Mio Mao facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mio Mao
Polish DVD cover
Genre	Claymation, family, preschool, children's series
Written by	Francesco Misseri
Directed by	Francesco Misseri
Voices of	Derek Griffiths (Channel 5)
Theme music composer	Piero Barbetti
Opening theme	Mio Mao
Ending theme	Mio Mao
Country of origin	Italy United Kingdom (series 2 and 3)
Original language(s)	onomatopoeia/gibberish (no dialogue)
No. of series	3
No. of episodes	78
Production
Running time	5 minutes
Production company(s)	1974 series: PMBB CineMac2TV (original print) HDHfilmTV (original print) L+H Films (80s TV print) 2003 series: Misseri Studio Associati Audiovisivi
Release
Original network	Programma Nazionale (series 1) Channel 5 (Milkshake!) (series 2 and 3)
Picture format	480i
Original release	1974 (1974) – 2007 (2007)

Mio Mao (pronounced me-o mow), also known as Mio and Mao, is a super fun Italian TV show for kids! It uses a special kind of animation called stop motion. This means characters are moved tiny bits at a time and photographed. Even more specific, it's Claymation! This means the characters are made of clay.

The show was first made by Francesco Misseri in the 1970s. The first series came out in 1974. Later, in the 2000s, Misseri Studio made two more series. These new episodes were shown on Channel 5 in the UK, as part of their Milkshake! block. In the UK, you'll hear a narrator and voices for the characters, done by Derek Griffiths. Today, you can even watch Mio Mao on BabyFirst in the USA!

What Happens in Mio Mao?

Each episode of Mio Mao is about five minutes long. It's all about two playful kitten siblings, Mio and Mao. They roll, run, squish, bounce, and tumble across a clay garden. As they play, they discover all sorts of mysterious animals and objects. These new things are always on the other side of their garden.

The garden itself changes how it looks. It depends on what the episode is about. Sometimes it changes to match the animal or object they find. The kittens often go to check things out by themselves. They might even forget about the new discovery for a bit and just look at the pretty scenery.

After a while, they get close to the new thing. At first, they might get scared and run back. But then they watch from a distance. They soon find out that the "scary" item was actually a friendly animal or a fun object!

Near the end of an episode, the animal or object often needs help. Mio and Mao are always there to rescue them! Then, they invite the animal or object to come play with them. The new friend happily follows them. They all tumble and run back to the other side of the garden. The episode ends with them posing together, looking at the viewers, as the words "THE END" appear.

Episodes of Mio Mao

Series 1 (1974)

• The Peacock
• The Little Lamb
• The Ants
• The Chameleon
• The Beehive
• The Spider
• The Tortoise
• The Caterpillar
• The Cicada
• The Egg
• The Snake
• The Dog
• The Dormouse
• The Polyp
• The Hippopotamus
• The Squirrel
• The Monkey
• The Hedgehog
• The Shell
• The Tadpole
• The Snail
• The Owl
• The Mole
• The Beaver
• The Piglet
• The Hare

Series 2 (2006)

• The Fox
• The Worm
• The Anteater
• The Seed
• The Cricket
• The Swan
• The Turkey
• The Crocodile
• The Racoon
• The Crab
• The Penguin
• The Little Bear
• The Christmas Tree
• The Snowman
• The Seal
• The Parrot
• The Mushroom
• The Dragonfly
• The Bat
• The Chestnut
• The Hornet
• The Kangaroo
• The Cow
• The Ladybird
• The Donkey
• The Koala

Series 3 (2007)

• The Deer
• The Elephant
• The Mouse
• The Ostrich
• The Pelican
• The Dove
• The Kingfisher
• The Television
• The Clew
• The Dolphin
• The Ghost
• The Goldfish
• The Zebra
• The Vacuum Cleaner
• The Sky Terrier
• The Sloth
• The Gorilla
• The Genie
• The Bull
• The Train
• The Little Theater
• The Tap
• The UFO
• The Vulture
• The Piano
• The Dinosaur