Torchy The Battery Boy was the second television series of 15 minute shows produced by AP Films and directed by Gerry Anderson. It was another collaboration with author Roberta Leigh (a.k.a. Janey Scott Lewin), who also co-produced with Anderson, with music arranged by Barry Gray (collaborating Leigh), art direction from Reg Hill and special effects by Derek Meddings. The second series of 26 episodes were produced by Associated British Pathe, but Anderson and AP Films were not involved in their production. However, the puppets and music were unconditionally donated. The series aired from 1957 - 1958
Torchy, Torchy, the Battery Boy!
The series followed adventures of the eponymous boy doll with a battery inside him and a lamp in his head, and his master Mr. Bumbledrop, voiced by Kenneth Connor (who is probably best known for being a member of the Carry On ensemble cast), also voiced a number of other characters. Puppetry was still fairly crude then and their strings are easily visible, unlike later Anderson Supermarionation shows.
Series Overview
Mr. Bumbledrop was a toy inventor, who loved to have children play at his house with their toys. One day, the naughty children decided to tie all the toys to kites, and a strong gust of wind blew all the toys away. Without children at play, Mr. Bumbledrop invents his own; a toy boy by the name of Torchy.
Regular Voice Cast
| Kenneth Connors | Mr Bumbledrop King Dithers |
|---|---|
| Jill Reaymond | Narrator Flopsy Bossy Boots |
| Olwen Griffiths | Torchy |
| Patricia Somerset | Various characters |
Episode list
First Season
- Pom-Pom And The Toys
- Topsy Turvy Land
- Torchy And Squish
- The Building Of Frutown
- Torchy And The Broken Rocket
- King Dithers
- Torchy Goes Back To Earth
- Bossy Boots Goes To Topsy Turvy Land
- Bossy Boots Is Taught A Lesson
- A Bell For A Penny Farthing
- A Trick On Pom-Pom
- Torchy Is Stolen
- King Dithers Loses His Crown
- Pilliwig Gets A Present
- Bad Boy Bogey
- Torchy And The Strange Animal
- Bossy Boots Forgets To Be Good
- Hungry Money Box
- The Naughty Twins
- The Twins Learn A Lesson
- King Dithers Goes Down To Earth
- Torchy Escapes At Last
- Torchy And The Man In The Moon
- Bogey And The Statues
- The Moon Falls Asleep
- Torchy's Birthday
Second Season
- Flopsy Goes On A Picnic
- Torchy Gets A Surprise
- Banana Bridge
- King Dithers And Daffy
- The Toys Get The Collywobbles
- Bogey Learns Another Lesson
- The Pollikan Bird Is Stolen
- Torchy Has An Accident
- Sparky The Dragon
- Bogey Is Naughty Again
- Pilliwig Cleans The Chimney
- Pongo The Pirate
- Pongo In The Goldmine
- King Dithers' Birthday
- Washing Day In Topsy Turvy Land
- Gluebell Wood
- Squish Falls Down A Well
- Flopsy In Trouble
- The Big Storm
- Daffy's Birthday
- Flopsy Makes A Christmas Pudding
- Gilly Golly In Trouble
- King Bumble Drop
- A New Suit For Pilliwig
- The Obstinate Donkey
- Pom-Pom Gets The Hiccups
Trivia
- Torchy the battery boy was the first Gerry Anderson series to include space travel, which would not be fully present until later Supermarionation series such as Supercar & Fireball XL5.
- The rocket takeoff, made using a sparkler, was the first pyrotechnic effect in a Gerry Anderson series.
- Both seasons are now available on DVD.