Mouse and Mole facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mouse and Mole |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Animation |
| Created by | Joyce Dunbar (Books) |
| Directed by | Joy Whitby |
| Voices of | Richard Briers (Mouse) Alan Bennett (Mole) Imelda Staunton (shrew) (rat) (hedgehog) (rabbit) |
| Composer(s) | John Baird |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 19 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Ben Baird Clive Juster |
| Running time | 10 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Grasshopper studios |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBBC |
Mouse and Mole is a charming British television series that first aired in 1996. It was created by Joy Whitby's Grasshopper Productions. The show brings to life the beloved characters from a series of children's books. These books were written by Joyce Dunbar and beautifully illustrated by James Mayhew. They were first published in 1993.
The creators originally planned to make 26 short episodes, each lasting about 5 minutes. However, only 19 episodes were completed. The sounds for the other seven episodes still exist, created by Ben Baird at Aquarium Studios.
Meet the Characters and Voices
The main characters, Mouse and Mole, were voiced by famous actors. Richard Briers played the part of Mouse. Mole was voiced by Alan Bennett.
Did you know that another well-known actor, Stephen Fry, was first chosen to play Mole? But he became busy just before recording. So, Alan Bennett stepped in to take on the role.
A Special Christmas Adventure
In 2013, Grasshopper Productions teamed up with Baird TV and Clive Juster and Associates. Together, they created a special Christmas episode. This longer episode, called "Mouse and Mole at Christmas Time," was 28 minutes long.
Richard Briers and Alan Bennett returned to voice their characters. They were joined by Imelda Staunton, who voiced other animals like a shrew, a rat, and a hedgehog. This special episode was shown on BBC television in December 2013.
Exploring the Episodes
The series features many fun and heartwarming stories about Mouse and Mole's adventures. Each episode shows their friendship and how they deal with everyday situations. Here is a list of the episodes:
| # | Title | Summary | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hip-Dip-Dip | Mole wants to buy a toy boat. He has trouble choosing the right color. When he finally decides, Mouse has already bought it! | |
| 2 | The Hammock | Mouse builds a comfy hammock. Mole tries it first and makes Mouse wait on him. But then, the hammock breaks! | |
| 3 | Spectacles | Mouse tries to help Mole find his lost spectacles. However, the pairs he finds are not the correct ones for Mole. | |
| 4 | Catch a Falling Leaf | Mouse and Mole go into the forest. They hope to catch a falling leaf before it touches the ground. | |
| 5 | Half a Banana | Mole often leaves his half-eaten food around the house. Mouse ends up eating it for himself. | |
| 6 | A Frisky Fluttery Ghost | Mouse and Mole encounter a mysterious, playful ghost. | |
| 7 | A Fresh Start | Mole thinks he and Mouse see each other too much. He suggests they pretend they've never met for one day. Things go wrong until they become friends again. | |
| 8 | Preposterous Puddle | Mouse plays with his stick, Humphrey. Mole enjoys playing with his puddle, which he calls Preposterous. | |
| 9 | Pebbles | Mouse and Mole throw pebbles into a pond. They start to feel sad until they discover something truly special. | |
| 10 | The Picnic | Mouse and Mole plan a picnic. Mole doesn't feel ready for the day. So, Mouse has the picnic by himself. | |
| 11 | Whiskers | Mole is unhappy with how he looks. He accidentally cuts off all his whiskers. | |
| 12 | Atishoo! | One of them catches a cold and keeps sneezing. | |
| 13 | Talk to Me | Mole is very quiet and doesn't say much to Mouse. The next day, he spends his time mostly eating. | |
| 14 | Tidying Up | Mole decides to go on a diet. He spends the day tidying up with Mouse. But they just move the mess from one room to another. | |
| 15 | Stuff | Mouse and Mole decide to throw away their extra belongings. They take them to the dump. But Mole brings other items back home! | |
| 16 | Least Expecting | Mouse and Mole try not to expect exciting things. Mole doesn't know that it's actually his birthday! | |
| 17 | Daffodil | Mouse and Mole admire a beautiful daffodil in their garden. Mole picks it and becomes upset. He feels better when he finds another daffodil. | |
| 18 | A Sad Moment | Mole feels sad when his happiest moment in life ends. Mouse tries his best to cheer him up. | |
| 19 | The Secret of Happiness | Mole dreams about finding the secret to happiness. He is upset when he forgets it after waking up. |
