Toonhound - Muddle Earth (2010)

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  Muddle Earth        (2010)

producers: CBBC / BBC
   animation: 2D animation
     episodes: 26 x 11mins

   "Come to a world of great wonder and merriment,
     Borne out of magic, its' name Muddle Earth ..."

  You'll find monsters and mayhem and more in this animated series based
    upon Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell's bestselling fantasy book. Muddle Earth is
    a twisted version of Tolkein's Middle Earth, from "Lord of the Rings", and it's
    inhabited by a host of daft wizards, trolls, faeries, dragons and characters
    that have become a staple of the High Fantasy genre. Thus we have Randalf
    the defuddled Wizard and his young asistant Newt, Horned Baron Smink and
    his Head Gardener-turned-Manservant Benson, a friendly troll-being known as
    Not-Very-Big Norbert (who really is quite big), and so on. Ruling over this
    daft domain is the evil blue teddy bear that is - gulp - Dr. Cuddles.

    The original book featured one singular story told in three parts, in keeping
    with its Tolkeinesque parody. It tells of an ordinary boy called Joe, who is
    summoned to Muddle Earth to become a warrior-hero, whereupon his
    adventures bring him into contact with the denizens of this magical realm.
    But this animated series dismisses Joe and his quest, and instead
    tells singular, standalone, Muddle Earth stories, usually with Randalf the
    Wizard, Newt and Norbert at the heart of them.

    The series breaks new ground with the BBC, being the company's very first
    in-house long-form animation series. Oh, and the music for the show is
    performed by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, which is another first.
    Tim Harper and Vincent James (Philbert Frog ) were drafted in to direct,
    with Phil Chalk producing. And topping the voice cast is that old animation
    stalwart David Jason (DangerMouse, Toad, etc.), who plays Randalf. He's
    got a soft-spot for wizards, having also played Rincewind in the live-action
    adaptation of Terry Pratchett's "The Colour of Magic"...

     "Muddle Earth" is a CBBC/BBC production

     In the news

Muddle Earth launches on BBC1...

Episode titles

    Footwear of Doom
    Ice Cold in Muddle
    Ogre the Hills and Far Away
    Muddle Earth Cuckoo
    Babbling Brook
    Turnip for the Books
    Best Wizard in Show
    Dragon Wind
    Mordrolf the Magnificent
    Clothes Maketh the Man
    Randalf's Memory Meltdown
    Missing Norbert
    Love Potion

     Broadcast info

     "Footwear of Doom" premiered on BBC1, on 15th March 2010, at 15.50pm,
     with a same-day repeat on BBC HD at 17.45pm.

     The series is currently being stripped through the week, with a new episode
     premiering each week day, at the same time. In all there'll be thirteen
     episodes premiering in this first run, with the next thirteen scheduled
     to air in September...

    based on the book Muddle Earth
    by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell

    producer:              Phil Chalk
    exec producer
     for CBBC:              Sarah Muller
    lead writers:          Rob Sprackling, John Smith
    scriptwriters:         Rebecca Stevens, Rob Sprackling,
                                John Smith, Gerard Harris,
                                Kay Stonham, Richard Preddy,
                                Dave Ingham
    animation
    studio manager:    Chris Wayles
    animators:            Prashant Patel, Maya Kurasawa,
                                Michael Whaite, Alan Moult,
                                Stephen Whittle, Andrew Gubba,
                                Clinton J Priest, Andy Wilson,
                                Anne Wilkins
    background
    artists:                  Chris Coady, Maggie Riley
    colour design:        Brandon Burrows
    animatic editor:     Ryan James
    lead compositor:    Gary Noden
    storyboard artist:   Vincent James
    music
     composed by:         Maurizio Malagnini
    conductor:              Jeff Armajian
    concert master:      Marcia Crayford
    series script
     editor:                    Melanie Halsall
    voice director:        Tim Harper
    senior prod asst:     Lizzie Radcliffe
    prod asst for BBC:   Claire Poulson
    dubbing editor:       Matthew Holt
    dubbing mixer:       Alasdair Saunders
    editor:                   Claire Richardson
    online editor:          Danny Brown
    animation &
    post-prod
     facilities:                Hullabaloo Studios
                                  BBC Philharmonic
    voices:                   David Jason (Randalf)
                                 Tim Whitnall (Norbert Benson)
                                 Jonathan Keeble (Dr Cuddles)
                                 Buzz Hawkins (Horned Baron Smink)
                                 Melissa Sinden (Ingrid Margot Spellbook)
                                 Janet James (Veronica Pesticide)
                                 Paul Leyshon (Newt)

      On the web

      Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell
      They muddled up the original book...

      Freakish Kid
      They meddled with the series, early in its development...

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