''Swashbuckle'' is a television show on
CBeebies
CBeebies is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content targeted for children aged six year ...
aimed at young children which started airing on 6 July 2013.
The show takes the format of a
game show
A game show (or gameshow) is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment where contestants compete in a game for rewards. The shows are typically directed by a game show host, host, who explains the rules of the program as well as commentating a ...
where children control a group of pirates. The show is one of CBeebies's most watched shows. It won the 2015
British Academy Children's Awards
The British Academy Children's Awards were presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). They were awarded annually since 1996, before which time they were a part of the main British Academy ...
for Entertainment and was nominated in 2018.
Format
The show takes place on the site of the shipwreck of the Scarlet Squid, in which three "naughty pirates" – a captain and her hapless shipmates – have stolen and hidden Gem's five jewels. Four children (known as
Swashbuckler
A swashbuckler is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship, acrobatics, and guile, and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, ...
s) compete in a series of games to try to win back the jewels, under the watchful eye of the ship's parrot Squawk. After two games, any remaining jewels are hunted against the clock as the children try to find them hidden within the shipwreck.
If the children successfully retrieve all of the jewels then a wheel is spun to determine which of the three pirates must walk the plank into the gunge-filled Ship's Mess. The children do not win in every episode, however.
Since Series 5, there was a new section added to the wheel with 3 hats on it, known as the “Triple Slop Drop”. If it lands on there, then all 3 pirates must walk the plank.
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]
Main characters
Cast
Presenters
*Gem – Gemma Hunt
Gemma Hunt (born 1 April 1982) is a retired British presenter best known for presenting the children's competition show ''Swashbuckle (TV series), Swashbuckle'', having starred in all 8 seasons from 2013 to 2022. She also presented the CBBC TV ...
(series 1 onwards)
*Squawk – Conor McNamara
Conor McNamara is an Irish sports commentator. He is the Lead Commentator for Premier League Productions and also works for BBC Sport on Radio 5 Live and ''Match of the Day'', Amazon Prime Video and Sky Sports. Away from sport, he voices the ch ...
(series 1 onwards)
Pirate captains
*Captain Sinker − Ella Kenion
Ella Jane Kenion (born 23 November 1968) is an English actress known for her appearances in comedy shows such as '' The Catherine Tate Show'', '' The Green Green Grass'', Five's sketch shows ''We Know Where You Live'' and ''Swinging.''
Addi ...
(series 1-4)
*Captain Captain − Jennie Dale (series 4-5, 7 onwards)
*Captain HeyHo − Sophia Nomvete (series 6)
Pirates
*Cook – Joseph Elliott (series 1-6)
*Line – Richard David-Caine (series 1-6)
*Sandy Toes – Ian Kirkby
Ian Kirkby is a British actor and writer. He is best known for his role as DI Harry Batt on the children's programme ''Dick & Dom in da Bungalow'' & '' Diddy TV'' and Sandy Toes on '' Swashbuckle.'' Additionally, he has appeared in Diddy Movies ...
(series 7 onwards)
*Seaweed – Tyler Collins (series 7 onwards)
Awards and nominations
''Swashbuckle'' won the 2015 British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
award for Children's Entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but it is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousands ...
and was nominated for that award, but did not win, in 2018.
References
External links
Swashbuckle on cBeebies
− BBC
* {{IMDb title, 3209518, Swashbuckle
2010s British children's television series
2020s British children's television series
Television series about pirates
British children's game shows
CBeebies