T-Bag

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This article is about the children's TV character. For the Prison Break character, see T-Bag (Prison Break character)

T-Bag was a witch-like character who appeared in a number of series of children's ITV (CITV) television programmes which ran from the mid-80s to early 90s. Written by Grant Cathro and Lee Pressman, each series had a different title and featured a single story told over several episodes.

The series titles and broadcast dates are given below:

From 1985 to 1989, T-Bag was Tallulah Bag, played by Elizabeth Estensen. In 1990, Tallulah was destroyed attempting to kill T-Shirt and Sally Simpkins with a spell which they reflected back onto her. She was subsequently replaced by her sister, Tabitha Bag, played by Georgina Hale. Coincidentally both actresses now have roles on the ITV soap Emmerdale. Tabitha obtained T-Bag's powers by drinking tea made from a High T-Plant. Both T-Bags were accompanied by a young boy, T-Shirt, played by John Hasler in every series. Hasler began the role at a rather young age, but was towering above Georgina Hale by the time the final series ended in 1992.

Some of the T-Bag cast: Elizabeth Estensen (T-Bag) and John Hasler (T-Shirt) as in 'T-Bag Bounces Back'

Both T-Bag and T-Shirt had magical powers, and were capable of making any objects they required appear out of thin air, disappear to somewhere else, move out of the way, and so on. T-Bag did this by clicking her fingers and/or pointing at the object or space, while T-Shirt would blink in its general direction.

The premise of each series of the show involved various items hidden throughout the world, which either T-Bag wanted in order to carry out some evil plan, or which were needed by the heroine in order to defeat T-Bag. In general, these items were scattered throughout the world in the first episode of each series, to prevent T-Bag from acquiring them. Then, a young girl would be sent on a quest to retrieve them before T-Bag got hold of them.

Debbie, played by Jennie Stallwood was the heroine of the first three series, while Kellie Bright, who would go on to appear in The Upper Hand and The Archers, played Sally Simpkins in the following two series and a Christmas special. In the Rings of Olympus, Polyzena, or Polly, was played by Natalie Wood (not Natalie Wood from West Side Story). In the Sunstones of Montezuma, Penny Hunt was played by Evelyn Sweeney. Typically, each episode would also feature two non-regular cast members to progress the story.

In the first series, Wonders in Letterland, the items to be recovered were letters of the alphabet. In later series, these items ranged from numbers to spoons, and for most of the final series, the items featured in the title of the show, e.g. pearls of wisdom, rings of Olympus, etc.

The emphasis of the show changed slightly for Take Off with T-Bag, in which T-Bag receives a golden envelope just before her 1000th birthday. The envelope contains co-ordinates, and so she, T-Shirt, and T-Shirt's young cousin Tow Ling, played by Bea Julakasiun, follow the co-ordinates, locating new golden envelopes each time. There was no young girl attempting to find the envelopes first.

While the show is loosely based upon good vs. evil, the distinction was never very clear, making the T-Bag series quite suitable for very young children. The viewer always supports the girl in her quest. T-Shirt, while he helps T-Bag, never comes across as a bad character; he often helps the girl in the episodes where T-Bag kicks him out (short lived evictions, as T-Bag is incapable of making tea and needs T-Shirt to do it for her). Furthermore, T-Bag is somewhat incompetent, and would not scare young children by being the bad character; this, however, was often not true for the final episode of the series. While the girl would always retrieve all of the items, T-Bag would always find a way of stealing them in the final episode, only to be thwarted at the last minute - some of these episodes did alarm very young children.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] External links

• The High-T Website Fan website with downloadable video clips, image galleries, merchandise info, cast biographies and Nitpicker's Guide.
• The T-Room Including sound and video clips; episode guides
• Bring T-Bag out on DVD Petition Petition for the release of T-Bag on DVD.
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