Make Way for Noddy

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Make Way For Noddy
Genre Computer-animated children's series
Creator(s) Chorion (company);
Enid Blyton (Noddy character)
Starring Many different actors
Country of origin United Kingdom
Production
Running time 15 minutes (Five); 30 minutes (PBS Kids Sprout)
Broadcast
Original channel Five;
PBS
Original run Winter 2004 – present

Make Way for Noddy is an animated series for children produced by Chorion of the United Kingdom in conjunction with SD Entertainment in the United States. Based on Enid Blyton's Noddy character, it originally aired in 12-minute segments as part of the Milkshake program on Britain's Five.

Later, it launched in the United States on PBS in a half-hour version using the same name, combining two of the 12-minute programmes with new material; two 3-minutes interstitals called Say it With Noddy where Noddy learns words in various foreign languages, a music video in each episode, and footage from a live-action host. The first episode began airing on PBS on January 5, 2004, with "Noddy and The New Taxi" as its very first episode.

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[edit] See also

[edit] Noddy

Noddy drives a red and yellow car (and once flew a plane) in Toytown. Noddy has many friends and has a golden bell on his hat.

[edit] Recurring characters

  • Big Ears, Noddy's best friend, a wise, bearded brownie who lives in a toadstool house at the edge of the woods, and rides a red bicycle.
  • Mr. Plod, also known as P.C. Plod (or Officer Plod in later adaptations), depicted as a British-type police constable. Plod has become common British slang for a uniformed policeman. His favourite phrase is "Stop in the name of Plod! (Whistle!!!)"
  • Noddy's car, inanimate on some occasions but capable of independent action on others, and extremely sensible and loyal to Noddy when it does.
  • Mr Wobbly Man, he is a funny little man who cannot lie down because of his wobbler and always has to stand up. He doesn't like it when he turns round and round very fast (by mistake)
  • Mr and Mrs Tubby Bear who live next to Noddy, with Master Tubby Bear their mischievous son.
  • Clockwork Mouse who often needs winding up (hence the key in his back).
  • Mr Milko, a perpetually worried milkman. But Very Friendly
  • Mr Train Driver
  • Dinah Doll, who sells all kinds of everything in the market
  • Martha Monkey, a monkey, usually making mischief, but not a villain. Martha Monkey plays with Noddy by pushing his head, making him Nod uncontrollably!
  • Bert Monkey, a monkey with a naughty tail
  • Bunkey, (see above) a thoroughly mischievous character, who purports to be half bunny and half monkey. He is later exposed as a fraudulent monkey who escaped from a travelling circus. The Bunkey first appeared in "Noddy and the Bunkey" (1959).
  • Tessie Bear, a good friend and neighbour of Noddy. She lives with her parents, in some stories next door to Noddy, but in others he drives to visit her. Seems to be the target of Noddy's attentions, as he grows flowers for her and takes her to picnics.
  • Bumpy-Dog, Tessie's pet.
  • Goblins, Sly (goblin character, and Gobbo and especially the red goblins, the nastiest and most dangerous villains of the stories. Sly and Gobbo play dirty tricks on all and sundry.
  • Mr Sparks, Toyland's Mr Fixit, who can mend more or less anything. His favourite saying is "A Challenge? I Like it!!!"
  • Miss Harriet the Pink Cat, a snobbish cat who hangs out with Mr Sparks and sells ice cream.
  • Mr Straw the Farmer.
  • Mrs Straw the Farmer's Wife.
  • Mr Jumbo, an elephant. Mr. Jumbo is friendly with Clockwork Mouse.
  • The Skittles, including Mrs Skittle and her many children of various sizes. They love being knocked over. Skittles are red and yellow in colour with black hands.

[edit] Other Versions

A new version of Make Way for Noddy, dubbed out in Welsh, premiered on S4C in 2006. Entitled Hwre! Dyma Nodi. ("Hooray! This is Noddy"), it features all of the characters from the English language cartoon, and is revoiced by Sain Cyf. The characters are named slightly differently to cope with the changes in pronunciation between English and Welsh.

For example, Noddy is renamed Nodi; Martha Monkey becomes Martha Mwnci; Mr Sparks is Mr. Sbarc; Mr Plod becomes Plismon Plod and Bumpy Dog becomes Ci Clen.

In the Welsh language version, Nodi is voiced by Sion Eifion Roberts, and Big Ears by Arfon Gwilym. Other characterisations are provided by Aled Evans, Elain Llwyd and Beca Edwards.

The show exists in the same format, and is subtitled interchangeably in English and Welsh.

[edit] External links