''Breakfast Serials'' is a twenty-five-minute

anthology series An anthology series is a written series, radio, television, film, or video game series that presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a different ca ...

for children that aired on

BBC1 BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and Flagship (broadcasting), flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includ ...

for one series in 1990.

Format

The series comprised various shorts that were based on a variety of genres such as dialogue comedy (''Cheapo TV''), drama (''Runners'' and ''NiceChap''), stand-up comedy (''Zounds'') and narrative (''Single Tales''). Each serial would be prefaced by a conversation between a

puppet A puppet is an object, often resembling a human, animal or Legendary creature, mythical figure, that is animated or manipulated by a person called a puppeteer. Puppetry is an ancient form of theatre which dates back to the 5th century BC in anci ...

Teapot A teapot is a vessel used for steeping tea leaves or a herbal mix in boiling or near-boiling water and serving the resulting infusion called tea; usually put in a teacup. It is one of the core components of teaware. Teapots usually have an ...

, a

Tin can A steel can, tin can, tin (especially in British English, Australian English, Canadian English and South African English), or can is a container made of thin metal, for distribution or storage of goods. Some cans are opened by removing the to ...

, and a

Tomato The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible Berry (botany), berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originate ...

(known as The Kitchen Crew). On occasion, they would interact with the serial characters. The final discussion of the overall episode would lead to a song performed by all three that would play over the end credits. All voices and acting roles/guises in the series were performed by Caroline Berry, John Biggins, Lucy Jenkins and William Petrie.

Nice Chap

One segment of the show was ''Nice Chap'', an adventure/drama about a cartoon strip character that is brought to life. The serial comprised three "series", each connected in continuity, but could also be viewed as stand-alone storylines Nice Chap: "Nice Chap", a permanently positive, curious man-child who speaks in rhyme, is the creation of a depressed and lonesome female illustrator (Suzie, creator of Cozicomix). Suzie's only friends are plants, one of which is a yucca named Peter. Nice Chap is brought to life when a bolt of lightning strikes Suzie's drawing board. The two are placed in mortal danger by a rival comics company (Megacomix), managed by Joyce (nicknamed "Clench") and Norris and manned by a megalomaniacal supercomputer (It) and at least one other computer (Chuck). Clench and Norris become friends with Suzie at the end. Nice Chap 2: Six months later the Supercomputer takes control of Norris and lays siege to a television station which is known as 'Norris Vision'. Nice Chap and Suzie foil its plans and all returns to normal. Nice Chap 3: Another six months later on the anniversary of his first coming to life Nice Chap himself is turned evil when his creator, in a fit of anger, draws dark eyebrows on him. At the serial's conclusion, The renegade Nice Chap is killed by a doppelganger and his creator gives in to her despair, using a device called a Crash Machine to send herself into Nice Chap's dimension to be with a positive version of him forever.

Critical reaction

TV Cream TV Cream was a British television nostalgia website, which had expanded to cover not only television, but film, toys, books, and other objects. ''The Daily Telegraph'' called it "a labour of love" and praised "the standard of the writing". In 20 ...

'' was critical, calling Cheapo TV "unfunny TV parodies" and Zounds "terrible drama school style surrealism", and criticising other strands for boredom or lack of originality.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, tt0396292 BBC children's television shows British children's television series British television shows featuring puppetry 1990 British television series debuts 1990 British television series endings 1990s British children's television series British English-language television shows