Have you heard about the new U.K. kids’ programme Roary the Racing Car, but don’t know much about it?

Roary the Racing Car is a brand-new, U.K.-based, animated children’s television programme that first aired in the U.K. on May 7, 2007. Produced by Chapman Entertainment and animated by Cosgrove Hall Films, this new, exciting, and full-of-life animated programme blends together traditional stop-frame animation with CGI (computer-generated imagery). Roary the Racing Car currently broadcasts on both Nick Jr. as well as Milkshake! stations in the U.K.

David Jenkins is the brainchild behind Roary the Racing Car, and is certainly qualified to dream up and originate a racetrack-based animated series, seeing as he spent four years in senior management working at Brands Hatch Race Circuit, a motor-racing circuit located in Kent, U.K. After Jenkins came up with the brilliant idea (reportedly while watching the Grand Prix on T.V. with his son Tom, who was 18 months old at the time) and wanted to start fleshing it out, the project transferred from his hands to those of Keith Chapman, Chapman Entertainment’s creative director. Chapman, who has been internationally critically acclaimed for his work on the mega-successful children’s programme Bob the Builder, became responsible for designing and developing Roary the Racing Car. Greg Lynn serves as the series’ executive producer.

Voice talents for Roary the Racing Car include Peter Kay, a noted U.K. actor, voice actor, director, writer, and comedian, who voices the role of Big Chris, the racing-car mechanic who loves karaoke almost as much as he loves Roary; and U.K. actor and legendary car-racer Sir Stirling Moss voices the narrator in the programme (although his character is never animated or seen). Roary, although a young boy character, is voiced by a woman, U.K. voice actress Maria Darling.

Roary, who’s quite obviously the main character from Roary the Racing Car, is described as a cheeky, bright, fun, spunky, energetic, and bright-red, single-seated racing car who wears a white baseball caps, sports the number one, and looks a bit like a grand prix. Roary, although young, inexperienced, and prone to mess up, is still Big Chris’ “number-one star” and learns from his mistakes with the help of his many friends. Roary, who loves to use his popular catchphrase, “Light ‘em up!”,  lives at and spends his time at the motor racetrack (the Silver Hatch racing circuit), which serves as the main setting for the animated programme. Interestingly, while Silver Hatch is not an actual motor-racing circuit, the name is actually a combination of two real-life racetracks in the U.K.: Silverstone, and Brands Hatch, the latter at which originator David Jenkins served in senior management.

The new show, which is geared toward children ages two to six, follows the adventures and misadventures of Roary in 10-minute episodes as he hangs out at the racetrack and spends time with all of his fun and interesting friends, learning about life. In addition to a strong plot and storyline, Roary the Racing Car also features plenty of catchy songs as well as some fun humour for its children audiences.

Roary has plenty of friends (humans, animals, and other motor-racing vehicles), who all live and spend the majority of their time at the Silver Hatch racing circuit, mostly in the workshop and the Pits. In fact, Roary’s relationships with all of his Silver Hatch friends serve as the main focal point for the programme.

A few of Roary’s racing-car friends include Maxi, Cici, Tin Top, and Drifter. Maxi is like Roary’s big brother, an Italian Formula 1 race car who’s a bit of a show-off as well as temperamental. Cici is a French, pink, stunt-car “flirt” who is quite close to Roary. Tin Top is a powerful stock-car saloon who always ends up in the workshop, while Drifter is the high-tech racing car of the bunch. Other vehicle characters in Roary the Racing Car include Rusty the Caravan and Plugger.

Roary is also lucky enough to have some human friends, as well. Big Chris (voiced by Peter Kay), the karaoke-loving car mechanic/father figure, bears mentioning. Roary is Big Chris’ favourite and is often helping Roary out in several different ways. Other human characters are Marsha (the race marshal and administrator) and Mr. Carburettor, the Italian Silver Hatch owner who favours Maxi. Animals are also a part of Roary’s world, including Flash the Rabbit, Molecom the Mole, and Dinkie the Donkey.

Children—toddlers and preschoolers alike—are already becoming fans of this hit animated series featuring Roary getting into trouble, fixing his mistakes, playing with his friends, and generally going through the journey of life as it applies to a young animated race car. Although Roary the Racing Car is a fun, cute series that is meant to entertain, the programme also offers valuable lessons for children ages two, three, four, five, and six. For example, while watching these short and fun episodes of Roary the Racing Car, kids can learn about life lessons such as sharing, communicating, solving problems, working together as a team, honesty, doing the right thing, always being positive and making positive choices, helping others, helping the environment, how to be healthy, creativity, and, of course—road safety!

Check out Roary the Racing Car’s official website at RoarytheRacingCar.com for more information about the show, scheduling, and fun activities for kids.