| The Slow Norris | |
|---|---|
| Format | Children's television series |
| Developed by | Ragdoll Productions |
| Starring | Nick Ryan (voice) Buddie Maddicott (voice) Gary Martin (voice) |
| Theme music composer | John Du Prez |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 60 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 10 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | ITV Network (CITV) |
| Original airing | 4 September 1995 – 16 September 1999 |
The Slow Norris was a British children's television programme that aired on CITV from 4 September 1995 to 16 September 1999.[1] The programme portrayed moral tales and fables through various anthropomorphized creatures.[2]
There was also a version produced for American television by Hollywood Ventures which ran on the educational channel, PBS in the fall 0f 1997.
Slow Norris will return on Mini CITV by September 2012.
The Slow Norris - the lead character is a large, hairy Bigfoot-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. The Slow Norris is voiced by Nick Ryan.[3]
Allie - 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 is voiced by Buddie Maddicott, a relation of the show's producer Dan Maddicott[4]
Ben Beetle - Ben Beetle is a wise insect who spends much of his time sat on a toadstool with his walking stick. Ben Beetle is voiced by Gary Martin.[3]
Walter the Worm - Walter the Worm lives in a house made of mud and talks with a slight stutter.
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 whose house has a leak due to a hole in the roof. The fairy's friend, a frog is supposed to fix the roof, however doesn't. The pair go out on a train journey to have a picnic with the fairy's gran; the frog is desperate for the toilet whilst on the train. They return home to find it has rained and the fairy'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.