Count Duckula
Count Duckula is a British children's animated comedy horror television series created by British studio Cosgrove Hall Productions and produced by Thames Television as a spin-off of Danger Mouse, a series in which an early version of the Count Duckula character was a recurring villain. Count Duckula aired from 6 September 1988 to 16 February 1993 across four series; in all, 65 episodes were made, each about 22 minutes long. The series aired on Nickelodeon in the United States, who billed it as its original programming. All have been released on DVD in the UK, while only the first series has been released in North America.
A new version of the original villainous Count Duckula appeared in the [Danger Mouse |2015 reboot series of Danger Mouse], but being a vegetarian like the good Duckula.
History
Count Duckula was created by British studio Cosgrove Hall Productions as a spin-off from Danger Mouse. In 1984, Nickelodeon acquired the US broadcast rights to Danger Mouse, which became a hit for the channel. After a few years, the Nickelodeon management came to Cosgrove Hall wishing to co-produce a new series. After being shown a number of ideas, the then head of Nickelodeon, Gerry Laybourne, spotted a picture of Count Duckula in Brian Cosgrove's office, and said, "That's the one I want". As the series went into production, one of the writers suggested he become a vegetarian, which added an even sillier concept to the series.Plot
Several episodes explore the theme that each resurrection creates a new incarnation with little to no memory of its past life, the immediate past incarnation referred to as the current's "father". Thus, every incarnation is free to develop its own personality and pursue its own personal interests. The vampire is able to pose as a "dreadful dynasty, the counts of Duckula". The preceding generations included knights, sorcerers, scientists, artists, Egyptologists and even professional gamblers, all of whom are also secretly "vicious vampire ducks".As the title sequence puts it, "the latest reincarnation did not run according to plan". The successful conclusion of the ritual, which was to be performed "once a century, when the moon is in the 8th house of Aquarius", requires blood, the source of sustenance for any vampire, but Nanny accidentally substitutes ketchup. Consequently, the newest version is not a blood-sucking vampire, but a vegetarian one. He is more interested in juicy carrots than hunting for victims. Igor is appalled. Even worse, his "new" master is obsessed with pursuing wealth and fame as an entertainer.
The stories often revolve around Duckula's adventures in search of riches and fame, assisted by the castle's ability to teleport around the world. Another regularly occurring theme is the repeated attempt by Igor to turn Duckula into a proper vampire. Some episodes feature Duckula's nemesis Doctor Von Goosewing, a vampire hunter who blindly refuses to believe the current incarnation of Duckula is harmless. There is also an array of bizarre, often supernatural foes, from zombies to mechanical werewolves. Another feature of the show is a cuckoo clock whose bat-like Borscht Belt comedian styled characters come out and make jokes about the current situation. The clock is also a vital part of the castle's traveling mechanism, and it even has the ability to turn back time.
A series of annuals and monthly comics further detailing the adventures of Count Duckula and associated characters were released throughout the time that the series originally aired and for a short time afterwards.
Voice cast
- Count Duckula, played by David Jason
- Igor, played by Jack May
- Nanny, played by Brian Trueman
- Dr. Von Goosewing, played by Jimmy Hibbert
- Dimitri, played by Trueman
- Sviatoslav, played by Hibbert
- Narrator, played by Barry Clayton
- Various other characters played by Clayton, Hibbert, Jason, May, Trueman and Ruby Wax
- Theme song vocalists were Doreen Edwards and Mike Harding
Characters
Count Duckula
Count Duckula is a short green duck dressed in typical vampire attire with black parted hair and speaks with a thick American accent. Unlike traditional vampires, Duckula is a vegetarian, as an unintended consequence of his resurrection ritual being erroneously conducted with tomato ketchup in place of blood. As such, he does not possess the fangs typically associated with vampires, and his favourite food is broccoli sandwiches.Duckula has a very modern outlook and often despairs over the traditional vampire image he is expected to embody. He hates living in a dark, gloomy castle, and finds the behaviour of his servants to be depressing. Duckula frequently expresses frustration with Igor's attempts to change him back into a proper vampire and his lecturing Duckula as a disgrace and disappointment to the Duckula lineage. Duckula retains some vampiric powers and qualities, but is unharmed by sunlight.
Igor
Igor is Count Duckula's butler, based on the stock character Igor. He greatly dislikes his master's behaviour, and often encourages him to act in a far more ghastly manner. Although he obeys Duckula's orders and genuinely cares for his wellbeing, he remains convinced that, if he could only talk Duckula into biting, maiming, torturing and otherwise brutalising people, he would return to the "good old days" of the previous counts who behaved more like evil vampires.Nanny
Nanny is Duckula's nanny and housekeeper. She is an extremely large and clumsy hen with a strong Bristolian accent who inevitably messes up whatever task she is set to do. Nanny has a blind spot regarding doors, and often crashes through a door or into the wall next to it. She affectionly calls Duckula "Duckyboos", much to Igor's annoyance and embarrasment.Dr. Von Goosewing
Dr. Von Goosewing is a mad scientist and vampire hunter, a spoof of Abraham Van Helsing. He is a goose who speaks in a German accent, and wears an outfit not unlike that of Sherlock Holmes. He pursues Count Duckula relentlessly, unable to comprehend that he is harmless. Von Goosewing is often maimed by his own inventions and is supremely unobservant, often encountering Duckula without recognizing him.The Crow Brothers
The Crow Brothers are four criminally-inclined crows consisting of Ruffles, Burt, Junior, and an unnamed masked crow. They typically scale the walls of Castle Duckula with the aid of climbing equipment, intending to steal the treasure inside, but rarely make it to the top.Gaston and Pierre
Gaston and Pierre are a pair of French criminals and occasional villains. Gaston is a tall, thin, black stork, while Pierre is a short, stubby parakeet.Pirate Penguins
A ruthless crew of piratical penguins originally hired by Count Duckula, the crew turns on him when his antics crash their ship. All of the penguins are typical pirate stereotypes, one of which is known as Mr. Mate and shouts that he will "bite their heads off!"Narrator
The Narrator opens and closes every episode. Episodes usually began with him describing Castle Duckula and its gloomy atmosphere, and close with him saying a phrase popularised in the 1950s and 1960s by American TV horror host John Zacherle, "Goodnight out there... WHATever you are!". Variants of the Narrator's closing line are also used to close certain programmes.Relatives
Duckula has numerous relatives all over the world, who are more classic vampires than Duckula, possessing fangs, red eyes and evil personalities. The relatives include Don Diego, a Spanish vampire duck who makes his fun and games by burning down villages, and Rory McDuckula, a Scottish vampire duck who later makes himself an enemy of Duckula. Another relative, the Archduck Merganser, was a famous Egyptologist.Peasants
The town situated below Castle Duckula is home to many peasants who live in constant fear of the count, despite his harmless current incarnation.Towser
Towser is a werewolf kept secretly in the dungeons of Castle Duckula. Never seen on-screen, he is sometimes heard howling and growling off-screen.Episodes
Spin-off
In a move mirroring Duckula's adaptation from Danger Mouse, the characters of Gaston and Pierre were reinvented and given a spinoff series as the now-human Victor & Hugo: Bunglers in Crime.Home media
DVD releases
The Count Duckula discs are in Region 0, PAL format. The first series was released on Region 1 DVD on 4 October 2005. Series 2, 3, and 4 have, as of, not been released in North America. A Spanish format for Latin America was released.The entire 65 episodes of the series are set to be released on UK DVD on June 3, 2024. This appears to be the first time ever the whole series have been available on English-language DVDs.
Complete set
Individual series
Individual episodes
VHS releases
During the show's original run, Count Duckula episodes were released on numerous VHS titles from Thames Video collection, often in a different sequence than what was shown in the TV.| VHS title | Release date | Episodes |
| Count Duckula | 7 November 1988 | No Sax Please, We're Egyptian, The Mutinous Penguins, One Stormy Night |
| Count Duckula: The Vampire Strikes Back! | 7 November 1988 | The Vampire Strikes Back!, Hardluck Hotel, Dear Diary |
| Count Duckula: A Fright at the Opera | 7 November 1988 | A Fright at the Opera, Hunchbudgie of Notre Dame, Dr. Goosewing and Mr Duck |
| Count Duckula: The Ghost of McCastle McDuckula | 7 November 1988 | The Ghost of McCastle McDuckula |
| Count Duckula: Jungle Duck | 24 April 1989 | Jungle Duck, Vampire Vacation, Igor's Busy Day |
| Count Duckula: Autoduck | 1 May 1989 | Autoduck, Rent a Butler, Mobile Home |
| Count Duckula: Transylvanian Homesick Blues | 1 May 1989 | Transylvanian Homesick Blues, Restoration Comedy, All in a Fog |
| Children's Favourites Vol.1 | 1 May 1989 | The Duck and the Broccoli Stalk |Danger Mouse], and The [Wind in the Willows |
| Children's Favourites Vol.2 | 1 May 1989 | Castle Duckula: Open to the Public |Danger Mouse], and Danger Mouse, and The Wind in the Willows |
| The Count Duckula Bumper Special | 2 October 1989 | Ghostly Gold, Prime Time Duck, The Incredible Shrinking Duck, Ducknapped!, Bloodsucking Bats of the [Lower Amazon |
| Count Duckula: Mysteries of the Wax Museum | 5 February 1990 | Mysteries of the Wax Museum, The Lost Valley, Return of the Curse of the Secret of the Mummy's Tomb Frankenduckula's Monster... |
| More Children's Holiday Favourites | 4 June 1990 | Beau Duckula |Danger Mouse], and Paddington Bear, and Barney |
| Count Duckula: Astro Duck | 1 October 1990 | Astro Duck, The Rest is History!, [Around the World in a Total Daze!, The Zombie Awakes! |
| Count Duckula: Lost City of Atlantis | 1 October 1990 | Lost City of Atlantis |
| My Little Count Duckula | 2 September 1996 | The Great Ducktective |
| Cult Kids Classics | 2001 | The Ghost of Castle McDuckula |Danger Mouse], Jamie and the Magic Torch, Rainbow |
| Cult Kids Classics 2 | 5 [March 2001 | Venice a Duck Not a Duck |Danger Mouse], Chorlton and the Wheelies, Danger Mouse, Chorlton and the Wheelies, Jamie and the Magic Torch, Danger Mouse, and Danger Mouse and The Wind in the Willows. In 2001, in the twilight years of VHS, the episodes "The Ghost of Castle McDuckula" and "Venice a Duck, Not a Duck!" were featured on two Cult Kids collection tapes, with episodes of Rainbow, [Chorlton and the Wheelies">Danger Mouse ">Danger Mouse and The Wind in the Willows. In 2001, in the twilight years of VHS, the episodes "The Ghost of Castle McDuckula" and "Venice a Duck, Not a Duck!" were featured on two Cult Kids collection tapes, with episodes of Rainbow, [Chorlton and the Wheelies, Button Moon, Jamie and the Magic Torch and The Sooty Show.ComicsBetween 1988 and 1991, Marvel Comics distributed 15 issues of Count Duckula comics.Count Duckula appeared in North American comics under Star Comics and introduced an additional difference between this incarnation of Duckula which separated him from his predecessors. Due to ketchup being used in the resurrection ceremony, this version of Duckula has ketchup, rather than blood, flowing through his veins. This was discovered when Duckula was given a blood test in order to get a passport into a fictional country which produced a salad which Duckula was obsessed with getting to eat. In the same issue, Duckula, Nanny, and Igor were photographed as a means of formal ID for said country; however, due to the classic stereotype of vampires not appearing in film, Duckula did not appear in the photo which was taken. Duckula also gained a romantic interest in the Star Comics run; Vanna Von Goosewing, who turned out to be the niece of his long time adversary Dr. Von Goosewing. The attraction was mutual, and the two continued their relationship through the majority of the series after their introduction, though Vanna didn't always appear in every issue of the book. In Germany, a separate adaptation was produced under license as Graf Duckula, with script by Peter Mennigen and artwork by Miroslava Pollmer and Rüdiger Pareike. AudiobooksIn the early 1990s at least two episodes were released in audiobook format on cassette tape with accompanying illustrated hardcover book featuring artwork from the original television episodes. They featured the original cast in new performances as they were edited considerably from the original television scripts for a shorter duration, removal of visual gags and the addition of new narration and character exposition where necessary. The "Restoration Comedy" episode was packaged with a small plastic Count Duckula figure in some territories.
The game was a basic jump and run platform-type game. At the start, the castle was transported to an ancient pyramid. Then, players had a set amount of time to go through the pyramid, evading the various baddies inside the pyramid, to retrieve the mystic sax before the Count's castle automatically returns to Transylvania, leaving the player stranded in Egypt. The title of the game was a parody on the title of a British comedy play No Sex Please, We're British!. The game was available for various 8-bit computers such as the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, & Amstrad CPC, and was also released as a "Kid's Pack" with other TV shows that Alternative Software turned into games, including Postman Pat, Sooty and Sweep, Popeye 2, The Wombles, and SuperTed. Alternative Software was one of the few software companies of the 1980s that still survives today as an independent software producer. There was also a Count Duckula 2 sequel in 1992. |