Charlie Chalk (1988-1989) was a short lived British children's television series by the same guys who made Postman Pat and Bertha.
Charlie Chalk is an amicable circus clown who nods off on a fishing trip and ends up marooned on the mysterious island of "Merrytwit". Not to worry though, as the island's inhabitants are a colourful and friendly bunch. It isn't long before Charlie gets settled and starts to learn the ways of the strange and exotic locale, often applying his own circus tricks to get him through the day.
Tropes which Charlie Chalk provides examples of:
- Alliterative Name: The titular protagonist.
- Alliterative Title: The show name.
- Amusing Injuries: Resident Butt-Monkey Lewis T Duck is always being trampled or squashed by Arnold (The Elephant).
- Bamboo Technology: Everything is apparently constructed from flotsam and jetsam, leading to ramshackle buildings and machinery. Charlie's house is the exception, carefully made with pristine white planks.
- Clown-Car Base: Most of the houses are tiny, yet characters still fit in them. Interior shots suggest that buildings are Bigger on the Inside.
- Cool Ship: The good ship Buttercup. Though it is shipwrecked it is where Captain Mildred lives and is an easy to find landmark on Merrytwit.
- Gentle Giant: Bert the monster is rather dim, but he's also a sweet-natured creature who wouldn't hurt a fly.
- Going Native: The sheer amount of resources collected through beach combing makes the adaptation to island life a fairly comfortable one.
- Hat of Authority: It's shown in Mildred's Day Off that whoever wears her hat is in charge. Mildred swaps hats with Edward to go on a picnic and everyone does what Edward orders them to without question. At first anyway.
- I Choose to Stay: In Goodbye, Hello, Charlie plans to go back to his old life as a clown, but decides to stay on Merrytwit at the end.
- Impact Silhouette: One ends up saving the day in The Mountain That Moaned. Arnold's clumsiness gets Charlie, Lewis and himself trapped inside a cave with no way to climb back out. They meet Bert, who also fell down inside the cave. Arnold ends up tripping while being shown around, making an Arnold shaped hole in the cave wall. Not only does it free them from being trapped, but it gives Bert a front door so he can visit his new friends whenever he likes.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Lewis is rather short-tempered and believes that he's always right, but he's not really that bad a guy.
- The Klutz: Arnold is a very clumsy elephant.
- Lazy Bum: Edward can usually be found lounging around somewhere fast asleep.
- Let Me Get This Straight...: Charlie says this before asking Trader Jones about how the Coconut Harvest works. Where the islanders help him gather the coconuts and in return are able to get them from Trader Jones' store.
- Meaningful Name: "Lewis T Duck", "Arnold the Elephant" and "Litterbug".
- Misplaced Wildlife: Uncertain. Though gorillas and elephants shouldn't really be found on a desert island, they are sentient and we are talking about an island with pink trees. It is not unlikely that they migrated to Merrytwit in similar circumstances to Charlie.
- No Fourth Wall: Charlie talks to the audience almost endlessly. Talks to himself at least as much.
- Non-Ironic Clown: Charlie Chalk himself. With shades of Stage Magician thrown in.
- Our Fairies Are Different: They're Welsh and they have propeller beanies and look like grannies.
- Protagonist Title
- Pull a Rabbit out of My Hat: Charlie never pulls out a rabbit from his hat, but he can produce things like cups of tea or tables. And it doesn't have to be his own hat.
- Robinsonade: Subverted; life on the fairly populous Merrytwit turns out to be very easy from the get go.
- Rule of Three: In Merrytwit, wishing for something three times will summon a hover fairy to grant your wish.
- The Smurfette Principle: Captain Mildred, and later Mary the Hover Fairy, are the only women on the island.
- Standardized Leader: Captain Mildred is treated as the de facto leader of Merrytwit.
- With Friends Like These...: Poor Lewis having to put up with Arnold's perpetual clumsiness.
