Line #43 Radio/TheSpaceGypsyAdventures


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_space_gypsy_adventures_main_poster.jpg]]
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3	''The Space Gypsy Adventures'' are a set of British sci-fi comedy [[RadioDrama radio stories]] created by Terry Askew. Notable in that the characters are all anthropomorphic animals. Mostly detailing the misadventures of the "space gypsy" fox Gemma Mildury and her younger brother, Damien, along with her on-and-off boyfriend, Duke; Duke's sister, Leah, Leah's husband Rekki (and their baby, Leandra), shuttle dealer and rocker Fluff Cat, and their frequent nemesis, Detective Inspector Spiker-and his unfortunate subordinate, Detective Constable Bones-of the Intergalactic Federal Alliance Police.
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5	The original series ran on the UK National Hospital Radio Network over 1986-7 and was in syndication until 1997. The show was revived in 2004 and has been running since late 2011, [[http://www.spacegypsy.co.uk/ the creators]] have been reposting select stories online. They also have a band called [[http://www.reverbnation.com/fluffcatttherockkittens Fluff Catt & The Rock Kittens]].
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7	The accompanying artwork for the show was originally drawn by Terry Askew himself, but in more recent years the show's official artwork has been drawn by comic artist Mark Alexander Smith, author of the furry webcomic ''Webcomic/{{Transmission}}''.
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9	!!''The Space Gypsy Adventures'' provides examples of:
10	* AnimalsNotToScale: They're shorter than most anthropomorphic animals but still larger than their real life counterparts, as shown by [[http://freyfox.deviantart.com/art/Space-Gypsy-Size-Comparison-361359637 this chart]]. Except maybe for Spiker who might actually be a bit shorter than a real Alsatian/German Shepherd standing on its hind legs.
11	* AnimatedActors: Shown to be the case in "Duke and the Space Gypsy" and "The Christmas New Arrival", in the latter case with Damien claiming that the (unseen) freighters are just wooden sets.
12	* AnthropomorphicShift: Since Mark Alexander Smith took over as the lead character artist, the characters' designs have been given slightly more human proportions.
13	* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: Subverted in the classic story "Gemma's Dilemma", a cop reads off Gemma's criminal record which includes: stealing shuttles, handling stolen goods, bootlegging, counterfeiting, and shoplifting. Lifting the shop itself 450 feet into the air.
14	* AsteroidThicket: Gemma escapes Spiker and Bones in "Daytrip to Tower City" by dragging them (their ship attached to the ''Rapscallion'') into an asteroid field.
15	* BreakingTheFourthWall: Mostly in the pilot and the Christmas specials.
16	* CasualInterstellarTravel: As stated in the pilot, one might go to another star system for groceries.
17	* ChristmasSpecial: At least two.
18	* TheClan: Space Gypsies are organized into species-based clans, the Mildurys are part of the Mogavis clan of red foxes with raccoon-like facial markings. As mentioned in 'The Christmas New Arrival', there are other Space Gypsy clans, made up of other species of foxes. Among the other clans are the Trengavis (made up of Arctic foxes, although Alfonso Squeaks the squirrel has honorary status among the clan, for his work in helping them escape the work camps), the Rusgavis (made up of Tibetan sand foxes) and the Talgavis (who have no known real world equivalent, but are described as being 'water foxes'). Unfortunately, most of their members seem to have been thrown into the Federal Alliance camps.
19	* CommitmentIssues: Duke keeps putting off his and Gemma's wedding.
20	* CounterEarth: Zenophon was this in the 1986 series.
21	* CrystalDragonJesus: Space Gypsies have Ronsin, whose holiday, Ronsinfest is celebrated the same time that the rest of the galaxy celebrates Christmas.
22	* CunningLikeAFox: Gemma, Damien has his moments as well.
23	* DarkerAndEdgier: The 2000s series does touch on darker themes. It explains why Gemma and Damien live on their own: their parents (most of their clan, actually) were arrested. The two siblings themselves spent a few years in a Federal Alliance prison camp.
24	* DataPad: Damien keeps his homework on one, which he tries to lose. One episode even sees it destroyed during a Federal Alliance scuffle, but Damien's delight is cut short not only by the attack, but by Gemma informing him that the school would only give him a new one anyway.
25	* DeflectorShield: Called "grids" for some reason.
26	* EarthThatWas: The space gypsy homeworld was destroyed by a supernova thousands of years ago.
27	* EmbarrassingFirstName: In the 1987 version of "The Great Chocolate Biscuit Caper", DC Bones reveals his first name as Tom. Naturally, both Damien and Fluff ask if he knows [[Music/TomJones 'Green, Green Grass Of Home']]. This joke is omitted from the 2005 remake, since Bones is replaced by DC Fusky for most of the episode. Also, Bones' first name has been established elsewhere to actually be Meic.
28	* EmbarrassingOldPhoto: In "The Great Chocolate Biscuit Caper" Gemma and Damien find their family photo album, and threaten to show people at the spaceport baby pictures of one another.
29	* EmergencyCargoDump: On at least two occasions Gemma and Damien had to dump their illicitly-acquired cargo to decrease the ''Rapscallion''s mass and distract the coppers chasing them.
30	* EnergyWeapon: "Blazers".
31	* FantasyCounterpartCulture: Mogavis space gypsies borrow a lot from Romas. Also people from Galvert 6 sound Welsh.
32	** To a lesser degree, many weasels and other mustelids seem to hail from various former Eastern Bloc countries.
33	* FasterThanLightTravel: The explanation given is that it cancels TimeDilation and the increase in mass from relativity.
34	* TheFederation: The Federal Alliance, corrupt version and [[TheEmpire imperialistic]] version. In the original 1986 series, it was known as the Galactic Federation.
35	* {{Fictionary}}: Mogavis. Most often the Mildury's pronounce "us" as "huz".
36	* FriendInTheBlackMarket: Jimmy DaWeasel, though Gemma herself sometimes fulfills this purpose. DC Fusky masquerades as one in the 2005 remake of ''The Great Chocolate Biscuit Caper''.
37	* GlobalCurrency: Averted, there are both Federal Alliance [[WeWillSpendCreditsInTheFuture credits]] and Zenophon zents and grotchets.
38	* HappilyMarried: Leah and Rekki. Not that it's exactly apparent at times...
39	* HyperspeedEscape: A favorite tactic of Gemma, Damien, and friends. Sometimes combined with dumping their cargo as a distraction (which Spiker tends to mistake for SpaceMines).
40	* HyperspaceLanes: Occasionally given a mention, and are seemingly analogous to British motorways.
41	* InterspeciesRomance: Gemma and Duke (fox/border collie), Leah and Rekki (collie/raccoon), [[PuppyLove Damien and Jehlise]] (fox/cat), [[DatingCatwoman Fluff and Bones]] (cat/fox).
42	* LethalChef: A [[RunningGag running gag]] in the series is Leah's cooking skills (or lack thereof, according to Duke). For instance, Duke claims to Randy that Leah's coffee is indistinguishable from her gravy, leading to this exchange:
43	--> '''Leah:''' Don't listen to him, Randy. You haven't ''lived'' until you've tasted my coffee!\
44	'''Randy:''' Tries some, but then spits it out in disgust Ugh! And I wonder how many people have lived ''after'' tasting your coffee!\
45	'''Leah:''' I'll have you know that all the crowned heads of the Cosmos have tried my coffee!\
46	'''Randy:''' Well, no wonder they all look so blooming miserable!
47	** Of course, there's nothing to suggest that Duke is that much better than his sister (Neither are any of the other characters, come to think of it). Randy in particular is shown to be even worse than his wife. Nothing wrong with the food itself, mind, but his methods are rather questionable...
48	* LovableRogue: Gemma and Damien of course.
49	* NumberedHomeworld: The Galvert system worlds, such as Galvert 6.
50	* PanickyExpectantFather: Rekki in "The Christmas New Arrival".
51	* PardonMyKlingon: Gemma launches a tirade of Mogavis at Bones (the only other character, barring Damien, to be fluent in it) for shooting down Fluff's transporter in "The Christmas New Arrival". We never learn exactly what it translates to (which is probably just as well, since this ''is'' a kid's show, after all!), but afterwards, Bones explains to Duke (who, despite having learned a lot of Mogavis from Gemma, still hasn't learned any of the rude words) that at one point, Gemma implied he had a face like a pig's behind!
52	* PhotoprotoneutronTorpedo: Federal Alliance ships carry "neucleonic" rockets as well as blazers.
53	* PromotionToParent: Gemma towards Damien after their parents were captured.
54	* RelativeError: Happens in 'Damien's Valentine's Day Panic'. Jehlise sees Damien chatting with another girl in the spaceport cafe, and assumes that Damien is cheating on her with 'his own kind' (the girl is a young fox with 'raccoon markings', like Damien). When she confronts him about it the next day, he explains that the girl is in fact his cousin Anita (or at least ''may'' be).
55	* RoguishRomani: Gemma and Damien are a sibling pair of smugglers and thieves who are part of a clan of SpaceNomads called the Mogavis, also [[CunningLikeAFox anthropomorphic foxes]].
56	* RunForTheBorder: Gemma, Damien, Fluff, and Jimmy [=DaWeasel=]'s preferred method of escaping arrest is to escape to Zenophon
57	* SheIsNotMyGirlfriend: Damien frequently insists this with regards to Jehlise; his bioamulet suggests otherwise.
58	* ShoutOut: Has plenty, especially in the original 1986 series:
59	** The original series used an instrumental version of [[WesternAnimation/TheSecretOfNimh 'Flying Dreams']] as its theme. Both vocal versions appear in 'Leah's Wedding'.
60	** Also in 'Leah's Wedding' at one point Gemma is listening to 'Interstellar Requests', another hospital radio show which Terry Askew worked on.
61	** Rekki the [[WesternAnimation/TheRaccoons raccoon]] is a double shout out. Firstly, he references Raccoons animator Gerry Paquette's involvement in the 2004 revival. He also references the fact that, in the 1980s, Terry Askew assisted in the promotion of The Raccoons over in Britain. Rekki even sounds a bit Bert Raccoon-ish!
62	** Since the series is narrated by Creator/JohnLeeson, there are quite a lot of Series/DoctorWho references. The 1987 series even has Sixth Doctor Colin Baker as the announcer.
63	** Depending on who you ask, Spiker & Bones are based on either [[Series/TheSweeney Regan & Carter]] or Chisholm & Jones.
64	** In the BBC Radio Cumbria version of 'Duke & The Space Gypsy', a malfunctioning computer tells Gemma that [[Series/RedDwarf NORWEB have sent a ship after her because she'd left her bathroom light on when she left home ten years ago.]] Subverted, in that the episode was recorded a year before the transmission of the Red Dwarf episode featuring this same joke.
65	* SpaceCossacks: The Space Gypsies claim to have originated on a planet that was destroyed by one nova of thousands of years ago. Due to more recent persecution by the Federal Alliance many of the few who remain free have resorted to smuggling and theft.
66	* SpaceJews: Again, the Space Gypsies are ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin
67	* SpacePeople: Space gypsies, obviously.
68	* SpacePirates: In 'The Christmas New Arrival' Damien freaks out when he mistakes a snow-covered freighter for a pirate ship. Then the name is uncovered and he realizes it was just his and Gemma's 'Rapscallion', which honestly wasn't too far off though they're more like smugglers and thieves.
69	* SpacePolice: Spiker, Bones, and the Federal Alliance police are non-heroic examples.
70	* StealthInSpace: Devisualizer grids, which have a propensity to fail at the worst possible moment.
71	* SubspaceAnsible: "Stellaphones".
72	* TractorBeam
73	* TruceZone: Zenophon, in the newer episodes. In the 1980s series, it seemed to be more of a wayside planet within Federation space.
74	* WillTheyOrWontThey: Duke and Gemma have been engaged since "Daytrip to Tower City" but he keeps putting off their wedding.

Context Radio / TheSpaceGypsyAdventures