Toonhound - The Mr Men (1974-1976)

   "What a lot of Mr Men there are.
   I wonder which one we'll be meeting next.
    Can you guess...?"

    Roger Hargreaves' Mister Men characters have been with us for more than
    30 years. Their design is elegantly simple; bright geometric shapes with little
    hands and feet. Sometimes there are boots and maybe a simple hat as well.
    But most importantly, there is a quirk, an oddity or speciality about each
    individual that gives rise to their name. And it's not just limited to the men.
    In 1981, the Little Misses were born to accompany them, and there is
    now a Mister Man or Little Miss for every facet of human nature. Everyone
    has their own particular favourite - be it Mr Bounce, Mr Messy, Mr Noisy,
    little Miss Trouble or Scattterbrain, Mr Lazy, Mr Greedy, Mr Silly or any
    other members of the 80+ gang of characters.

    In the beginning, however, there were just 7 Mr Men. They were "born"
    in 1971 when Roger's young son Adam asked him what a Tickle looked like.
    Joining Mr Tickle in the original line-up were Mr Bump, Mr Sneeze, Mr Happy,
    Mr Nosey, Mr Greedy and Mr Snow. The small 14x12.5cm books were an
    instant collectible hit and the format has remained the same ever since.
    Sadly, Roger Hargreaves passed away in 1988, but the characters remain
    in the hands of the Hargreaves estate with Adam himself now holding
    the pen.

    Over the years we've a lot more introductions, further books based on the
    existing Mr Men and Little Misses, regular annuals and large format editions
    and even special new arrivals and stories, like the seasonal Mr Christmas,
    a Little Miss Sunshine hair care promotion book and Mr Cheeky, who was
    inspired by a Mr Men 30th anniversary competition winner. Over 100m
    Mister Men books have been sold to date, making the late Roger Hargreaves
    the second most successful author in the UK, after J K Rowling.

    As for the tv Mister Men, well, they first appeared on UK screens four
  years after their initial publication, in 1975. The animated series was produced
  by Terry Ward's Flicks Films and it stuck faithfully to the original format, both
   in look and story. The films were narrated by Dad's Army star, Mr Uppity
  himself Arthur Lowe, and his unique indignant jollity suited the tone of
    the series perfectly. So perfectly, in fact, that many folks still consider
    this to be the definitive adaptation...

    Broadcast info

    Initially the BBC aired seven individual Mr Men stories as standalone
    episodes. But this latterly gave way to a doublebill format in which two
    Mr Men stories were told, back-to-back, with a memorable interlude
    sandwiched between them. Arthur Lowe would ask us which Mr Man
    we might care to meet next, and he would thrump and bumble through
    the theme tune casually as we waited.

     Arthur Lowe narrates The Mr Men

    Incidentally, the BBC released at least two collections of Lowe's Mr Men
    recordings in the late 1970s and they're well worth tracking down.

    Over the years, the 28 films have been repeated ad-infinitum by the
    BBC. A bunch have also been separated again and attached to the
    Little Miss films. So, for the record:

    The single episodes premiered with "Mr Happy" on 31st December 1974,
    on BBC1.

    They were then followed by the doublebill broadcasts, which started
    their run on 4th July 1976, again on BBC1. You'll notice that the previously
    aired episodes were included in the new line-up...

    Singular episodes           Doublebills
    Mr Happy                        Mr Mean & Mr Tickle
    Mr Topsy-Turvy               Mr Bounce & Mr Silly
    Mr Bump                         Mr Chatterbox & Mr Topsy-Turvy
    Mr Tickle                        Mr Jelly & Mr Nosey
    Mr Silly                          Mr Impossible & Mr Small
    Mr Snow                        Mr Muddle & Mr Daydream
    Mr Daydream                  Mr Strong & Mr Happy
    Mr Greedy                      Mr Forgetful & Mr Uppity
    Mr Happy                       Mr Fussy & Mr Snow
                                        Mr Noisy & Mr Sneeze
                                        Mr Funny & Mr Messy
                                        Mr Lazy & Mr Bump
                                        Mr Dizzy & Mr Greedy
                                                  Mr Worry & Mr Grumpy

      Old & New Mr Greedy

     Old Mister / New Mister

    Time has seen lots of developments with the Mister Men. Most notably,
    their appearance has changed. Originally they were very neat, felt pen
    creations. You could even see the in-fill marks where Roger Hargreaves
    had worked the colours around the page. When Adam took over he brought
    a looser style with him. He added additional 'smiling' eye lines, mouth lines
    and movement strokes on the characters, and each is now filled with bright
    blocks of colour.

    The other major change has involved the stories. The gang have moved
    on from their introductory tales and have now been granted lots more
    adventures abroad, around their Misterland home. It's these further
    adventures which formed the backbone to a second tv series. "Mr Men
    & Little Miss" was produced in 1995 by Darguad-Marina. It ran to 104
    episodes and lead on to a 1999 Christmas Special called "The Christmas
    Letter". And in 2008 we got a whole bunch more, thanks to yet another
    animated outing. The currents rights holders, Chorion recently put
    together The Mr Men Show with Renegade Animation, and alongside
    all their even newer new stories are some radical redesigns for
    a number of our stars...

     In the news

   The Hound: October 2007        The Hound: August 2003
     Chorion's new-look Mr Men...            Mr Sneeze in trouble...

     The Hound: July 2007               The Hound: February 2003
     Mr Men prints for sale...                   New Mr Men coming...

     A Mr Men timeline

    Here are all the Mister Men who've appeared in the UK over the years,
    together with the date of their arrival. Officially - that is, as of March 2010 -
    we are told there are 47 Mister Men. But as you can see, the list below
    gives us a tally of 50. Plus we mustn't forget Mr GOSH, created as a
    special promotional character for The Great Ormond Street Wishing
    Well appeal, back in the late '80s. So, technically, it might be argued
    there are 51 misters to track down, in various guises....

    1971                             1978
    Mr Bump                         Mr Busy
    Mr Sneeze                      Mr Clever
    Mr Happy                       Mr Clumsy
    Mr Nosey                       Mr Grumpy
    Mr Greedy                      Mr Mischief
    Mr Snow                       Mr Nonsense
    Mr Tickle                       Mr Quiet
                                       Mr Rush
    1972                            Mr Skinny
    Mr Daydream                  Mr Slow
    Mr Messy                       Mr Tall
    Mr Silly                          Mr Worry
    Mr Small                        Mr Wrong
    Mr Topsy-Turvy
    Mr Uppity                      1984
                                       Mr Christmas
    1976
    Mr Bounce                     1990
    Mr Chatterbox                Mr Brave
    Mr Dizzy                        Mr Cheerful
    Mr Forgetful                   Mr Grumble
    Mr Funny                       Mr Perfect
    Mr Fussy
    Mr Impossible                 2001
    Mr Jelly                         Mr Cheeky (ltd edition)
    Mr Lazy
    Mr Mean                        2003
    Mr Muddle                      Mr Cool
    Mr Noisy                        Mr Good
    Mr Strong                      Mr Rude

                                       2006
                                       Mr Birthday

                                                 2010
                                       Mr Nobody

     Current promos/tie-ins

     Those Mr Men are currently all over the news, as their brand-new series
     screens around the world. And their latest incarnation has caused
     quite a stirr amongst fans. But if you're hankering for those fat, felt-tipped
     Roger Hargeeaves originals, you'll surely be transformed into Mr Delighted
     when you see this fantastic series of giclee prints from FL!P and London's
     Animation Art Gallery.



     There are 10 prints in this particular range, each depicting a doublepage
     spread that's lifted straight from the original Mr Men stories, so you have
     the text on one side, and an illustration on t'other. The prints measure
     20"x12", and they're restricted to just 200 editions... and they're fab...
     and choosing between them all is bloomin' impossible... *sigh*...

     And just to make matters worse, The Animation Art Gallery have also
     brought us 3 Little Misses, a big selection of miniature etchings, and a
     special signed anniversary edition, which have transformed this particular
     fan into Mr Completely Spoilt For Choice!...

     The Mister Men on DVD

     All 28 original episodes are available on UK DVD.
     Here they are in a standalone edition:

    Mr Men: The Complete Original Series 1 & 2
                Region 2 / all 28 episodes / Delta Music / October 2003

     But you may still prefer to collect the two series singularly:

      Mr Men: The Complete Original Series 1
                Region 2 / 13 episodes / Delta Music / June 2003

    Mr Men: The Complete Original Series 2
                Region 2 / 15 episodes / Delta Music / August 2003

     And then, the options widen:

    Mr Men & Little Miss 35th Anniv. edition
                This two disc release features all 28 original episodes,
                plus all 13 of  the original Little Miss stories...

    Mr Men: Series 1 & 2 + Christmas Special
                 And this two disc set also features all 28 original episodes,
                 only now they're packaged with the newer 1999 Christmas
                 Special...

    Mr Men & Little Miss Complete DVD Collection
                Then again, completists may go for this eyepopping twelve
                disc collection. This features all 28 original Flicks Films,
                plus all 13 original Little Misses, plus the 1999 Christmas
                Special and all 104 episodes of the 1995 series from
                Darguad-Marina!...

    series created and written
     by Mr Roger hargreaves

    director:     Mr Terry Ward
    producer:    Mr Trevor Bond
    music:        Mr Joe Campbell, Mr Tony Hymas
    animation:  Flicks Films
    editor:        Mrs Jean Morrice
    rostrum
    camera:      Mr Doug Weymouth, Mr Bob Cheesman
    storyteller:  Mr Arthur Lowe

     On the web

      I Love The Mr Men/Little Miss
      The official site for the originals...

      The Mr Men
      The official site for the all-new series...

      Chorion
      Mister Men rights holders...

      Mr Men Info
      Peter Gray's a BIG fan of Roger & Adam Hargreaves...

      index »    previous »   next »

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			The Mr Men (1974-1976) producers: Flicks Films animation: 2D animation 1975 / 13 x 7.5mins 1976 / 15 x 7.5mins
		"What a lot of Mr Men there are. I wonder which one we'll be meeting next. Can you guess...?" Roger Hargreaves' Mister Men characters have been with us for more than 30 years. Their design is elegantly simple; bright geometric shapes with little hands and feet. Sometimes there are boots and maybe a simple hat as well. But most importantly, there is a quirk, an oddity or speciality about each individual that gives rise to their name. And it's not just limited to the men. In 1981, the Little Misses were born to accompany them, and there is now a Mister Man or Little Miss for every facet of human nature. Everyone has their own particular favourite - be it Mr Bounce, Mr Messy, Mr Noisy, little Miss Trouble or Scattterbrain, Mr Lazy, Mr Greedy, Mr Silly or any other members of the 80+ gang of characters. In the beginning, however, there were just 7 Mr Men. They were "born" in 1971 when Roger's young son Adam asked him what a Tickle looked like. Joining Mr Tickle in the original line-up were Mr Bump, Mr Sneeze, Mr Happy, Mr Nosey, Mr Greedy and Mr Snow. The small 14x12.5cm books were an instant collectible hit and the format has remained the same ever since. Sadly, Roger Hargreaves passed away in 1988, but the characters remain in the hands of the Hargreaves estate with Adam himself now holding the pen. Over the years we've a lot more introductions, further books based on the existing Mr Men and Little Misses, regular annuals and large format editions and even special new arrivals and stories, like the seasonal Mr Christmas, a Little Miss Sunshine hair care promotion book and Mr Cheeky, who was inspired by a Mr Men 30th anniversary competition winner. Over 100m Mister Men books have been sold to date, making the late Roger Hargreaves the second most successful author in the UK, after J K Rowling. As for the tv Mister Men, well, they first appeared on UK screens four years after their initial publication, in 1975. The animated series was produced by Terry Ward's Flicks Films and it stuck faithfully to the original format, both in look and story. The films were narrated by Dad's Army star, Mr Uppity himself Arthur Lowe, and his unique indignant jollity suited the tone of the series perfectly. So perfectly, in fact, that many folks still consider this to be the definitive adaptation... Broadcast info Initially the BBC aired seven individual Mr Men stories as standalone episodes. But this latterly gave way to a doublebill format in which two Mr Men stories were told, back-to-back, with a memorable interlude sandwiched between them. Arthur Lowe would ask us which Mr Man we might care to meet next, and he would thrump and bumble through the theme tune casually as we waited. Incidentally, the BBC released at least two collections of Lowe's Mr Men recordings in the late 1970s and they're well worth tracking down. Over the years, the 28 films have been repeated ad-infinitum by the BBC. A bunch have also been separated again and attached to the Little Miss films. So, for the record: The single episodes premiered with "Mr Happy" on 31st December 1974, on BBC1. They were then followed by the doublebill broadcasts, which started their run on 4th July 1976, again on BBC1. You'll notice that the previously aired episodes were included in the new line-up... Singular episodes Doublebills Mr Happy Mr Mean & Mr Tickle Mr Topsy-Turvy Mr Bounce & Mr Silly Mr Bump Mr Chatterbox & Mr Topsy-Turvy Mr Tickle Mr Jelly & Mr Nosey Mr Silly Mr Impossible & Mr Small Mr Snow Mr Muddle & Mr Daydream Mr Daydream Mr Strong & Mr Happy Mr Greedy Mr Forgetful & Mr Uppity Mr Happy Mr Fussy & Mr Snow Mr Noisy & Mr Sneeze Mr Funny & Mr Messy Mr Lazy & Mr Bump Mr Dizzy & Mr Greedy Mr Worry & Mr Grumpy Old Mister / New Mister Time has seen lots of developments with the Mister Men. Most notably, their appearance has changed. Originally they were very neat, felt pen creations. You could even see the in-fill marks where Roger Hargreaves had worked the colours around the page. When Adam took over he brought a looser style with him. He added additional 'smiling' eye lines, mouth lines and movement strokes on the characters, and each is now filled with bright blocks of colour. The other major change has involved the stories. The gang have moved on from their introductory tales and have now been granted lots more adventures abroad, around their Misterland home. It's these further adventures which formed the backbone to a second tv series. "Mr Men & Little Miss" was produced in 1995 by Darguad-Marina. It ran to 104 episodes and lead on to a 1999 Christmas Special called "The Christmas Letter". And in 2008 we got a whole bunch more, thanks to yet another animated outing. The currents rights holders, Chorion recently put together The Mr Men Show with Renegade Animation, and alongside all their even newer new stories are some radical redesigns for a number of our stars... In the news The Hound: October 2007 The Hound: August 2003 Chorion's new-look Mr Men... Mr Sneeze in trouble... The Hound: July 2007 The Hound: February 2003 Mr Men prints for sale... New Mr Men coming... A Mr Men timeline Here are all the Mister Men who've appeared in the UK over the years, together with the date of their arrival. Officially - that is, as of March 2010 - we are told there are 47 Mister Men. But as you can see, the list below gives us a tally of 50. Plus we mustn't forget Mr GOSH, created as a special promotional character for The Great Ormond Street Wishing Well appeal, back in the late '80s. So, technically, it might be argued there are 51 misters to track down, in various guises.... 1971 1978 Mr Bump Mr Busy Mr Sneeze Mr Clever Mr Happy Mr Clumsy Mr Nosey Mr Grumpy Mr Greedy Mr Mischief Mr Snow Mr Nonsense Mr Tickle Mr Quiet Mr Rush 1972 Mr Skinny Mr Daydream Mr Slow Mr Messy Mr Tall Mr Silly Mr Worry Mr Small Mr Wrong Mr Topsy-Turvy Mr Uppity 1984 Mr Christmas 1976 Mr Bounce 1990 Mr Chatterbox Mr Brave Mr Dizzy Mr Cheerful Mr Forgetful Mr Grumble Mr Funny Mr Perfect Mr Fussy Mr Impossible 2001 Mr Jelly Mr Cheeky (ltd edition) Mr Lazy Mr Mean 2003 Mr Muddle Mr Cool Mr Noisy Mr Good Mr Strong Mr Rude 2006 Mr Birthday 2010 Mr Nobody Current promos/tie-ins Those Mr Men are currently all over the news, as their brand-new series screens around the world. And their latest incarnation has caused quite a stirr amongst fans. But if you're hankering for those fat, felt-tipped Roger Hargeeaves originals, you'll surely be transformed into Mr Delighted when you see this fantastic series of giclee prints from FL!P and London's Animation Art Gallery. There are 10 prints in this particular range, each depicting a doublepage spread that's lifted straight from the original Mr Men stories, so you have the text on one side, and an illustration on t'other. The prints measure 20"x12", and they're restricted to just 200 editions... and they're fab... and choosing between them all is bloomin' impossible... sigh... And just to make matters worse, The Animation Art Gallery have also brought us 3 Little Misses, a big selection of miniature etchings, and a special signed anniversary edition, which have transformed this particular fan into Mr Completely Spoilt For Choice!... The Mister Men on DVD All 28 original episodes are available on UK DVD. Here they are in a standalone edition: Mr Men: The Complete Original Series 1 & 2 Region 2 / all 28 episodes / Delta Music / October 2003 But you may still prefer to collect the two series singularly: Mr Men: The Complete Original Series 1 Region 2 / 13 episodes / Delta Music / June 2003 Mr Men: The Complete Original Series 2 Region 2 / 15 episodes / Delta Music / August 2003 And then, the options widen: Mr Men & Little Miss 35th Anniv. edition This two disc release features all 28 original episodes, plus all 13 of the original Little Miss stories... Mr Men: Series 1 & 2 + Christmas Special And this two disc set also features all 28 original episodes, only now they're packaged with the newer 1999 Christmas Special... Mr Men & Little Miss Complete DVD Collection Then again, completists may go for this eyepopping twelve disc collection. This features all 28 original Flicks Films, plus all 13 original Little Misses, plus the 1999 Christmas Special and all 104 episodes of the 1995 series from Darguad-Marina!... series created and written by Mr Roger hargreaves director: Mr Terry Ward producer: Mr Trevor Bond music: Mr Joe Campbell, Mr Tony Hymas animation: Flicks Films editor: Mrs Jean Morrice rostrum camera: Mr Doug Weymouth, Mr Bob Cheesman storyteller: Mr Arthur Lowe On the web I Love The Mr Men/Little Miss The official site for the originals... The Mr Men The official site for the all-new series... Chorion Mister Men rights holders... Mr Men Info Peter Gray's a BIG fan of Roger & Adam Hargreaves... index » previous » next »
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