The timid seafarer and the crew of his Black Pig have been joined by a host of new characters, including buxom barmaid Luscious Lil, designed to reflect the show's new setting on a Carribean island.

But the show's sea shanty theme and Pugwash's sworn enemy, Cut Throat Jake, have been retained in the new series, which is running on ITV on Fridays at 1550.

Captain Pugwash was created by John Ryan in 1950, and first appeared in the Eagle comic.

It was adapted for TV in 1957, with episodes made in black and white until 1967. Colour episodes were shown by the BBC in the mid-1970s.

The old show was famous for its crude animation, and characters with limited movement.

New and improved

Now new producers John Cary Films have improved the drawings and the animation, as well as moving the show's setting from the port of Rye, East Sussex to the island of Portobello.

But there will not be any characters with lewd names - because they never existed in the first place.

The myth that the characters had obscene names is thought to have been started by a comedian in the 1970s - but John Ryan, now 76, was so incensed that he sued two newspapers who referred to them.

Other new characters include a carpenter, Jonah - replacing Cockney crewman Barnabas - and there is a girlfriend for Tom the cabin boy.

Luscious Lil looks after the regulars at the Merry Mermaid Inn, while the governor of Portobello has romantic ambitions for Donna Bonanza, a spoilt local opera singer.