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Willo the Wisp

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For similarly spelled terms, see Will-o'-the-wisp (disambiguation).

Willo the Wisp
Willo the Wisp Titles (BBC Series)
GenreChildren's Animation
Written byNick Spargo (1981 series)
Bobbie Spargo (2005 series)
Voices ofKenneth Williams (1981 series)
James Dreyfus (2005 series)
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasonsTwo
No. of episodes52
Production
Running time5 minutes
Production companiesNicholas Cartoon Films (1981 series), Spargo Films & Double:Take (2005 series)
Original release
NetworkBBC1 (1981 series)
Playhouse Disney (2005 series)
Release14 September 1981 –
7 December 2005

Willo the Wisp is a British cartoon series originally produced in 1981 by the BBC and narrated by Kenneth Williams. It became popular with children and adults as it bridged the gap between the end of weekday children's programming and the early evening news.

First series (1981)

The series was written and directed by Nick Spargo and produced by Nicholas Cartoon Films in association with the BBC and Tellytales Enterprises. The character of Willo the Wisp originated in an educational animation created by Spargo for British Gas plc in 1975[1] and the stories were set in Doyley Woods, a small beech wood in Oxfordshire, near the director's home.

Kenneth Williams provided voices for all of the characters. The principal narrator, Willo the Wisp, was a blue floating creature drawn as a caricature of him,[1] while the name refers to the ghostly light will-o'-the-wisp from folklore. The other main characters were Arthur the caterpillar (as a gruff cockney), Mavis Cruet, a plump clumsy fairy with an erratic magic wand, and the principal antagonist Evil Edna, a witch in the form of a walking, talking television set who could zap people with her aerials.

Other characters included Carwash, a snooty bespectacled cat (based on Noël Coward), The Moog, a supposed "dog" who is unable to think for himself, Twit, a small bird, The Beast, a former prince turned into a hairy shambling creature by Evil Edna, gnomes, Astrognats, the Bookworm and a regiment of toy soldiers.

Each of the original 26 episodes lasted approximately 5 minutes and were broadcast at 5:35pm on BBC1, continuing a tradition of short cartoons (such as The Magic Roundabout and The Wombles) being shown on weekdays between the end of the main children's programming for that afternoon, and the BBC Evening news at 5:40pm. The series was repeated on satellite channel Galaxy in 1989 and on Channel 4 during the early 1990s.

Episodes

  1. The Bridegroom
  2. Edna's Secret
  3. Food For Thought
  4. Holidays
  5. The Dragon
  6. The Wishbone
  7. The Chrysalis
  8. The Magnet
  9. Wugged Wocks
  10. The Flight of Mavis
  11. The Thoughts of Moog
  12. The Joys of Spring
  13. Games With Edna
  14. The Hot Hot Day
  15. Halloween
  16. The Gnome
  17. Boring Old Edna
  18. The 'You Know What'
  19. The Bean-Stalk
  20. Cats and Dogs
  21. The Midas Touch
  22. The Viqueen
  23. The Potion
  24. The Beauty Contest
  25. Magic Golf
  26. Christmas Box

On the Kult Kidz Gold DVD there was an extra video "Do Not Touch" which featured the last part of Cats and Dogs, where Evil Edna makes the screen blank.

In January 2008, a promotional DVD containing all 26 episodes from Season 1 was distributed by The Times newspaper.

Credits

Second series (2005)

A second series of 26 episodes (5 minutes each) was produced by Bobbie Spargo in 2005, and voiced by James Dreyfus.[2] Although it maintains the style of the original, alterations include:

  • Willo no longer being a caricature of Williams.
  • Mavis being slimmer (although still too heavy to fly).
  • Evil Edna being a widescreen television, with a wheeled stand instead of the original's metal legs, and many more channels.

The second series aired on Playhouse Disney in the UK.

Episodes

  1. Moon on a Stick
  2. The Toothache
  3. The Nature Walk
  4. Feed the Birds
  5. The Magic Bone
  6. The Knotted Handkerchief
  7. The Little Cloud
  8. The Mind Reader
  9. The Fancy Dress Ball
  10. Bowling for Carwash
  11. The Knee-Knocking Tree
  12. The Best Friend
  13. The Tiddle Me Wink
  14. The Makeover
  15. The Miracle
  16. The Love Bug
  17. The Wobbly Wood
  18. The Doyley Hunt
  19. The Cocoa Demon
  20. The Beauty Spot
  21. The Curse of Celebrity
  22. The Lost City of Polenta
  23. The Woodwind
  24. The Vegetable Garden
  25. The Art Class
  26. Here Comes the Judge

References

  1. ^ a b Stevens, Christopher (2010). Kenneth Williams: Born Brilliant: The Life of Kenneth Williams. Hachette UK. p. 399. ISBN 978-1-848-54460-4.
  2. ^ Wilkinson, Dean (2011). The Classic Children's Television Quiz Book. Andrews UK. p. 41. ISBN 978-1-908-54889-4.
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