I'm the king of the castle,
You’re the dirty rascal.
I'm the king of the castle,
Get down, you dirty rascal!

- Popular children's nursery rhyme

Fed up with his day-to-day life, schoolboy Roland Wright lives in a fantasy world of his own creation, where everyone who makes his life a misery exists as a horrible, warped double. However, when Roland inadvertently falls down a lift shaft in the tower block where he lives, he finds that his make-believe world has somehow come to life. Trapped in a nightmare version of the high-rise, Roland comes face-to-face with the twisted versions of his peers, and wonders if he will ever get home again…

‘King of the Castle’ is another highly entertaining production from prolific children’s television creator Patrick Dromgoole, whose extensive credits include ‘Children of the Stones’, ‘Robin of Sherwood’, ‘Catweazle’, ‘Sky, ‘Into the Labyrinth’ and many more. Written by Bob Baker and Dave Martin, creator’s of ‘Doctor Who’s robotic companion, K-9, ‘King of the Castle’ is also an astonishingly strange slice of children’s television, set in a bizarre world filled with peculiar characters and scenarios; it was originally to have been shown in a weekday slot, but ITV’s Network Planning Committee deemed it too scary, and held it back four months until it could be shown at Sunday teatime – although I’m sure it must still have given its viewers a nightmare or two when it was transmitted!

Child actor Philip DaCosta gives an admirable performance, while old favourites Fulton Mackay, David Trevena, Talfryn Thomas et al take great delight in playing the straight and surreal versions of their characters; these portrayals coupled with well designed sets and costumes, and three of the industry’s best directors, makes ‘King of the Castle’ a classic – one that’ll make children think twice about using lifts in high-rise blocks of flats…


King of the Castle - Eps 1-7

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Legal Bit: 'King of the Castle' is a registered trademark of Carlton International Media Ltd. The 'King of the Castle' logo and all images from the television series are copyright Carlton International Media Ltd. unless otherwise stated; music is copyright the original composers and producers; no copyright infringement is intended. All specially created images and text are copyright © Clive Banks 2003 – 2010; please do not use these without my permission. All rights reserved. No profit is made from this website, and any revenue made from using the banner-links featured goes straight back into the costs of maintaining it, which comes out of my own pocket in the first place. No profit advertising is accepted. This website was created purely to entertain and amuse, and any references to persons living, dead, comatose, in suspended animation, under psychic control, not born yet, or a figment of someone's imagination is purely coincidental. All opinions expressed are my own, so there...

'King of the Castle' is available on DVD, and you can buy it and many other cult children's television programmes at:

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