Claude, just before a spark ignites the rocket.
55 713 20 September 1990 Rainbow's End Princess learns that good friends are worth more than a whole pot of gold.
56 714 27 September 1990 Lost in Space The Raggy Dolls were being kidnapped by some aliens and Hi-Fi befriends an alien who stammers just like him.
57 715 4 October 1990 Roman Ramblers The Raggy Dolls go hiking but get lost in the hot sun. Luckily, the Romans have left handy signposts to help them find their way again. Sad Sack dreams that they are all back in Roman times.
58 716 11 October 1990 The Great Expedition The Raggy Dolls were in the jungle and meet a lonely gorilla.
59 717 18 October 1990 The Twitcher The Raggy Dolls find out who is the Twitcher.
60 718 25 October 1990 Too Bossy Dotty learns a valuable lesson about being bossy today.
61 719 1 November 1990 The Toy Fair The Raggy Dolls were at the toy fair and the monkey causes chaos and took over the store.
62 720 8 November 1990 Ragamuffin The Raggy Dolls meets Ragamuffin who is a wandering traveller doll who had lost his owner and decided to spend his life taking in new sights and experiences of his adventures.
63 721 15 November 1990 Grand Prix Dolls Ragamuffin and the Raggy Dolls were playing Grand Prix games.
64 722 22 November 1990 Fond Farewells The Raggy Dolls gives Ragamuffin a teary farewell.
65 723 20 December 1990 Doctor Dolls The Raggy Dolls were playing doctors and nurses.
Series 6
# Prod Air date Title Summary
66 801 6 September 1991 Old Fashioned Dolls The Raggy Dolls teach Edward about old-fashioned things from the past.
67 802 13 September 1991 Lady Luck The Raggy Dolls meets a mysterious woman called Lady Luck who takes them on an adventure they will never forget.
68 803 20 September 1991 Invisible Dolls The Raggy Dolls are invisible today.
69 804 27 September 1991 The Great Outdoors The Raggy Dolls decide to hitch a ride with Mr. Grimes when he goes camping. After setting up their homemade tents and sleeping bags, they notice that a rock climber is in trouble. The Raggy Dolls come to the rescue.
70 805 18 October 1991 The Lonely Echo While staying in the countryside, the Raggy Dolls meet a lonely cliff.
71 806 25 October 1991 Homeward Bound The Raggy Dolls learns that there is no place like home.
74 807 1 November 1991 Railway Dolls The Raggy Dolls are having a lovely time at the railway station.
75 808 8 November 1991 Windy Weather The wind blows a young crow out of its nest. With the help of Back-To-Front's kite and a helpful cow, the Raggy Dolls manage to return him to the treetop.
76 809 15 November 1991 Purple Diamonds When the Raggy Dolls dig up a troublesome rock they think they have discovered valuable purple diamonds. They dream of what they would do with their riches, until Mr. Marmalade, the factory cat, explains that is only amethyst, and worth very little.
77 810 22 November 1991 The Giant Bumblebee Mr. Grimes' sister leaves the terrible twins Oz and Boz with Mr Grimes. He suggests they collect insects to study, but when the Raggy Dolls find that they have trapped the insects in a jar without airholes they dress up Sad Sack as a giant bumblebee to teach the twins a lesson.
78 811 29 November 1991 The Return of the Roo The Raggy Dolls were excited when Rupert returns from Australia.
70 812 6 December 1991 The Boomerang Games Rupert teaches the Raggy Dolls how to use a boomerang.
Series 7
# Prod Air date Title Summary
80 901 8 September 1992 The Royal County Show The Raggy Dolls and Rupert the Roo are at the Royal County Show.
81 902 15 September 1992 Open Day The Raggy Dolls and Rupert the Roo were at Open Day with great results.
82 903 22 September 1992 The Town Carnival The Raggy Dolls are at the town carnival with over-the-top results.
83 904 29 September 1992 Cave Dolls The Raggy Dolls dream they were in Stone Age.
84 905 6 October 1992 Barbeque Ball The Raggy Dolls are having a barbecue ball and Claude asks Princess if she would like to dance.
85 906 13 October 1992 High and Dry Sad Sack accidentally steers 'The Spirit of Adventure' into a sandbank, but this leads him to discover a secret cave on the beach.
86 907 27 October 1992 Smugglers Cave Sad Sack befriends a ghost of the fisherman who tells stories of the seven seas.
88 908 3 November 1992 William the Conker The Raggy Dolls play conkers.
89 909 10 November 1992 Bonnie Scotland The Raggy Dolls travel to Scotland.
90 910 17 November 1992 On the Town The Raggy Dolls were going to London with Ragamuffin.
91 911 24 November 1992 Danger, Men at Work While holidaying in London, there is trouble for the Raggy Dolls and the workmen.
92 912 1 December 1992 Sight Seeing Dolls The Raggy Dolls tour London with their friend Ragamuffin.
93 913 8 December 1992 Dolls on Wheels Hi-Fi and Back to Front build a skateboard but have trouble finding the right wheels for the job. Rupert the Roo brings them the wheels from Mr. Grimes's tea trolley. Sad Sack doubts that these are the best wheels for a skateboard, and it looks like he may be right.
Series 8
# Prod Air date Title Summary
93 1001 28 September 1993 Robot Canteen After Florrie had gone to do some shopping, Mr Grimes had hired a robot to do the hard work as the Raggy Dolls try to devise a plan to get Florrie back.
94 1002 5 October 1993 Mister Mole The Raggy Dolls have met a mole while having their picnic lunch together.
95 1003 12 October 1993 The Empty House While testing on an aeroplane until it had landed on an empty house when the Raggy Dolls try to find it before heading back home with a flight of an owl.
96 1004 19 October 1993 Mon Repose Mr. Grimes was having a holiday near the seaside, but it does not work at all when the Raggy Dolls try to help people from getting washed away by the sea.
97 1005 26 October 1993 The Runaway Monkey The Raggy Dolls have made their plans to catch a mischievous monkey.
98 1006 2 November 1993 Lucy's Greenhouse When slugs eat the cabbages in Lucy's garden, the Raggy Dolls make a greenhouse for her. Overcome by the heat she dreams she shrinks in size and meets many strange plants and insects. The Raggy Dolls rescue her, but she realises even pests have to eat.
99 1007 9 November 1993 The Horrible Princesses Three haughty princess dolls make fun of Princess, but the Raggy Dolls convince them that a terrible wizard is on their trail so they could teach them all a lesson.
100 1008 16 November 1993 The Town Gala The Raggy Dolls watch Cynthia and Mr. Grimes doing a skydive at the town gala.
101 1009 23 November 1993 Mr Grimes in Love The Raggy Dolls decide to write a love letter to Mr. Grimes thinking it was from Cynthia Popplethwaite.
102 1010 7 December 1993 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, she brings the Raggy Dolls with her to the cottage so they can all live happily ever after.
Series 9
# Prod Air date Title Summary
103 1101 11 October 1994 Off on a Honeymoon The Raggy Dolls were very proud of Mr. Grimes after he got married with Mrs.Grimes until they have decided to go on a honeymoon as the Raggy Dolls have followed them inside their suitcase.
104 1102 18 October 1994 A Mediterranean Cruise When they have made it to Spain by a Cruise Liner, Princess was being captured by a monkey so it was up to the Raggy Dolls to save her before heading back to the Cruise Liner with some help from the seagulls.
105 1103 25 October 1994 Stormy Weather The Raggy Dolls decided to make a paddling pool to swim in it as the great big weather came and it worked out very well for the Raggy Dolls.
106 1104 1 November 1994 When in Rome When they have made it to Italy, the Raggy Dolls try to help the Italian alley cat by finding the lost kitten.
107 1105 8 November 1994 Just a Minotaur While inside the secret Temple leaving crisps and peanuts for a trail until they have found a lizard who knew the way out until the Minotaur was only just Mr. Grimes carrying a bicycle thanks to one of Back-to-Front's funny pranks on them.
108 1106 15 November 1994 The Eyes of Rami When they went to Egypt, the Raggy Dolls were being tricked by a Scorpion until they have met an Egyptian princess doll named Shehabi who helped them find the emeralds for the eyes of the Princess Rami statue before it magically headed them back home in the Reject bin.
109 1107 22 November 1994 Elephants do Forget The Raggy Dolls and Mr. Marmalade help the baby elephant by trying to remember everything by scaring it with a help of a little mouse that Mr.Marmalade had caught.
110 1108 6 December 1994 What's the Time? The Raggy Dolls try to help Sad Sack try to remember the time has come.
111 1109 13 December 1994 The Russian Doll Natasha, a Russian Doll of seven in the care of Mrs. Grimes, gets friendly with the Raggy Dolls, Rupert the Roo, and Old Edward.
112 1110 20 December 1994 Bored The final episode of the series has 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 have discovered some famous actresses and actors were filming on the bridge of the water pond as they saw him, the actor threw him out over the bridge and Rupert finds out that he was not bored anymore.

Transmission guide

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  • Series 1a: 6 editions from 3 April 1986 – 8 May 1986
  • Series 1b: 7 editions from 20 November 1986 – 26 February 1987
  • Series 2a: 6 editions 13 November 1987 – 8 January 1988
  • Series 2b: 7 editions from 19 August 1988 – 28 September 1988
  • Series 3a: 6 editions from 16 November 1988 – 21 December 1988
  • Series 3b: 7 editions from 19 July 1989 – 30 August 1989
  • Series 4a: 3 editions from 6 September 1989 – 20 September 1989
  • Series 4b: 10 editions from 28 June 1990 – 30 August 1990
  • Series 5: 13 editions from 6 September 1990 – 20 December 1990
  • Series 6: 13 editions from 6 September 1991 – 13 December 1991
  • Series 7: 13 editions from 8 September 1992 – 8 December 1992
  • Series 8: 10 editions from 28 September 1993 – 7 December 1993
  • Series 9: 10 editions from 11 October 1994 – 20 December 1994

Later broadcasts

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After the series ended, The Raggy Dolls later aired on digital television on the defunct children's network Carlton Kids and then on free-for-air satellite television on Tiny Pop.

The series was broadcast to many countries worldwide, with the exception of the United States.

Merchandise

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Three videos (with 5 programmes each) were released during the late 80s by Castle Communications Plc, each featuring a selection of episodes from the first two series narrated by Neil Innes. They were later re-released in Australia during the early 90s by Castle Communications Australasia.

  • The Raggy Dolls (CAV 1008) – "The Big Top", "After the Storm", "The Dark Wood", "The Genius", "The Winter Swan".
  • The Raggy Dolls 2 (CAV 1014) – "The Flying Machine", "The Pigeon Race", "The Fun Fair", "Too Many Cooks", "The Terrible Twins".[4]
  • The Raggy Dolls 3 (CVI 1022) – "Spring Toys", "A Trip to the Sea", "A Royal Tour", "Onion Soup", "Moving House".

In the Spring of 1993, 4 Front Video released one cassette under 'Pocket Money Video' range (Cat No. 0867323) with six great episodes -
"The Flying Machine", "The Pigeon Race", "The Fun Fair", "Spring Toys", "A Trip to the Sea", "A Royal Tour".

The complete first series of The Raggy Dolls was released on DVD on 21 June 2010 through Revelation Films; the complete second series was available from 18 October 2010; the complete third series was available from 7 February 2011; the complete fourth series was released on 6 June 2011, but the complete fifth series was never released.

Books

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A series of at least 10 books were published in 1990 by both Boxtree Limited (in association with Yorkshire Television Limited) and ABC Enterprises (for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation). The books were written or adapted by Neil Innes and illustrated by Steve Smallman. Titles include:

  • The Big Top
  • The Flying Machine
  • The Hot Air Balloon
  • In Days of Old
  • Moving House
  • The Pigeon Race
  • The Royal Tour
  • The Stolen Parrot
  • The Tree House
  • A Trip to the Sea
  • We Are Not Amused
  • The War Of The Wizards

References

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  1. ^ Brewer, Susan (2013). Famous Character Dolls. Pen & Sword Books. ISBN 9781783376223. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  2. ^ Crump, William D. (2019). Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. p. 53. ISBN 9781476672939.
  3. ^ "Raggy Dolls". 80scartoons.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
  4. ^ "Raggy Dolls 2 [VHS]". amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 1 August 2015.
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