Muzzy in Gondoland
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| Muzzy in Gondoland (Muzzy) | |
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| Genre | Animation |
| Written by | Wendy Harris, Richard Taylor, Joe Hambrook |
| Directed by | Richard Taylor |
| Produced by | Richard Taylor Cartoons, Juan A. Ollero |
| Starring | Jack May Willie Rushton Miriam Margolyes Susan Sheridan Derek Griffiths Benjamin Whitrow |
| Music by | Peter Shade |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Original channel | BBC English by Television |
| Release date | 1986 |
Muzzy in Gondoland (often shortened to simply Muzzy) is an animated film first created by the BBC in 1986 as a way of teaching English as a second language. Sometime afterwards, Early Advantage acquired the rights to Muzzy and translated it into Spanish, French, German, Italian, Esperanto and Welsh in order to teach these languages as seconds. The English version of Muzzy features the voices of Fred Vivanco, Miriam Margolyes, Susan Sheridan, Derek Griffiths, Jack May and Benjamin Whitrow. It is unknown, however, who plays whom in the various dubbed versions of the film.
A sequel, Muzzy Comes Back was released in 1989.
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[edit] Plot
The first part of the film simply introduces the main characters and their personalities. It is not until later that the actual story gets going. When it does, Bob the Gardener (Derek Griffiths) decides to elope with the beautiful Princess Sylvia (Susan Sheridan), as the two of them are in love. However, the evil scientist, Corvax (also played by Derek Griffiths), also loves Sylvia, and when he sees her elope with the gardener, he immediately rushes to inform the King (Willie Rushton) and Queen (Miriam Margolyes) of Gondoland about what has happened. Furious, the King decides they should track the two down by helicopter and catch them. So they do, and when they catch Bob and Sylvia, the latter is taken back to the palace while the gardener is taken to jail by the King's soldiers. In jail, Bob meets Muzzy (Jack May), the titular furry green extraterrestrial who informs him that he has been jailed for eating parking meters in the town square. Muzzy then eats the bars to the prison cell, and the two prisoners jump out the window and are free. They head back to the palace.
Meanwhile, back at the palace, Corvax tries flirting with Sylvia, but she is clearly unimpressed. Crushed, Corvax decides to duplicate the princess on his computer. However, as it turns out the duplicate hates him just as much as the real Sylvia. Frustrated Corvax bangs the computer causing it to explode (but still work as revealed later) and produce five more duplicates who roam around the palace.
When Bob and Muzzy return to the palace, they find the real Sylvia in the garden doing her exercises. She tells them to wait in the tool shed for her to come to them with food and clocks for Muzzy (who, as well as eating parking meters and jail bars, also eats them) at 7:00 p.m.
Back in the computer lab, Corvax has fixed the computer (or so he thinks) and proceeds to set the computer to vacuum up the six duplicates of Sylvia. Unfortunately, in the process, as opposed to getting rid of the clones, the computer simply makes more! Before long, hundreds of duplicates are swarming the palace.
Down on the ground floor, the King notices that the Sylvia duplicates are coming from upstairs, where he decides to go to investigate further. Seeing that Corvax can't stop the computer, the King decides to fix it himself. He pulls a plug attached to the computer, only to be sucked up inside it instead. The infinite duplication is stopped. Not knowing how to save the King, Corvax decides to escape by helicopter. Seeing him do so, Bob chases after him.
While this is going on, Sylvia, Muzzy and the Queen decide to rescue the King, although Muzzy does most of the work, by rearranging the computer programs Corvax installed and then sending the King out. Bob then returns with Corvax, and the latter is taken away. Bob and Sylvia are reunited, and the King eventually approves their union.
Afterwards, Muzzy manages to send all of the Sylvia duplicates back into the computer. Bob and Sylvia then get married, and Muzzy leaves Gondoland in his spaceship.
[edit] Characters
- Muzzy - a furry greenish blue extraterrestrial gorilla - played by Jack May
- The King - a lion - played by Willie Rushton
- The Queen - a giant rat - played by Miriam Margolyes
- Princess Sylvia - a poodle - played by Susan Sheridan
- Bob - a large mouse - played by Derek Griffiths
- Corvax - a green goblin-like creature - played by Derek Griffiths
- Norman - a human - played by Benjamin Whitrow
- Mary - a human - played by Miriam Margolyes
- Corvax's cat - played by Susan Sheridan
- Fruit vendor - a young kangaroo - played by Derek Griffiths
- Judge - a bulldog - played by Bill Nighy
[edit] Credits
- Written by: Wendy Harris, Richard Taylor, Joe Hambrook
- Characters designed by:Keith Rawling & Sue Cawson
- Music by: Peter Shade
- Animation: Thomas Barker, Mike Murphy, Ted Percival, Kevin Baldwin, Paul Stone, Dan Altjoy, Paul Donnellon, Janet Nunn, Roger Mainwood, Joan Garrick, Arthur Humberstone, Tony Guy
- Additional Animation by: Jollifications Pty (Australia)
- Backgrounds: Kevin Smith, Dean Spille
- Layout & Storyboards: Thomas Barker, Gordon Harrison, Tom Bailey
- Trace & Paint: Annie Morris, Ben Watson, Helen Fraser, Keith Robertson, Mark Caple, Jane Beecham
- Camera: Gerald Walters, Stephen Riley, Chris Williams
- Film Editor: David P. Jones
- Production Supervisors: Steve Robin, Billy Scales
- Assistant Director: Michael Farr
- Executive Producers: Joe Hambrook, Daniel Mallo, Mike Mallo
- Produced by: Juan A. Ollero
- Directed by: Richard Taylor
- Produced by Richard Taylor Cartoons for BBC English by Television
[edit] External links
- Muzzy Official website
- BBC Muzzy — Demos
- Early Advantage – Muzzy Products
