Teddy Trucks is a British animated comedy based on the books of the same name by Michelle Cartlidge. It focuses on the mishaps of Teddy Trucks transport, a small haulage company in a town populated entirely by anthropomorphic teddy bears. It was produced by the BBC and lasted no more than thirteen episodes.
Teddy Trucks provides examples of
- Apron Matron: Rosie, who runs the cafe the bears visit during their breaks.
- Butt-Monkey: Gerry gets a lot thrown at him throughout the series. He's been roped into football, ballet and the care of a couple of giraffes. Most of the time this is because he's too nice to say no.
- Chekhov's Gun: The raw eggs Gerry brings with him in "Rosie's Day Out". When they realize they have to camp for the night, they are the only food they have available so Rosie offers to cook them up.
- Color-Coded for Your Convenience: The shirts on the three male drivers make it easier to tell them apart. Gerry wears sky blue, Jacko wears purple and Wilson wears pink.
- Cool Car: Dusty's sports car in its titular episode. It's not so cool looking once the boys have examined it to find what is making it squeak.
- A Day in the Limelight: A number of them.
- "Dusty's New Sports Car" puts the focus on Dusty, the company secretary.
- "Rosie's Day Out" puts more of a focus on Rosie as the bears invite her out on their day off.
- "Boss Bear's Barbeque" Focuses more on Boss Bear and his rather demanding wife.
- Drives Like Crazy: One-shot character Miss Weirdly, the eccentric owner of Weirdly Grange. She drives to her holiday home Cherry Tree cottage with the handbrake on and parts of her car fly off when she arrives. Her butler, Groan (who accidently got shut in the wardrobe the bears were transporting) considers it a relief when he gets to ride in a more carefully driven truck than his mistress's car.
- Failed a Spot Check: Boss Bear complains he cannot find the teabags. Dusty tells him they are on the shelf- in the jar marked teabags.
- Forgotten Birthday: None of the other bears remember its Bella's birthday until Rosie, and then later Dusty, point it out. What results is Bella ending up having two parties on the same day as her colleagues and, later, her boss doing their best to make it up to her.
- Friend to All Living Things: Gerry. He usually allows his troublesome dog Nutley to accompany him on jobs and, in one episode, takes a pair of giraffes back to the main office so they will be safe until Boss Bear can arrange for them to be taken to the zoo.
- Henpecked Husband: The one time Mrs Boss Bear appears, she's nagging her husband to hurry up with the barbeque and ordering him around.
- Hidden Depths: Wilson. He's an avid football player but it's his idea to attend the Ballet Rumbear.
- Non-Standard Character Design: Most of the bears share the same characteristics, save for the butler Groan (who has his ears slicked back), a conductor named Maestro (who has a mane) and one of the players from the opposing football team (who is significantly larger and bulkier, and enough to intimidate Gerry into not kicking the ball)
- Not So Above It All: Boss Bear takes his job seriously and keeps the other bears in line but he is far from immune to silly moments.
- Running Gag: Boss Bear always answers the wrong phone when in his office and thinks the other party has hung up until Dusty tell him.
- Sassy Secretary: Dusty at times. Given how dense her boss can be at times, this isn't surprising.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: Gerry and Jacko are assigned an important job delivering the Lord Mayor's special chain. They spend most of the episode trying to get Jacko's keys back from Gerry's dog Nutley. The end reveals Bella and Wilson completed the job on their behalf.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: When Wilson injures his foot and cannot play, Gerry takes his place. He's never played before and thus ends up tripping, falling over the ball, getting hit by the ball and being bulldozed by the other team.
- Town Girls: Truck driver Bella is the Butch of the female bears, cafe owner Rosie is the Femme while secretary Dusty is the Neither.
- A gender inversion with the male drivers. Gerry is a kind hearted animal lover who is easily scared, and surprisingly good at ballet (femme). Jacko is rather blunt and a lot more boisterous due to him being an avid football player (butch). Wilson is also an avid footballer like Jacko but also loves music and ballet (neither).
- Women Are Wiser: The female bears are definitely smarter than the male bears. Gerry, Jack and Wilson are shocked and disgusted when Bella and Dusty give worms to some baby birds. Even six year olds know birds eat worms.
