The Family-Ness facts for kids

The Family-Ness is a fun British cartoon series that first aired in 1984. It was shown on BBC One and later repeated throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. The show was created by Peter Maddocks, who also made other cartoons like Penny Crayon and Jimbo and the Jet Set.

The story of The Family-Ness is all about the adventures of a family of Loch Ness Monsters. They live in Loch Ness in Scotland. The show also features the MacTout family, especially two children, Elspeth and Angus. The 'Nessies' (as the monsters are called) can be called from the loch by the children using special "thistle whistles." The series was very popular and had lots of merchandise, like books and even a song called "You'll Never Find a Nessie in the Zoo."

Meet the Humans

This section introduces the human characters in the show. They often interact with the Nessies, sometimes without even knowing it!

The MacTout Family

• Mr. MacTout: He is the father of Angus and Elspeth. He has bright ginger hair and a big, bushy beard. He loves playing the bagpipes, which are a famous Scottish instrument. Mr. MacTout is the keeper of the loch, but he never actually sees a Loch Ness Monster. If anyone talks about seeing one, he always says it's "stuff and nonsense!" He often thinks the sound of the thistle whistles is just the wind.
• Angus MacTout: Angus seems to be the older brother. He is brave, smart, and quick-thinking. He often helps his dad or the Nessies when they get into trouble. He sometimes forgets how clever his sister Elspeth is, but she often helps him out.
• Elspeth MacTout: Elspeth is a kind young girl. She helps her brother Angus on most of their adventures.

Other Human Characters

• Sergeant MacFuzz: He is a police officer who often hears reports about the Loch Ness Monster. However, he rarely believes them! For example, in one episode, he didn't believe a monster sighting because it was April Fools' Day. Another time, he didn't believe a monster was water skiing, even though it was true! He has a son named Willie MacFuzz, who is a bit of a bully. Willie once saw a Nessie, but his dad didn't believe him either.
• Mrs McToffee: She runs the local sweet shop. She is very careful not to sell too many sweets to children so they don't ruin their teeth.
• Mayor and Mayoress: These two characters are not very smart. They are obsessed with how important they are and how much they love each other. They never notice the Nessies, even when a monster is right in front of them! This is a bit of a funny mistake in the show, as there are no Mayors in Scotland.
• Professor Dumkopf: He is a slightly mad scientist who flies a hot air balloon. He has a German-sounding accent. Professor Dumkopf is determined to prove that the Loch Ness Monster exists. He often sees a Nessie, but the MacTout children or the Nessies themselves always stop him from proving it to anyone else. He has tried many strange ways to find them, like lowering a camera into the loch or pumping sherbet into the water! The name "Dumkopf" means "stupid head" in German.

Meet the Nessies

Most of the Nessies are named after their main personality trait, just like the Mr. Men or the Smurfs. Except for one, most Nessies look like very fat, yellow dinosaurs with round noses. They don't look like the typical long-necked Loch Ness Monster.

• Ferocious Ness: He is the first Nessie to meet Angus and Elspeth. He is a large, khaki-colored creature that looks a bit like a crocodile or dragon. He enjoys scaring tourists, but he is usually friendly. He can change color to blend in with his surroundings, but sometimes he gets stuck in a color! He can change back if he sees something scarier than himself, like creepy-crawlies, which he is very afraid of.
• Her High Ness: She is the Queen of all the Nessies. At first, she had a rule that humans and Nessies should not interact. But when she saw how polite and helpful Angus and Elspeth were, she made an exception for them. She gave them the secret thistle whistles to call the Nessies when needed. She can breathe fire, a skill she learned from a "cousin in China" (probably a dragon!).
• Baby Ness: He is the youngest Nessie and always has a dummy and a nappy. He loves sweets, even though he hasn't started teething yet!
• Careful Ness: This Nessie is always very cautious and careful.
• Clever Ness: The smartest of all the Nessies, he wears spectacles. He is a bit old, but he is always successful when he helps the MacTout children.
• Eager Ness: He is a very energetic Nessie who can get a bit carried away. But he is very helpful if the children need something done quickly.
• Forgetful Ness: This Nessie wears a tie and often forgets things, even why he called the children!
• Eyewit Ness: He looks like a pirate with a patch over one eye. He sometimes puts his telescope over the wrong eye.
• Grumpy Ness: An old, complaining Nessie who doesn't like to hear the thistle whistles. He is not seen very often.
• Sad Ness: This monster is always very depressed. He even plays board games by himself.
• Heavy Ness: A strong monster who wears a circus "strong man" outfit. He often works with Mighty Ness.
• Lovely Ness: The only female Nessie besides Her High Ness. She has long, blonde hair. She is friendly but often too delicate to help much in adventures, so she doesn't appear often.
• Mighty Ness: Another strong monster dressed like a circus strongman. He is often seen with Heavy Ness, and they might be identical twin brothers.
• Naughty Ness: This monster loves to cause trouble.
• Lil Ness: A bright orange Nessie who is very loud and annoying. The other Nessies often make fun of him for his inappropriate comments.
• Silly Ness: A not-so-smart monster who always gets into trouble. He often gets stuck in small holes and caves. He was the first Nessie the children saw, stuck with his backside in the air!
• Speedy Ness: After Eager Ness, he is usually the quickest to act. He wears a red crash helmet.
• Sporty Ness: He appears in the opening credits but rarely helps the children. When he does appear, he likes to show off. He wears a red and white striped T-shirt.
• Hungry Ness: This Nessie will eat anything, even diving bells!

Episode Guide

The show had 25 episodes. Here are some of them:

Video and DVD Releases

Over the years, some episodes of The Family-Ness were released on video and DVD.

Original VHS Release

In 1985, BBC Video released a VHS tape with 14 episodes.

Mid-1990s VHS Release

In the mid-1990s, Hallmark and Carlton Home Entertainment released another VHS tape with the first 9 episodes from 1984.

2000s VHS and DVD Releases

In 2002, Right Entertainment released two VHS tapes, each with eight episodes. These were then re-released on DVD in 2004.

See also

In Spanish: La familia Ness para niños