King of the Castle
Encyclopedia
King of the Castle is a British
children's television
serial made by HTV
for ITV
in 1977.
Written by Bob Baker
and Dave Martin
, the series is a surreal tale centred around a lonely young boy, Roland, who lives unhappily in a council flat with his father and stepmother. Escaping from a gang of local bullies in a malfunctioning lift, Roland finds himself transported to a strange fantasy environment where people and places are twisted variations of those he sees in his real life.
Philip Da Costa starred as Roland, while other prominent roles were played by Talfryn Thomas
, Fulton Mackay
, Milton Johns
and Angela Richards
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
children's television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
serial made by HTV
HTV
HTV, now legally known as ITV Wales & West, is the ITV contractor for Wales and the West of England, which operated from studios in Cardiff and Bristol. The company provided commercial television for the dual-region 'Wales and West' franchise, which it won from TWW in 1968...
for ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
in 1977.
Written by Bob Baker
Bob Baker
-External links:...
and Dave Martin
Dave Martin (screenwriter)
David Ralph Martin was an accomplished television and film writer. He was born in Handsworth, Birmingham, England and contributed numerous scripts for the Doctor Who television series between 1971 and 1979 including:...
, the series is a surreal tale centred around a lonely young boy, Roland, who lives unhappily in a council flat with his father and stepmother. Escaping from a gang of local bullies in a malfunctioning lift, Roland finds himself transported to a strange fantasy environment where people and places are twisted variations of those he sees in his real life.
Philip Da Costa starred as Roland, while other prominent roles were played by Talfryn Thomas
Talfryn Thomas
Talfryn Thomas was a British character actor, best known for supporting roles on British television in the 1970s.-Biography:Talfryn Thomas was born in Swansea on 31 October 1922....
, Fulton Mackay
Fulton Mackay
Fulton Mackay OBE was a Scottish actor and playwright, best known for his role as prison officer Mr. Mackay in the 1970s sitcom Porridge.-Early life:...
, Milton Johns
Milton Johns
Milton Johns is an English actor whose thin features and talent for obsequious or oily characters has often influenced the many television parts he has received. He trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.Johns was born in Bristol...
and Angela Richards
Angela Richards
Angela Richards is an English actress, best known to television viewers for her leading role in the BBC drama Secret Army , set during the Second World War in which she played Monique Duchamps....
.
Episode guide
- TX: 8 May 1977 (17:45) - Roland Wright has just moved into a new block of flats which has a broken lift and a dangerous staircase. Being bright and intelligent, he is a natural victim for the Ripper, leader of the gang who haunts the stairways...
- TX: 15 May 1977 (17:45) - Roland wakes up to find himself in the strange world of the Castle, where he meets Vein, the keeper of the keys.
- TX: 22 May 1977 (17:45) - Fleeing from Hawkspur and Ergon, Roland is confronted by the Warrior. Narrowly escaping, he meets the Lady - a glamorous, self-styled clairvoyant.
- TX: 29 May 1977 (17:45) - Roland is captured by a castle guard and sent to the kitchens as a skivvy. He plans to escape, but is betrayed and trapped in the Castle.
- TX: 5 June 1977 (17:00) - Roland attempts to argue his case in front of the Lord, and after some difficulty, he gets through the ante-chamber to face the Warrior...
- TX: 12 June 1977 (17:00) - Roland decides to make numerous changes before he escapes, but everyone is plotting against him...
- TX: 19 June 1977 (17:00) - Roland is put on trial, where all the witnesses are hostile. Then he meets his old enemy, Ripper, for a final confrontation.
- Episodes 1 & 2 directed by Peter Hammond, Episodes 3, 5 & 7 directed by Terry Harding, Episodes 4 & 6 directed by Leonard White.
- Episodes were 30 mins in duration, including advertisements.
DVD release
- The complete series was released by Network DVD exclusively through their online website on 8 June 2009. Since episode three no longer exists in the archives, the version represented on the DVD release is sourced from an off air VHS video.