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Similar Monster Café, Jackanory, Maid Marian and Her Merry, The Demon Headmaster, Henry's Cat | ||
Mortimer and Arabel was a series of puppet shows based on Joan Aiken books which ran on CBBC from 1993 to 1994 and was later repeated from May to June 1994 on BBC One and BBC Two and June to December 1995,and the CBBC Channel from September to October 2002. The four series are being re-released as downloads at BBC Store in 2016.
The series are based on the original books written by Joan Aiken, and illustrated by Quentin Blake, and some were first shown on the BBC's Jackanory programmes. The stories are about a little girl named Arabel Jones who adopts a mischief making raven named Mortimer whose only communication is to squawk "Nevermore" when upset. The Jones family live in Rumbury Town, London NW3 and-a-half where most of their neighbours, especially grumpy old Mr Leggit, can't stand Mortimer for all the chaos he causes, and it is always up to Arabel to keep Mortimer out of trouble, although he frequently causes chaotic upsets with his mischievous behaviour.
Series 1 Mortimer's Pocket has twelve episodes in which Mortimer and Arabel track down some crooks who are causing mayhem before the Rumbury Town Garden Gala - for which of course Mortimer unfairly gets the blame.
Series 2 Mortimer's Mine also twelve episodes tells the story of an immense hole which appears under Rumbury Town, right in front of the Jones' house, which Mortimer decides to fill up with everything he can get his claws on...meanwhile an American millionaire is in town also trying to get his hands on everything he can, and the two are soon in competition. Everything comes to a dramatic finish at the Town Music Festival.
Series 3 Mayday in Rumbury, six episodes has the Town's beleaguered Mayor trying to stage a Mayday Ceremony in which the entire Jones family ( including Mortimer and a newly acquired herd of cows) is due to take part. And the Jones' wicked cousin Perce is also back in town and making mischief.
Series 4 Mortimer and the Bank Ghost is a spooky Christmas story where Arabel and Mortimer befriend a ghost at the Tower of London and try and help him and his pet raven solve a Christmas mystery.
Other characters include: Arabel's parents Mr Jones and Mrs Jones, the villainous Mr Leggit, the Town's Chief inspector and PC Barnoff, The Mayor, and Arabel's neighbour Chris Cross. Different characters like the Duchess of Skew, or a herd of Jersey cows appear in different stories.
Several books based on the series and a VHS tape covering 12 episodes of the series were released in the early 1990s, and other Arabel and Mortimer stories are also available. The series have not been repeated on TV since CBBC Channel last showed them in October 2002, but it have now been made available for downloading at BBC Store.
Read more and see pictures at the Joan Aiken website