The Herbs

Characters

Cast list

• Parsley the Lion – The shy but friendly main character, who always sat on the path in front of the herb garden to welcome the viewers. He was very frightened of strangers until he got to know them. He was one of only two Herbs who seemed aware of the viewers, waiting at the gate for them and waving. He hated getting his tail wet. Though in the original series he did not speak, in The Adventures of Parsley he conversed with Dill.
• Dill the Dog – A hyperactive dog who was always getting into scrapes which provided Parsley with a rich source for his laconic comments. He was constantly chasing his tail and was a source of great annoyance to Constable Knapweed.
• Sage the Owl – A plump, bad-tempered owl, the third of member of the central "animal trio". Sage frequently fell out of his nest and hated getting his feathers wet. Like Parsley and Dill, Sage never spoke except to sing his signature song, which he sang in a rapid testy voice somewhat reminiscent of Patrick Moore.
• Sir Basil – A bumbling aristocratic huntin', shootin' and fishin' type with an enormous red nose. He described himself the "King of The Herbs". Despite this he actually had little authority and was largely under the thumb of his wife. He wore a deerstalker and a monocle that sometimes fell out. Despite his fondness for hunting and fishing, he wasn't particularly good at either.
• Lady Rosemary – Sir Basil's prim and proper wife. She kept her husband under check, particularly when he had his shotgun to hand.
• Constable Knapweed – A policeman who was constantly writing Herbs' names and nonsensical crimes in his notebook. Quite what purpose this served was never explained; Knapweed did not seem to have any superiors, or indeed anyone to report his investigations to.
• Bayleaf the Gardener – Always hard at work in the garden. Worked for Sir Basil and Lady Rosemary, and was often frustrated by problems started by or involving Parsley. He spoke with a West Country accent.

• Aunt Mint – An old Auntie-like woman who was nearly always seen sitting in a rocking chair and knitting.
• Mr Onion – Father and schoolmaster of the Chives. He dressed as a stereotypical schoolmaster in a grey suit, bow tie and a mortar board. He always addressed the Chives in the manner of a drill sergeant.
• Mrs Onion – The wife of Mr. Onion and mother of the Chives. She wore a red and white checkered headscarf and was always crying.
• The Chives – The Onions' ten children, the pupils in Mr. Onion's school. They were always referred to collectively as "The Chives" and never given individual names. It was not even specified whether any of them were male / female.
• Tarragon the Dragon – A small, friendly fire-breathing dragon. He was very clumsy, perhaps on account of the fact that everything he breathed fire at disappeared. Like the other animals he only ever spoke in his signature song, which he sang with a lisp. He hatched from an egg that fell from the top of a tarragon plant in the sky.

• Pashana Bedhi – An Indian snake-charmer, who lay on a bed of nails and played a pungi. He was very respectful and always addressed Parsley as "Mr. Parsley".
• Good King Henry – A minor character, who only appears briefly in the series. He was grown from a seed by Bayleaf in order to create a husband for Miss Jessop.
• Miss Jessop – A very fussy middle-aged woman. She married Good King Henry.
• Belladonna the Witch – The evil Belladonna was a one-off character. She turned several of the Herbs into weeds, but was finally thwarted by Dill, as this herb was used to ward off witches in real life. She left behind her broom, which Dill used to restore the transfigured Herbs to their original state, and which Parsley sometimes used in later episodes.
• Signor Solidago – Signor Solidago is an opera singer from Italy who attempted to teach Sage to sing. He failed miserably on both counts, eventually storming out of his own classroom.

  Comics

Episode list

VHS and DVD releases