Raggy Dolls, The

1 9 8 7 – 1 9 9 4 (UK)
112 x 10 minute episodes

At Mr Grimes’s toy factory, they make the best dolls in the world. Mr Grimes personally inspects every doll that is made and if it is less than perfect, he throws it in the Reject Bin.

But when no-one is looking the rejected dolls climb out of the bin and have all sorts of exciting adventures together.

Their names are Back-to-Front, Hi-Fi, Sad Sack, Claude, Princess, Lucy and Dotty. They are the Raggy Dolls.

Back-To-Front was a handy-man doll who (not surprisingly) had his head on back to front; Hi-Fi was a talking doll who had been dropped and could now only talk with a stammer; and Sad Sack was a big fat stupid doll who had proved too expensive to manufacture (because of the quantity of stuffing required).

Claude was not imperfect or broken – he was a French doll (’nuff said) and was rejected because the machine-made one too many; Princess was trashed because she was accidentally dressed incorrectly in rags instead of a tiara and posh frock, and ragdoll Lucy was sewn together with faulty thread so her limbs kept falling off . . .

Dotty had been perfect in every way until she got splashed with paint that wouldn’t come off . . .

The whole thing was voiced by Neil Innes (of Monty Python fame) who also wrote the series and sang the theme song.

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