Mary, Mungo and Midge, 1969
Hardly a day goes by when I don’t find myself whistling the tune used for the lift sequences for Mary, Mungo and Midge.
Classic Kids TV from the days when Kids TV went out at lunchtime and teatime. A production of John Ryan Studios, who also produced the earlier Captain Pugwash and the later Sir Prancelot cartoons, Mary, Mungo and Midge had a similar drawing style to the animation.
The show was one of the first children’s TV shows in the UK to reflect urban living. The programme showed Mary having adventures in a busy town, as opposed to in a wood, forest or other rural setting. The two idea of a dog and a mouse was felt likely to be more familiar to town dwellers, than the usual array of talking wildlife portrayed in children’s television shows.
Mary, Mungo and Midge ran for just one series of thirteen episodes originally in 1969, but was later repeated in the 1970’s in a lunchtime slot generally referred to as the “Watch With Mother” slot.
Summary
The show featured the adventures of a girl called Mary, her dog Mungo, and her pet mouse Midge, who lived in a tower block in a busy town. BBC newsreader Richard Baker narrated the episodes, with John Ryan’s daughter Isabel playing Mary.
In each episode, the three of them would descend in the lift from their flat in the tower block. After their adventures they would return home, Midge would press the button for the lift back to the correct floor, by standing on Mungo’s nose.
Clips
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Cast
The Voices Of:
Richard Baker
Isabel Ryan
Details
Channel: BBC1
Created And Produced By: John Ryan
Original Transmission Dates: 7th October, 1969 – 30th December, 1969