View source for King Rollo

{{Short description|Television series}}
{{For|the tenth-century Viking ruler|Rollo of Normandy}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox television
| image                =
| caption              = 
| alt_name             = 
| genre                = [[Animation]]
| creator              = 
| developer            = 
| writer               = [[David McKee]]
| director             = 
| creative_director    = 
| presenter            = 
| starring             = 
| judges               = 
| voices               = 
| narrated             = [[Ray Brooks (actor)|Ray Brooks]]
| theme_music_composer = 
| opentheme            = 
| endtheme             = 
| composer             = [[Duncan Lamont]]
| country              = United Kingdom
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 1
| num_episodes         = 13
| list_episodes        = 
| executive_producer   = 
| producer             = 
| cinematography       = 
| camera               = 
| runtime              = 5 minutes
| company              = [[King Rollo Films]]
| channel              = [[BBC1]]
| first_aired          = {{start date|1980|10|1|df=y}}
| last_aired           = {{end date|1980|12|24|df=y}}
| related              =  
}}

'''King Rollo''' is a children's character, created by [[David McKee]] in 1980. He is the main character in a series of books, animations<ref>{{cite book|title=British Book News|publisher=National Book League|year=1981|page=255}}</ref> narrated by [[Ray Brooks (actor)|Ray Brooks]], and a [[comic strip]] in the magazine ''Buttons''. Thirteen episodes of the animation were produced in 1980 by McKee's own [[King Rollo Films]], where the character is the company's mascot and namesake and were originally shown as part of the pre-school 'See-Saw' strand.

Rollo himself is a childlike king who is always in need of advice and assistance from his friends. Among these are The [[Magician (fantasy)|Magician]] (a [[father figure]]); Cook (the king's cook, a mother figure, who was arguably the real ruler of the kingdom); his neighbour and girlfriend, Queen Gwen; King Frank; and Rollo's cat, Hamlet, who was generally portrayed as wiser than Rollo himself.<ref>{{cite book|title=Reading Time|publisher=Children's Book Council of Australia, New South Wales Branch|year=1980|page=24}}</ref>

The [[Cutout animation|animations]] used the same colourful cut-out paper look as McKee's other works, such as [[Mr Benn]].  The 2D animation style saved on production costs.<ref>{{cite book | last = Steemers | first = Jeanette | title = Creating preschool television : a story of commerce, creativity and curriculum | publisher = Palgrave Macmillan | location = Basingstoke, England New York | year = 2010 | isbn = 9780230274600 | page=239}}</ref> The characters' legs would rotate outwards when walking until they were at right-angles to the sides of their body.{{clarify|date=March 2016}}

==Episodes==
{{No plot|section|date=September 2021}}
{{Episode table |background=#0BA1D7 |overall=6 |title=30 |airdate=20 |episodes=

{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 1
| Title = The Bread
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1980|10|1|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = 
| LineColor = 0BA1D7
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 2
| Title = The Playroom
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1980|10|8|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = 
| LineColor = 0BA1D7
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 3
| Title = The Bath
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1980|10|15|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = 
| LineColor = 0BA1D7
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 4
| Title = The Dishes
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1980|10|22|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = 
| LineColor = 0BA1D7
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 5
| Title = The New Shoes
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1980|10|29|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = 
| LineColor = 0BA1D7
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 6
| Title = The Breakfast
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1980|11|5|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = 
| LineColor = 0BA1D7
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 7
| Title = The Tree
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1980|11|12|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = 
| LineColor = 0BA1D7
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 8
| Title = The Comic
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1980|11|19|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = 
| LineColor = 0BA1D7
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 9
| Title = King Frank
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1980|11|26|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = 
| LineColor = 0BA1D7
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 10
| Title = The Birthday
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1980|12|3|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = 
| LineColor = 0BA1D7
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 11
| Title = The Balloons
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1980|12|10|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = 
| LineColor = 0BA1D7
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 12
| Title = The Search
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1980|12|17|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = 
| LineColor = 0BA1D7
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 13
| Title = The Dog
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1980|12|24|df=y}}
| ShortSummary = 
| LineColor = 0BA1D7
}}
}}
==DVD==
On 28th October, 2013, 'Demand DVD' released all thirteen episodes on a DVD called 'The Adventures of King Rollo', (ASIN	B00DZT4838).

==Books==
* King Rollo and the New Shoes (1979)
* King Rollo and the Bread (1979)
* King Rollo and the Birthday (1979)
* King Rollo and the Balloons (1980)
* King Rollo and the Tree (1980)
* King Rollo and the Dishes (1980)
* King Rollo and the Bath (1981)
* King Rollo and King Frank (1981)
* King Rollo and the Search (1981)
* King Rollo and the Playroom (1982)
* King Rollo and the Breakfast (1982)
* King Rollo and the Dog (1982)
* King Rollo and the Mask (1982)
* King Rollo's Letter and Other Stories (1984): collection containing: King Rollo and the Letter; King Rollo and the Bush; King Rollo and the Present; King Rollo and the Tent
* King Rollo's Winter (1986): board book
* King Rollo's Spring (1987): board book
* King Rollo's Summer (1988): board book
* King Rollo's Autumn (1988): board book
* King Rollo and Santa's Beard (1990): also published as King Rollo's Christmas
* King Rollo and the New Stockings (2001)

===Collections===
* The Adventures of King Rollo (1982): King Rollo and the New Shoes; King Rollo and the Birthday; King Rollo and the Bread; King Rollo and the Tree
* The Further Adventures of King Rollo (1983): King Rollo and the Dishes; King Rollo and the Balloons; King Rollo and King Frank; King Rollo and the Search
* King Rollo's Playroom and Other Stories (1984): King Rollo and the Playroom; King Rollo and the Breakfast; King Rollo and the Dog; King Rollo and the Mask
* The Adventures of King Rollo (2016): collection of separate hardback books containing: King Rollo and the New Shoes; King Rollo and the Bread; King Rollo and the Birthday; King Rollo and King Frank

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb title|0080237}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20010726204819/http://www.toonhound.com/kingrollo.htm Toonhound]

{{Portal |Children's literature}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1980s British children's television series]]
[[Category:1980 British television series debuts]]
[[Category:1980 animated television series debuts]]
[[Category:1980 British television series endings]]
[[Category:British children's animated adventure television series]]
[[Category:Literary characters introduced in 1980|King Rollo]]
[[Category:Characters in British novels of the 20th century]]
[[Category:Animated characters|King Rollo]]
[[Category:Children's television characters|King Rollo]]
[[Category:Fictional kings|Rollo, King]]
[[Category:BBC children's television shows|King Rollo]]
[[Category:Television shows based on children's books]]
[[Category:British English-language television shows]]
[[Category:1980s British animated television series]]
[[Category:BBC animated television series]]
[[Category:Television series about kings]]

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