SuperTed

Infobox Television
show_name = SuperTed


caption =
format = Animated series
camera =
picture_format =
runtime = 10 mins
creator = Mike Young
developer =
executive_producer = Siriol Animation
Mike Young
Roger Fickling
starring = Derek Griffiths
Melvyn Hayes
Roy Kinnear
Jon Pertwee
Victor Spinetti
Sheila Steafel
narrated = Peter Hawkins
opentheme =
endtheme =
country = United Kingdom (Wales)
language = English Welsh
network = S4C
first_aired = 1 November,1982
last_aired = 8 September,1988
num_episodes = 36
website = http://www.superted.tv/
imdb_id = 0085096
tv_com_id = 6321

"SuperTed" is a Welsh animated television series from the United Kingdom that first aired on 1 November 1982. It was produced by Siriol Animation for Welsh television channel S4C (where it was aired dubbed into Welsh), and later aired in its original English on BBC1, and dubbed into Irish for RTE. The series won numerous awards, including the 1987 BAFTA for best animation.

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. [ [http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Drawn+to+new+path:+independent+animation+studio+takes+reverse...-a097616144 Drawn to new path: independent animation studio takes reverse approach to selling its shows by cornering overseas market before moving into domestic distribution. (Small Business). - Free Online Library ] ]

tory

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 a 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 who is the antagonist of the series) and his gang; Bulk (an overweight, bumbling fool) and Skeleton (an undead 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.

SuperTed has many similarities to Captain Marvel. Like Captain Marvel, SuperTed gets his powers from saying a word. SuperTed's costume is very similar to that of Captain Marvel. SuperTed was given his powers by a being known as Mother Nature, much like how Captain Marvel's powers were given by the wizard Shazam.

uperTed in America

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, original villains and the theme song was also ditched for a more dramatic overture. This SuperTed series is considered poor quality, inferior to the original and did not last beyond one season, the reason for this however, is unclear. 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 Fact|date=August 2008.

Episode List

# SuperTed and the Inca Treasure
# SuperTed and the Pearl Fishers
# SuperTed and the Stolen Rocket Ship
# SuperTed and the Train Robbers
# SuperTed and the Giant Kites
# SuperTed and the Elephants' Graveyard
# SuperTed and the Gold Mine
# SuperTed at the Funfair
# SuperTed at Creepy Castle
# SuperTed and the City Of The Dead
# SuperTed on Planet Spot
# SuperTed and Nuts in Space
# SuperTed at the Toy Shop
# SuperTed in Texas
# SuperTed and Trouble in Space - Part 1
# SuperTed and Trouble in Space - Part 2
# SuperTed in the Arctic
# SuperTed and the Crystal Ball
# SuperTed and the Lumberjacks
# SuperTed and the Gun Smugglers
# Bulk's Story
# SuperTed's Dream
# SuperTed in Spotty and the Indians
# SuperTed Meets Father Christmas
# SuperTed and Mother Nature
# SuperTed and the Magic Word - Part 1
# SuperTed and the Magic Word - Part 2
# SuperTed Kicks Up the Dust
# SuperTed and the Pothole Rescue
# SuperTed and the Whales
# Tex's Magic Spell
# SuperTed and the Gorilla
# SuperTed and the Great Horrendo
# SuperTed and the Rattler
# SuperTed in China Town
# SuperTed Goes Round the Bend

Credits

; Produced by: Mike Young, John Parkinson, Robin Lyons; Directed and Designed by: David Edwards; Written by: Robin Lyons; Produced and Directed by: David Edwards; Directed By: John Parkinson; Based upon characters created by: Mike Young; Film Producer: Roger Fickling; Animation: Hugh Workman; Key Animators: Les Orton, Chris Fenna, Tony Guy, Chris Evans, Don Spencer, Chris Caunter, Arthur Humberstone, Pat Savage, Alan Simpson, Phil Robinson, John Cousen, Dick Horn, John Perkins, Malcolm Bourne, Patrick Cohen, Bernard Roso, Stêphane Sainte-Fol, Jean-Jacques Prunès, Marc Eoche-Duval, Stêphane Bernasconi, John Offord; Additional Animation by: Malcolm Bourne, John Perkins, Colin White, Edmund Williams, Alan Simpson; Assistant Animators: Lloyd Sutton, Gary Hurst, Mike Price, Carol Slade, Les Newstead, Elizabeth Horn, Tony Breckell, Hugh Workman, Chris Fenna; Animation Effects: Steve John; Imbetweeners: Mike Price, Steve John, Toni Ardolino, Christine Fotheringham, Craig Gouldley, Margot Allen, Lloyd Sutton, Graham Griffiths, Chris Webster, Graham Williams, Catrin Unwin, Tony Breckell, Hugh Workman, Catrin Unwin, Marc Gordon-Bates, Chahide Doukall; Backgrounds: Ian Henderson, Mike Wall, Paul Shardlow; Storyboards and Layouts: Tom Bailey, Andrew Offiler, Wayne Thomas, David Edwards, Arthur Humberstone; Editing and Sound Effects: Terry Brown, Charlotte Evans, Stuart Murray, Ivan Naisbitt, Graham Redwood; Dubbing Studio: Magmasters; Music Composed by: Chris Stuart, Mike Townend; Arranged and Conducted by: Mike Townend; Music Produced by: Ambarel; Personal Assistant: Andrea Tudor; P.A. to Director: Andrea Tudor; Paint Design and Color Mixing: Wendy Keay-Bright; Assistant Color Mixer: Lisa-Ann James; Checkers: Sara Markham, Sue Rider; Special Effects: Graham Bebbington, Gerald Emmanuel, Philip Watkins; Assistant: Gerald Emmanuel; Infotec Operators: Christopher Plummer, Mike Livesey; Film Editors: William Oswald, Jane Murrell, Robert Francis; Production: Lynne Stockford, Trina Flower, Sally Metclaf (assistant), Ceri Griffin, Philip Watkins, Rachel Roullier (coordinator), Mary Pollinger (supervisor), Ellen Pierce Lewis, Roger Flickling (manager), Jane Morgan, Pauline Trapmore (secretary), Joan M. Bentley, Margaret Stanley (accountant); Trace and Paint Supervisor: Philip Watkins; Trace and Paint: Ron Erickson, Jacqui Miller, Fiona Fenna, Sue Paton, Melanie Hill, Samantha Reynolds, Frank Koller, Phillip Simmonds, Carol Leslie, Mick Stubbs, Ceri Matthews, Lisa-Ann James, Hazel Guy, Martyn Yates, Anna-Louise Roberts, Mathew Guy, Rosemary Thorburn, Jane Harris, Valerie Howlett, Lorna Stevenson, Chris Coates, Lynn Anderson, Pat Arthy, Pete Arthy, Lorna Phillips, Peter Jessett, Judy Beake, Philip Watkins, Simon Guy, John Cartwithen, Rob Lee, Sue Paton, Anna-Louise Roberts; Color Mixer: Rob Lee; Siriol Line Test Camera: Peter Jessett, Nic Jayne, Mick Stubbs; Rostrum Camera: Graham Orrin Rostrums; Siriol Rostrum Camera: Richard Pimm, Nic Jayne; Executive Producers: Christopher Grace, Mike Young; Executive In Charge of Production: William Oswald; Film Laboratories: Studio Film and Video Laboratories; Made in Wales by: Siriol Animation Ltd

External links

* [http://www.superted.tv/ SuperTed's official website]
* [http://www.toonhound.com/superted.htm Toonhound - SuperTed]

References