p-animation production created by Ivor Wood, that was shown on BBC tv in 1987. Ivor Wood was also behind the popular Postman Pat and Bertha stop-animations and Charlie Chalk is just as quirky and fun and is worth watching fo rthe theme tune alone! Charlie is a clown that one days goes out on a fishing trip at sea, but unfortunately he falls asleep! When he wakes up Charlie finds that he has been ship-wrecked on the isalnd of Merrytwit. In the first epsidoe 'Ship-Wrecked Charlie' Charlie meets the friendly and a little bizarre inhabitants of Merrytwit and after coming to know them he decides he will make his home there. For the rest of the series we follow the adventures of daily life on Merrytwit island. A little bit of trivia is that for a while the UK restuarant chain Brewers Fayre had Charlie Chalk as their mascot (he's now been replaced by a bear!) and in 1988 a Charlie Chalk album was released by Redrock Records.

Charlie Chalk

Charlie is the hero of the cartoon, he gets ship-wrecked on Merrytwit Island, but quickly befriends the locals. Charlie lives in a house he calls the caravan, as he has built it on wheels so that he can move it in and out of the sun as he pleases! Charlie entertains the inhabitants of Merrytwit with a little bit of juggling and magic from time to time as he is the only resident clown on the island.

Captain Mildred

Captain Mildred is the captain of the Buttercup, the land-locked ship that she lives in. It is fair to say that Mildred sees herself as the natural leader of the island, introducing herself to Charlie as 'Captain of this ship and Captain of this Island'. Mildred is also very fond of categorising things into 'A' and 'B' - you'll have to watch the cartoon to see what I mean!

Mary the Hover Fairy

Mary is a new style of fairy, called a Hover Fairy! When Mary arrives on the island she mentions to Captain Mildred how tiring she is finding it to travel everywhere to answer everyone's wishes. Mildred invites Mary to stay on Merrytwit, and from then on she becomes the island's resident Hover Fairy!

Lewis T. Duck

Lewis T. Duck is an angry duck, who likes nothing better than to havea good moan. In particular he is always annoyed by Arnold and his clumsiness. The 'T' in Lewis 'T' Duck stands for 'The'!

Arnold the Elephant

Arnold is a little bit slow and very clumsy! During the coconut harvest he has the responsibility of shaking the trees to release the coconuts!

Trader Jones

Trader Jones is the islands odd-job man, he fixes everything that needs fixing and always has just the right item for any problem, if you are willing to trade for it! He is also the only inhabitant to drive a car.

Edward the Monkey

Edward is a very slow and lazy monkey who likes nothing more than to have a nap. It is Edward who Charlie meets first on the island, who then takes him to see Captain Mildred.

Bert

Bert is a monster that lives in a cave at the bottom of the Mountain. Charlie, Lewis and Arnold discover Bert during the episode 'The Mountain that Moaned', where he is singing to himself because he is trapped in the cave under the mountain, luckily Arnold manages to set him free.

Litterbug

Litterbug likes nothin more than to roam around the island collecting rubbish. However little does he realise that he has a hole in the bottom of his sack and so he is constantly leaving a trail of litter behind him! In the episode 'Return of the Litter' the gang throw a surprise party ofr Litterbug and they get him his favourite presents, a birthday cake from Mary and wrapped up presents fo litter from everyone else!

Charlie Chalk - The End

I have to mention the last epsisode of Charlie Chalk as it is quite unique for a cartoon in that it actually is a clips show (where they replay clips from previous cartoons). Charlie decides to leave the island to return to the circus, but as he floats out to sea he remembers all the good times he's had on Merrytwit. Then typical Charlie he falls asleep and his boat drifts back to Merrytwit - his friends are so happy to see him back that he decides to stay!

Charlie Chalk: Facts

Originally Aired: Sept - Dec 1987
Episodes: 1 series of 13 episodes
Length: 15 mins
Produced By: Woodland Productions
Directed By: Derek Mogford
Created By: Ivor Wood
Voices: Michael Williams, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, John Wells, Amber Michaels.
Vocals: Ken Barrie

Charlie Chalk: Resources

A Litterbug Lover's Collage!

Charlie Chalk:Lyrics

Intro:

Charlie Chalk, Charlie Chalk

Has a funny way of walking

And a wacky way of chalking.

Charlie Chalk, oh Charlie Chalk

Charlie Chalk, Charlie Chalk

He can get you out of trouble,

He can teach you how to juggle.

That’s Charlie Chalk, yeah Charlie Chalk.

He rowed a boat to sea one day,

To do some sleeping and some fishing.

When he awoke he saw an island,

Was he dreaming or just wishing?

Charlie Chalk, Charlie Chalk

Has a funny way of walking

And a wacky way of chalking.

Charlie Chalk, oh Charlie Chalk

Charlie Chalk, Charlie Chalk

Credits:

Charlie Chalk, Charlie Chalk

Has a funny way of walking

And a wacky way of chalking.

Charlie Chalk, oh Charlie Chalk

Charlie Chalk, Charlie Chalk

Landed on an island,

Now he's living in the Jungle.

Everybody comes around,

To see him clown and watch him tumble!

Charlie Chalk, oh Charlie Chalk

Charlie Chalk, Charlie Chalk

Charlie Chalk: Episode Guide

Shipwrecked Charlie - After falling asleep at sea, charlie arrives as a shipwreck at Merrytwit Island where he meets Captain Mildred and the gang. He decides to build a house on the island, but where can he build it?
Arnold's Big Night Out - Charlie, Arnold and Lewis decide to go on an adventure treasure hunt, but Lewis wants to leave clumsy Arnold out of the fun.
The Coconut Harvest - It's coconut season and Trader Jones needs some help gathering the harvest, so he gets some magical help from Mary, but soon wishes he hadn't!
The Sneezes - Charlie has got a non-stop case of the sneezes, can Trader Jones find a cure?
Jumping Bananas - Litterbug thinks he's helpingto tidy-up Merrytwit island, so why does he leave a trail of rubbish everywhere he goes?
The Mountain That Moaned - Charlie, Lewis and Arnold expore a cave filled with furniture and a monster called Bert!
Edward Keeps Fit - The island's annual inspection is due and Captain Mildred is worried that lazy Edward won't pass muster!
The Feast - Trader Jones wants to make a surprise feast for his fellow inhabitants of Merrytwit, but what can he cook? There are only bananas and coconuts on the island.
There Are No Roads On Merrywit - Lewis thinks that Merrytwit is in desperate need of some roads, and Arnold is just the elephant to help!
Mildred's Day Off - Mildred and Mary decide to go on holiday!
Bert's Boring Day - Bert is bored, can his friends cheer him up?
Return Of The Litter - It's Litterbug's birthday, but what gift would a litterbug like on an island that he's already cleaned?
Goodbye, Hello - Charlie has really enjoyed all the adventures that he's had on Merrytwit Island, but he decides that it'as time to say goodbye and return to his circus and his old friends that wil be missing him.