Line #152 Series/Yonderland


1	[[quoteright:301:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/yonderland.jpg]]
2	''Yonderland'' is a family fantasy comedy from Britain's [[Creator/{{Sky}} Sky1]]. Created, written by and starring the six main performers from ''Series/HorribleHistories'' AKA Creator/TheSixIdiots (Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond) and featuring the artistry of longtime Creator/JimHenson collaborators Baker Coogan, the show mixes live-action with puppets to create what's described as a ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}''-meets-''Series/TheMightyBoosh'' blend of adventure, excitement and of course total silliness. It currently consists of three complete eight-part series, with an additional Christmas/Thanktival special.
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4	The premise revolves around very ordinary, very bored stay-at-home mum Debbie (Howe-Douglas). Her kids are off to their first day of school and she's trying to figure out what to do with herself... when an elf (voiced by Baynton) suddenly appears from a kitchen cupboard and announces that she's the ChosenOne destined to save his world from the forces of darkness (and stuff), as represented by the villainous Negatus (Farnaby) and his demonic minions. Just intrigued enough to follow the elf -- and Nick, the talking stick -- back through the portal, Debbie meets with the Elders of the magical, mystical realm of Yonderland... only to discover that they've lost the scroll that explains what the Chosen One is actually supposed to ''do''.
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6	Yonderland, it turns out, is a very silly place indeed. Soon Debbie is off on a journey to find her fate that meanwhile finds her assisting, among others, "incompetent knights, monks who are incapable of lying and a race of people intent on firing the cleverest amongst them into the sun."
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8	Take a look at the [[http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/yonderland/videos/5881/yonderland_first_trailer/ preview trailer,]] and the Sky Yon [[http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2013-09-09/yonderland---exclusive-first-lookspoof 'news updates']] to find out more.
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10	'''Spoilers Ahoy!'''
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12	!!'''Tropes seen in Yonderland:'''
13	* AccidentallyBrokeTheMacGuffin: Debbie and Elf spend the second episode trying to recover a replica of the missing scroll. When Debbie finally opens the box containing it, it turns out to be made of something that bursts into flames on exposure to daylight.
14	* AccidentalMisnaming: No matter how many times Debbie corrects them, nobody in Yonderland can ever remember Pete's name. Mostly they call him Bob.
15	* AerithAndBob: Yonderland is a strange and mixed up place, with characters named Bradley, Rachel, and Phillip alongside the likes of Negatus, Imperatrix, and [[OverlyLongGag whatever Elf's real name is]].
16	** The Elders are certainly a prime example: Choop, Vex, Flowers, Ho-Tan, Pressley...and Trevor. One-time gag character Judith also fits.
17	* AllThereInTheManual: Although they've not yet been mentioned in the show, according to the promotional material the five main Elders all have names and individual job titles. Specifically, Chief Elder Choop (Baynton); Vice Elder Flowers (Farnaby); Wise Elder Vex (Willbond); Lord Elder Pressley (Howick) and Scribe Elder Ho-Tan (Rickard).
18	* ApologizesALot: The Gallants.
19	* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: A monk describing the devastation ogres have wrought on his monastery sums up thusly: "As you can see, they destroyed ''everything''. The chapel, the chambers... part of that shoe..."
20	* AsideGlance: From one of the Gallants, upon noticing that the unconscious body of one of Negatus' henchdemons is being magically controlled "just like a puppet..." Ahem.
21	* AssholeVictim: John the nerdy explorer who complains about other people on a public footpath and tells his wife to shut up for no reason before getting killed by the giant. It can be argued that the horrendously sexist Philip of Woolworth and his cowardly replacement in the Grand Tournament also had it coming.
22	* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: At the end of the Grand Tournament, with a subversion in that the Page gets a teeny-tiny trophy, but otherwise the trope is played straight and everyone dances and cheers.
23	* BackForTheFinale: In order to save Elf, Debbie recruits both Gallants from the pilot, Wizard Bradley and Mojo from episode 2, and the monks-turned-estate agents from episode 3. We also briefly see the blue-skinned people from episode 4.
24	* BackUpTwin: Sir Ellis of Woolworth, brother of the late Sir Phillip. Ben Willbond enjoyed playing Phillip and wanted to bring him back in a larger role for series two but as he'd died, bringing in his twin brother was the only option - and a chance to make a version who was less badly behaved.
25	* BadBoss: We're told that Negatus used to have more than a hundred demon minions; he got down to three by killing them all for petty reasons.
26	* BaldOfEvil: Negatus himself averts it, but all three of his demon henchmen are bald as an egg. Especially noticeable with Rita, the only female demon--per the photos of past demon henchmen, this seems to be standard for the species.
27	** Admiral Anous, who outranks Negatus in his evil organization, is a human example.
28	* BallisticDiscount: A variant involving Negatus avoiding payment for his various new evil toys by making use of the installers. As for instance testing out a new death trap by dropping the engineer into it along with his bill, or using another engineer to level out the bottom of a scrying pool rather than paying him to do it.
29	* BatmanGambit: Done brilliantly by Elf and Nick [[spoiler:when Debbie asked for a way to destroy the portal for good.]]
30	* BigNo: A traditional one from Elf as Debbie nearly gets burned to death in Ennythingos and a sarcastic one from King Bernard's Chamberlain.
31	* BilingualBonus:
32	** The tiny furry creatures are called the Parvuli, which means, well, "tiny" in Latin. "Imperatrix" seems to be the name, rather than just the title, of the villain, although the word is Latin for "Empress."
33	** "Gesundheit" is [[{{Gesundheit}} played for laughs]], but is actually an appropriate name for a spa of healing waters, since the word is German for "health."
34	* BullyingTheDragon: Justified, Admiral Anous thought Negatus was too incompetent a villain to have any concern about flat out telling him to his face how useless he was, how he would have him removed from his position, and outright challenging him to do something about it. [[spoiler:Negatus killed him, though he immediately regretted it, when he realised he had murdered Imperatrix's own chief advisor, while Imperatrix was still expecting his report.]]
35	* BookEnds: The pilot opens on the drunk Elder intoning "The end, I fear that this could be the end." The first series finale ends on him repeating the same line.
36	* CarpetOfVirility: Negatus and Bombero both sport very fake chest hair.
37	* CastFullOfWriters: The entire troupe gets a "Created By/Starring' credit, and nearly every episode was written by at least one of the group.
38	* ClaspYourHandsIfYouDeceive: This is one of Dirty Ernie's many little breaks of character: when Debbie agrees to go with him, he briefly does this while saying "Perfect"; then corrects himself.
39	* ComicTrio: Henchdemons Neil (the male half-wit), Rita (the female half-wit) and Jeff (the male complete and total idiot).
40	* ContrivedCoincidence: Debbie's married name also happens to be the name of the town she was born in, which allows the plot to get going since it's the only reason Elf figures out she's the Chosen One. In universe, this was fated to be, as she is destined to be the Chosen One, Debbie (of) Maddox, but the "of" is explicitly mentioned as being optional by the prophecy.
41	* CostumePorn: Not in the sense of opulence but the sheer amount of costumes and variation amongst the cast and puppets, while holding onto a pseudo-Medieval steampunk feel, should be applauded.
42	* CouchGag: The Chief Elder's opening narration has a different 'dramatic' closing line each time.
43	* CoversAlwaysLie: Contrary to the DVD cover (which was lifted straight from the initial promo posters) at no point in the series is Debbie seen wearing a ModestyTowel. In fact, Martha Howe-Douglas is the only cast member to be fully clothed throughout. Also, of the male characters gathered around her, two have only small roles.
44	* TheChosenOne: Three guesses. Gets a great introduction when they dramatically pan up an etching... that's missing the head. The Council Of Elders realise they were looking at the wrong etching and turn to the ''other'', seemingly identical etching, with the camera panning up slowly to reveal an etching of Debbie's face.
45	* CluelessDetective: Yonderland only has one detective, but he's an idiot. He admits he knows he's a fraud, never wanted to be a detective, and only got the role due to accidentally standing right next to the murderer of his predecessor, when said murderer got tangled up in his own getaway rope, and now everything thinks he's brilliant. To live up to the illusion, he's put on a nonsense performance of "investigating" for a minute at crime scenes, then accused a random nearby person, which caused thousands of innocent people to be jailed. Debbie however manages to find a much more [[GreatDetective competent replacement]]. Interestingly, the previous Great Detective was a Sherlock Holmes expy (he solved "the sound of the Baskervilles) and his own successor is a Hercule Poirot expy (complete an enormous moustache, which is prehensile and has hands), making this person the Miss Marple expy (an unqualified civilian who keeps ending up nearby when murders happen and gets expected to solve them).
46	* CrossCastRole: Howick as the Old Crone, Guardian of the Oracle; Baynton as Nanny la Roo, all the male cast members as women at war over cakes, and lots of other one-shot characters.
47	* CutAwayGag: More or less constantly. Notably: "I know not how [Negatus] sleeps at night!" Cut to Negatus snuggled face down with his cartoon-pyjama-covered bottom in the air.
48	* DarkIsEvil: Negatus is at least ''trying''; his name, his black leather outfit, his poorly-lit lair, the henchdemons who call him things like "Your Darker than Blackness"... which unfortunately devolves into one of them referring to him as "Oh Blackest of ''Dresses''". His boss Imperatrix, meanwhile, does in fact go all-out in a black dress (and red corset), with black veils and thick dark eyeliner.
49	* DeadlyGame: The losing contestants on Yonderland's reality TV show ''Miss Smashing'' are never heard from again. It turns out that they're secretly being harvested as potential hosts for a mind-controlling evil wig.
50	* DeadpanSnarker: Debbie and Elf at times, and Nick the Talking Stick perpetually. Having your face repeatedly banged into the ground will do that to you. "Ow -- ow again -- and at the risk of repeating myself, OWWW!"
51	** King Bernard's chamberlain, to the point where you'll be hard-pressed to find any line at all of his that isn't snarking.
52	* DeathEqualsRedemption: Imperatrix is never truly "redeemed", but she does give up her life to stop the out-of-control killer robot she commissioned, because EvenEvilHasStandards.
53	* DemonicDummy: Makes an appearance in a street scene. The traditional scenario of a tuxedo-clad ventriloquist performing with his dummy on his lap is shattered when the barkeep calls over "'Ere, Ron, you coming for a pint?" and the ''dummy'' hops down and agrees, leaving his 'human performer' to fall over onto the table.
54	* DidNotThinkThisThrough: Negatus. [[spoiler:It's only after killing his boss's right-hand man that he realizes Anous still needs to report back to Imperatrix]].
55	** [[spoiler:Imperatrix's defeat at the end of series 2. She doesn't seem to realize that removing her life force from the machine she created would also destroy her own life.]]
56	* DirtyOldWoman: The Crone cheerfully describes herself in the pilot as "a slapper"... and makes a stunning comeback that proves it in episode four, as the 'target' for the kissing competition.
57	* DitzyGenius: Doctor Hirsch from "Game of Crones" is Yonderland's greatest scientist, inventor of most of their technology (including the message bench) and able to build an incredibly powerful power cell. However he thinks his cat is a dog, and needs it explained to him that he has been kidnapped by Imperatrix to build her a weapon, and is not having a surprise holiday
58	* DontExplainTheJoke: Ellis of Woolworth after kidnapping Debbie: "You're not the only woman to wake up next to this face. [[SuspiciouslySpecificDenial Because I sleep with women!"]]
59	* DownTheRabbitHole: Or through the portal, whichever.
60	* TheDragon: Admiral Anous for Imperatrix.
61	* TheEeyore: Nick the Stick.
62	* EvenEvilHasStandards: Spurred on by the memory of his dead dog, Negatus intervenes to prevent someone from killing a cute little rabbit.
63	* EvenTheSubtitlerIsStumped: "Erm... something about radishes?" in episode 3.
64	* EvilOverlord: Every land but Yonderland has fallen to one of these, all working under Imperatrix. Negatus is supposed to be one and technically holds the rank, but is completely incompetent. [[spoiler:In an alternate timeline where Cuddly Dick didn't unite them to secretly take over the competent ones effortlessly conquered the world by force before attacking Earth through the portal.]]
65	* EvilRedhead: Imperatrix.
66	* EvilSoundsDeep: Negatus again--Imperatrix also counts, [[spoiler:especially compared to the voice of her twin, Debbie]].
67	* EvilTwin: [[spoiler:Imperatrix for Debbie.]]
68	* ExoticExtendedMarriage: Elf's got four wives.
69	* FakeGuestStar: Creator/StephenFry is listed as a "special guest" in every episode of season 3.
70	* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: Surprisingly for this type of show, yes. Negatus and his henchmen have their share of blood on their hands, and at least one on-screen execution (Kendall in the grinder). Admiral Anous gets in on it as well, choking a puppet character hard enough that the poor thing ''explodes into goo'' offscreen.
71	* FantasticRacism: Upon Debbie first hearing Elf's incredibly long and elaborate name:
72	-->'''Debbie:''' Can't I just call you "Elf"? ''(strides off briskly)''
73	-->'''Elf:''' ''(follows, muttering)'' Bit racist...
74	** Nick also complains that "thick as two short planks" sounds like a racial slur on wood.
75	* FantasticMeasurementSystem: "Centuri" is a measure of time, but from context it seems to range from far beyond a mortal lifetime to thousands equaling a few weeks. "Quillennium", also an indeterminate measure of time, also shows up from time to time.
76	* FinishingEachOthersSentences: The pink-haired guardians of Gesundheit do it deliberately. The one played by Willbond wants to finish the sentences with something more than just "...ted", and finally just refuses to say anything.
77	* FiveSecondForeshadowing: In the first-series finale, Debbie says that the Elders have "Wizards and Gallants!" to help them out. Within a minute ''she's'' off to meet Wizard Bradley.
78	* ForTheEvulz: Negatus tells the demons to torture Elf, not to get any information, just because their side is evil and torture is an evil thing to do. He forgets to inform them of this detail, and Elf avoids torture by freely giving them a lot of irrelevant information.
79	* FreakyFridayFlip: In "Swapsies" a wormhole causes Debbie and Elf to switch bodies when they go through the portal back to Earth. No, a hole some worms chewed in Nick.
80	* FunnyBackgroundEvent: Near the beginning of the Parvuli's sweet, squeaky ode to Debbie, one particular little fluffball sits waiting patiently by a set of bongo drums. Throughout the number we cut to him still waiting, until at last he is ''totally'' set for the big crashing finale... cue unexpectedly soft, poignant final note. The "Umm... OK then..." moment is absolutely priceless.
81	** In the pilot there's a great moment when Debbie refers to the Oracle as "a fraud, a snake-oil salesman!" Behind her, an actual snake-oil salesman looks affronted and shuts his booth.
82	* GeneralFailure: It's all but stated that only reason for Yonderland's status as the last land not to fall under Imperatrix's control is Negatus' complete incompetence.
83	* GenerationXerox: It is not at all difficult to tell which Younger is related to which Elder in the holiday special. Blob the Younger is a particularly glaring example, literally looking like a palm-sized version of their dad Trevor [[labelnote: Explanation]] not that it's hard, what with blobs being featureless and all[[/labelnote]]
84	* {{Gesundheit}}: Played with. "Gesundheit" really is the name of the spa, but the pink-haired keepers of the magic waters always say "Bless you" whenever it is said.
85	* GoldenSnitch: It turns out that though there are four parts of the Yonderland Grand Tournament, all you have to do is win the final one -- ie. Kissing -- and no matter how you did in the others (Archery, Swordplay and so on) you'll be the winner.
86	* GratuitousDiscoSequence: In the flashback showing Wizard Bradley at the height of his fame -- and before being deserted by his Mojo.
87	* HappilyMarried: Debbie and Peter.
88	* HappyEndingMassage: Elf gets one.
89	* HeroicSacrifice: Nick is ready to do this so Debbie doesn't have to return to Yonderland. [[spoiler:Turns out he and Elf were having her on.]]
90	* HollywoodToneDeaf: Debbie's husband Peter fancies himself something of a musical-theatre performer... accent on the 'something'.
91	** The Elders are also this, as can be heard in the "Happy birthday at you" scene.
92	** The Elders' Youngers are even worse, at least at first.
93	* HouseWife: Debbie is the archetypal stay-at-home suburban mum -- which skillset turns out to come in very handy when dealing with the childlike inhabitants of Yonderland.
94	* HumanoidAbomination: Admiral Anous, he looks human but he has pale skin, [[BaldOfEvil no hair]], is strong enough to crush another being to paste and sleeps upside down like a Bat. Even Negatus doesn't know exactly what he is, and dismisses him as a "weirdo."
95	* HyperCompetentSidekick: The Bee for The Bird.
96	* IdiotBall: Debbie in Season 1 Episode 8. She [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] it herself:
97	-->'''Debbie:''' God I'm thick.
98	* IgnoredEnamoredUnderling: Rita for Negatus. At one point she seduces him within a VR game just because it's the closest she's gonna get.
99	* InelegantBlubbering: Debbie when seeing the twins off to school for the first time. She manages to hold it together ''right'' up until her husband asks if she's OK.
100	* ItWillNeverCatchOn: Roadside diners with all-day breakfast, apparently.
101	* InvisibleBackupBand: Appears during King Bernard's song. {{Lampshaded}} when his Chamberlain (one of the few characters with a working brain) seems perturbed about where this music is coming from.
102	* JumpedAtTheCall: At one point, Peter eats a wishing fruit after wishing he knew what was going on for once. After learning about Yonderland he's overjoyed and eager to bring the kids on an adventure--miles away Debbie unknowingly stops the chaos caused by a wishing fruit tree by eating a wishing fruit after wishing that all the other wishes would wear off. [[StatusQuoIsGod Peter immediately forgets everything]].
103	* LaughablyEvil: Negatus and his minions.
104	* LimitedWardrobe: Not only the puppets. Negatus only seems to have one outfit apart from disguises and the Elders wear the same clothes throughout the show, although it's possible they're wearing uniforms.
105	* LineOfSightName: "Dirty...er...knee?" "Dirty Ernie?" "...yes."
106	* LiteralMinded: The inhabitants of Yonderland are naturally a little confused by our world's idioms, and the show mines this for all it's worth:
107	** When Debbie tells the feuding Gallants to 'shake', she has to stipulate that she meant "shake ''hands''", and then that she meant "each ''others''' hands!"
108	** Elf to Nick, when Debbie tells them to 'never say never!': "She does realise she just said it twice, right?"
109	** Played with when Wizard Bradley's 'lost Mojo', that enables him to do magic, turns out to be an actual furry little beastie with an attitude.
110	** Comes up frequently as a byproduct of the monks of Old John's dedication to the truth. "Last one there is physically the slowest!"
111	** Nobody can understand what Debbie means by "take five".
112	** Negatus can't figure out how putting his old rock band back together will possibly help. This one gets extra points since he was talking to himself.
113	* [[spoiler:LongLostRelative: Debbie (of) Maddox is Imperatrix's twin sister, ferried away to another world by her father in an attempt to avert the prophecy that makes her the Chosen One (because the Chosen One seems to be destined to join Imperatrix and empower her somehow).]]
114	* MadLibThrillerTitle: Series 3 episode, ''The Negatus Redemption''.
115	* MagicalLand: Intended as a spoof of more traditional examples, but definitely qualifies on its own merits.
116	* MakeoverMontage: The monks get one.
117	* TheManBehindTheMan: It turns out midway through Series One that Negatus isn't the main villain after all, but rather her dragon or lackey. In Series Three, Cuddly Dick seems to be the main villain but [[spoiler:is possessed by an evil creature posing as his wig]]
118	* MassHypnosis: Vice-Elder Flowers is able to cast off his cumbersome robes and perform a dance which mesmerizes anyone who looks, well, down.
119	* MeaningfulName: Debbie's is a more subtle example: [[Literature/BookOfJudges Deborah was]] a prophet and the only female Judge of Israel - which makes hers quite a fitting name for TheChosenOne, especially if you consider that Debbie tends to solve Yonderlanders' conflicts by judging rights and wrongs.
120	* MostDefinitelyNotAVillain: Dirty Ernie.
121	* MotivationalKiss: Debbie gives one to the Page to give him courage for the Kissing challenge in the Grand Tournament. It's also his FirstKiss.
122	* {{Muppet}}
123	* NakedPeopleAreFunny: When Debbie, trying to help hide the strictly truthful monks, asks if they have another look besides their robes, she gets ''much'' more than she bargained for. Meanwhile, Vice-elder Flowers always suggests they all remove their robes as his solution to everything.
124	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Negatus and his boss, Imperatrix. Subverted however with his three henchdemons named Neil, Rita and Jeff.
125	* NecktieHeadband: One of Imperatrix's guards does this along with rolled up sleeves after Debbie tells him personally to "have a nice day" and he decides he's an individual rather than part of a unit. (He seems to be back to normal in the following episode though).
126	* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Of ''course'' Willbond isn't playing a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shane_Warne Shane Warne expy]] in episode four. Don't be ridiculous.
127	** Also, Michael Jack's son and Mad Donna.
128	* NoFourthWall: The first episode starts with the Elders sharing a monologue and attempting to stay in-shot for their lines, the second episode ends with various characters "reviewing" Wizard Bradley and Mojo's performance.
129	** At one point, an Elder prevents us from hearing exactly ''what'' Debbie called Negatus by reminding the Council that it's a "family show."
130	** In the Series One finale, a Gallant looks at the unconscious body of a demon minion that Wizard Bradley is controlling and says in wonder, "just like a puppet," ...and gives the camera an AsideGlance.
131	** From the same episode, a running gag features Negatus attempting to do the traditional ominous 'villainous asides', only to have another character hear him. After the first one he at least tries to do them more quietly.
132	** Two episodes in Series Two make references to "this episode".
133	** In 'Up The Workers' (2x04), Debbie remarks that the ninnies firing the smart ones from a cannon has happened before. Larry's ninny character quietly says 'yeah, series one.'
134	** The last episode of Series Three (aside from the Christmas Special) has a time-traveller character undo a DownerEnding by reversing the end credits.
135	* NonHumanSidekick: Negatus' demons. Elf and Nick for Debbie.
136	* NoNameGiven: The Guardian of the Oracle. She isn't named onscreen and is referred to simply as 'The Crone' in all promotional material. However, in an interview, Howick (her performer) and Baynton decided her name is [[http://news.boxofficebuz.com/article/yonderland-cast-interviews Yvonne]].
137	* ObnoxiousInLaws: Although Debbie envies Peter for having parents, she's never gotten along with them. This changes after the Christmas special.
138	* ObviouslyEvil: Negatus, full stop. If the big spiked helmet, leather outfit, perpetual scowl, and demonic henchmen always hovering about didn't tip you off, the sneaky asides he's fond of will definitely do the trick.
139	* OfCorpseHesAlive: Done hilariously badly when Negatus has to fake a good review [[spoiler:after killing Anous]]. Imperatrix, naturally, doesn't buy it for a second.
140	* OfCorsetsSexy: Imperatrix.
141	* OhCrap: A minor one of these from Debbie when Pete reminds her that he has "a lot of suits".
142	* OnlySaneMan: Debbie takes on this role for the entire ''world.'' Elf gets a look in too.
143	** Scribe Elder Ho-Tan is also this very briefly in “The Negatus Redemption”, rightfully pointing out that they shouldn’t “blindly trust some stranger” in the woods. It doesn’t last long.
144	* OverlyLongName: Elf's real name, which is why Debbie suggests 'Elf'. He goes along with it, even if it is "a bit racist". Oddly enough when he later names his family they all turn out to have normal sounding English names -- although this could be justified, as he's actively trying to mess with the henchdemons' minds at the time.
145	* PantslessMalesFullyDressedFemales: Negatus' henchdemons--Neil and Jeff only wear trousers, while Rita ([[SmurfettePrinciple the only female]]) wears trousers, a black tube top, and accessories.
146	* PassThePopcorn: During the Gallants' argument, a minor character sits with a huge bowl of popcorn, all set for what's supposed to be a fight to the death. He is ''not'' happy when Debbie stops it.
147	* ParentalBonus / ParentService - In the grand tradition of ''Horrible Histories'' and of British comedy in general. Just for starters, in [[http://afroharold.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/yonderland.jpg the official promo poster]], Debbie is in a ModestyTowel; and in case ''that'' wasn't obvious enough, the nearest male character is [[EatingTheEyeCandy checking out the view]].
148	** The Oracle appears to be a giant slimy blob with one very fey male face poking out of it -- and then another one pokes out mid-meeting with Debbie: "Nigel, darling, there's been a spillage...."
149	* PerpetualFrowner: Nick the Stick. It seems that even if his character design didn't limit his smiling abilities, he'd still be this trope...
150	* PolitenessJudo: Gleefully turned up to eleven in the first episode, wherein two Gallants bump into each other trying to get through a doorway and immediately commence the full-bore "After you!" "No, I insist, after ''you!''" routine. Elf quickly hustles Debbie past, muttering "...this won't end well." Sure enough, when Debbie comes by again several minutes later it's escalated to drawn swords, and then to extremely polite ''death threats'', both men having clearly completely forgotten what the original problem was.
151	* PragmaticVillainy: Imperatrix follows this, Negatus does not. He dreads her visit, because he'll have to justify his ludicrous wastes of money and personnel.
152	* PuffOfLogic: In the third season finale [[spoiler:this is how time travel works. The final timeline is that Elf and the Time Being warp in and save the day, explain what happened, realize the paradox, and disappear.]]
153	* PunnyName:
154	** Nanny La Roo who is a nanny and a kangaroo and named after Danny La Rue, a famous female impersonator, which makes sense as she's played by a man.
155	** One of the towns in Yonderland is called Ennythingos.
156	** The "news updates" from Yonderland also feature a news ticker with gems such as "Agorophobe trafficker accused of insider trading."
157	** Debbie needs a bottle of Amaretto, elf gets her a bottle of A-More-Hair-To, it will really put hair on your chest.
158	* PuttingOnTheReich: When Imperatrix's {{Mooks}} are finally seen, they turn out to have a rather Nazi-esque look to their uniforms.
159	* TheQuest: One minor one per episode, involving various small towns and peoples Debbie meets as part of her larger attempt to save all of Yonderland from ultimate villain Negatus. Lampshaded to hell and back when Debbie decides she no longer wants to be the Chosen One:
160	-->'''Debbie:''' And no more ''quests!'' I am so sick of quests! What ''is'' it with you guys and quests, anyway?
161	-->'''Elf:''' Well, lucky for you, there ''is'' a way to close the portal...
162	-->''(beat)''
163	-->'''Debbie:''' It's a quest, isn't it.
164	-->'''Elf:''' Yeah...
165	* RaisedByMuggles: Debbie on Earth.
166	* ReactiveContinuousScream: Debbie and the Elf do this upon first meeting. They later do the same thing with a monk.
167	* RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: [[spoiler:Even though Negatus changes his mind and betrays Debbie and the Elders, Bad Wig still punishes him for briefly working with them]].
168	* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLT0V9KWqCM The Parvuli]], guardians of the sacred earth... ''aka'' teensy, fluffy white crosses between a teddy bear and an owlet that sing a squeaky little song called 'Thank You Debbie' ("You made us feel so snug/Just like a fitted sheet..."). While playing their own itty-bitty homemade instruments. Then, they shower her in flowers.
169	* RummageSaleReject: Most of the human citizens of Yonderland wear elaborate quasi-medieval getups, including many [[PimpedOutDress gorgeously detailed long dresses]] and pseudo-Musketeer costumes.
170	* RunningGag: The Elders have several already, including "Let us cast off these cumbersome robes," and "I was drunk!"
171	** Elder Vex insisting on pronouncing Debbie's name as "Deb-beh".
172	** The Elders, for some reason, call Peter "Bob".
173	** The presence of the name "Jeff" is one they carried over from ''Horrible Histories,'' as is Willbond juggling in the background of shots.
174	** Mr. Havelock's thwarted attempts to propose to Miss Fanshawe. [[spoiler:They both get so sick of this by the end of the first series that they decide to just live in sin instead. And then they return in Series 2 finale, finally married... only to [[ItMakesSenseInContext have part of a moon fall on them]].]]
175	* SchizoTech: Mostly a medieval-renaissance fantasy setting, but they televise their tournaments. Knights on horseback are common, but the heroes frequently just take the train instead.
176	** Negatus' fortress is guarded by spear-wielding demon minions backed by automatic machine gun turrets with laser sights.
177	** Taken up a notch in season two, showing Yonderland has industrial revolution style sweatshops, and Imperatrix's domain has World War 2 style soldiers, cities and technology. And things like flintlock pistols, happily coexisting with assault rifle.
178	* ServileSnarker: King Bernard's wonderfully sarcastic Chamberlain.
179	* ShoutOut: Any number of them per episode, collected [[{{ShoutOut/Yonderland}} here.]] Notably, Debbie and two other Yonderland characters are stuck in a treasure room, with giant stone walls closing in on them that one character attempts to jam open with a guitar, which co-creator Larry Rickard confirmed on Twitter that this was a nod to the iconic trash compactor scene in ''Franchise/StarWars: Film/ANewHope''.
180	* ShownTheirWork: the elaborate costumes/makeup for the citizens of Yonderland can take hours to put on, often for merely a random "couple of lines" in the background. It's all in order to [[http://www.denofgeek.com/tv/yonderland/28102/mat-baynton-and-jim-howick-on-yonderland-horrible-histories-more "make the world as rich as possible."]]
181	* {{Spexico}} and TorosYFlamenco: Party town Ennythingos has a distinctly Spanish flavour, complete with a maraca-wielding host called Bombero.
182	* StartOfDarkness: Negatus's came when his father [[BlackComedyPetDeath cooked his beloved dog into a pie and served it to him.]]
183	* StunnedSilence: When Debbie asks for the sacred fire of Ennythingos (with Debbie's heartbeat in place of ChirpingCrickets), we get this trope, [[spoiler:but it ends up subverted ("Do it!")]]. A more minor example also happens after Negatus' WellDoneSonGuy outburst in the last episode of the first series.
184	* StylisticSuck: Many elements of the series are intended to look fake, as it’s supposed to be [[{{Parody}} parodying]] common fantasy tropes.
185	* SurrealHumor: ''Yonderland'' takes cues from (among others) Creator/MontyPython and ''Series/TheMightyBoosh''. It even includes Farnaby as a [[StylisticSuck deliberately fake]] giant tree monster, as a direct shoutout to his role on the Boosh. Another great example is the Oracle - a giant blue egg that at first seems to be played by Baynton, until his husband pops out the other end asking where the sponge is.
186	* TakeThat:
187	** "But it's ''written''!" "''Literature/TheDaVinciCode'' was written! Doesn't mean it's any good."
188	** Simon Cowell gets some. [[Series/HorribleHistories Again.]]
189	* TheTapeKnewYouWouldSayThat: One episode opens on an amusing 'conversation' between Peter, speaking to Debbie's voicemail, and Debbie, communicating through sticky-notes left throughout the kitchen earlier in the day.
190	* TomTheDarkLord: Negatus' first name is James. You can see why he doesn't use it much.
191	** To a lesser extent, his three ObviouslyEvil henchdemons are named Neil, Jeff, and Rita. A memorial for dead henchmen in episode 4 implies all of his past demons fit the bill as well.
192	* TotemPoleTrench: Negatus's demon cronies rock this look in the first episode.
193	* TrainingMontage: In episode 4.
194	* TheUnintelligible: The old drunkard that tells the monks about John of Atherley.
195	* ViolentGlaswegian: The biker gang in ''The Bird and The Bee''. They can't be too violent onscreen in a family show but they clearly have the vibe.
196	* WellDoneSonGuy: Negatus, if the scene where he yells "SEE THAT, FATHER! I'M GOOD AT SOMETHING!" at the sky is any indication.
197	* WigDressAccent
198	* WomenAreWiser: Sometimes comes off as this, as Debbie is the only character so far with a dash of common sense.
199	* WouldHitAGirl: Wizard Bradley. Well, at second-hand anyway.
200	* YawnAndReach: Used during the kissing contest and described by the commentator as "a bit [[DeadHorseTrope old-school]]" whilst Negatus insists it's a "classic".
201	* YearInsideHourOutside: The Elf seems to understand how time works in Yonderland relative to Debbie's world, although he doesn't always get her home in time for important engagements with her family.
202	* YouCantFightFate: [[spoiler:Debbie was born Debbie of Maddox, prophesied as TheChosenOne, her father took her to Earth, where he left her with the local council as Debbie Walters but she still ended up marrying Peter Maddox and so regained her prophesised name, (the "of" is optional).]]
203	* YourCostumeNeedsWork: A stallholder selling Debbie Maddox costumes is not impressed by Debbie's "wig".
204	* YourMom: A monk unleashes a string of them at Negatus without even meaning to, resulting in the destruction of his monastery.
205	-->'''Monk:''' "Tell me, did your mother smell of dead sea-birds?"
206	-->'''Negatus:''' "''What?''"
207	-->'''Monk:''' "Did she stink? Have weight issues? Body hair? Was she fat and ugly? Your mother. Who I presume is dead."

Context Series / Yonderland