The Herbs and The Adventures of Parsley

CLASSIC BBC KID'S ANIMATION DEVISED & WRITTEN BY MICHAEL BOND

ON THIS PAGE.....First bit :-Putting the characters in context and how the original series differs from the sequel.

Second Bit :-All the individual characters biogs and pics.( Cue frantic scrolling ! )

OVERVIEW   Here we have the full list of characters in all their technicolour glory.Which is worth mentioning because The Herbs were first shown in black and white of course. (see '68-70 revisited)

The humans are as much cartoon charicatures as characters.

Sir Basil,with his stereotypical country tweeds, monocle and huge red boozer's nose.Constable Knapweed with his mutton chop whiskers and trusty notebook and whistle. And so on.

In other words,they fit the most commonly held mental images of what we think a country squire,or a fine upstanding victorian bobby should look like.And if you're going to parody something,it's best to present them as cliches we can all instantly recognise.It saves time and also intensifies the gags simply because they are so accentuated.

The 3 main animal characters Parsley,Dill & Sage,are also effectively humans in animal form of course.

So if you then put all these diverse personalities in a restricted space,bouncing off one another,you've effectively got yourself a sitcom.....for tots.

Add in some top quality writing that never talks down to them,and coat an already rich cake with a thick icing of gloriously over-the-top voices and phrasing.Stick it in the oven,gas mark BBC1 and enjoy.

PASHANA BEDHI -Conspiracy theory No.1,231,764..........Pashana Bedhi is quite possibly the reason The Herbs will never appear again on the BBC.    Discuss.

Whilst it's obviously true that all the human characters are accentuated charicatures,the race issue seems to put this one into a different ballpark.So whilst a human Sir Basil would probably find his counterpart quite amusing,it's pushing it to think that Mr.Bedhi might evoke the same response.

All the cliche's are thrown in.He sleeps on a bed of nails,cooks curry,charms snakes,and speaks with that "goodness gracious me" stereotypical comedy accent.

So is that one of the more ludicrous theories ? Well,you tell me  ?.Because,the show's characters and setting are pretty timeless and the writing hasn't dated.But with Pashana in it,maybe all that's a bit like saying "the car should run fine.It's only missing one wheel."

Yes,they were shown on C4 as recently as the late 90's.(Even though you could probably get away with anything at 7am on a Sunday morning.) And,yes,they may well pop up on satellite or cable stations (same proviso) But I can't help feeling they're in a dusty box at Broadcasting House marked "too sensitive".Probably rubbing shoulders with the likes of "It Ain't Half Hot Mum",and Spike Milligan's "Q8" amongst others.

So theory 1,231,764 may well be a load of old tosh,but I doubt it would really surprise anyone if it wasn't.

1) "I am Peshana Bedhi,very good at snake charming.Snakes that have by me been charmed,will not anyone be harming."

2) "I am Peshana Bedhi,very good at cooking nicely.All that has by me been cooked,surely will be hot and spicey"

CHARACTER BY CHARACTER :- THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE ANYWHERE

PARSLEY  -In "The Herbs",he's a friendly,but timid lion,who doesn't speak and can't even really be described as the main character.But in the sequel he's given a voice and is totally transformed into an intelligent,thoughtful and laidback counterbalance to Dill's "act now,think later" shenanigans.And both very much take centre stage.

He's a watcher rather than a "do-er" and he's given a nice sardonic turn of phrase and plenty of acerbic lines.And the similarities with Magic Roundabout contemporary,Dougal are striking.With adults also picking up on the noticeable influence of 60's comic Tony Hancock.Although whereas Dougal actually sounds like him as well,Parsley has a slightly more up-market voice that has shades of another man of the time,Patrick Cargill.(of "Father, Dear Father" tv fame)

It's no surprise that someone so urbane can also read and write (pen in mouth).And he's often seen consulting "my book" (photo 2),an encyclopedia that magically appears to the accompaniment of a flash of light and a "ting" sound when he raises and lowers a paw - and a very handy narrative device that's used regularly.

Here's his main song and one of those variations I mentioned further up the page.

1) "I'm a very friendly lion called Parsley,I am always very glad to see you wave.  But please don't shout or speak to me too harshly, because I'm not particularly brave."   (2) "I'm a very friendly lion called Parsley,with a tail for doing jobs of every kind.  But I mustn't treat it roughly or too harshly,for it's such a useful thing to have behind"

DILL Friend to Parsley in "The Herbs",he morphs into a full-blown sidekick and confidante in the sequel.

In both series he provides a real burst of childlike energy and enthusiasm that many of those watching can relate to.And his sheer zest for life means he invariably throws himself into things without thinking them through.Something that's used to good comedic effect of course.

But it's the sequel where he really comes into his own,when he's given a voice to replace the yapping and panting heard previously.Provides much of the narrative impetus,and acts as a great source for Parsley's observational dry humour.

He's far more than an Ernie Wise though,and gets plenty of good lines himself.And whilst he may be impetuous he's certainly not stupid and is more than capable of holding his own in a verbal joust.

Moments of quite reflection and insight also act as a nice counterweight to all his scurrying about.And he's given a gentle child-like voice and is animated in a very sympathetic and playful way.So he actually comes across as extremely disarming rather than annoying.

The Herb Garden's very own naughty,but nice child.

1)"I'm Dill the dog,I'm a dog called Dill.Though my tail I'd love to get,I've never caught it yet !" (2)"I'm Dill the dog,I'm a dog called Dill.I'm rather small and furry,and often in a hurry." (3)"I'm Dill the dog,I'm a dog called Dill.On bones I love to chew,I can eat up quite a few."

SAGE   Completeing the main animal trio,Sage is the wonderfully surreal looking owl who always gets out of the nest the wrong side.He puts up with numerous interruptions to his generally sedentary life style.Interruptions he could well do without and which are usually accompanied by some irritated squawks and wing flapping.Flapping but never any flying -too time consuming to animate.Although you get the feeling that he really couldn't be bothered to make the effort anyway.Or if he could,he'd probably clear off permanently to somewhere far more peaceful !

As with his fellow animal characters,he's only given a speaking voice in the sequel- a wonderfully idiosyncratic and suitably crotchety one which fits him perfectly (a running theme with all the voices you'll note).That said,he doesn't actually say a great deal and is a relatively peripheral figure in both series.So it's a testimony to his impact that he's so well-remembered.Cuddly in his own strange way,but with that extra bit of edge and attitude.A sort of ornithological Victor Meldrew and generally not as well recognised in kids' animation history as he should be imho.Although that's doubtless because he strikes more of a chord with adults than kids I'd imagine.

1) "I'm a rather fat feathery owl called Sage,let me tell you I've never been set foot in a cage.To be truthful I've not felt the slightest desire,to be covered in wood held together by wire." (2) "I'm a rather fat feathery owl called Sage,I'm not at all happy,in fact in a rage. It's bad enough having ones' home all upset,but to make matters worse,all my feathers are wet." (all ended with a disgruntled squawk !)

SIR BASIL & LADY ROSEMARY This husband and wife duo are the owners of the estate in which the garden sits and presumably live in the big house-although we never get to see it.They're far more prominent in the original series,but do still pop up from time to time in the sequel.

Sir Basil is the bumbling Lord of the Manor.Hopelessly dim,but harmless enough when he doesn't have a gun in his hands. In fact,a very likeable fool really and more than happy to let Lady R wear the trousers.Which is appropriate because you get the feeling that by the time he'd figured out which way round they should go,she'd have had a pair specially made in the colonies,shipped over and fitted...and all before breakfast.Or,at least,made damn sure someone else did !

Without her around you'd imagine the whole garden would quickly descend into chaos.And to go with her decision-making and organisational skills,she's also blessed with more grey matter than Basil,Bayleaf and Knapweed put together -which admittedly isn't saying a great deal.

So 2 classic stereotypes of the British aristocracy.And so acutely well observed in their appearance,that if you only saw a picture of them without hearing them speak,you'd pretty much know what to expect.......and you'd be right.

Their songs are a particularly good appraisal of their characters.......

1) "I am Sir Basil,King of all the herbs,I like huntin',shootin' and fishin'.But if there's any hard work to be done,you'll notice I'm generally missin'." (2)"I am Sir Basil,King of all the herbs,I'm very often in trouble.I'm not very good at sortin' things out,and often I get in a muddle." (1) "My name is Lady Rosemary,you'll find you cannot fool me.I have eyes both sharp and quick,to help me see through every trick." (2) "My name is Lady Rosemary,I am tall and willowy.Though my manner may seem cold,I really have a heart of gold."

BAYLEAF -The resident gardener charged with keeping everything looking good.

Think of an exaggerated version of The Wurzels (as if that were possible !),and substitute a combined harvester for a wheelbarrow and you've got yer man. He's not the brightest bloom in the flower bed and his ramblings are often cut short by an impatient Lady R.But he's a decent enough sort,and a hard worker who only tolerates the antics of Parsley and Dill because he has to.( "If you ask me, there's some of us would be better employed using their paws helpin' in the garrrrden !") In fact,he's never far from a moan or a reminisce about the "old days" but remains totally likeable throughout.And,like Constable Knapweed,he's got the dual attraction of being a good straightman and amusing in his own right.A valuable member of both series.

"I'm Bayleaf I'm the gardener,I work from early dawn.You find me sweeping up the leaves,and tidying the lawn."(affirming "rrrr" to end)

CONSTABLE KNAPWEED -Very much a by-the-book kind of guy,he's supposedly there to see order is maintained.But despite a lot of endless note-taking and posturing,an awful lot still goes on regardless.And he's clearly no better at prevention than he is at detection.

Fortunately,like any dour,pompous authority figure he's perfectly set up for providing laughs at his own expense.And the thick Yorkshire accent and Victorian-style whiskers and uniform set it all off beautifully.

Like many of the human participants a timeless characature classic,but hands up who remembered he was a redhead ?!

"I am Constable Knapweed,and I keep law and order.I watch to see that all is well,along the garden border."

AUNT MINT -She spends all her time frantically knitting whilst sitting in a rocking chair that conveniently moves around the garden as and when she's required for a scene.Which usually means when she's required to knit something to order,like a balaclava hat for Sage's birthday present etc.(well,if he can carry off a pithe helmet.......)

She never really hit the mark actually and perhaps could have been used to better effect as a more cuddly confidante to all and sundry.As opposed to the rather angular looking and detached character we actually get.

And these days,she just reminds me of Postman Pat,which is a little unnerving ! (Ivor Woods responsible for both.)

1) "My name is Auntie Mint.If you should see me sitting don't think I'm doing nothing,for I'm busy with my knitting.

2) "My name is Aunt Mint,I'm always very busy,I often have so much to knit,it makes me feel quite dizzy."

MR. &  MRS. ONION AND THE CHIVES - The Onions are the Chives' parents and Mr.Onion takes it upon himself to be their school teacher as well -an open air classroom in the garden,with a suitably old-fashioned mix of wooden desks, blackboard on an easel,and satchels on their backs.

His wife spends most of her time as an onlooker and usually in tears-just to cement the onion analogy.But fear not, because it's explained that "the happier she is,the more she cries" -which is handy.

The 12 chives don't have mouths and consequently never speak.Although we do hear collective off screen cheers and background noise from them when the need arises.They're also identical as near as damn it.And whilst that saved the animators a lot of time worrying about continuity issues it didn't help to make them particularly memorable.

So,the undeniable star of this little grouping is Mr.O,as he appears the most and has a memorable authoritarian drill-sargeant delivery -as witnessed by this lovely bit of dialogue from the Birthday Party episode :-"a good time will be 'ad by all.No stuffing yourselves with cakes iced,buns currant or trifles cream!"

Notice the silent "h" ,as in "'orrible" and you should be able to put a voice to 'im without the need for the hearing thereof (although don't be tempted to lapse into cockney)

But it's actually only the chives who get a song,athough they're clearly in most need of a bit of lyrical clarification.And they're done no favours by being modelled closest to the plants they're supposed to represent.Very odd looking little things frankly.But with the onset of GM crops,perhaps we'll end up having to hail Ivor Woods as a visionary.

"Because there are so many herbs,all looking like each other.It makes it even hard to tell,a sister from a brother."(animator's in-joke)

THE HERBS SERIES SPECIFICS   As with similar shows of the time like Bagpuss and the Trumptonshire Trilogy,all the characters were given their own little signature songs.

Pleasant to the ear,they were also a simple way of introducing a character's role and personality traits -particularly useful for any new viewers of course.And the lyrics were also tweeked now and then to fit certain situations and storylines. Although as the tunes always remained the same,you had to be paying attention to notice frankly.So I've only listed the main ones (below) that reveal something about the character rather than just a particular episode or plot.

Using songs as a narrative device is very Gilbert and Sullivan of course,and there's certainly more than a little bit of that feel to some of them,even if on a slightly less ambitious scale !

And,frankly,even in comparison with its' peers,you'd have to say that the Herbs' examples are pretty sparse.But they're catchy enough,and the beauty of brevity is that they're easier to remember I suppose.

Their actual delivery also requires a leap of faith because the characters don't open their mouths throughout -a common omission for all the stop motion series of the period simply because of the time and cost involved in doing the extra animation.So the most we get are some very rudimemtary open and closing movements when,say,Parsley roars or yawns

But you'd have to say that it was actually money well-saved.Because each character's voice is such a perfect fit with their appearance that you don't actually need to see their lips move to believe it's coming from them.And a kids' imagination can make up the shortfall if you get that marriage right.

Only the humans actually 'spoke'

Parsley,Dill and Sage had their songs but were restricted to just the odd roar,woof and sqawk besides that.

But only Parsley and Dill (and possibly Sage) were aware that we the viewer were there watching them.So when the humans weren't around,they could engage in a bit of furtive interaction with the narrator- answering his questions with nods and waives etc.Which gave the viewer the dual satisfaction of not only being a privileged guest in a magical place, but of also being able to eavesdrop on what were effectively private conversations.And there's always something deliciously mischievous about that no matter how old you are.

Mrs Onion is the least aesthetically pleasing of all the models and with the least personality -little wonder then that  she's always crying.The chives may be upside down botanically speaking,but roots do make good hair,so let's not split any.But clearly the whole family would benefit from getting some sun !

TARRAGON THE DRAGON In the original series,Bayleaf accidentally tips a pile of plant food onto a tarragon seed and it grows into a beanstalk with a giant egg on top.And in the absence of Jack,this is duely recovered by Parsley (lion's are good climbers),hatched by Sage (fair enough) and the resultant young dragon then finds a home with Sir B and Lady R.(slightly less explainable).

Being a dragon,it does have that rather unfortunate habit of torching things at random.Although we only ever see white smoke coming out of his nostrils as flame is notoriously difficult to stop-animate.But,fortunately,kids of a nervous disposition are regularly reminded that he's only a small,young dragon.And he's given a softly spoken voice complete with a very disarming lisp to make him even more palatable.A bit of a softie in fact,and a great bit of colourful design too so it was good to see him make a couple of appearances in the sequel as well.

Trivia- he predates The Clangers Soup Dragon by a year and isn't totally dissimilar in appearance- coincidence   ?

"I'm Tarragon the dragon,I'd better make it clear,that nothing's safe when I'm about,things seem to disappear."

BELLADONNA THE WITCH Unlike Tarragon,Michael Bond went for it big time with Belladonna-the full scarey witch bit -stooping gait,maniacal cackle.beady eyes,huge grotesque nose and "deary"-type old lady voice.Her "magic changes" are accompanied by a thunderclap and flashes of light and darkness,and her aim is garden domination.Why ? Because she's "the deadly nightshade flower" In short,a truely nasty piece of work,but sadly a bit too much for the Beeb who quickly requested she was dropped.So she never saw the end of The Herbs series nevermind the follow-up.

Fortunately,in the episode she does appear,she mistakenly flies off on Bayleaf's broom and crashes,leaving her own magic broomstick behind.And very useful it is too,because each twig represents one magic power.Something which Bond makes full use of whenever there's a plot difficulty.......

"Of course ! Bayleaf's magic broom.I don't know what they'd do without it sometimes !" -er,quite Gordon.And just as well it was a nice bushy one ! So as trade-off's go,perhaps it wasn't such a bad one.And unlike it's original owner,it's hardly a shock when it turns up in the sequel as well-and still with plenty of twigs too !

"Belladonna is my name,I'm the deadly nightshade flower.I shall never be content,'till all the herbs are in my power."

"She's done one of her magic changes.Even her best friend wouldn't recognise her.If she had a best friend -which I doubt."

A lovely bit of writing.But you'd imagine it'd take a bit more than a change of clothing with a hooter like that.

And if Solidgo can play the joanna with fingers like that then he deserves respect.And why risk any disrespect when he looks like he might know some people who could slip a horse's head under your duvet.

MISS JESSOP   As a character who comes to stay with Sir B and Lady R.,we're told,"She's very nice

really,but she does like things to be neat and tidy.Not just ordinary tidy,but clean and tidy.She won't

like the Herb garden if it looks untidy like this one." And indeed she doesn't ! A neatly dressed spinster

with more than a bit of the look of a governess about her.She dusts plants with a pink

feather duster and upsets everyone by being hyper-critical.Bayleaf reckons she needs

a husband to sort her out (very 'new man' !) and takes matters into his own hands.......

"I'm a very neat herb and my name is Miss Jessop,I like everything tidy and shining and clean.

But all of the other herbs make such a mess-up,that sometimes the garden's not fit to be seen."

                         

                          ...........GOOD KING HENRY is the result as Bayleaf grows him from seed in his

                          greenhouse.But he then proves too big to get out & they have to use the magic broom

                          to turn the greenhouse into a carriage fit for a king so he doesn't have to.And whilst he may be minus a                             greenhouse,at least Bayleaf gets his genetics right because Miss J and the Good King do indeed marry.                              And apart from cameos in the Birthday Party episode they ride off into tv oblivion.

                          All in all,a little bit of a strange diversion really,and with Lady Rosemary so firmly in charge there was                                  only ever going to be one winner and 2 losers.

                          And it's not for nothing that these 2 stragglers round off our look at the cast list.

                                  "Good King Henry stands before you,such a royal and regal figure.If from this greenhouse I do move,it's plain the                                                 doorway must be bigger."

SIGNOR SOLIDAGO. An Italian music teacher with a leaning towards the operatic.He has his base in the Herb garden conservatory,complete with white grand piano & what look suspiciously like the cherubs from the opening sequence.

Resplendant in white suit and spats he's the sort of "mama,mia" Italian cliche that you half expect to burst into ".....geeev eeet to meee" at any moment.And you may have difficulty taking Dirk Bogarde seriously when you next see "Death in Venice".

He's very sparingly used,and his main appearance is a foolhardy attempt to teach Sage to sing sweetly.Something he singularly fails to do after much shattering of glass and cotton wool all round.

He's given a nice song himself though,which amply demonstrates that Gordon Rollings had a more than acceptable singing range to go with his verbal dexterity.

"My name let me say is Signor Solidago,sometimes I sing high and sometimes I sing lo_ow.If I am happy,I sing a libretto,sometimes I sing both in bass and falsett_o."

SO THAT'S THE COMPLETE CAST LIST.........SLICED AND DICED !

If you haven't done so already,check out "The Making of Pt.2" page to hear what Michael Bond has to say about them all and how he initially tried to tie-in the character's traits with their plant characteristics.

Some are more tenuous than others,but then again this is a kids' tv show and not an RHS exhibit,so we'll let him off.

THE ADVENTURES OF PARSLEY  The sequel was different in quite a few ways.

Each episode was reduced from 15 minutes to a mere 5.And it moved from a lunchtime Watch With Mother slot to a teatime one.So not only did it have to keep the young Herbs fans on board,but it also had to cater for all the mums and dads who'd previously enjoyed The Magic Roundabout in that slot -waiting for the early evening news that followed.

The main change was that the relationship between Parsley and Dill completely took centre stage.

They were transformed into a fully fledged double act that had barely been hinted at in the original series. And,crucially,they were given speaking voices to carry it off (as was Sage).Although all 3 voices were at least familiar because the narrator had used them to deliver their songs in the first series.

And obviously with those voices came personalities.

Dill still did lots of aimless running around and retained his love of bones,but with a voice came evidence of a brain (of sorts !).And he was sometimes capable of slowing down long enough to engage it,revealing some flashes of inspiration and insight along the way.Although his child-like exuberance usually meant they were rarely fully thought through which would've endeared him to many of those watching of course.Definitely a "glass half full" kind of dog though.

Parsley on the other hand was the complete opposite and an even more radical departure from his Herb's persona.

Gone was the rather timid apology for a lion and in came an urbane,laidback kind of figure with a rather world-weary outlook on life.More of a "glass half empty",thinking person's kind of lion,and given a deeper,more avuncular voice than his canine companion to emphasize his slightly more grown-up approach to life.A sort of "Noel Coward meets Tony Hancock" if you can picture that.

So 2 inseperable friends but 2 different personalities and plenty of comedic possibilities as a result -which Bond wasn't slow to exploit.And it's probably fair to say that their place in kids' animated tv history owes far more to the sequel than the original.Which also makes them one of those very select group of stars to successfully make the transition from silent pictures to "talkies" !

So what else was different   ?

Well,all the action still took place in the same confines of the walled garden.Although the flora took on much more of the brightly-coloured psychadelic look that was so familiar from The Magic Roundabout,which Ivor Woods had also worked on.

Most of the original Herbs' cast still put in at least one appearance,with probably Knapweed and Bayleaf featuring the most and forming a sort of double act in their own right.And there were no new characters introduced.

Two other things were sacrificed completely :-

1)Out went any references about the character's Herb plant origins.

The sequel wasn't in the Watch With Mother slot anymore so there was no longer any need for that educational element

2) And out went all the character's signature tunes.

Simply too much of a luxury with so little time available.And basically unecessary when it was presumed that most kids had watched the originals anyway and knew what was going on.

So,2 different series in lots of ways.But more of the same in many.

And with the constant presence of Michael Bond's writing,Ivor Wood's modelling and animating skills and Gordon Rolling's delivery it's not hard to see why they were both so successful.

Even if you've never seen the series and you look at the characters below completely cold,I don't think you'll struggle to see why they caught the imagination.And that really says it all.

A lot of his time is spent scurrying about but he's also perfectly capable of some moments of quiet reflection.The bone fixation was a theme in both series,but he swapped his old kennel for a very desirable residence in the sequel -as befitting his star status ......and useful for the odd plot line too.

It's no coincidence that all these screenshots are taken from the sequel.And they don't need the hats to confirm they're fundementally a vaudeville / variety act.

Sage was mostly to be seen in his nest-invariably with his sleep being disturbed.Owls are nocturnal don't forget.But he did make forays to ground level,usually againgst his better judgement.And when practically coerced in to hatching Tarragon,he arrives suitably prepared for his 24 hour,all-weather vigil with a medicine bag, brolly, sunglasses,candle and pithe helmet. (as you would) .But pic 3 is the nearest we ever get to see him fly.

The pearls and specs are a nice touch for her ladyship.And if the 2nd pic had a caption it might well read "I love him,but if only he wasn't so thick".But that's exactly why we all warm to him of course.Most happy with either a gun or fishing rod in hand (pic 4),his equally apparent love of a tipple or 3 never gets a mention.-unlike fellow Watch With Mother stalwart Windy Miller,who's  fondness for cider was openly discussed  !

Bayleaf could usually be found with his trusty broom or barrow                                        Constable "I'll 'ave 'im" Knapweed....but rarely did of course.

ALL THOSE ABOVE ARE REALLY THE MAIN PLAYERS IN BOTH SERIES. THESE OTHERS APPEAR SOMEWHAT MORE SPORADICALLY.

Not much to say about Aunt Mint.But Pashana's a classic kitchen sink charicature from an era when "pc" only meant "police constable".

From "just hatched" to a job in the sequel.There should always be room for a dragon in kid's telly.And particularly when they ham it up as much as these 2.