"Ducknapped"

He's been ab-DUCK-ted! Geddit?!

Original broadcast date: 19 September 1989

Season 2 episode 2 (episode 28 overall)

Writer: Jimmy Hibbert
Additional voices: Denzil/Dr. Von Goosewing/1^st crook: Jimmy Hibbert

                              Cuthbert: Brian Trueman

                               2^nd crook: David Jason        

Joke credit: Musical Instruments – K. Koffany

Castle transport visual not used.

I say, what a jolly old tickety-boo episode this is, eh what? Certainly one of Hibbert’s finest, up there with ‘Mobile Home’ in terms of the pure comedy and plot factor, in my view. I often think having the voice actors write the scripts gave this show an extra dimension. They really seemed to have fun with their characters and that’s evident here. A couple of scatty public school boy types attempt to kidnap Count Duckula in the most civil and ineffective way possible, resulting in a lot of wry chuckles for the viewer. A fun episode all round, it’s certainly one of the most memorable with a well-structured and smoothly transitioning story. The whole affair comes across like an almost P.G. Wodehouse style of farce, especially given the characterisations of the kidnappers – played to perfection by Brian and Jimmy.

The whole sorry confusion kicks off after breakfast (a breakfast of cardboard cereal box, because the cereal ran out – thank you Nanny!) when Duckula receives the mail and discovers a ‘to whom it may concern’ amongst his bills. It’s a ransom demand and what it’s demanding  is 50,000 drachmas for the safe return of… Count Duckula! Not only has the demand clearly been sent too early, but it’s been hand-written! The first indication that the would-be kidnappers aren’t quite up to the task. In his panic Duckula even believes the letter until he realises that since he is still there, he hasn’t been kidnapped. ‘Obviously some sort of sick joke!’

Unfortunately Nanny isn’t as quick in the head department and immediately believes the letter, even hugging Duckula for comfort at the same time! During the confusion of her upset, she knocks a vase on Duckula and he collapses under a table, out of sight. This is just as well for the plot, because now it’s Igor’s turn to be taken in by the letter. There’s no way the most intelligent character on the show would believe such a letter without some sort of evidence, so getting Duckula out of sight and having Nanny wreck the room earlier is important. Igor deduces that the wreck is signs of a struggle and suggests that he and Nanny wait near the hollow tree on the village green to give ‘the kidnappers a taste of their own medicine.’ Despite his sinister nature, Igor’s loyalty is pretty endearing and he manages to keep a level head, unlike the flustered Nanny. Duckula has some very faithful servants for certain, even in a mix-up like this.

Now we’re introduced to the two guest stars of the episode, the kidnappers Cuthbert and Denzil. These two just crack me up every time. They’re part of a long Cosgrove-Hall-of-fame of crappy criminals, but noticeably they’re not antagonistic towards each other at all. Instead, Denzil points out Cuthbert’s mistake of sending the demand too early in the most polite manner possible and Cuthbert is properly cognizant of his ‘bit of a blunder’. In fact the closest the two come to losing their temper throughout the whole episode is when Duckula drives them mad with his music towards the end. Denzil even balances his criticism by lauding Cuthbert's writing of the letter as being 'absolutely topping!' Now we know why the ransom demand was received and who sent it so we move back to the castle where Duckula is recovering.

He soon realises he's alone and figures that his staff must have gone to look for the kidnappers, in spite of the fact that he hasn’t even been kidnapped! As soon as he leaves, Von Goosewing arrives – in his balloon and with a new wampire-killing gadget. As is his wont, he forgets his parachute and crashes through the roof (with some stretch and squash animation), knocking himself out, but at least having a soft landing on Duckula’s bed.

At this point, the crooks arrive to carry out the kidnapping. Denzil even elicts they start at the top and work their way down - more wasted energy! It would have been interesting if Duckula has stuck around to confront them, but he had no way of knowing anyway. Luckily he recovered in time! Goosewing however is still out cold (or ‘fast asleep’ as Denzil puts it) and they make off with him in a sack believing him to be the Count.

Duckula catches up with Igor and Nanny, meeting them at the hollow tree (possibly, he remembered enough from the letter) and has his work cut out for him trying to convince them that he wasn’t kidnapped at all. Igor is convinced, though decrying the letter as a joke of ‘appalling taste’. I like how the most sinister character on the show has his standards. My guess is he’d at least have more respect for the crooks had they carried their task out correctly. Nanny however is still crying away all the way back to the castle. Great acting from Brian and David here as Nanny’s bubbling concern slowly drives Duckula into pure anger. He unleashes a verbal beat-down accompanied by some great character animation trying once and for all to convince Nanny that he wasn’t kidnapped and that the letter is to be torn up ‘into a zillion tiny pieces right in front of you! I will then eat the pieces!’ but his rage is put on hold when he spots yet another bungle by the kidnappers. Seems Cuthbert wrote the note on headed notepaper so now they have a clue to follow up.

Back to the hollow tree on the village green and during the night a couple of crooks drive by with some stolen loot. Luckily for the kidnappers (and the plot!) the loot is stashed in the log and duly collected in the morning. ‘Isn’t that just tickety-boo!’ as Cuthbert so rightly puts it. They release the apparently confused Goosewing (offscreen) and remark upon a job well done in the following amusing little scene. At this point they realise yet another mistake and one that most crooks wouldn’t even acknowledge. In failing to send the ransom demand at the correct time, their stiff upper lip (or should that be stiff upper beak?), public school type code doesn’t allow them to keep the money as they haven’t played by the rules (although Cuthbert rightly points out that ‘surely it doesn’t matter na-ow?’) One of my fave little vignettes of the whole series.

Further confusion ensues when the real Count and staff arrive to ask for an explanation of the letter. This is where any potential aggression on either party evaporates as Cuthbert and Denzil's politeness defuses the whole situation and is apparently cleared up as if it were some kind of administrative error. The money is returned (even though it wasn’t their money to start with!) and Duckula is asked to step inside so they can start the whole thing again! Igor and Nanny don’t seem to be too keen to return the money and go away with the impression that it was some sort of apology for the mix-up. ‘Nice couple of gents weren’t they Mister Igor?’ as Nanny puts it! The whole scene’s so well-played, describing it doesn’t really do it justice. That and it’s capped off with Igor’s face as he politely offers to carry the bag of money!

Back at Rosebud Cottage, Duckula still doesn’t get what’s going on, as this is certainly the most bizarre and genteel kidnapping that ever was! He gets excited at the mention of the money however and also at espying some musical instruments with which to ‘entertain’ his captors. Denzil deserts the ship and returns to find Duckula is still at it! ‘He found the violin!’ bemoans Cuthbert. By this stage, they decide the whole thing isn’t worth it and politely eject the music-happy Count from the house and slam the door.

Duckula hates his life once more.

Duckula now remembers that if he’s no longer kidnapped, he can have the money for himself! He doesn’t stop to question where it came from in the first place, but it would hardly be out of character if he believed it belonged to the kidnappers anyway! Back to the castle he rushes just in time to see Igor and Nanny’s snazzy new outfits. They’ve spent the money on themselves. Even Nanny’s final ‘Yeees!’ gives the impression that this was what was meant to happen as part of the whole  game anyway! This is such a refreshingly amoral show for an 80s cartoon.

A great episode with some memorable quotes and one of my personal favourites that gets a lot of repeat viewings. I recall recording this one off the TV back in the day, buried on a tape amongst a lot of silly home movies. I think I may have caught the re-run a year after the fact but I’m unsure, I seem to recall waiting in the car for something while it taped so I may have already seen it and just wanted a taped copy. It survived though and remained very quotable for a long time. Jolly spiffing!

In the music department, Cuthbert and Denzil seem to have their own little theme that gets played in a few different versions and an upbeat little honky-tonk piano type tune plays during their dissection of the 5 steps. I’ve never heard these used anywhere else so am not sure if they’re stock or not, but I really like them. The opening uses 'After Dark' by Paddy Kingsland. A few other series familiar cues show up too. 'Scream and Screm Again' by Tim Souster plays when Duckula recovers. ‘Hero Vs The Villain’ (# 36, Johnny Pearson) plays when Duckula starts playing detective. This was the theme tune of David Jason’s ‘Captain Fantastic’ character from ‘Do Not Adjust Your Set’ appropriately enough and was also used in ‘Danger Mouse’ in ‘Duckula Meets Frankenstoat.’ We also get that ponderous-to-excited theme as Duckula goes through the letters. It’s also used in several other episodes and the Danger Mouse episode ‘Bigfoot Falls’. It's 'Eccentric Walk' (Roger Roger).The title card has 'Twelve String Ties No.4' by John Churston under it and the cue that plays when Igor reads the letter is also heard during the dinner table scene in ‘The Ghost of McCastle McDuckula.’

Not too many pans in this one but plenty of jolly old background art to feast your peepers on, old things.

 

The bottom left one is used twice. Once with the overlay items, once without.

Obviously, the nicer district of Transylvania.

Not too many clear shots of the cottage interior, but here's a couple. So delightfully twee and homely!

Two similar BGs of the cottage are used, but they're slightly different.

Not often we pan to the right away from the castle. This closes the episode.

Trivia

* Another episode with ‘duck’ in the title.
* Duckula himself appears in the title card.

* The title could be a reference to ‘Kidnapped’ by Robert Louis Stevenson. The idea of kidnappers being unable to put up with the kidnapee is a popular trope which stems from 'The Ransom of Little Red Chief' (1910) a short story by O. Henry. Unlike that tale, this episode does not do the whole 'kidnappers pay money to get kidnapee away from them' bit though Igor and Nanny end up with the money anyway. The 'kidnappers pay' trope is used in a radio gag in the Victor & Hugo episode 'Unstable Fable.'

* Nanny didn’t seem to mind eating a cereal box in ‘The Vampire Strikes Back’ so that would explain why she’s feeding it to her Duckyboos here.

* Duckula uses his teleport ability to leave the hallway.

* 2^nd time Duckula receives a letter actually worth his time to read. 1^st time was in ‘A Family Reunion’ and next time would be in ‘Around the World in a Total Daze.’ 1^st of two times Brian’s character writes the letter, the other being Sibelius Smogg.

*Another appearance of Von Goosewing’s hot air balloon.

* Goosewing makes no reference to Heinrich.

* Goosewing’s invention of choice this time is a ‘Super Delta Mark 3 Wampire Exterminatorer’ with twin carburettor and overdrive.

* Denzil seems fond of the phrase ‘stroke/spot of luck.' Cuthbert favours a ‘RA-ther!’
Both employ 'Tickety-boo!'

 
* Only time Goosewing enters Duckula’s bedroom and even then he’s unconscious. Cuthbert and Denzil enter too. The only other additional character to do this was the Duckula statue in ‘One Stormy Night.'
* There is a character in another David Jason-centric sitcom ('Only Fools and Horses') also called Denzil.

* Cuthbert & Denzil’s address is Rosebud Cottage, Vlad Street, Duckuville, Transylvania. (Telephone: VLA) Vlad was also the name of one of Duckula’s uncles in ‘A Family Reunion’ two episodes prior, who also wrote a letter to Duckula.
* Denzil grows an extra finger briefly when he counts off the steps and gets to step 5. Only in the cartoons!

* When trying to get some respite from Duckula’s awful music, Denzil says he’s off to the shops for some broccoli, one of Duckula's favourites incidentally.

*The decorative shields on the cottage walls match the school insignia on the chaps' blazer pockets.
* The kidnappers apparently have a cat called Tiddles.
* Duckula's harmonica 'music' sounds like a terrible rendition of 'Two Old Timers' by A. Gunn (a cue used in the Victor & Hugo episode, 'Cowboys and Indiscipline.') This hamonica music is also used in 'The Return of the Curse...' and 'The Lost City of Atlantis.'
*Another appearance of the Count's harmonica. 
* Episode ends, but does not begin, with Duckula screaming.

* This episode was released on the Thames Count Duckula Bumper Special VHS in 1989 along with 4 other episodes, including 'Prime Time Duck',  'The Incredible Shrinking Duck' and 'Blood Sucking Fruit Bats of the Lower Amazon.'

* Alan Case is credited as storyboard artist. His work appeared a lot on the Count Duckula tie-in annuals, comics and on the DVD sets.

Goofs and nitpicks

*Part of Duckula’s right arm vanishes as he first looks at the letter.
*The door handle disappears briefly when Duckula enters the cottage.

Let's rouynd things owff with some fan-art of these two splendid chums, what?