“Badjelly the Witch” the animated series by Mukpuddy and Mercury Filmworks

Canada's Mercury Filmworks and New Zealand's Mukpuddy will co-produce a 2-episode, 13-minute 22D animated series for children aged 6 to 11, based on the classic 1973 book. Badjelly the witch, an irreverent modern fairy tale written and illustrated by British comedian, poet, playwright and actor Spike Milligan. The news was announced today by Heath Kenny, Chief Content Officer of Mercury Filmworks, Roger Shakes, Media Tech Productions and Ryan Cooper, Alex Leighton and Tim Evans, co-founders of Mukpuddy.

As co-creator of The Goon Show, Milligan's comic influence can be felt in much of British comedy, including being cited as a major influence on the legendary comedy company Monty Python. She originally created the short story, Badjelly the Witch, as a fairy tale for her two young children. Filled with weird and wonderful surprises about the triumph of good over evil, Milligan wrote the text and drew the illustrations himself. Badjelly the Witch was later made into an audio game, starring Milligan; and a few years later remade with an entire orchestra, released by Polydor Records.

Mercury Filmworks' co-production partner for the series and special is Mukpuddy, an award-winning animation studio based in Auckland, New Zealand that acquired the rights to the book from Milligan's sons. They are the creators of a number of the country's top-rated children's shows, including Quimbo's mission e Barefoot bandits (which was voted Best Kiwi Show at The Spinoff TV Awards in 2017).

“There is no shortage of fun in this crazy story filled with wacky characters and realistic magic from Milligan's wild imagination, whose work has influenced generations of children,” commented Kenny. “We are thrilled to co-produce the series, and especially with Mukpuddy - their work ethic, culture and creativity are values ​​that link our two studios. We look forward to working together to build on the original tale and expand the world Milligan created to bring this classic property to life. ”

“Like many creative Kiwis, we've been hugely inspired by Spike Milligan growing up, and Badjelly is a story we're incredibly passionate about,” Cooper said. “We are honored that the Milligan family allows us to play in Spike's fantastic world of little tree goblins and“ horrible ”witches, and to be able to do so together with Mercury Filmworks is a dream come true. They are a studio that we have admired for a long time and we feel that our collaboration is a combination made in Milligan madness ”.

The fascinating fairy tale Badjelly the witch follows the adventures of Tim and Rose as they search for Lucy, their cow, in the great black forest on the edge of their sleepy village. They soon discover that the forest is inhabited by strange and wonderful characters, each grappling with a dark energy that is permeating their lives, convinced that the valley has been invaded. They call it Badjelly! As the kids travel from place to place, they gather a small team of friends including Binklebonk, the shy Tree Goblin and his grasshopper, Silly Sausage; Mudwiggle, a worm boasting extraordinary strength; and the tin lion, a loyal but sometimes a little whiny metal lion. With their friends by their side, Tim and Rose travel the valley, helping people discover the true source of their problems with Badjelly and learning more about the magical world they have become a part of.