The Big Knights is a British animated children's television series. It was created by Neville Astley and Mark Baker through their studio The Big Knights Ltd., in co-production with BBC Worldwide and in association with BBC Bristol. It was first broadcast on BBC Two over the Christmas season of 1999–2000. It was the first TV series to be digitally animated using CelAction 2D, while the first release of the software was still under development. It is mixed with cutout animation, and flash animation.
The stories tell the adventures of the two Big Knights, Sir Boris and Sir Morris, who are incredibly strong and brave, but are also incredibly dim-witted. They solve crises, usually of their own creation, but cause great destruction and mayhem in the process.
Contents
Setting
The eponymous Big Knights live in Castle Big, on the edge of Forest Big, in the land of Borovia. Borovia seems to be situated somewhere in Europe. The knights themselves are indeed big; according to the title sequence they are 'the height of two men, the weight of four, the strength of sixteen'.
Borovia is rife with dragons, witches, trolls, ogres and a race of tiny people. The only real civilisation aside from Castle Big and King Otto's run-down palace is Börödzo (also referred to in the show as Village Börödzo), a small, rural country town. In the town square stood a large gold clock which the incompetent King Otto accidentally spent a unreasonable amount of money upon, only for the Big Knights to destroy it before the King arrived to view it.
The population is negligible, the economy is poor and the army consists mainly of Sir Boris, Sir Morris and their pets, as well as a host of lesser knights who, not being big, tend to take a back seat. This is mainly due to their snobbish elitism and general martial incompetence; they are much happier practising genuflection and brushing up their courtly manners. Aside from the medieval aesthetic, there does not seem to be much going for Borovia. The land has a fledgling television system (in black and white, consisting mainly of weather reports), at least one car (owned by the King) and an ill-fated hydroelectric dam, along with a failed proton power plant, which runs on pig manure. From this it becomes clear that Borovia (and by extension the show itself), rather than taking place merely in medieval times, is indeed in the present day, but is very dedicated to preserving a medieval aesthetic.
Borovia borders Möridia. Borovia also borders a land populated by vampires, which the Big Knights help to eliminate by accident rather than design, reviving the land's tourism industry. The Big Knights often cause trouble for Borovians.
Main characters
Sir Boris – The finest swordsman in the world. Noble, brave, honourable and chivalrous, and while not nearly as stupid as his brother Sir Morris, not terribly bright either. He is clad in silver armour. He is voiced by David Rintoul.
Sir Morris – The most enthusiastic — but not the finest — swordsman in the world. He is incredibly stupid, dim-witted and somewhat childish, once believing that breakfast was magically made by the plates. His general method of dealing with problems is by hitting them with maximum force. He is illiterate and unable to read or write. He wears glasses, and is clad in bronze armour. He is voiced by Brian Blessed.
Sir Horace – Sir Boris' loyal hound, clad in armour. He is a fine tracker dog, once tracking a flying crow that had stolen a golden key with his smell alone.
Sir Doris – Sir Morris' pet hamster, likewise clad in plate armour. She has an insatiable appetite and will eat just about anything irrespective of its size or edibility, including Morris' fingers, a bicycle and man-eating plants.
Mrs. Ethel Minion – The knights' housekeeper and de facto nanny, without whom they find survival rather difficult. She takes a matronly view toward her outsize charges. She seems to enjoy the housework and is shown to always be extremely tolerant of the Big Knights' antics.
King Otto – King of Borovia, and a single parent. His occasional attempts to modernise his country often fail disastrously at the well-meaning hands of the Big Knights, as well as his desire to cut costs in most situations. He is insipid and dull-headed. He has two daughters, Princess Lucy and Princess Loretta, who manipulate him mercilessly.
Princesses Lucy and Loretta – King Otto's twin daughters. Enthusiastic, naive and oblivious to danger and trouble. They absolutely love adventure and are keen admirers of the Big Knights.
Wizard Zabobon – Wizard and advisor to King Otto. He is very old and it appears that he has never once thought of personal hygiene. He is an incompetent wizard but sometimes offers good advice, which the king ignores.
Music
The theme tune was provided by the Rostov Balalaika orchestra.
Cast
Xander Armstrong as Narrator
David Rintoul as Sir Boris
Brian Blessed as Sir Morris
Timothy West as King Otto
Prunella Scales as Queen Melissa and Aunt Lily
Morwenna Banks as The Old Witch, and as Ethel Minion, the Big Knights' housekeeper
Brian Sewell as Sir Kiftsgate
John Sparkes as Eeuuurgh the Troll, Professor Von Proton, Daring Sir Douglas and Dan Titchy
Summer Strallen as Princess Lucy
Scarlett Strallen as Princess Loretta
Kate Harbour as Mindy
Gordon Kennedy as Count Vampire and Ogre
Jonathan Kydd as Neptune
Kate Robbins as Sorceress Abigail and Aunt Iris
Enn Reitel as Wizard Zabobon, Mayor Borozo and Jack Tiny
Remastered version
In 2009, Neville Astley and Mark Baker purchased back the rights to the show from BBC Worldwide. The original series aired on TV with a standard Academy 1:1.33 aspect ratio, the BBC's delivery requirement at the time. With this purchase however, the series was remastered in 16:9 high definition using the original project files and released in its entirety for the first time in 2010 by Entertainment One as a combined DVD (region 2) and Blu-ray (region B) under the title of The Big Knights: Run For Your Lives!.
In 2015, a theatrical compilation film version was released, which was edited from seven remastered episodes.
In 2020, all 13 episodes were remastered again and uploaded onto YouTube in June 2020.
Home video releases
In 2000, 6 episodes were released on VHS (PAL) by BBC Video as The Big Knights: The Big Adventures. "Imagine a cartoon cross between Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Blackadder," suggested OK! in a review of the VHS, "and you're halfway there. Fun for all the family!"
Awards
2000 Best Adult Animation Series – British Animation Awards (BAA)
2000 Best Use of New Technology – British Animation Awards (BAA)
2001 Best Animation Series – Annecy International Animated Film Festival
2001 Grand Prize for Animated Television Programme at the SICAF International Festival in Korea
2001 Best Commercial Series Animation Award – FAN International Festival of Animation UK