3.02 The Duck Badge
The Duck Badge is a brilliant simulation of a police drama. Another parody that only Hey Duggee could get away with.
Badge Design
A long oval with seven ducks.
Episode Summary
Opening Squirrel
Norrie watering her Venus flytrap.
Start
It’s raining and the Squirrels are splashing around outside.
Set-Up
The Squirrels all jump in puddles. Norrie jumps in and ends up wet up to her waist. A duckling swims up to her and hugs her, calling her mummy. It starts to thunder and lightning and they get indoors. The duckling follows. Inside the clubhouse, the Squirrels take off their raincoats and there is a knock at the door. It is the duckling and it hugs Norrie. There is another knock at the door. Another 99 more ducklings declare Norrie is their mama. The other Squirrels all have questions for Norrie. How many are there? Where do they sleep? What do they eat? Where’s their real mummy. Norrie doesn’t know the answers. Duggee can help, he has his Duck Badge.
Story
Not since The Detective Badge have the Squirrel Club been this ready for an investigation. Duggee is wearing a police chief’s uniform and the Squirrels are lined up ready for the briefing. Happy is drinking coffee from a mug. Norrie is covered in various ducklings. Betty has a notebook and pen ready. Tag is sitting in a power pose. Roly is eating a doughnut.
Duggee starts his slide show by asking the Squirrels what they know about the ducklings. They are yellow and small (about 10 cm). An adult duck can grow to about 40 cm (about the size of Enid). They have put together a photo-fit of the duckling’s mum. They think about what the ducklings like. Happy remembers they like water and they realise that their mum might be at the lake. They’ve cracked the case.
Meanwhile the ducklings are:
- Swarming Norrie.
- Five are in the dollhouse (2 in the kitchen, 1 in the bath, 1 in bed, 1 in the chimney).
- One is in the jack-in-the-box.
- Three are in pots of paint (red, blue and green).
- One is painting.
- Two are pecking at Happy’s feet.
- Four are on the bookshelf.
- Two are using a book as a see-saw.
- One is parachuting down.
- Four are on the window.
- One sits on a globe.
- One sits on Roly’s spinning top.
- One is driving a toy car.
- Three are sitting on the clock,
- One flies a plane.
- Six are standing on one another’s heads.
- Ten are walking on a bunting tightrope.
- Three are reading a book together.
- Four are in a fire engine.
- One is driving a police car.
- One is snorkelling in Enid’s bowl.
- One is mountaineering on Duggee’s podium.
- One is jumping on the till and three are in the draw.
- One is jumping on a stapler.
- Three are in the goldfish bowl.
- Ten are in a toy train.
- Three sit on Norrie’s lap.
- Several are just wondering about.
Norrie kicks open the clubhouse doors and the ducklings start to follow her out. Duggee conducts them on their way. Betty directs them through a megaphone but it’s Roly’s shout that really gets them going. As they pass Happy he name-checks them all encouragingly. They march to the lake where they do indeed find the duckling’s mummy.
Bridges
- Duggee umbrella.
- Duggee lily pad.
- A shiny police badge.
Close and Credits
Case closed, the Squirrels have earned their Duck Badges.
Duggee tears off his badge from his police uniform and hands it tot the Squirrels. After everyone has left one of the ducklings calls Duggee “Papa”.
Supporting Cast
- Many, many ducklings.
Outfits
Duggee and the Squirrels wear colourful raincoats at the beginning of the episode as they play outside in the rain. Roly’s umbrella hat is a highlight.
Duggee wears a police chief uniform for most of the episode.
Get Your Duck Badge
Feed the ducks with something suitable (not bread). Sing 5 Little Ducks together.