King Rollo | David McKee's Other BBC Classic You Forgot You Loved

A king who can't tie his shoes, a cat who's smarter than him, and a cook who really runs the kingdom... sound familiar? 👑🐱 Welcome back to Big Kids TV Podcast, where we unearth the retro shows that defined our childhoods. This time, we're looking at King Rollo – the charming BBC pre‑school gem from the brilliant mind of David McKee, the creator of Mr Benn and Elmer the Patchwork Elephant! First airing on BBC1 in 1980 as part of the pre‑school 'See‑Saw' strand, this series followed the adventures of Rollo – a childlike king who was always in need of advice and assistance from his friends. Narrated by the wonderful Ray Brooks, each 5‑minute episode saw Rollo face a simple problem (like learning to tie his new shoes!) with help from The Magician (a wise father figure), Cook (the mother figure who was arguably the real ruler!), his girlfriend Queen Gwen, King Frank, and his surprisingly wise cat, Hamlet. With its colourful cut‑out paper animation style – the same beloved look as Mr Benn – and that wonderfully gentle humour, King Rollo was pure BBC comfort TV. Subscribe to us at ‪@BigKidsTVPodcast‬ for regular retro uploads. #KingRollo #80sKidsTV #BBC #DavidMcKee #MrBenn #BigKidsTV #Nostalgia #BritishAnimation #PreSchoolTV #RetroTV