Little Robots

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Little Robots is a stop-motion animated children's TV series, produced by Cosgrove Hall Films for Create TV and Film Limited. This series was based on the eponymous book by Mike Brownlow, published by Ragged Bears Publishing.

In the U.S., the television series is part of Cartoon Network's Tickle-U television programming block and debuted in 2003.

It is also aired on TVOKids in Ontario, Canada and on Kids Central in Singapore.

[edit] Background

The show is centered on eleven Little Robots, each with his own distinct looks and personality. They were abandoned on a scrap heap in a junkyard until Tiny, the central figure of the story, fixed them. The robots set to build a world of their own, using junk to build their houses, gadgets, plants and flowers, and even their own sun and moon.

The centre of their world is the Nut And Bolt Tree, a big, metallic structure that serves as a home to Tiny. Other important features of their world are the Day-Night lever, which causes the sky to rotate 180 degrees, switching from night to day; and the junkyard, that's constantly receiving junk from the surface through a chute.

The main stories are presented in 10 minute scripts. They focus mainly on the life of the robots as a community, often dealing with topics such as resolution of conflicts, collaboration and friendship. Several shorter stories have been produced, called Little Robots Learn. These short pieces are much different from the main stories, with the characters "interacting" with the viewers, introducing simple topics like gravity, contraptions, sounds, counting and even confidence and self-esteem, sometimes featuring a song.

The programme uses the talents of several British comedians, including Lenny Henry, Martin Clunes, Morwenna Banks, Emma Chambers, Su Pollard and Hayley Carmichael.

[edit] Characters

Tiny - The central character of the show. He is blue, has a red antenna on top of his head, and a red button on his belly which opens the lid of his head, uncovering a couple of tools which he uses for fixing machines and robots. He is also responsible for pulling the Day-Night lever at the right times. Tiny lives on the Nut And Bolt Tree, right next to the Day-Night lever. He always has a positive view on things, and always tries to help his friends to live in peace and harmony together. Voiced by Hayley Carmichael.
Messy - The robot dog of the Little Robots' world, he loves things dirty and messy. Scary teaches him tricks and makes shows with him, where he's known as "Messy, the Wonderhound".
Sporty - The strongest and fittest of all the robots, he's constantly running, playing games and sports, and never gets tired of making himself stronger and fitter. Sporty has his own, private gym with a trampoline and a conveyor belt. Voiced by Lenny Henry.
Stretchy - Very organised and efficient, he's in charge of sorting the junk that comes from the chute on the junkyard. He's blue and tall, and has a long, flexible neck. Though his main worry is to keep the junkyard organised so his friends can use, his workaholism and obsession for organisation sometimes causes problems - on one occasion, he accidentally tied a knot on his neck due to overwork. He lives in the junkyard, inside an abandoned radiator. Voiced by Jimmy Hibbert.
Rusty - A feminine and sensitive Little Robot, she has a red dress made with rusty metal, and wears a funnel on top of her head. She lives in an old, rusty bucket, and she constantly has new ideas on how to improve and decorate it. She's very impulsive and accident prone, though, and tense situations can make her overheat and release puffs of steam. She also has a notable, childish crush on Sporty. Voiced by Morwenna Banks.
Stripy - Big and made with coloured stripes of metal, he's practically the complete opposite of Sporty: moves and talks slowly, but he's a deep and introspective thinker, also a specialist in flowers and storytelling. His best friend is Teddy, his metallic teddy bear, and his favourite activities are taking care of his garden, telling stories to his friends and playing games that require little agility and lots of skill. Voiced by Martin Clunes.
Noisy - Speaks loudly, has a trumpet for a nose, plays instruments, writes and sings songs, and loves whatever kind of noise she can produce. Her house is an old drum, with a xylophone-themed entryway. Her passion for loud music and noise can often be bothersome for her friends, but she's also a great entertainer. Her laughter is unforgettable, too. Voiced by Su Pollard.
Spotty - She's round, yellow, covered in coloured spots, wears specs, and can retract all her limbs and roll around like a ball for fast locomotion. She has a strong personality, likes rules and orders, and tends to give orders to her friends (often causing conflicts with her friends). Her dream is to be an artist. Voiced by Emma Chambers.
Scary - He's purple and wears a black cape. Scary is a great actor, likes to scare his friends (though he's often not successful) and stage shows to entertain his friends. He has his own stage, which is also his house. Voiced by Mike Hayley.
The Sparky Twins - Sparky One and Sparky Two are almost identical twins who are full of energy, love dancing and doing practical jokes on other robots. Sparky One has a red spot on her belly and Sparky Two has a yellow spot on her belly. They are able to communicate exchanging electrical rays through the antennae on their heads, and their catch phrase is Gimmie Three, Sparkee! when they high-five. They live in a pair of speakers by an old record turntable. Voiced by Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins.