The Trap Door

I found out about "Trap Door" when it was mentioned in a "Guardian" below the line discussion about scary children's television. It probably would have been too weird and uncanny for me when I was a child, but being a Gothic adult I love everything about it, and keep coming back to it. The Michael Jackson's "Thriller" style theme song performed by an Alice Cooper impressionist. The brilliantly designed and executed stop motion animation. Willie Rushton's engaging character voices and spot on comic timing. Above all, it's an absorbing pastiche of feudal decadence in the tradition of Mevyn Peake's Gormenghast novels, in which an aristocratic skull observes the goings-on in the kitchen of his former castle, crawling with insects and worms and inhabited by a bloblike servant and his master who are either no longer human, or never were.

I had fond memories of watching this as a kid so I went out and purchased the Trap Door DVD for £5 and I've got to say it's one of the best bargains I've ever found. Not only is it as brilliant as I remember but even the DVD menu is pure class.

Seeing Trap Door as an adult I realised just how much work must have gone into it. The sets are really wonderful and the endless squirming crawling beasties are really wonderfully animated. Claymation is a very slow business at the best of times but making things drip or appear to be thrown is just making things ten times harder for yourself but the makers of Trap Door obviously loved what they were doing and the attention to detail is just amazing.

The late Willie Rushton's voice is just the icing on the cake. He brings the show to life and fills it with personality. The great theme song is so memorable that when I slipped the DVD in I found I could sing along with the theme music even though I hadn't seen the show since I was a nipper.

I suppose you could say Trap Door episodes often have no plot and at five minutes long they end abruptly but this show is so charming and visually interesting that I don't really care. What's really nice to see is that if you show this programme to a kid these days they fall in love with it just like I did.

Trapdoor was a stop-motion animated children's 'Horror' series that left little to the imagination.

Berk, which I'm surprised was allowed as the word 'Berk' is A) An insult and B) Rhyming slang for a rather severe profane word (Berk=Berkshire Hunt=... Well, you know) was a butler with a thick Cornish accent to "The thing upstairs" (Who we never saw) but heard shouting "BERK! FEED ME!"

He's joined by Boni, a dismembered skull who sometimes ends up as a bookend or holding something upright. And Drutt, a mischievous spider with a taste for worms.

Then there is the Trap Door itself, which when left open (by Berk) would often 'let something out' and we'd follow Berk, Boni and Drutt in the hapless adventure of putting whatever escaped back down the Trap Door.

The funniest thing was the familiar dialogue in an unbelievable world. And like most British children's programmed was written so that Adults would understand also (Bonkin'?).

As a kid, I used to watch this religiously, as did my parents who also found it funny.

Absolute classic TV.

I remember seeing the video that contains the whole series of Trap Door in my recommendation on YouTube. Yet, I was a bit hesitant for a while until months later. That's when I finally decided to watch it. Now, I was only having it as a background while working on my art project admittedly. So, I wasn't paying as much attention to it initially. However, I started to focus more on the show when I took a break. And, I have to say. I do find it relatively interesting, which made me want to finish it eventually.

I mainly like this whole stop-motion animation. I haven't watched that type of show in a longtime (probably since Robot Chicken). Not only has it animated each character in the scene. But, they also animated objects/smaller creatures in the background. I thought some of the characters were charming enough to have a connection towards as a viewer. Yet, they decided to deliver us some of the most highly detailed animation I've ever seen. And, that is impressive! It's also something that I miss seeing. Nowadays, we mainly see CGI/animation in movies/shows. We still have 2D animations, which is good for the most part. But, we don't get stop motion type of shows anymore.

With that rant aside, I also do like each of the character designs despite their simplicity. The color choice and their overall shape pretty much made them identical and somehow iconic. Additionally, the concept behind a mysterious and horror type of story made this whole journey fascinating from start to finish. Though, I do wish that the show would have kept going after the second season because I felt like it had potential. I think it could have been more developed in the story and characters and continued in their legacy through time. There's probably a reason for the show to be cut short. Who knows?

But, what I do know is how much I have gotten appreciation out of this. Sure, it's not perfect, but from what it is, it's actually fun and an enjoyable type of show. I believe it's one of those shows where everyone should at least give it a try once in their lifetime. I would hate for it to be forgotten.

I can't believe that I am the first to comment on this classic cartoon.

Amazingly funny and imaginative, a true classic from the time when cartoons ruled!

I was lucky enough to pick up an old VHS recording of the episodes (they are just five minutes in length), yet it is just one of the best shows I can remember from when I was younger.

Berk is ruled as a servant by the guy upstairs, he has a friend who is a skull and the all important "Trap door", where nasty funny and creative things come out.

All I can say if you don't remember it is this...

Watch It!