The Treacle People

The Treacle People was a children's television programme shown on CITV in the United Kingdom, from 3 May 1996 to 25 July 1997. It only had two series, each with 13 episodes. In a similar vein to other shows by the same writer, the humour worked on two levels for younger and older viewers. It was produced by The London Studios for London Weekend Television and Fire Mountain Productions in association with Link Entertainment. In 2023, the series was remastered, with full episodes posted on the show's official YouTube Channel.

AnimationComedyFamily

Seasons

1. Treacle Trouble

Air Date: 1996-05-03

As the story starts, times are hard for The Treacle People. The once great treacle mines of Northern England are running dry and the treacle industry is in trouble. Things look bleak for Professor Baines-Pilling, inventor of the world's first treacle-powered engine and all the others who depend on the sticky stuff for a living. That's until Rosie and Wizzle, the local youngsters, enter the scene. Armed with nothing but a simple treacle-divining stick, can they save the village, or will the Treacle People come to a sticky end? Tune in to our YouTube Channel every week and find out for yourself!

2. The Great Escape

Air Date: 1996-05-10

Having discovered treacle in the mines, our sticky heroes also discover that they can't get out. However, thanks to the Professor, two old mine-carts and a sack full of bubbles, all is not lost...

3. Trouble at t'Mill

Air Date: 1996-05-17

Uncle Silas discovers that Rosie and Wizzle are better employed being unemployed,when they go in search of a job for the school holidays. The great treacle mines of Sabden roar into life, then all but roar out with a boggart in the works.

4. Up, Up and Away

Air Date: 1996-05-24

The Prof builds a balloon to map out a treacle-exporting route, with Bert the Boggart in the pilot's seat.

5. Double Digging

Air Date: 1996-05-31

In this glutinous instalment, the villagers are still searching for a treacle exporting route, and with the help of Tapper's new creation, set about digging their way to success.

6. It Must be Fête

Air Date: 1996-06-07

The villages hold an ill-fated fête, with over-competitive competitors, misjudged judging and a band that should be banned.

7. Stormy Weather

Air Date: 1996-06-14

When rain stops play, Wizzle goes to rescue Moobark and ends up trapped in a ginger beer flood.

8. Revolting Boggarts

Air Date: 1996-06-21

There's trouble when the Boggarts revolt and run riot in Bessie. Luckily, Silas is there to negotiate, even more luckily, Rosie is there to stop him.

9. What's the Drill?

Air Date: 1996-06-28

The Professor's latest invention the "Frothmatic Turbo Drill" causes chaos by tunneling through treacle and wrecking rocks.

10. Sticky Like us

Air Date: 1996-07-05

The Professor's new Treacle Vapour system goes horribly wrong, and the villagers find themselves somewhat stuck. Will they ever get free?

11. Where's Charlie?

Air Date: 1996-07-12

Charlie leaves the "Bubble and Boggart" after constant harassment off Lil, and goes to seek his fortune, but only finds misfortune when he ends up at Nellie Newchurch's Perfect Parkin Parlour.

12. Slippery Slopes

Air Date: 1996-07-19

Silas tries to make a fortune out of waffles and when that ends in disaster, Tapper accidentally makes an artificial Ski Slope with the remaining waffles, much to Rosie's delight.

13. Show up for Showdown

Air Date: 1996-07-26

Will the sticky heroes survive the village show? And what on Earth are they going to do with 300 tonnes of candyfloss?

14. Sticky Christmas

Air Date: 1996-12-13

It's Christmas time in Sabden and the Professor has invented a weather making machine to create snow. But when the machine smothers the sky full of thick fog and snow clouds, Rosie worries that Santa will not find the village and not deliver everybody's presents.

1. One Flu Over the Boggart's Nest

Air Date: 1997-05-02

When all the Boggarts in Sabden are sick, Brendan's Scottish cousin, "Digger" comes over and brings his special recipe cure, porridge.

2. Digger Digs In

Air Date: 1997-05-09

Now, Digger has taken up residence in Sabden, he must find a job. Silas is reluctant to employ him at first but Digger mentions he is not interested in any wages and just wants a roof over his head and plenty of unpaid work, much to Silas' delight. Unfortunately, Pendle causes a stir the next morning when he accidentally causes the Bubble and Boggart to blow up whilst hitting a pressure cooker full of porridge.

3. Stuck Up Job

Air Date: 1997-05-16

Rosie, Wizzle and Tapper help to fix the "Bubble and Boggart" whilst Lil takes refuge from Nellie Newchurch, but it isn't long until they're at each other's throats once again.

4. Loose Change

Air Date: 1997-05-23

The Professor's changing formula liquid accidentally gets mixed in with a batch of Silas' black pudding ginger beer and soon nearly everybody except Rosie, Bert, The Prof and Brendan has changed their natural personalities. Can the Prof find a way to get them back to normal?

5. Scares and Stripes

Air Date: 1997-05-30

PC Nicko Pendle needs to have made 100 arrests by the end of the day to be promoted to sergeant. He soon finds excuses to arrest everybody in Sabden, and when there is no one else left, he even arrests himself! Unfortunately, there are some real criminals on the loose and they take advantage of having the empty village to themselves.

6. Smug Smugglers

Air Date: 1997-06-06

Barrow and Furness, the robbers on the loose, wire into Silas' telephone connection and trick Lil into thinking Furness is Silas and asks for a barrow full of treacle butties to be left by the mine. When the real Silas finds out, he realizes something is afoot and the villagers get their own back on the two villains.

7. The Quest for the Golden Nugget!

Air Date: 1997-06-13

Wizzle's treacle tracker finds a treasure chest buried in the moors. Inside the chest is a map claiming there is a golden nugget somewhere in the mine. Silas and the other villagers are soon on the trail, but so is Barrow and Furness...

8. A Grim Day Out

Air Date: 1997-06-20

When all the villagers except Digger, go away for the day on Bessie. Barrow and Furness take advantage of having the village all to themselves. But when they get back, the thieves find themselves in a rather sticky situation and so does PC Nicko Pendle...

9. Sounds Crazy

Air Date: 1997-06-27

Rosie and Wizzle use the Professor's new sound sponge to record all the sounds of Sabden.

10. Rollercop

Air Date: 1997-07-04

When Nicko Pendle requests a form of transport from his stingy superior, Chief Inspector Foulridge. The double-dealing detective gives Nicko a rather humiliating gift, a pair of roller-blades!

11. Euroboggart

Air Date: 1997-07-11

Silas wants Tapper and Digger to dig a tunnel to France to export their treacle and so that French tourists can visit Sabden.

12. It's a Funny Old Game!

Air Date: 1997-07-18

The villagers play against the boggarts in a football match. But those cheeky boggarts decide to play unfairly...

13. Sticky Like One!

Air Date: 1997-07-25

Silas asks Wizzle to build a statue of the person who has brought the most fame and fortune to Sabden. However, Silas is none too pleased when he sees who the statue Wizzle built is actually of!

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Rating

8.7/10

Release Date

1996-05-03

Episodes

5 (2 seasons)

Status

Returning Series

Cast

Videos

Production Companies

LWT

Granada Television

LINK Entertainment

Fire Mountain Productions Ltd