"The Trap Door" (1984)TV series

Creators:

Terry Brain
Charlie Mills

Release Date:

1984 (UK)

Genre:

Animation

Plot:

3D plasticine animation, featuring Berk, a blue creature who lives as servant to the unseen 'Thing Upstairs' in an old dark house...

Plot Keywords:

Stop Motion

Cast

William Rushton

...

Berk, Boni (voice) (as Willie Rushton)

Runtime:

5 min (40 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

CMTB Animation

Quotes:

Berk: Well, denture-face, you weren't much help were you?
Boni: I never said I wanted to be!

Movie Connections:

Spin off The Trap Door (1986) (VG)

A show that could never be anymore

If The Trap Door were to debut in 2006 then it would be low-grade CGI crap with no atmosphere or icky moments. What does that tell you about the current crop of PC-trash children's programming?

As it is, The Trap Door was an icon of 80s children's television. 'ooever knew that plasticine models could be so effective? But it wasn't just that. The castle that Berk and Boni (and the Thing upstairs) lived in was such a brilliant, atmospheric set. The 'owling winds, the dead trees and the constant dark and fog really did add a lot to it.

Berk was some kind of blue creature and was also a butler/servant to the ever-unseen cockney-voiced Thing, 'oo would always complain about the noise or being 'ungry. Whenever Berk would turn his back an 'orrible monster would creep out of the Trap Door in the basement. The Trap Door led directly into the catacombs beneath the castle where an infinity of worms and diabolical nasties dwelled. They'd cause no end of trouble for poor ol' Berk. You'd think he'd learn to keep it shut.

The theme song, despite sounding very 80s, was pretty damn cool too. One particular episode devoted its entire running time to an extended version of it. But that's one of my gripes. The running time was only 5 minutes (barely) for each episode, which was a bit annoying since it always seemed to end just as it was starting.

It only lasted for two seasons for some reason. But even though they only made a handful of episodes, The Trap Door has remained popular for over 20 years and that more than you can say for children's TV of today.