It’s day of celebration for fans of 1980s TV as claymation TV series The Trap Door has just been added to streaming services.
The children’s horror animation, which ran for just two seasons but still produced 40 five-minute episodes, was broadcast on ITV throughout 1986.
It joins Button Moon in a series of cherished 80s kids TV classics finally making their way onto major streaming platforms.
Despite only being broadcast for a few months, The Trap Door was repeated numerous times across children’s programming through the 1990s and early 2000s.
But after it was last broadcast on the Pop Channel in the late 2000s, old episodes of the beloved series became harder and harder to get a hold of – until now.
Over the weekend, all 40 episodes of The Trap Door were added to the library on ITVX, meaning viewers can stream all episodes to their heart’s content.
People of a certain age can’t get enough of the news, with Twitter user @PJSissons saying: ‘This is INSANELY brilliant news – some of the late great Willie Rushton’s best work!’
@Gledster concurred, adding, ‘I feel a nostalgia trip coming on!’ while fans of children’s horror stories said they were delighted one of their favourites was coming back.
The Trap Door focused on the small adventures of Berk, a blue creature who lives in a haunted castle, with his friends Drutt – a spider-like creature – a Boni.
Each five-minute episode was aimed at children and focused more on comedy, but drew a lot of inspiration from gothic fantasy tales and horror stories.
Inside the castle there was the eponymous trap door, below which were a series of mysterious caverns inhabited by evil creatures and ‘horrible things’.
Thinking about going back to that castle caused Twitter user @LegallyShort to revisit some precious childhood memories: ‘Public service announcement – don’t watch them all back to back. I did that once, and you come out weird.’
The owner of the castle, who is never seen, is referred to as The Thing Upstairs, who often shouts orders to Berk whenever he’s hungry or irritated or becoming impatient.
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Problems would often arise when Berk accidentally left the trap door open, allowing creatures from beneath the castle to enter the cellar where Berk resides.
Other characters in the series included the likes of Rogg, who appeared as a recurring character, and Bubo, who is initially shown to be invisible until splattered with yellow paint in one episode.
The show became a cult hit of the time and its popularity persisted into the 1990s, alongside other work by creator Terry Brain – who was one of the leading minds behind Wallace & Gromit.
The Trap Door franchise also moved into other media, with two video games – called The Trap Door and Through the Trap Door – being released on the consoles of the day.
Watch The Trap Door on ITVX.
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