New MacDonald's Farm facts for kids

New MacDonald's Farm is a fun Australian TV show for kids. It was shown on channels like the Nine Network, Playhouse Disney, and Smile from 2004 to 2008. This show and the popular Australian series Hi-5 sometimes switched their TV slots.

The show is all about a busy farm in the countryside. It's owned by two friendly characters, Milly and Max. Six farm animals also live there: Henry the Horse, Daisy the cow, Dash the Duck, Percy the Pig, Shirley the Sheep, and Charlotte the Hen. The show is made for younger children and is very light-hearted and cheerful.

Each episode is about half an hour long. It includes short stories about the farm and fun parts where Max, Milly, and other children sing and dance. Max is a funny and energetic farm worker who often gets into silly situations, like getting his foot stuck in a bucket! Milly is smart, helpful, and caring. She often helps Max out of his tricky spots.

The show's name comes from the classic children's song "Old MacDonald Had a Farm". This name fits well because it's a modern farm, not an old-fashioned one. The only old-fashioned thing might be the good old windmill!

About the Farm and Characters

The show's title, "New MacDonald's Farm," is shown on a special logo at the farm's entrance. This logo is a yellow sun with the show's name in bright colors. A funny thing that often happens in the show is that the sign falls down, and Max always tries hard to fix it. After the show's introduction, there's a fun part called the "Song of the Day."

Bringing the Farm to Life

The characters Max and Milly are played by actors wearing special costumes. These costumes are made of foam and fabric, and the heads have animatronics. Animatronics are like robots that can move parts of the face. The actors control simple movements like eye blinks, eye turns, and mouth opening and closing. They listen to the recorded voices and try to make the mouths move at the right time.

The farm animals are also brought to life using cables. Their movements are limited, so sometimes the performers have to pick them up and move them to make them seem alive.

Inside the Costumes

Wearing the costumes can be very hot for the actors. To stay cool, they wear special vests filled with a gel. These vests are frozen before the show and slowly melt as the actors wear them.

After the first season, the animatronic heads were made lighter and stronger. They used lightweight aluminum to remove a whole kilogram of weight! For the third season, the heads were made even better. These new heads were much lighter and easier for the actors to use. They also allowed for more movement, making the characters seem even more real.

Who Made the Music?

All the songs for New MacDonald's Farm were created by a team of writers from Sony/ATV Music Publishing. The music was recorded and produced by Jay Collie. Jay Collie is also known for his work with the popular country/rock/pop band, Jonah's Road.

Creative Team Behind the Scenes

Many talented people worked on New MacDonald's Farm. Some of them also worked on other popular children's shows. For example, Simon Hopkinson wrote for Petals and Bananas in Pyjamas. Ron Saunders created Spellbinder and Johnson and Friends. Ian Munro, who directed New MacDonald's Farm, also directed Hi-5, Bananas in Pyjamas, and Johnson and Friends.