Great children’s TV character comebacks.
Morph
Morph was one of the most loved and loveable creations ever to grace TV.
The terracotta clay hero is set to return to our screens in June 2015, after a 15 year break from the limelight.
He first appeared alongside Tony Hart on Take Hart and Hartbeat, and the short animated clips he featured in tickled audiences with his playful antics and mischief.
The clay character has gone on the make many cameo appearances on dramas and current affairs shows throughout the years, with his innocent and inquisitive mind being a big hit with views of all ages.
And there’ll no doubt be more than just children tuning in to CBBC to watch his comeback in June.
Andy Pandy
It’s fair to say that modern young audiences might find something a bit unnerving about the string puppet Andy Pandy, which is probably why the 1950s character returned to our screens with the help of animation.
The original series was 26 episodes long and repeated until 1970 (who said reruns were a 21st century thing).
Each episode was 15 minutes in length and had a very basic plot. But they were loved by a whole generation of children.
In 2002, 52 episodes were made with the use of stop-motion animation instead of the puppet.
And the show’s original cast of Andy, Teddy and Looby Loo were joined by new members Missy Hissy, a snake, Tiffo, a dog, Bilbo, a sailor, and Orbie.
The attempt to make Andy Pandy bigger and better for a more modern generation worked, but Andy is once again back in the toy box after the series was seen to have run its course and cancelled.
Teenage Mutant Ninja (Hero) Turtles
Heroes in a half shell turtle power!
Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael were four pizza-loving vigilante turtles who fought crime, evil overlords and aliens, and lived in the sewers of Manhatten with their sensei rat Splinter.
What’s not to love?
The characters first appeared in comic books before a highly successful cartoon series was created, where it enjoyed world-wide fame.
The first animated series ran from 1987 to 1996 and was a must-see Saturday morning staple for children across the UK, where they were called Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles instead of ‘Ninja’ as they had been in the US.
Unfortunately, The Turtles’ vocabulary meant that youngsters could be heard in the playground using words such as “bummer”, “dude”, “bogus”, “radical”, “far-out”, “tubuloso”, and “bodacious”.
But aside from that, the show was a real hit, leading to a successful series of films.
A number of reboots have since be attempted and failed.
However, the 2012 attempt has successfully captured the imagination and has been widely popular with today’s youngsters.
The Real Ghostbusters
“I ain’t scared of no ghost”
While the Ninja Turtles’ success as a cartoon led to a film series, Ghostbusters started out as a film and was turned into a children’s series.
The comedy film starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis and Rick Moranis was a worldwide success, and whoever thought it would make a good cartoon series deserves a medal.
It’s hard to see who would make that mental leap, but it definitely worked.
Like the Turtles, The Real Ghostbuster was a weekly must-see, and the toys were must-have items for pre-teen youngsters.
The cartoon continued the story after the film, and the feared Stay Puft Marshmallow Man made numerous appearances, as did the ghost Slimer who became something of a mascot.
The series ran from 1986 until 1991 before being stopped due to a drop in ratings.
The Ghostbusters cartoon returned in 1997 with a storyline that saw Egon set up his own Ghostbusters squad by recruiting his students.
What impact this had on their grades was unclear, but the old gang got back together (along with the new recruits) at the end of the series for one last ghostly battle.
Care Bears
“Care Bears Stare!”
Care Bears started as gift shop toy teddies in the early 1980s before becoming a global cartoon phenomenon.
Each of the 10 characters had insignias on their chests which represented their personalities (and names).
When everything went to pot, the Care Bears would club together and ‘Stare’ which was like a lightning bolt of love coming out of their chest.
It would calm everything down and end all the aggro.
Netflix are planning to host the series as part of drive to cater for kids.
Danger Mouse
https://youtube.com/watch?v=0mi8t1H_xXo
Another series set for a return to screens via Netflix is Danger Mouse.
The iconic British cartoon series set in London originally starred David Jason who voiced Danger Mouse, while Terry Scott was the voice actor of the timid side-kick Penfold.
The series was originally screened from 1981 to 1992, before the BBC brought it back in 2007 by buying old episodes.
And now there are plans for a full reboot, with Alexander Armstrong and Kevin Eldon to voice the iconic characters of Danger Mouse and Penfold.
Dave Lamb of Come Dine With Me fame will take the role of the narrator (naturally), whilst Stephen Fry and Ed Gaughan will voice Colonel K and Baron Greenback.
The series’ release is planned for 2016.
Ducktales
https://youtube.com/watch?v=nQEBhKv3S6M
Scrooge McDuck and his grandnephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie are set to return in 2017 and we can hardly wait!
The famously stingy millionaire and his young family members featured in 100 episodes between 1987 and 1990.
Most episodes revolved around the show’s antagonists The Beagle Boys’ attempts to pinch McDuck’s millions.
As well as the show’s popular main cast, the programme also featured Duckworth, Gyro Gearloose, and Launchpad McQuack all of whom are expected to return in Disney’s 2017 reboot.
Thomas The Tank Engine
Thomas The Tank is one of those TV programmes that spans many generations.
The series was a massive success when it first appeared on our screens in 1984 with Beetles drummer Ringo Starr as the narrator.
The series was originally created using models, but the reboot in 2009 changed all that.
Like so many others, the series moved to computer-generation animation, and narrators have included former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan.
However, unlike many attempts to update a series, Thomas The Tank successfully kept the warmth and storytelling that have made it such a hit.
Bill & Ben
21st century children were introduced to the characters their grandparents first fell in love, with when they were reintroduced in 2001.
The characters had first appeared in BBC1’s Watch With Mother children’s afternoon slot in 1952.
The 2001 version ditched the puppet strings in favour of stop-motion animation and the 2001 BBC2 show was simply named Bill and Ben.
However, it’s unlikely that this generation’s youngsters will look back as fondly on them as their older relatives did on the 1950s originals.
Postman Pat
https://youtube.com/watch?v=VayfcX2fBUk%3Flist%3DPLaeuNQbB1tFI7ShCF4nwUDGP5wTHJyGPl
One for the 80s children.
Postman Pat and that catchy intro music first arrived on our screens in 1981, with young audiences captivated by the somewhat ordinary adventures of a postman.
Following the success of the first 13-episode series, a second season was commissioned in 1996 which sought to flesh out Pat with the introduction of his family and home life.
Aside from that, the series remained true to the original.
However, a reboot in 2002 changed all that as attempts were made to keep Pat moving with the times.
New characters were added, more advanced animation was used, and controversially, Pat’s faithful cat Jess was given the ability to communicate with her owner via meows.
In 2008 the series underwent a further revamp as Postman Pat Special Delivery Service, which added further characters and included a helicopter for Pat to use when reaching remote locations.
They haven’t yet created a postal strike episode, or shown him warring with rival delivery companies, but it’s probably only a matter of time.
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