Horrible Histories | |
---|---|
Genre | Comedy |
Based on | Horrible Histories by Terry Deary |
Written by |
|
Directed by | Simon Gibney Ian Curtis |
Starring | Tom Stourton, Jessica Ransom, Jalaal Hartley |
Voices of | John Eccleston (Rattus Rattus from 2015 to 2021) Dave Chapman (Rattus Rattus from 2021-present) Jon Culshaw Jess Robinson |
Theme music composer | Richie Webb Matt Katz |
Composer | Richie Webb |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 5 |
No. of episodes | 66(including 3 specials) (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producers | Melissa Hardinge Richard Bradley Bill Hobbins |
Producer | Tom Miller |
Editors | Adam Windmill Will Peverett |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Production company | Lion Television |
Original release | |
Network | CBBC |
Release | 7 February 2015 – present |
Related | |
Horrible Histories |
Horrible Histories is a British sketch comedy children's television series, the second live-action iteration of the book series Horrible Histories written by Terry Deary.
Produced by Lion Television for the CBBC, it is a revival of the previous live-action TV series, which had formally ceased production in 2013, and treated as a continuation of the show's previous incarnation beginning with "Series 6". Despite this, episodes from Series 6 and "The Specials II" utilise the Horrible Histories Special title card which the earlier series used for one-off programs.
In 2014, CBBC executives announced that, owing to the critical and popular success of the original, discussions were underway regarding some form of return. Original series star Mathew Baynton subsequently confirmed that he and the other five members of the starring cast would not be reuniting as a team for the new project. [1]
The resulting series, while sharing the same core concept, genre and sensibilities as its predecessor—including an original parody song in each episode—follows a notably different format. In lieu of the previous short, unconnected sketches from randomly-selected time periods, the new series consists of specials focusing on the specific life and times of one prominent historical figure. It will also involve a largely all-new production team and cast, while still retaining Greg Jenner as lead historical consultant and many of the original series's writers. In addition, original stars Sarah Hadland, Simon Farnaby, Lawry Lewin, Dominique Moore, Katherine Jakeways, Giles Terera and Jim Howick returned in limited roles, with Farnaby in particular reprising his role as Death. Minor Series 4 actors Jessica Ransom and Jalaal Hartley took on more central roles. Several prominent UK comedy veterans, including Ben Miller, Kathryn Drysdale, Kevin Eldon, Tom Rosenthal and Rowan Atkinson, guest-starred as the spotlighted figures. [2]
In February 2015, the new series debuted with an episode drawing on the events leading up to the signing of Magna Carta , timed to coincide with the BBC's larger commemoration of the document's 800-year anniversary before being followed by a run of fourteen episodes. 2016 saw the broadcast of three specials to mark certain events throughout that year: 400 years since Shakespeare died, the BBC's "Love to Read" campaign, and 350 years since the Great Fire of London. There was a slight change in cast where the main stars Jalaal Hartley, Tom Stourton and Jessica Ransom continued with some of the supporting cast, while a number of the sixth series cast, including the two original members Jim Howick and Simon Farnaby were absent.
A full-length seventh series was aired every Monday on CBBC from June 2017, and it continued into 2018. Hartley, Ransom and Stourton continue alongside Gemma Whelan and Richard David-Caine who stayed on from the 2016 specials; Ryan Sampson now makes up the sixth main cast member. This time, Series 7 focuses each episode on a theme, e.g. music, explorers, medicine, presidents etc. The format is very much the same with recurring sketches, a song or two each episode (with the main songs now placed at the end of each episode, except for Ruthless Rulers and Series 8's Mind Your Manners), animated characters in-between sketches and quiz questions asked by various historical figures. One notable difference is that of host Rattus Rattus, who has his own storyline based on the theme of the episode and is appearing in many different costumes. Guest-stars include Sanjeev Bhaskar with various roles, as he did in Series 6, and First Dates host Fred Sirieix who appears for 'Historical First Dates' sketches to host.
An eighth series began filming in September 2018, and began airing on 3 June 2019 on CBBC, with a similar concept to Series 7 (each episode focusing on a theme) whilst also occasionally featuring guest co-hosts. The series had two special episodes: the first one being Football with Alex Scott, a special where guest star footballer Alex Scott appeared and hosted her own episode and recounted skits in the show about football from seasons from the original 2009 Horrible Histories show and the sixth season of the 2015 reboot. The second special episode was aired on CBBC on 15 August 2019 – guest star, actress and comedian Emily Atack hosted her own episode called Back to School with Emily Atack. The episode consisted of her recounting skits from the original 2009 Horrible Histories and the 2015 reboot's seventh season relating to school and education.
On 19 December 2019, It was announced that the remaining episodes of series 8 will air during 2020, however a new ninth series will also be set to air sometime in the year. [3]
In October 2022, a special episode about the history of the BBC was shown to celebrate the BBC's 100th anniversary. [4]
Further information see: List of Horrible Histories cast members
These are the cast who have appeared in all or most of the episodes:
Supporting cast:
Guest starring:
Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | Horrible Histories Series 7 | BAFTA Children's Award for Best Writing | Nominated [8] |
2018 | Tom Stourton as Henry VIII | BAFTA Children's Award for Best Performer | Nominated [8] |
2018 | Horrible Histories Series 7 | BAFTA Children's Award for Best Comedy | Nominated [8] |
2018 | Horrible Histories Series 7 | Broadcast Award for Best Children's Programme | Won [9] |
2017 | Horrible Histories Special: Crooked King John and Magna Carta | International Emmy Award for Best Kids Factual | Won [10] |
2017 | Horrible Histories Special: Sensational Shakespeare | Broadcast Award for Best Children's Programme | Nominated [11] |
2016 | Horrible Histories Special: Sensational Shakespeare | BAFTA Children's Award for Best Comedy | Won [12] |
2016 | Tom Stourton as William Shakespeare | BAFTA Children's Award for Best Performer | Nominated [12] |
2016 | Horrible Histories Special: Sensational Shakespeare | BAFTA Children's Award for Best Writing | Nominated [12] |
2015 | Horrible Histories Series 6 | British Comedy Guide Award for Best Sketch Show | Won [13] |
2016 | Horrible Histories Special: Crooked King John and Magna Carta | Kidscreen Award for Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series | Won [14] |
2016 | Horrible Histories Special: Awesome Alfred the Great | Broadcast Award for Best Children's Programme | Nominated [15] |
2015 | Horrible Histories Special: Crooked King John and Magna Carta | BAFTA Children's Award for Best Comedy | Nominated [16] |
2015 | Jessica Ransom as Mary, Queen of Scots | BAFTA Children's Award for Best Performer | Won [16] |
2015 | Horrible Histories Special: Crooked King John and Magna Carta | BAFTA Children's Award for Best Writing | Nominated [16] |
The series, treated as the sixth of the original 2009–2013 run, was released on Region 2 DVD on 31 August 2015. Episodes are also available online through UK iTunes as "Series 6: Rotten Rulers". The 2016 specials were released on DVD under "The Specials II" on 12 September 2016. The seventh series, including its then-unaired episodes, was released on DVD on 6 November 2017 for regions 2 and 4.
Australian Chinese viewers claimed that the "I'm a Tang Celebrity" segment on the second episode of series 6 was "spreading institutionalised racism". [17]
Howard Oliver Drinkwater Read is a British screenwriter, comedian, and animator best known for his work with his animated sidekick, Little Howard. His other creations include an angry manager with a conversational style and the worldview of Bernard Manning, Roger T. Pigeon, and H:BOT 2000, a robot from the future. Each of these characters interacts with both Big Howard and each other.
Benjamin Thomas Willbond is an English actor and screenwriter best known as a member of the British Them There collective, for which he has written and starred in productions including Horrible Histories, Yonderland, and Ghosts.
Simon Farnaby is an English actor, comedian and writer. He is best known for his work with the Them There collective where he has written and starred in productions including Horrible Histories, Yonderland, and Ghosts.
Horrible Histories is an educational entertainment franchise encompassing many media including books, magazines, audio books, stage shows, TV shows, and more.
Class Dismissed is a British children's sketch comedy series created by Luke Beddows, Stephen M. Collins and Andy Potter. The series is produced by CBBC Productions and has run from 2016. The show has aired 6 series, with the first starting on 1 February 2016, a second series starting on 5 December 2016, a third on 27 November 2017, a fourth on 11 March 2019, a fifth sometime in mid-2019 and a sixth on 29 November 2021.
David Alexander Lamb is an English actor, comedian, narrator and presenter. He is best known for his narration work on Come Dine with Me as well as appearances in British television and radio programmes, especially comedy programmes like Goodness Gracious Me. He also presented the CBBC game show Horrible Histories: Gory Games.
James Howick is an English actor and writer, known for his appearances in television series such as Sex Education, Peep Show, Stag, and Here We Go, as well as his ongoing association with the creative collective Them There with whom he has written and starred in productions including Horrible Histories, Yonderland and Ghosts.
Dick and Dom's Funny Business is a British comedy television series for children, hosted by comic presenting duo Richard McCourt and Dominic Wood. The series was broadcast in a Saturday morning slot on BBC Two and simulcast on the CBBC Channel, and was Dick and Dom's return to Saturday mornings following the success of Dick & Dom in da Bungalow, which ended in Spring 2006. Unlike ...da Bungalow, which was largely broadcast live and ran for up to three hours with inserted content, ...Funny Business was a pre-recorded, self-contained one-hour programme. The first series began in January 2011 and ran for 13 episodes.
Thomas Edward Alexander Stourton is an English actor, comedian and writer.
Yonderland is a British sitcom television series that was broadcast on Sky One from November 2013 to December 2016. It was produced by Sioned Wiliam, and was created by, written by and starred the main performers from CBBC's series Horrible Histories.
Horrible Histories is a British children's live-action historical and musical sketch comedy television series, based on the bestselling book series of the same name by Terry Deary. The show was produced for CBBC by Lion Television with Citrus Television and ran from 2009 to 2014 for five series of thirteen half-hour episodes, with additional one-off seasonal and Olympic specials.
Bill is a 2015 British family adventure comedy film from the principal performers behind children's TV series Horrible Histories and Yonderland. It was produced by Punk Cinema, Cowboy Films and BBC Films and was released in the UK on 18 September 2015 by Vertigo Films. The film is a fictional take on the young William Shakespeare's search for fame and fortune, as written by Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond and directed by Richard Bracewell who co-produced with Tony Bracewell, Alasdair Flind and Charles Steel. It features the six lead performers playing several different roles each including Mathew Baynton, Martha Howe-Douglas, Ben Willbond, Simon Farnaby, Jim Howick and Laurence Rickard. Bill has received mostly positive reviews from critics and grossed $968,534 worldwide. The film also received nominations for the Evening Standard British Film Award for Award for Comedy and the Into Film Award for Family Film of the Year.
Jason Forbes is a British actor, writer, comedian, impressionist, and TV presenter. He is best known for the CITV series Horrible Science; The Mash Report on BBC Two; as PC Peasey in the Professor Branestawm television films on BBC One; and as a member of the award-winning sketch trio 'Daphne'.
Diddy TV was a British children's sketch comedy series on CBBC. It stars Richard McCourt and Dominic Wood. It is a sequel series to the Diddy Dick and Dom sketches on Dick & Dom in da Bungalow and Diddy Movies. The series features various parodies of television series including Top of the Pops and The Great British Bake Off. Series 1 began on 14 March 2016, Series 2 began on 20 June 2016, Series 3 began on 19 March 2018 and Series 4 began on 25 June 2018. Many of the cast have been in other Dick and Dom sketch series or the sitcom The Legend of Dick and Dom.
Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans is a 2019 British historical comedy film directed by Dominic Brigstocke, based on the book series of the same name by author Terry Deary, and the television series of 2009 and 2015 on CBBC. The film production, of one of the stories, was announced in March 2016. The film is a co-production, between Altitude Film Entertainment, BBC Films and Citrus Films. It was released on 26 July 2019.
Them There is a theatrical production collective made up of a group of comedy writers and performers, notable for working on a range of projects together including Horrible Histories, Yonderland, and Ghosts. They are also informally referred to as the Horrible Histories troupe and The Six Idiots.
Horrible Science is a TV series based on the Scholastic book series of the same name and stylistically fashioned after the Horrible Histories children's sketch show, both of which are part of the Horrible Histories franchise.
Ethan David Lawrence is an English actor. He is known for playing the roles of Joe Poulter in the BBC series Bad Education and James in the Netflix black comedy series After Life. Since 2021, he has played various characters in the CBBC children's comedy sketch show Horrible Histories.
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