Roary the
  Racing Car        (2007-)
 
     producers: Chapman Entertainment
                       for Five in association with
                       Nickelodeon UK
     animation: stop-motion animation
       episodes: 104 x 10mins

  
   "Watch out, Roary, they're right behind ya!..."
 

    Roary is a bright red Formula One racing car who runs rings around his pals
    and competitors, both on and off the tarmac at Silver Hatch Racetrack.
    Keeping him on course - or at least, attempting to - are his cheery mechanic
    Big Chris, Marsha the track Marshal and Silver Hatch's flamboyant italian
    owner Mr Carburretor. And competing against him on the track are the
    likes of Maxi, CiCi, Tin Top and Drifter, a big mix of Formula One vehicles,
    saloons and steet cars revving up for fun round those Silver Hatch curves.

    "Roary the Racing Car" was originated by David Jenkins, who was a former
    manager at the real-life Brands Hatch racetrack. The series was then designed
    and developed by Keith Chapman and Chapman Entertainment. Cosgrove Hall
    Films brought the cars to life, initially, with Mackinnon & Saunders on
    model-making duties. The three firms had previously come together on
    Fifi and the Flowertots. In time, Chapman brought the animation in-house,
    to their own studio set-up.

    That's big time comedian Peter Kay giving voice to Big Chris, and belting out
    the theme song. Chris is a karaoke fan, so you'll often here him singing in the
    series. Peter Kay also voices Chris' blousy mother, Big Christine, and he
    plays Tin Top as well.

     

    Silver Hatch Hero

    Roary's ractetrack is an amalgamation of the UK's two most famous
    real-life track locations. Silverstone and Brands Hatch have both hosted
    some memorable Grand Prixs over the years, thus Silverstone + Brands
    Hatch = Silver Hatch.

    But the real-life racing connections don't end there, because legendary
    British racing driver Sir Stirling Moss provides the opening and closing
    narration on each episode. He's widely regarded as "the greatest driver
    never to win the World Championship". And Conrod the Australian V8
    who arrived later in the series run, is voiced by Australian Touring Car
    champion Craig Lowndes.

    C'mon, Roary!   

    Roary's races are full-throttle affairs, with the camera making dynamic
    low-angle pans and overhead sweeps when ever the revved-up cars speed
    around Silver Hatch. There are also some great camera kicks and shakes
    as they roar by. This isn't "Cars", though, it's very much its own vehicle
    with the human stories sharing screen time with young Roary and
    company, and lots of in-jokes and asides for Grand Prix fans to savour.
    And there's a rabbit too. And a mole. Flash's tree sits in the middle of
    a Silver Hatch hairpin ("hare"pin, geddit?). He's mischievously similar to
    young Spud in Bob the Builder, but at least Molecom's there to bring him
    down to earth again, when his escapades go too far
    
    As for Roary himself, well, our Number One Star takes his place alongside
    the likes of Thomas the Tank Engine, Jimbo the jet plane, Budgie the helicopter
    and Bob the Builder's busy construction gang in a line-up of classic vehicluar
    stars engineered in the UK.

     
     
 

    Four wheels
    Roary - a red F1 car
    Maxi - a yellow F1 car
    Tin Top - a blue Stock Car Saloon
    Drifter - an orange Hot-hatch street car
    CiCi - a pink hybrid stunt car
    Plugger - Big Chris' sky-blue 4x4
    FB - Flat Bed, a light green flat-bed truck
    Conrod - the V8 supercar
    Breeze - an Australian beach buggy
    Loada - Mr Carburretor's orange transporter lorry
    Nick - PC Pete's police car
    James - Mrs Carburretor's classic silver car
                                                          
    Two wheels
    Zippee - Marsha's orange scooter           
    Rusty - Big Chris' aged caravan

    No wheels
    Hellie - a helicopter

    Two Legs
    Big Chris - Roary's mechanic
    Marsha - the Silver Hatch marshall
    Mr Carburettor - Silver Hatch owner
    Farmer Green - Biofuel specialist
    Flash - the merry meddling rabbit
    Molecom - a mole
    PC Pete - Silver Hatch safety officer
    Mama Mia - Mr Carburettor's mother
    Chubby - Mr Carburretor's Hollywood Cousin
    Big Christine - Big Chris' mother

    Four legs
    Dinkie- a donkey

    Eight legs
    Nigel - a crab

 

    Broadcast info

    The series premiered on Five, on 7th May 2007...

 

Series one

Roary's first day
Roary Slips Up
Big Chris Flags it up
Express Delivery
Roary's Day at the Seaside
Roary Takes off
CiCi Takes the Blame
Big Chris' Big Workout
Flash Flips Out
Rusty Remembers
Easy on the Fuel
Communication Breakdown
Blue Light Job
Make Your Mind up Roary
Workshop Roary
Tip Top Tin Top
Tunnel Vision
Molecom Makes Music
Roary Goes Missing
Mama Mia
Surround Sound
Plugger's on the Case
Big Chris Learns to Fly
Musical Mayhem
Braking Promises
Secret Treasures
Roary on Thin Ice
Drifter's Last Day
Out of Juice
Roary's Wake-up Call
Big Chris says Sorry
Maxi's New Engine
A Busy Day for Big Chris
Tin Top gets Scared
Roary Loses a Friend
Spooky Forest
FB in the Fast Lane
Roary Goes Back to School
The rabbit hat Yelled Stop
CiCi gets Fired up
Stars 'n' Cars
Crash Test Roary
Roary Sees Red
Rusty Takes a trip
Roary Cleans up his Act
Green Eyed Roary
Big Chris Forgets
Big Chris Babysits
Roary and Nigel
Roary Gets it Wrong
Computer Calamity
Roary Digs Deep

Series Two

Flash the Marshal
Hellie's a Winner
Dodgems
Tall Story Roary
Car Boot Sale
Hot Stuff
Law and Order
Flash's Tea Party
Horse Power Drinkie
FB's Sleepover
CiCi Spectacular
Cry Cold
Marsha's Woncderful life
Let's Hear it for Big Chris
Funny Business
Nick Solves the Case
Simply the Best
Cici Wins the Day
Heavy Loada
Testing Time for Maxi
Mum's the Word
How the Hatch Was Won
Go Gadget James and Maxi
Mr Carburretor or Bust
Home is Where the Hatch is
Putting on a Show
Motor Mouth
Dancing Queen
Homesick Tin Top
Save our Tree
New Juice
FB for Football
Mr Carburretor's Birthday Suit
Big Bangs
Silver Hatch Pizza
The Silver Hatch Stars
High-Tech Overload
Workshop Chaos
Silver Hatch Shapes up
Pit Stop Perils
Demolition Derby
Manners Please
Big Chris' Big Jump
Brassless Band
Crach Landing
Plugger's New Job
Big Chris gets Lucky
Silver Hatch Fun Run
It's Go, Go, Go at Silver Hatch
Silver Hatch Heroes
PC Roary
Winter Breeze

 

    Roary on DVD

     

     So far, we've had these individual releases...

      Roary the Racing Car: Roary's First Day
      Region 2 / 2 Entertain / October 2007

      Roary the Racing Car: Roary Takes Off
      Region 2 / 2 Entertain / March 2008

      Roary the Racing Car: Stars and Cars
      Region 2 / 2 Entertain / November 2008

      Roary the Racing Car: Musical Mayhem
      Region 2 / 2 Entertain / March 2009

      Roary the Racing Car: Christmas Bumper Collection
      Region 2 / 2 Entertain / November 2009

      Roary the Racing Car: Bumper Collection 2
      Region 2 / 2 Entertain / March 2010

      Roary the Racing Car: Winter Breeze
      Region 2 / 2 Entertain / September 2010

      Roary the Racing Car: Putting on a Show
      Region 2 / 2 Entertain / May 2011

      Roary the Racing Car: Bumper to Bumper
      Region 2 / 2 Entertain / July 2011

      Roary the Racing Car: In the Fast Lane
      Region 2 / 2 Entertain / October 2011


     And some of the above have been compiled into box sets...

      Roary the Racing Car: Christmas Gift Pack
      Region 2 / double bill / 2 Entertain / November 2010

      Roary the Racing Car: Ultimate Bumper Collection
      Region 2 / triple bill / 2 Entertain / October 2011

 

    First series credits

     originated by David Jenkins

     designed and developed by Keith Chapman

     a Cosgrove Hall Films Ltd production for Chapman Entertainment

     a Chapman Entertainment production for Five
      in association with Nickelodeon UK

director:
producers:
executive producer
for Cosgrove Hall Films:
executive producer
for Chapman
Entertainment:
script editor:
scripts:

theme tune & music:

art director:
storyboard artists:
studio direction:
lighting camera:
assistant lighting camera:

camera assistants:

stills co-ordinator:
animators:

puppets:
cars & vehicles:
props & vehicle
maintenance:
costume maker:
puppet maintenance:
set dressers:

sets:
artist:
production manager:
production accountant:
production assistant:
CG animation:
data management:
IT support:
recorded at:
audio post production:
video post production:



head of produiction:
production co-ordinator:
commercial
& financial director:

voices: