''Alias the Jester'' is a British

animated series An animated series, or a cartoon series, is a set of Animation, animated films with a common title, usually related to one another. These episodes typically share the same main heroes, some different secondary characters and a basic theme. Series ...

created by Cosgrove Hall Productions, airing in 13 episodes on ITV starting on 13 November 1985. The

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is ...

aired the show in 1987 during their after school timeslot and it is considered one of the Classic ABC shows. The show was also aired on

TVNZ Television New Zealand (, "Te Reo Tātaki" meaning "The Leading Voice"), more commonly referred to as TVNZ, is a New Zealand state-owned media company and Crown entity. The company operates a television network, streaming service, and news se ...

. GBC TV in

Gibraltar Gibraltar ( , ) is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory and British overseas cities, city located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, on the Bay of Gibraltar, near the exit of the Mediterranean Sea into the A ...

aired the series several times in the late 1980s, mainly as a filler during the children's 6:30pm–7:30pm weekday slot. It won the BAFTA Award for Best Short Animation at the 39th British Academy Film Awards.Television / Short Animation
BAFTA.

Synopsis

The show follows the adventures of a time traveller by the name of Alias and his dog-like companion Boswell. After their malfunctioning ship gets stuck in the Earth's magnetic pole, they crash-land in a Middle Age kingdom called Houghton Bottoms, ruled by the diminutive

King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...

and his Queen Edith. Taking up a

secret identity A secret identity is a person's code name, cryptonym, disguise, incognito, Cover (intelligence gathering), cover and/or alter ego which is not known to the general populace, most often used in fiction. Brought into popular culture by the Scarlet Pi ...

of sorts as Alias the Jester, he gains employment at the court and befriends the bumbling court wizard Meredith. When the situation calls for it, Alias instantly changes back into his red uniform, which enables him to fly, and a degree of super strength, which he can use to face the various villains of the show. Each episode inevitably ends with Arthur firing Alias and Meredith (exception being the initial episode in which Arthur proclaims "you're hired").

Characters

Alias the Jester – A "time traveller bold" as said in the title track. After crashing in the Middle Ages he gets a job as a

jester A jester, also known as joker, court jester, or fool, was a member of the household of a nobleman or a monarch kept to entertain guests at the royal court. Jesters were also travelling performers who entertained common folk at fairs and town ma ...

for King Arthur. He also fights crime as the Red Knight, who the wizard Meredith believes he summoned. Alias is a stereotypical hero in many ways, possessing an urge to do what is right; however, he also has a distinct but subtle sarcastic edge, which he sometimes uses in conversation, especially with Meredith. The feathers on his head appear to be part of his head rather than his suit as they are seen moving and could be the source of his flight. Boswell – Alias' dog-like alien companion, apparently possessing a fairly high intellect as he is able to understand Alias and take orders. He is, however, only able to communicate with beeping and honking sounds, which presumably make up his language. Often he is among the first to sense danger. Meredith – The bumbling but well-meaning court wizard of King Arthur. In an attempt to save the kingdom from its various enemies, he tried to summon a magical Red Knight. At that moment, completely coincidentally, Alias' ship crashed. From that point on, Meredith believes him to be the hero he had summoned.

Episodes

Home releases

VHS

DVD

The entire series was released on DVD in March 2006 alongside Avenger Penguins.

Voice cast

Richard Briers Richard David Briers (14 January 1934 – 17 February 2013) was an English actor whose five-decade career encompassed film, radio, stage and television. Briers first came to prominence as George Starling in '' Marriage Lines'' (1961–66), but ...

as Alias, The Black Najjer * Jimmy Hibbert as Boswell, Queen Edith, Sir Pinkly * Myfanwy Talog as Princess Amaranth * Brian Trueman as King Arthur, The Vikings *

Brian Wilde Brian George Wilde (13 June 1927 – 20 March 2008) was an English actor best known for his roles in television comedy, most notably Mr Barrowclough in ''Porridge (1974 TV series), Porridge'' and Walter "Foggy" Dewhurst in ''Last of the Summer ...

as Meredith

Credits

*Written by: Brian Trueman *Music: Keith Hopwood, Malcolm Rowe *Layout: Chris Randall, Jean Flynn, Stephen Thomas, Ted Pettengell *Storylines: Tony Garth, Chris Randall *Animation: Dan Whitworth, Denise Heywood, Andy Wilson, Phil McMylor, Meryl Edge, Stephen Thomas, Jean Flynn, Robert Newman, Phil Morris, Kay Widdowson, Janet Nunn, Arthur de Cloedt, George Jackson, Denise McAllister, Gary Owen, Clinton J. Priest, Margaret Riley *Backgrounds: Margaret Riley, Barbara Alcock, Diane Wren, Malcolm Turner, Nick Pratt, Kevin Smith *Special Effects: Roy Huckerby *Painting: Lorraine Thomas, Judy Ringrose, Bev Phillips, Joan Storey, Yasodha Huckerby, Andrea Hancock, Jackie Mitchell, Lynn Hardie, Karen Brumell, Gloria Vassilou, Lesley Scott, Tony McAleese, Edmund Williams, Stephen Simpson, Sue Halliwell, Mark Povey, Andy Wilson, Simon White, Yasodha Gopal, Stephania Giani *Camera: Frank Hardie, Wendy Hardie, Wendy Senior, Peter Kidd, Phil Atack, Mark Sutton *Editing: Nigel Rutter, Nibs Senior, Zyggy Markiewicz, Jane Hicks, Stephen Perry, David Crompton *Assistant Director: Jean Flynn *Production Supervisor: Bob Burrows *Executive Producer: John Hambley *Produced by: Brian Cosgrove, Mark Hall *Directed by: Chris Randall *© Cosgrove Hall Productions Ltd MCMLXXXV, MCMLXXXVI *Thames Colour Production

References

External links

Toonhounds entry on Alias the Jester
* {{TV series based on Arthurian legends 1985 British television series debuts 1986 British television series endings 1980s British animated television series 1980s British children's television series 1980s time travel television series Animated television series about extraterrestrial life BAFTA winners (television series) British children's animated action television series British children's animated superhero television series British English-language television shows Fictional jesters ITV children's television shows Television series based on Arthurian legend Television series by Cosgrove Hall Films Television series by FremantleMedia Kids & Family Television shows produced by Thames Television ITV animated television series