The Slow Norris

The Slow Norris is a British children's television programme that aired on CITV from 4 September 1995 to 23 December 1999.[1] The programme portrayed moral tales and fables through various anthropomorphized creatures. The show was produced by HTV and Hat Trick Productions for CITV.[2]

The Slow Norris
Developed byAnimated Extras
Voices ofNick Ryan
Buddie Maddicott
Gary Martin
Theme music composerJohn Du Prez
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes60
Production
Running time10 minutes
Production companyHat Trick Productions
Release
Original networkITV Network (HTV)
Original release4 September 1995 – 23 December 1999

There was also a version produced for American television by Hollywood Ventures which ran on PBS in the fall of 1997.

Main characters
  • The Slow Norris (voiced by Nick Ryan) - The lead character is a large, hairy Slow loris-like creature who - although not very clever (and somewhat naive) - is willing to learn and participate in stories and activities. The Slow Norris lives in a cave-like dwelling within a forest.
  • Allie (voiced by Buddie Maddicott) - As the only human character, Allie is the group's natural leader. She travels through the woods on her bicycle to visit the Slow Norris. Allie has a magic book which shows Slow Norris what things are or an animated story featuring Jane the Fairy and her frog Ferdy. Allie is voiced by Buddie Maddicott, a relation of the show's producer Dan Maddicott[3]
  • Ben Beetle (voiced by Gary Martin) - Ben Beetle is a wise insect who spends much of his time sat on a toadstool with his walking stick.
  • Walter the Worm (performed by Karen Prell) - Walter the Worm lives in a house made of mud and talks with a slight stutter.
  • Jane the Fairy - An animated fairy who only appears in Allie's magic book. She wears a lilac dress and a leaf hat.
  • Ferdy the Frog - He is Jane's froggy companion. He's very sensitive and bit naughty sometimes.
  • Hodgehug - A baby hedgehog.
  • Stork - A white stork. She appears in "Things That Fly" and is only seen throughout the 1996 series.

Episodes

Episodes include one where Allie shows the Slow Norris a story of someone baking a cake, in her magic book. In another, the Slow Norris is putting off tidying the cave where he lives. Allie shows him a story involving a fairy named Jane whose house has a leak due to a hole in the roof. Jane's friend, a frog named Ferdy is supposed to fix the roof, however doesn't. The pair go out on a train journey to have a picnic with Jane's gran; they return home to find it has rained and Jane's house is now flooded. This persuades the Slow Norris to tidy his cave. In one episode, Walter the Worm loses his tail cosy, only to find later on that the Slow Norris has it. In a later series, the opening music gained lyrics sung by Allie.

Series 1 (1995-1996)

01 Making Friends - 04 September 1995

02 Colours - 11 September 1995

03 Things With Wheels - 18 September 1995

04 Being Yourself - 25 September

05 Food 02 October - 1995

06 Birthdays 09 October - 1995

Series 2 (1997-1999)

01 Things That Fly 01 September 1997

02 Day And Night 08 September 1997

03 Keeping Fit 15 September 1997

04 Being Worried 22 September 1997

05 Penfriends 29 September 1997

06 Things We Wear 06 October 1997

07 Making Music 13 October 1997

08 Being Angry 20 October 1997

09 Things That Grow 27 October

10 Bones 04 November 1997

11 Things Tat Swim 11 November 1997

Things That Swim Friends and Relations The Shape of Things Putting Things Off The Four Seasons

Puppeteers
  • David Barclay -
  • Mike Quinn -
  • Karen Prell - Slow Norris (facial puppeteer), Walter the Worm
  • Helena Smee
  • Katherine Smee -
  • Michael Bayliss - Allie
  • Rebecca Nagan
  • Jeremy Stockwell
  • Simon Buckley
  • Alison McGowen
  • Rebecca Clow
  • Margaret O’Flaherty

Voices

References
  1. "The Slow Norris (TV series) (1995)". Archived from the original on 22 May 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  2. http://www.entertainmentrights.com/programming/article_343.aspEntertainment Rights - The Slow Norris. Andy Croft is scared of the Slow Norris. Archived 20 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Things That Swim (1996)". ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 30 May 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  4. "The Slow Norris[02/09/98] (1998)". ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 22 May 2008. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
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