Toonhound - Noah and Nelly in SkylArk (1974)

   "All aboard the SklArk! - All aboard the SkylArk!"


    In this loopy series Nutty Noah and knitting Niggling Nelly live in a crazy
    two-heaed vessel called the SkylArk (notice the small case "l", uppercase "A")
    Onboard with them is a menagerie of animals who entered this particular
    construction not in two-by-two but in two-by-one. That's because these critters
    are two headed, and each head takesgreat delight in disagreeing with the other.

    Each episode Noah, Nelly, Humphrey the Pigs, Ahmed the Camels, Rose
    the Elephants, Brian the Lions, Mildred the Geese, Ronald the Gorillas
    and the rest discuss, disagree and agree on a destination, then Noah calls
    out his favourite line - twice - and the gang departs  for-who-knows-where
    to meet lord-knows-what. The SkylArk always takes one of four specific
    routes whene'er it sets off:

    By air
    The SklArk swings on string beneath a big pink party balloon. It floats past
    hanging stars, moons, birds, clouds and even watering cans all also hanging
    on strings.....

    By sea
    Now sporting a purple and green striped sail, the SkylArk leaves port past boats,
    lighthouses, whales, gulls, penguins, icebergs,seals and desert islands...

    Under the sea
    The SkylArk has a periscope and the two heads wear snorkel masks as we drift
    past fish shoals, bubbling shipwrecks, an octopus, and more...

    By land
    Now on 4 wheels, the SkylArk rolls through a hilly landscape of giant toffees,
    candy canes, lolly pops sandcastles and ice creams...

    Places they visit include Cuckooland, Jokesville, Televisionland, The Future
    - or is that The Past? - Littlehaven where some strange doorknocker beings live,
   Clockwork Canyon and - well - plenty more besides. But invariably, wherever they
    arrive the gang encounter a problem. And just as invariably, Nelly will niggle
    and Noah will cajole her into knitting some stupendous device, contraption
    or design to solve things (see below). She's good with wool, is our Nelly.

    This series is jolly fun, terrifically surreal and inconsequential, but splendidly
    written by Grange Calveley, and just as splendidly animated by Bob Godfrey's
    Movie Emporium. Calveley and Godfrey previously brought us the equally-surreal
    delights of "Roobarb and Custard". The animated connections between the two
    shows continue via the narration and voicework of actor Richard Briers - only
    now he's joined by Peter "stuttering starfish!" Hawkins, renowned for his
    pugnacious voicework on "Captain Pugwash", and so many other famous
    animated series.

      Look! - It's Roobarb and Custard!

    Trivia Hounds will be drawn to the episode entitled "During a Stay at the
    Reservoir Desert". This is the one where our SkylArk gang are met by a mob
    of drought-ridden umbrella creations with heads like pigs, ducks, teddy bears,
    tin soldiers and more. If you look closely you'll see that one has the familiar
    green head of Roobarb and next to him is a grinning pink Custard head!

    Noah, Nelly and the SkylArk gang went on to feature in their own weekly comic
    strip in "SeeSaw" comic for younger kids which was launched in 1976. In 1981,
    with those tv repeats still going strong, they also appeared in "Buttons".



    Broadcast info

     Series first broadcast on BBC1 13th September 1976, at 5.35pm.
     The series concluded 30th December 1976

     It's interesting to note that, whilst there were 30 episodes produced,
     BBC Data only identifies 29 broadcast episodes...



      Niggling Nelly knitting

    Nelly's Knits

    Niggling Nelly is an extra-clever knitter. Here are some of the ludicrous
    items she'd produced...

    Extra-large £ and $ symbols
    A piggy bank shaped like Humprhey the Pigs
    Wells and rigs for drilling tea
    A piano, brass section and more orchestral instruments
    Giant socks for Rose the Elephants, which get shrunk
    A wishing well
    A Union Jack
    A giant wind machine
    A nosebag for Ronald the Gorillas
    An electric motor for a funfair
    Garden tools and a lawnmower
    Crash helmets for a gaggle of doorknockers
    Hobby horse wheels - or doughnuts, maybe?
    A film projector

    During a...

    During a Savings Week
    During the Time We Were There
    During Tea
    During a Long Time Ago
    During a Stay at the Reservoir Desert
    During Something and Nothing
    During a Smashing Time
    During a Very Damp Spell
    During a Steam Up
    During a Flower Show
    During a Wail of a Time
    During a Sweep Stake
    During a Very Funny Day
    During a Visit to the Theatre
    During One Afternoon
    During a Picnic
    During a Frame-Up
    During a Journey Abroad
    During a Splashing Time
    During a Wild Day
    During a Jumpy Time
    During a Quiet Time
    During a String of Events
    During a Stay at Clockwork Canyon
    During a Very High Flight
    During Lunch
    During a Reading Lesson
    During a Fishing Holiday
    During a Seasonal Time
   During a Strange Time



     written and designed by Grange Calveley

     directed by Bob Godfrey
      at Bob Godfrey's Movie Emporium

      music:                     Peter Gosling
      incidental music:    DeWolfe Ltd
      sound recording:    DeLane Lea
      neg cutter:              Dave Sanders
      layouts:                   Gordon Harrison
      painted by:             Kate Cowan, Marianne Roof, Julie Coulson
      camera:                  Julian Holdaway
      production:             Hester Coblentz
      edited by:               Tony Fish, Peter Hearn
      animated by:          Bob Godfrey, Anne Joliffe, Jeff Goldner,
                                Alistair McIlwain, Spud Houston, Roy Evans,
                                Paul Vester, Alan Simpson, Kevin Attew,
                                Len Lewis, Clive Morton, John Butler
      narrated by:        Richard Briers (Narrator, Noah, various animals)
                                Peter Hawkins (Nelly, various animals)



     On the web

     Little Gems
     All aboard with the Gems' index page...

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			Noah and Nelly in SkylArk (1974) producers: Roobarb Enterprises animation: 2D animation episodes: 30 x 5mins
		"All aboard the SklArk! - All aboard the SkylArk!" In this loopy series Nutty Noah and knitting Niggling Nelly live in a crazy two-heaed vessel called the SkylArk (notice the small case "l", uppercase "A") Onboard with them is a menagerie of animals who entered this particular construction not in two-by-two but in two-by-one. That's because these critters are two headed, and each head takesgreat delight in disagreeing with the other. Each episode Noah, Nelly, Humphrey the Pigs, Ahmed the Camels, Rose the Elephants, Brian the Lions, Mildred the Geese, Ronald the Gorillas and the rest discuss, disagree and agree on a destination, then Noah calls out his favourite line - twice - and the gang departs for-who-knows-where to meet lord-knows-what. The SkylArk always takes one of four specific routes whene'er it sets off: By air The SklArk swings on string beneath a big pink party balloon. It floats past hanging stars, moons, birds, clouds and even watering cans all also hanging on strings..... By sea Now sporting a purple and green striped sail, the SkylArk leaves port past boats, lighthouses, whales, gulls, penguins, icebergs,seals and desert islands... Under the sea The SkylArk has a periscope and the two heads wear snorkel masks as we drift past fish shoals, bubbling shipwrecks, an octopus, and more... By land Now on 4 wheels, the SkylArk rolls through a hilly landscape of giant toffees, candy canes, lolly pops sandcastles and ice creams... Places they visit include Cuckooland, Jokesville, Televisionland, The Future - or is that The Past? - Littlehaven where some strange doorknocker beings live, Clockwork Canyon and - well - plenty more besides. But invariably, wherever they arrive the gang encounter a problem. And just as invariably, Nelly will niggle and Noah will cajole her into knitting some stupendous device, contraption or design to solve things (see below). She's good with wool, is our Nelly. This series is jolly fun, terrifically surreal and inconsequential, but splendidly written by Grange Calveley, and just as splendidly animated by Bob Godfrey's Movie Emporium. Calveley and Godfrey previously brought us the equally-surreal delights of "Roobarb and Custard". The animated connections between the two shows continue via the narration and voicework of actor Richard Briers - only now he's joined by Peter "stuttering starfish!" Hawkins, renowned for his pugnacious voicework on "Captain Pugwash", and so many other famous animated series. Trivia Hounds will be drawn to the episode entitled "During a Stay at the Reservoir Desert". This is the one where our SkylArk gang are met by a mob of drought-ridden umbrella creations with heads like pigs, ducks, teddy bears, tin soldiers and more. If you look closely you'll see that one has the familiar green head of Roobarb and next to him is a grinning pink Custard head! Noah, Nelly and the SkylArk gang went on to feature in their own weekly comic strip in "SeeSaw" comic for younger kids which was launched in 1976. In 1981, with those tv repeats still going strong, they also appeared in "Buttons". Broadcast info Series first broadcast on BBC1 13th September 1976, at 5.35pm. The series concluded 30th December 1976 It's interesting to note that, whilst there were 30 episodes produced, BBC Data only identifies 29 broadcast episodes... Nelly's Knits Niggling Nelly is an extra-clever knitter. Here are some of the ludicrous items she'd produced... Extra-large £ and $ symbols A piggy bank shaped like Humprhey the Pigs Wells and rigs for drilling tea A piano, brass section and more orchestral instruments Giant socks for Rose the Elephants, which get shrunk A wishing well A Union Jack A giant wind machine A nosebag for Ronald the Gorillas An electric motor for a funfair Garden tools and a lawnmower Crash helmets for a gaggle of doorknockers Hobby horse wheels - or doughnuts, maybe? A film projector During a... During a Savings Week During the Time We Were There During Tea During a Long Time Ago During a Stay at the Reservoir Desert During Something and Nothing During a Smashing Time During a Very Damp Spell During a Steam Up During a Flower Show During a Wail of a Time During a Sweep Stake During a Very Funny Day During a Visit to the Theatre During One Afternoon During a Picnic During a Frame-Up During a Journey Abroad During a Splashing Time During a Wild Day During a Jumpy Time During a Quiet Time During a String of Events During a Stay at Clockwork Canyon During a Very High Flight During Lunch During a Reading Lesson During a Fishing Holiday During a Seasonal Time During a Strange Time written and designed by Grange Calveley directed by Bob Godfrey at Bob Godfrey's Movie Emporium music: Peter Gosling incidental music: DeWolfe Ltd sound recording: DeLane Lea neg cutter: Dave Sanders layouts: Gordon Harrison painted by: Kate Cowan, Marianne Roof, Julie Coulson camera: Julian Holdaway production: Hester Coblentz edited by: Tony Fish, Peter Hearn animated by: Bob Godfrey, Anne Joliffe, Jeff Goldner, Alistair McIlwain, Spud Houston, Roy Evans, Paul Vester, Alan Simpson, Kevin Attew, Len Lewis, Clive Morton, John Butler narrated by: Richard Briers (Narrator, Noah, various animals) Peter Hawkins (Nelly, various animals) On the web Little Gems All aboard with the Gems' index page... index » previous » next »

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