SuperTed

SuperTed
Format	Animated series
Created by	Mike Young
Written by	Mike Young Robin Lyons
Directed by	David Edwards
Starring	Derek Griffiths Mel Blanc Melvyn Hayes Roy Kinnear Jon Pertwee Victor Spinetti Sheila Steafel Myfanwy Talog
Narrated by	Peter Hawkins
Country of origin	Wales
Language(s)	Welsh
No. of series	3
No. of episodes	36
Production
Executive producer(s)	Mike Young Roger Fickling
Running time	10 mins
Production company(s)	Siriol Animation Kalato S4C Williams and Glyn Leasing Group Ltd.
Broadcast
Original channel	S4C (in Welsh) BBC1 (in English) RTÉ 2 (in Irish)
Picture format	4:3
Original run	1 November 1982 – 1994

SuperTed is a Welsh teddy bear who has magical super powers. He along with his friend Spotty try to do good. SuperTed was a series of stories created by Mike Young who eventually created a television series based on those stories.

Creation

'SuperTed' was created by Mike Young in 1978 for his son to help him overcome his fear of the dark. Later Mike decided to put the stories into book form. Superted originally was a bear from the woods who was also afraid of the dark, until one day Mother Nature give him a magic word which gives him Superpowers and transform him to SuperTed. After a while, Mike started to write actual story books about SuperTed. Then after some unsuccessful attempts, he was able to get his book published by a local printer. This led Mike to a successful career, writing and publishing over 100 SuperTed books, with illustrations done by Philip Watkins, until 1990. Just after his first book was published, his wife suggested he should produce a stuffed toy version of SuperTed which was done in 1980.

The process also drew the attention of Warner Brothers in 1980 who made an offer of £250,000 for the film rights. Mike was determined to keep SuperTed Welsh, as he wanted to help create local jobs and prove places outside London had talent. In 1981, S4C enquired about making Superted into animations, but Mike decided to create Siriol Productions to produce the series himself. Siriol management wished to create SuperTed in a way which their own kids could be proud of, free from facile plots and hard line violence. This concept continued to be adopted to all series made by Siriol, which proves soft edge and quality animation can be more appealing to children than any amount of violence. Superted was also turned into a stage show. Melvyn Hayes reprised his role but other parts were taken by other actors. Superted's popularity even led to the production of a line of vitamin supplements for children.

In 1989 Mike young sold the rights to SuperTed to Abbey home media.

Story

SuperTed is a teddy bear found to be defective in the toy factory where he was made, and "threw him away like a piece of rubbish! Into an old dark storeroom." A Spotty man found him there and brought him to life with his "cosmic dust". He was then taken to Mother Nature and given magical powers that enabled him to fight evil. SuperTed's powers are activated by his "secret magic word", which (as the name suggests) remains a secret. SuperTed whispers it every time he or someone else is in peril and he transforms into a superhero with Superman-like red suit with rockets built in to the boots. These allow him to fly. In one episode, Bulk overhears the secret magic word and also whispers it, briefly acquiring identical powers to SuperTed. However, he subsequently forgets the word. The evil invariably takes the form of Texas Pete (an evil cowboy, the antagonist of the series) and his gang; Bulk (an overweight, bumbling fool) and Skeleton (an undead, outrageously camp, cowardly skeleton with pink slippers). Texas Pete's plots are generally aimed at advancing his own wealth, ruling the world and the power or the destruction of SuperTed, his nemesis.

Characters

Heroes

• SuperTed - A teddy bear brought to life by "cosmic dust", and given special powers by Mother Nature. Superted's friends are Spotty, Mother Nature, Mr & Mrs. Spot, Blotch, Polka face, Dr. Livings with his son Billy, The boy of Sleepless Nights, Slim, Hoppy and Kitty from Oklahoma, Kiki and her pet Whale, The space beavers & Prince Rajeash and Superted's enemies are Texas Pete, Bulk, Skeleton, Polka face, Bubbles the Clown, The space beavers, Dr. Frost, Pengy, the dreaded Sleepless Knight, Prince Pyjamarama & Mufti. He is voiced by Derek Griffiths in all the original 1982 broadcasts and the UK dub of the 1989 Further Adventures series and voiced by Danny Cooksey in the original US debuts of the The Further Adventures series

• Spotty - SuperTed's bumbling companion and best friend, a yellow alien covered in green spots, from planet Spot. He is voiced by Jon Pertwee in all the original 1982 broadcasts and the UK dub of the 1989 Further Adventures series and voiced by Pat Fraley in the original US debuts of the The Further Adventures series.

• Blotch - Spotty's sister. She is voiced by Shelia Steafel.

• Mother Nature - Mother Nature, portrayed as a fairy that grants SuperTed magical powers. Mother Nature's friends are Superted & Spotty and Mother Nature's enemies are Texas Pete, Bulk & Skeleton, she is voiced by Shelia Steafel

Villains

• Texas Pete - An evil cowboy. Superted's nemesis, the main villain of the series. He is voiced by Victor Spinetti.-Texas Pete's friends are Bulk & Skeleton and Texas Pete's enemies are Superted, Spotty & Bubbles the Clown

• Skeleton - A very cowardly, outrageously camp skeleton. He is voiced by Melvyn Hayes.-Skeleton's friends are Texas Pete, Bulk & formerly, Bubbles the Clown and Skeleton's enemies are Superted, Spotty & Bubbles the Clown.

• Bulk - An overweight fool with intense stupidity. He is voiced by Roy Kinnear in the original Superted series of 1982 and Frank Welker in the Further Adventures version of Superted from 1989. Bulk's friends are Texas Pete, Skeleton & formally, Bubbles the Clown and Bulk's enemies are Superted, Spotty & Bubbles the Clown

Other Characters

• The Scientist voiced by Mel Blanc is in "Superted and the Stolen Rocketship

Television Series

As Mike was determined to keep SuperTed Welsh, he entered into partnership with S4C ( the newly formed Welsh television channel) in 1981 who approached him about producing an animated series of SuperTed. He set up Siriol Animation with his wife, to procured the series locally, which first aired on 1 November 1982 on S4C in Welsh. A year later it was dubbed into English and broadcast throughout the whole of the United Kingdom on BBC1, from October 83.

Unlike the books the television series was ghost written by Robin Lyons and director Dave Edwards, who were also Directors of Siriol Animation, and between 1982–1986, 3 series were made:

Series 1 (1982)

• SuperTed and the Stolen Rocket Ship
• SuperTed and the Inca Treasure
• SuperTed and the Elephants Graveyard
• SuperTed and the Train Robbers
• SuperTed and the Giant Kites
• SuperTed and the Pearl Fishers
• SuperTed and Nuts in Space
• SuperTed and the City of the Dead
• SuperTed at Creepy Castle
• SuperTed on Planet Spot
• SuperTed at the Funfair
• SuperTed and the Goldmine

Series 2 (1984)

• SuperTed and the Gun Smugglers
• SuperTed at the Toy Shop
• SuperTed in Texas
• SuperTed and Trouble in Space - Part 1
• SuperTed and Trouble in Space - Part 2
• SuperTed in the Arctic
• Spotty and the Indians
• SuperTed and the Crystal Ball
• SuperTed and the Lumberjacks
• SuperTed's Dream
• Bulk's Story
• SuperTed Meets Father Christmas

Series 3 (1985-1986)

• SuperTed and Mother Nature
• SuperTed and the Magic Word - Part 1
• SuperTed and the Magic Word - Part 2
• SuperTed and the Pothole Rescue
• SuperTed Kicks Up the Dust
• SuperTed and the Whales
• SuperTed and the Gorilla
• SuperTed and the Great Horrendo
• SuperTed Goes Round the Bend
• SuperTed and Tex's Magic Spell
• SuperTed in Chinatown
• SuperTed and the Rattlesnake

International screening

The series has been broadcast and dubbed in over 50 countries around the world:

Europe

• The series was dubbed into Irish for RTE, and also broadcast in English
• The series was broadcast in English on the BBC Between 1983 - 1994.
• was broadcast on SVT1
• First appeared in 1983
• First appeared on 4 October 1984

Americans

• The Series was broadcast on The Disney Channel from 1984, making it the first British cartoon series to be aired on the Disney Channel in the United States.

India

• The series was broadcast on the Gemini Channel in Telugu.

The Further Adventures of SuperTed.

For the US remake, see The Further Adventures of SuperTed.

In 1989, SuperTed was revived in America by Hanna Barbera (who also made Fantastic Max). The revival was one of four series aired as part of The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera syndicated animation block.

Public Service Film

SuperTed along with Spotty & his sister, Blotch appeared in a Public Information Film in 1986. The film was commissioned by the Central Office of Information, was entitled "Supersafe with SuperTed", and featured the three characters being flown to Earth by SuperTed, in order to teach Spotty how to cross the road safely. A flashback during the short reveals an incident when Spotty very nearly got killed, running across the road on the planet Spot (his home), to talk to his sister. It was released on two VHS videos: Magic Of SuperTed (1986) and The Biggest Ever SuperTed Video (1994).

SuperTed proceeds during the animation, to teach Spotty the right way to cross the road, including not running, not standing behind vehicles, etc. He then warns the viewer that he "can't always be there to save you, especially on planet Earth". The animated "setting" for the film was a based on Castle Street in Cardiff city centre, Wales with Cardiff Castle as a backdrop.

Awards

The series won numerous awards, including the 1987 BAFTA for best animation.

Commercial availability

DVD releases

The Complete original series of Superted was released on June 2008 in Region 2 (UK). The Series is yet to be release in other regions.

Home Video

VHS releases

• SuperTed (VC1058), 6 Episodes - Released: 1986
• SuperTed Volume 2 (VC1059), 6 Episodes - Released: 1986
• The New Adventures of SuperTed (V9062), 5 Episodes - Released: 1988
• The Heroic Adventures of SuperTed (V9113) 5 Episodes - Released: 1988
• The Original SuperTed Bumper Edition (GMH 101) 9 Episodes - Released: 1989
• SuperTed: The Special Edition (GMH 102) 12 Episodes - Released: 1989
• Superted's Bumper Video (93852), 7 Episodes - Released: 1990.
• The Original Adventures of SuperTed: Special Edition (94982), 8 Episodes - Released: 1991
• The Biggest Ever SuperTed Video (97192) 25 Episodes - Released: 1994

Tempo Kids Club

• The Original Adventures of SuperTed: Trouble in Space (94622), 3 Episodes - Released: 1991
• The Original Adventures of SuperTed: SuperTed Goes to Texas (95862), 3 Episodes - Released: 1992

US Home video

All 36 episodes were released over six videocassettes by Walt Disney Home Video.

Children's Favourites

• SuperTed and the Stolen Rocket Ship from Children's TV Favourites - Released: 1990
• SuperTed Kicks Up The Dust from My Best Friends - Released: 1993
• SuperTed's Dream from My Best Friends Too - Released: 1994
• SuperTed and Mother Nature from Children's Favourites (WHSmith Exclusive) - Released: 1995
• SuperTed at the Toyshop from My Favourite Teddy Bears Video- Released: 1993
• SuperTed Meets Father Christmas from The Biggest Ever Christmas Video (Released: 1993), Christmas Favourites (WHSmith Exclusive) [Released 1995] and 110 minutes of Christmas Crackers (Released- 1996).

External links

• Toonhound - SuperTed
• SuperTed at the Internet Movie Database
• SuperTed at TV.com