Funnybones facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Funnybones |
|
|---|---|
| Created by | Janet Ahlberg Allan Ahlberg |
| Written by | Jocelyn Stevenson |
| Starring | Griff Rhys Jones |
| Music by | Jem Roberts |
| Country of origin | Wales, United Kingdom |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 12 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Naomi Jones |
| Editor(s) | Robert Francis |
| Running time | 5 minutes |
| Production company(s) | William Heinemann Ltd. BBC Enterprises S4C |
| Release | |
| Original network | S4C BBC One |
| Original release | 29 September – 15 December 1992 |
Funnybones is a fun British TV show for kids. It's a comedy series that first aired in the United Kingdom in 1992. The show is all about the exciting adventures of two friendly skeletons and their pets!
The TV series is based on a popular set of nine storybooks by Janet and Allan Ahlberg. These books, first published in 1980, tell tales of the Funnybones characters. Each episode of the show was about five minutes long. The famous comedian Griff Rhys Jones provided the voices for the characters and even sang the catchy theme song as the Moon Man.
Contents
Meet the Funnybones Characters
This section introduces you to the main characters in the Funnybones TV show.
The Skeleton Brothers
- Big: This is the taller skeleton brother. In the TV show, he wears a small red bowler hat. Whenever he likes an idea from Little, he always says, "Good idea!"
- Little: This is the smaller skeleton brother. He doesn't wear a hat. Little is often the one who comes up with many clever ideas for the group to try in each episode.
Their Pets
- Dog: This is the skeleton brothers' pet dog. He really loves bones and enjoys digging holes. Dog is also very good at finding things the skeletons need.
- Cat: This is the skeleton brothers' pet black cat. Dog often chases her! Unlike the other main characters, Cat is not a skeleton.
Other Important Characters
- Moon Man: This character looks like a crescent moon. He is the narrator for every episode, telling the story. Like Cat, the Moon Man is not a skeleton.
- Mr. Bonehead: He is a skeleton who owns the pet shop. Big and Little visit him in the episode "The Pet Shop."
- Dr. Bones: This skeleton doctor helps Big and Little. For example, in the episode "Bumps in the Night," he helps them when they keep bumping into each other.
Funnybones Episode Guide
The Funnybones TV series had twelve episodes. Many of these episodes had titles that were the same as the original storybooks. Some episodes had different book titles, and a few didn't have a book they were based on at all. All twelve episodes were first shown on BBC One as part of the Children's BBC block. They aired on Tuesdays at 4:00 PM.
| Episode Title | Based on Storybook | Air Date | What Happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The Pet Shop | 2. Same title | 29 September 1992 | Big and Little want to trade Dog for a new pet because he only barks and digs. But after trying other pets that cause problems, they decide Dog is the best and get him back. |
| 2. Bumps in the Night | 4. Same title | 6 October 1992 | It's a very dark night, and Big and Little keep bumping into each other and falling apart! Dr. Bones comes to help them get put back together. |
| 3. Give the Dog a Bone | 5. Same title | 13 October 1992 | Dog dreams about a big, juicy bone. When he wakes up, he chases other animals, including Cat, to find that bone. |
| 4. Dinosaurs | 6. Dinosaur Dreams | 20 October 1992 | Dog is left behind when Big and Little go to a dark dinosaur museum. Dog follows them and thinks a huge dinosaur wants to hurt his friends. |
| 5. The Ghost Train | 7. Same title | 27 October 1992 | Big, Little, and Dog are invited to ride a spooky Ghost Train. It takes them to the dark seaside and back, filled with ghosts and monsters. |
| 6. Skeleton Crew | 8. Same title | 3 November 1992 | The Funnybones go on a boat trip on the dark sea. They see an octopus, skeleton pirates, and a gorilla. A big thunderstorm takes them home on their raft. |
| 7. Mystery Tour | 9. Same title | 10 November 1992 | The Funnybones get an invitation to a party. To get there, they have to go on a fun Mystery Tour. |
| 8. Wishbone | N/A | 17 November 1992 | The Funnybones find a huge wishbone. They try to decide what the best thing to wish for would be. Their ideas include being firefighters, flying, or even being rockstars! |
| 9. Shake, Rattle and Roll | N/A | 24 November 1992 | The Funnybones decide to put on a show. Cat tries to help by carrying a poster, but she keeps getting told to go away. |
| 10. Cat Chase | 3. The Black Cat | 1 December 1992 | The white Dog disappears in the white snow, and the black Cat disappears in the dark shadows. Big and Little visit Mr. Bonehead at the pet shop. |
| 11. City Nights | N/A | 8 December 1992 | Little gets bored with the quiet life on the dark hill. He decides to visit the city. He worries about Big and Dog getting lost there because the city has "too many skeletons," even underground! |
| 12. Night Fright | 1. Funnybones | 15 December 1992 | Cat is left behind when the skeletons go out to try and scare people they meet. |
Home Video Release
After the series finished, a BBC video called Funnybones – Bumps in the Night was released. It included all twelve episodes. This video was also released in other countries like Bulgaria and Australia.
Where Funnybones Aired Around the World
Funnybones was shown in many different countries!
In Ireland, the show was dubbed into the Irish language and called Smior agus Smiortán. It aired on RTÉ1 and RTÉ2 in 1993.
The series also aired on ABC in Australia from 1994 to 1999. It was also shown in Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. Other countries where Funnybones aired include:
- SABC2 in South Africa, as part of a kids' block called Mini-TV.
- The military television network BFBS in Germany, West Germany, Cyprus, and the Falkland Islands.
- Yle TV2 in Finland.
- TVNZ 2 in New Zealand.
- Cartoon Network in the United States, as part of a preschool block called Small World.
- FOX Family Channel in the United States, as part of Mister Moose's Fun Time.
