| SuperTed | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Format | Animated series |
| Created by | Mike Young |
| Developed by | Siriol Animation |
| Starring | Derek Griffiths Melvyn Hayes Roy Kinnear Jon Pertwee Victor Spinetti Sheila Steafel Myfanwy Talog |
| Narrated by | Peter Hawkins |
| Country of origin |  Wales |
| Language(s) | Welsh English |
| No. of episodes | 36 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Mike Young Roger Fickling |
| Running time | 10 mins |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | S4C |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Original run | 1 November 1982 – 1986 |
SuperTed is a Welsh animated television series about a teddy bear with magical super powers. It first aired on 1 November 1982. It was produced by Siriol Animation for Welsh television channel S4C where it was aired in the Welsh language, and later aired in English throughout the whole of the United Kingdom on BBC1, and dubbed into Irish for RTE. The series won numerous awards, including the 1987 BAFTA for best animation.
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Creation
SuperTed is the creation of Mike Young and Robin Lyons, who runs his own animation company called Calon in Cardiff, Wales.
Young created SuperTed in stories he told his stepson, before writing over 100 SuperTed books. S4C then approached him about a SuperTed animated series.[1]
Story
Every episode starts with the tale of how SuperTed came to life: He was a teddy bear found to be defective in the toy factory where he was made, and then disposed of into an old storeroom. A Spotty man found him there and brought him to life with his "cosmic dust". He was later taken to Mother Nature and given magical powers that enabled him to fight evil. This 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.
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 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 episodes take place all over the world (but quite often in Wales) and even in space (SuperTed is the owner of his own space station). He also has a tree house in an unspecified jungle.
Characters
- SuperTed - A teddy brought to life by "cosmic dust", and given special powers by Mother Nature. The main hero of the series. He is voiced by Derek Griffiths.
- Spotty - SuperTed's bumbling companion and best friend, a yellow alien covered in green spots, from planet Spot. He is voiced by Jon Pertwee.
- Blotch - Spotty's sister. She is voiced by Shelia Steafel.
- Texas Pete - An evil cowboy. Superted's nemesis, the main villain of the series. He is voiced by Victor Spinetti.
- Skeleton - A very cowardly, camp skeleton. Hence his name. He is voiced by Melvyn Hayes.
- Bulk - An overweight fool with intense stupidity. He is voiced by Roy Kinnear.
- Mother Nature - Mother Nature, portrayed as a fairy that grants SuperTed magical powers.
American releases
In 1984, SuperTed became the first British cartoon series to be aired on The Disney Channel in the United States. Walt Disney Home Video subsequently released all 36 episodes on six videocassettes.
In 1989, SuperTed was revived in America by Hanna Barbera (who also made Fantastic Max, another Mike Young creation), this time named The Further Adventures of Superted. Only Jon Pertwee returned from the original cast to voice Spotty. The new series takes on a more epic format, often splitting its episodes into two parts. Texas Pete, Bulk, and Skeleton are joined also by new villains, and the theme song was replaced with a more dramatic overture. This SuperTed series did not last beyond one season. When the original season of SuperTed had phased out, Fantastic Max took over from it and the rhyming garbage man Dumping Jack Trash was the replacement character for Texas Pete.
Public Service Film
SuperTed also appeared in a Public Information Film, along with Spotty & his sister, Blotch. The film, 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.
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 a real street in Cardiff, Wales with Cardiff Castle as a backdrop.
DVD releases
The Complete original series of Superted was released on June 2008 in Region 2 (UK). Further Adventures of SuperTed has yet to be released.
References
External links
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