Elvis Cridlington

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Elvis Cridlington

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Background Information

First appearance

The Kite (1987)

Creator(s)

Rob Lee

Actor

Voice Actor

John Alderton (1987-1994)
John Sparkes (2005-2007)
Steven Kynman (2008-present)
Andrew Hodwitz (US; 2014-2020)

Overview

Name

Elvis Cridlington

Nicknames

Cridlington (by Steele and Boyce)

Gender

Male

Residence

Pontypandy

Biographical Background

Occupation

Fireman
- Mess manager

Hair Colour

Black

Eye Colour

Blue
Brown (early books)

Relatives

Unnamed mother
Unnamed grandmother
Jerry Lee Cridlington (cousin)

Elvis Cridlington is a fireman for the Pontypandy Fire Service, often working alongside Sam and the other firefighters. He has also been assigned the position of station mess manager. He usually gets into trouble with Station Officer Steele.

Biography[]

Original series (Series 1-4)[]

1bc34c7c40b481c426f17e4715f0cbf09e043642(1) — Elvis in the original series

Elvis Cridlington was presumably born and raised in Pontypandy by a single mother. Growing up, he always dreamed of becoming a fireman someday. A few years later, upon completing his secondary school education, he began his firefighter training at the Newtown Fire Academy.

When he completed training, he returned to Pontypandy and joined the Pontypandy Fire Service.

At the start of the first series, Elvis is a rookie firefighter and the newest member of the Pontypandy Fire Station. He started his career as Fireman Sam's apprentice and throughout the original series he picked up on a lot of finer points of the job such as realising firefighters do more than just putting out fires (which includes moving a telephone pole in the episode The Kite).

Elvis drove Jupiter for the first time in the first series episode Camping and drove it in three further episodes during the original series.

In the third series, Elvis was shown to have a crush on visiting firefighter Penny Morris. From the fourth series onwards, however, his crush on Penny is seemingly gone.

Series 5[]

Throughout the fifth series, Elvis showed a tendency to not pay attention in training drills and unlike the rest of the crew, he lacked awareness on fire hazards. For example, in A Real Live Wire, he nearly throws water over a burning television without turning off the power first being stopped by Sam in the nick of time. However, he is still a valued member of the team, even giving Norman advice on how to be careful with candles in the episode Mummy's Little Pumpkin.

CGI series (Series 6-present)[]

In the CGI series, his relationship with Sam is shown to have evolved into a good friendship; However, Elvis does still count on him for a lot of safety advice and firefighting tips. During The Great Fire of Pontypandy, Elvis risks his own life by leaping across to save Sam from getting hit by a burning branch, showing he will do anything for the people he cares about. For this self act and guiding the people of Pontypandy out of the forest, Elvis accomplishes his dream of earning "The Medal of Outstanding Bravery" (which is the highest honour available to any firefighter in all of Wales). However more importantly to him he earns the respect of his mentor/best friend who calls him "a true hero".

In the sixth series, it is revealed that he and Mike Flood have formed their own band. Since then the two put themselves forward to play whenever the opportunity rises and Elvis is regularly seen trying to come up with new song ideas (generally about the happenings around the fire station).

In the seventh series episode, Blow Me Down, he completes a rescue on his own for the first time by rescuing Station Officer Steele from the Flood's roof.

In the eighth series episode To Outfox a Fox, Elvis earns his advanced driving certificate and is now able to legally drive any vehicle belonging to the rescue service.

Having kept his and Penny's relationship under disguise as close friendship all this time, in the ninth series episode Norman's Big Fossil Adventure, the latter inadvertently reveals it to Sam and Station Officer Steele by kissing the former on the cheek after he admits that he tried to save her job by getting himself fired (even though Steele was never planning on firing, it was all a misunderstanding with a photo frame).

Following the recruitment of two new members, Arnold and Ellie, in Heroes of the Storm, Elvis takes on a more senior role within the fire service and starts acting more responsibly. Whilst Sam was away rescuing Penny and the children from the old mines, Elvis is tasked with being the leader to is able to successfully prepare Pontypandy for a hurricane. As a result of his success, Elvis earns the respect from all his fellow citizens that he truly deserves.

His cousin, Jerry Lee Cridlington is also a fireman, who is based at the Newtown Fire Station.

Personality[]

Elvis is as a somewhat dimwitted yet a friendly, kind, and brave and mostly competent fireman. He looks up to Sam, and learns from his heroic actions.

Elvis is often shown to get in trouble with Station Officer Steele for showing up late for work, getting his reports soggy and messy and other mishaps. Regardless of this, it is shown in Steele Under Par that Elvis has a great deal of respect for his commanding officer. One of Steele's proudest moments was seeing Elvis risk his own life to save Sam in The Great Fire of Pontypandy, where he exclaimed "Well done young Cridlington, I won't forget that!" showing that he is truly proud of Elvis.

Elvis loves music, especially Rock'n'Roll. He loves to come up with songs and play the guitar. As shown in Brass Band, he is also shown that he plays the trombone, although he is not very good at it.

As the fire station mess manager, Elvis cooks food for the other firefighters. In the original series and to an extent the fifth series, he was shown to be a disaster at cooking, while in the CGI series, he is shown to be a lot better at cooking.

In the original series, he was shown to be shy at times, and would often daydream.

In the fifth series, Elvis had a tendency to not pay attention in training drills and unlike the rest of the crew, he lacked awareness on fire hazards. However, unlike how he was in the CGI special Alien Alert, where he believed in aliens, Elvis is shown to find it ridiculous when he could not buy tea from Dilys' shop because "aliens have invaded Pontypandy." He is even shown to give Norman advice on how to be careful with candles in the episode Mummy's Little Pumpkin.

From the sixth series onwards, he has become more over excitable, childlike and idiotic, to the point where in the episode Fox on the Run he accidentally feeds the fire station dog Radar chocolates, mistaking them for doggy treats. However, he is still very loyal to his friends and a very brave fireman who is willing to risk his life for his friends. He is shown to be good at launching Saturn, and is good with sticky foam and the "floppy shovels."

Trivia[]

Elvis is named after the famous American singer and actor Elvis Presley, whom he idolised as a child and even styled his hair upon. His love for rock was also inspired by Presley.
Elvis's original personality was based of Private Frank Pike from the British sitcom Dad's Army. His relationship with Station Officer Steele was inspired by Pike's relationship with Captain George Mainwaring, whom Steele was based off.
In the early Fireman Sam books published by Little Owl Superstars Books in 1986, Elvis' name is said in quotations (written 'Elvis' Cridlington), implying that Elvis is a nickname for something else. However, in the final television series, Elvis appears to be his real name.
He used to be the youngest firefighter until Arnold McKinley join the fire service in Heroes of the Storm.
Despite his position as the station's cook, Elvis has no culinary skills at all. Due to this and his clumsy and slightly dimwitted nature, he very often ends up burning the food. Because of this, Sam prefers to have Bella Lasagne prepare sandwiches for him over eating Elvis's cooking.
Elvis may have been afraid of heights as demonstrated in Pontypandy Extreme and Model Plane, but in later episodes he seems to be over it.
In The Break-Up, he is shown to have a talent for juggling flaming torches.
He is the secondary driver of Jupiter.
He did not become a lifeguard until Norman's Ark.
In the episode Elvis Sings the Blues, it is revealed that Elvis owns a cat. However, this cat has yet to appear in the series.
He still has yet to drive Bessie, Juno and the Hovercraft.
In a Twitter Q&A, Steven Kynman revealed that Elvis was his favourite character to voice out of the show.
In the French dub, his surname is Portillon instead of Cridlington.
Elvis is the main operator of Saturn.
Elvis was Phoenix's only driver during Series 13
Elvis is the only firefighter who drove Jupiter in all the Fireman Sam movies.
Elvis and Sam are the only firefighters to drive Jupiter 2000 in Set for Action!
Elvis is the only firefighter who drove Jupiter 2000 in a real emergency.
He appeared and spoke in every episode of the first five seasons.
Although Elvis is the clumsiest of the firefighters, he is the only character to have not needed an individual rescue.
On the old website called "firemansam.co.uk" from 1994, his surname was misspelt without a G.
Elvis appeared in civilian clothes for the first time in the TV series in Series 16. He has previously worn civilian clothes in the book Fireman Sam and the Picnic Panic. In this outfit, he wears a light blue t-shirt, a dark green jacket, a pair of grey slacks with a brown belt and brown boat shoes.