1 9 9 0 – 1 9 9 5 (UK)
52 x 25 minute episodes
In the world of Two Realms – the Land of Dreams and the Land of Nightmares – a struggle was underway between good (personified by an old, wise Merlin-esque magician called The Dream Maker, who was the guardian of the “Dreamstone”), and evil (personified by the dragon-like Zordrak, Lord of Nightmares, who was once a Dream Maker himself but was ejected from the council for corrupting dreams into nightmares).
The Land of Dreams was populated by the humanoid “Noops” and “Wuts” – the defenders of the land, who flew around on leaves and used staffs with orbs of light attached to communicate and to ward off Zordrak’s evil forces.
The primary character in the series was a Noop called Rufus who, despite his constant daydreaming, frequently saved the day – thanks to his bravery and (often) sheer dumb luck. His best friend, Amberley, was practical and resourceful, albeit with a short temper.
Pildit was the leader of the Wuts and the Dream Makers’ oldest friend and most trusted ally. Pildit’s grandmother, Wildit, was the hearty and fearless leader of the Wut Flying Squadron and as handy in a fight as her grandson. Wildit’s niece, Spildit, was a hyperactive and very talkative little female Wut who was prone to getting into trouble.
The Dream Maker had a pet dogfish named Albert, who swam in the air like water, and an elderly gardener named Mr Blossom.
The Land of Nightmares was populated mostly by the lizard-like “Urpneys”, who lived in Viltheed, a tall black mountainous wasteland.
The chief Urpney scientist, Urpgor (who had green skin, a pink mohican hairstyle and orange eyebrows) was completely mad and secretly coveted Zordrak’s throne. His Heath Robinson-style inventions often failed.
Sergeant Blob was the obese gung-ho military leader of the Urpneys. None too bright, he was usually accompanied on missions by his “elite squad” – Corporal Frizz, whose cowardice knew no bounds, and Corporal Nug, who spoke with a Brummie accent.
Each episode had a similar plot: Zordrak instructed his henchmen to steal the Dreamstone, which he planned to destroy so that nightmares could plague the sleeping world.
The plan usually involved Urpgor inventing some machine with which the Urpneys, led by Sergeant Blob, could cross the Mist of Limbo (a vast Purple Mist) to the Land of Dreams. The plan invariably failed, largely because of the cowardice and incompetence of the Urpneys.
The musical score was composed by Mike Batt (of Wombles fame) and performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Although the show was made in the United Kingdom, the cartoon itself was drawn in the Philippines.
Narrator
Peter Craze
The Dream Maker
John Franklyn-Robbins
Zordrak
Gary Martin
Rufus
Stuart Lock
Amberley
Nancy Hendry
Pildit
Derek Wright
Wildit
Jacqueline Clarke
Spildit
Ellie Beaven
Urpgor
Leonard Whiting (1)
Colin Marsh (2)
Sgt. Blob
Richard Tate
Corporal Frizz
Melvyn Hayes
Corporal Nug
Anthony Jackson