SuperTed facts for kids
Quick facts for kids SuperTed |
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| Created by | Mike Young |
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| Directed by | David Edwards |
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| Narrated by |
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| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | Welsh English |
| No. of series | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 36 |
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| Running time | 10 minutes |
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| Original network | S4C |
| Original release | 1 November 1982 (Wales) 4 October 1983 – 13 February 1986 |
SuperTed is a fun Welsh superhero cartoon series. It's all about an anthropomorphic (meaning he acts like a human) teddy bear who has amazing superpowers! The show was created by a Welsh writer and animator named Mike Young.
Mike Young first came up with SuperTed as a series of stories to help his son not be afraid of the dark. These stories became very popular books. Soon after, they were turned into an animated TV series that ran from 1983 to 1986. Later, an American cartoon series called The Further Adventures of SuperTed was made by Hanna Barbera in 1989. SuperTed was also the first British cartoon show to be shown on The Disney Channel in the United States!
Contents
How SuperTed Was Created
The idea for SuperTed started in 1978. Mike Young created the character to help his son get over his fear of the dark. At first, SuperTed was just a bear from the woods who was also scared of the dark. But then, something magical happened: Mother Nature gave him a secret magic word. When he said this word, he would get superpowers and turn into SuperTed!
Mike Young tried to get his stories published as books. After some tries, he got them printed with help from a local printer. He ended up writing over 100 SuperTed books, with pictures drawn by Philip Watkins, until 1990. After his first book came out, his wife suggested making a stuffed toy version of SuperTed, which happened in 1980.
Big companies like Warner Bros. noticed SuperTed. In 1980, they offered a lot of money for the rights to make a live-action movie and other cartoons. But Mike Young really wanted SuperTed to stay Welsh. He wanted to create jobs and show that people outside of London had great talent. In 1982, S4C, a Welsh TV channel, asked about making SuperTed into a cartoon. Young decided to start his own company, Siriol Productions, to make the series himself. The people at Siriol wanted to make SuperTed a show that their own children would be proud of, without silly plots or too much violence.
By November 1982, the show had been sold to over 30 countries! In 1989, Mike Young sold some of the rights to the series. A company called Abbey Home Entertainment bought 75% of SuperTed, and Young kept the other 25%. Today, the ownership is shared between Abbey Home Media (which is Abbey Home Entertainment's new name) and Mike Young.
The Story of SuperTed
The story begins with an ordinary teddy bear made in a toy factory. He was thought to be faulty and thrown into a dark storage room. Luckily, an alien named Spotty, from the Planet Spot, found him. Spotty used his special cosmic dust to bring the teddy bear to life!
Spotty then took the living teddy bear to Mother Nature. She gave the bear special powers, turning him into SuperTed. Whenever there's trouble, SuperTed whispers his "secret magic word." Then, poof! He changes into a superhero with a red suit, a cape, and rocket boots.
SuperTed and Spotty travel all over the world, and sometimes even into space, to help people in need. But they often run into trouble with a mean and greedy cowboy named Texas Pete. Texas Pete has two clumsy helpers: the big and silly Bulk, and the scared and funny Skeleton. Texas Pete is always trying to take over the world or get richer.
Other Adventures and Appearances
The Further Adventures of SuperTed
There was an American version of the show called The Further Adventures of SuperTed. It was made by Hanna Barbera and shown in 1989. This series was part of a group of cartoons called The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera.
SuperTed's Safety Film
In 1986, SuperTed, Spotty, and Spotty's sister Blotch appeared in a special film to teach kids about safety. This film was sponsored by the Green Cross Code, which teaches children how to cross the road safely. The film was called "Super Safe with SuperTed." In it, SuperTed flies Spotty and Blotch to Earth to teach Spotty how to cross the road safely. Spotty had almost been hit by a car on his home planet because he rushed across the road.
SuperTed showed Spotty the right way to cross the road, like not running and not standing behind vehicles. At the end, SuperTed warned viewers: "Remember, I can't be there to save you, especially on the planet Earth." The cartoon setting for the film was based on a real street in Cardiff city centre, Wales, with Cardiff Castle in the background. This safety film was first shown on BBC on March 26, 1986.
SuperTed on Stage
SuperTed was also made into a stage show! Melvyn Hayes, who voiced Skeleton in the English version, played his role again. Other actors played the other parts. SuperTed was so popular that there was even a line of vitamin supplements for children!
Where SuperTed Was Shown Around the World
SuperTed was shown in many countries! It aired in Australia on ABC, in Nigeria on NTA, and in Singapore on Channel 5. It was also shown in Sweden on SVT, in the United States on The Disney Channel, and in Norway on NRK. People in France watched it on TF1, and in Ireland, it was shown on RTÉ1, RTÉ2, and TG4 (where it was even dubbed into the Irish language!). It also aired in New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, Finland, and Iceland.
Future Plans for SuperTed
In July 2014, Mike Young, one of the creators of SuperTed, announced that he was working on a brand new series with Abbey Home Media. The plan was for 26 new episodes, hoping to be shown in the United Kingdom in 2016.
In an interview, Young said that some parts of the show would need to change for today's audiences. He explained that in the old SuperTed, some characters or jokes might not fit with what people expect on TV now. He wants to make sure the new show is still funny and entertaining. He also hopes to keep the original charm of the show and wants Derek Griffiths to return as the voice of SuperTed. In February 2016, Mike Young said SuperTed would return by the end of 2016, but mentioned that SuperTed and his enemies might need to change to fit modern audience expectations.
In March 2021, it was announced that work had begun on new episodes, with the goal of bringing the show back by 2023.
Meet the Characters
Good Guys
- SuperTed - He's a teddy bear who was brought to life by Spotty's cosmic dust. Then, Mother Nature gave him special powers. When he says his secret magic word, he puts on his superhero outfit with rocket boots. He uses these powers to fight bad guys around the world. In the original Welsh version, he's voiced by Geraint Jarman, and in the English version, by Derek Griffiths.
- Spotty - SuperTed's best friend and sidekick. He's a yellow and green spotted alien from the planet Spot. He's the one who brought SuperTed to life! Spotty wears a jetpack and flies a big spotted rocket to travel around the world or through space with SuperTed. He's voiced by Martin Griffiths in Welsh and Jon Pertwee in English.
- Blotch - Spotty's sister. She was voiced by Sheila Steafel in the Welsh version and Wendy Padbury in the "Super Safe with SuperTed" film.
- Mother Nature - She's shown as a fairy who gives SuperTed his superpowers using a special potion. She's voiced by Valmai Jones in Welsh and Sheila Steafel in English.
Bad Guys
- Texas Pete - The main villain of the series. He's an evil cowboy. His plans are usually simple: he wants to take over the world, get rid of SuperTed, or just get more money. He's voiced by Gari Williams in Welsh and Victor Spinetti in English.
- Skeleton - A very scared and funny living skeleton. He wears blue gloves and pink slippers. Even if he falls apart, he can put himself back together! He's voiced by Emyr Young in Welsh and Melvyn Hayes in English.
- Bulk – He's big and not very smart, and he's the muscle of Texas Pete's group. He's voiced by Huw Ceredig in Welsh and Roy Kinnear in English.
Other Characters
- Narrator - The person who tells the story. Voiced by Dyfan Roberts in Welsh and Peter Hawkins in English.
Episodes Overview
Mike Young wanted to keep SuperTed Welsh, so he teamed up with S4C, a new Welsh TV channel, in 1981. They wanted to make an animated series of SuperTed. Young and his wife started Siriol Animation to make the show locally. The first episode aired on November 1, 1982, on S4C in the Welsh language.
The next year, the show was dubbed into English and shown all over the United Kingdom on BBC1, starting on October 4, 1983. Unlike the books, the TV series was written by Robin Lyons and director Dave Edwards, who were also directors at Siriol Animation. Between 1983 and 1986, three series were made, with 12 episodes in each series, making a total of 36 episodes.
The episodes often featured SuperTed and Spotty traveling to different places to stop Texas Pete, Bulk, and Skeleton from carrying out their sneaky plans, whether it was stealing treasure, causing trouble in space, or even trying to ruin Christmas!
