Muffin the Mule
Encyclopedia
Muffin the Mule is a puppet
character in British
television programmes for children. The original programmes featuring the character were presented by Annette Mills
, sister of John Mills
, & aunt to Hayley Mills
, and broadcast live by the BBC
from their studios at Alexandra Palace
from 1946 to 1952. Mills and the puppet continued with programmes that were broadcast until 1955, when Mills died. The shows were then shown on ITV
in 1956 and 1957. A new modern animated version of Muffin reappeared on the BBC in 2005.
The original mule
puppet was created in 1933 by Punch and Judy
puppet maker Fred Tickner for husband-and-wife puppeteers Jan Bussell (1909-c.1987) and Ann Hogarth (1910–1993), to form part of a puppet circus for the Hogarth Puppet Theatre. The act was soon put away, and the puppet was not taken out again until 1946, when Bussell and Hogarth were working with presenter Annette Mills. Annette Mills named the puppet mule "Muffin", and it first appeared on television in an edition of For The Children
broadcast on 20 October 1946.
The character proved popular, and ran on BBC television until 1955. Typically, Muffin danced on top of a piano
as Mills played it. Muffin the Mule was supported by a host of other puppet characters who appeared occasionally, such as Crumpet the Clown, Mr. Peregrine Esquire the penguin, Louise the Lamb, Oswald the Ostrich, Willie the Worm, Peter the Pup, Poppy the Parrot, Grace the Giraffe, Wally the Gog, Hubert the Hippo, Katy the Kangaroo, Kirri the Kiwi, Monty the Monkey, Maurice and Doris the Mice, Zebbie the Zebra, Sally the Sea-lion, and Prudence and Primrose Kitten. A separate series of 15 minute episodes, "Muffin the Mule", was broadcast from 1952, with his signature tune "We want Muffin". Muffin became a television star, and a wide range of spin-off merchandise was made using the Muffin character, including books, records, games and toys. The BBC decided to discontinue the show in 1955, when Annette Mills died, although shows were broadcast on ITV in the following two years.
A Fleetway weekly magazine, WOMAN'S ILLUSTRATED in the early 1950s featured on their Children's page (Gnomes Club) stories on Muffin the Mule and or his friends, some were written by Annette Mills and illustrated by Molly Blake such as in 1953 Muffin meets the Rear Light, others did not state who the illustrator was such as in 1953 Muffin's Good Deed by Anette Mills, and many stories were written and illustrated only by Molly Blake such as Willie Disappears (a Muffin story) on August 20, 1955.
Bussell and Hogarth, and later their daughter Sally McNally (1936–2004), continued to use Muffin in their own shows. Surviving original episodes are available on DVD
. Archive footage of the original series was shown on a television set in the 2006 Doctor Who
story "The Idiot's Lantern
".
The rights to Muffin were bought by Maverick Entertainment Plc in 2003, and a new 26 part animated version of Muffin returned to BBC TV in September 2005. The new series was also translated into Welsh as "Myffin y Mul" and broadcast on S4C.
music video which reached No.1 in the UK singles charts.
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
character in British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television programmes for children. The original programmes featuring the character were presented by Annette Mills
Annette Mills
Annette Mills was an English actress, dancer and broadcaster.She was born Edith Mabel Mills in Wandsworth, London. She had originally intended to become a concert pianist and organist, before becoming a dancer, subsequently finding fame as an international exhibition dancer...
, sister of John Mills
John Mills
Sir John Mills CBE , born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills, was an English actor who made more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades.-Life and career:...
, & aunt to Hayley Mills
Hayley Mills
Hayley Mills is an English actress. The daughter of John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell, and sister of actress Juliet Mills, Mills began her acting career as a child and was hailed as a promising newcomer, winning the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer for Tiger Bay , the Academy Juvenile Award...
, and broadcast live by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
from their studios at Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is a building in North London, England. It stands in Alexandra Park, in an area between Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green...
from 1946 to 1952. Mills and the puppet continued with programmes that were broadcast until 1955, when Mills died. The shows were then shown on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
in 1956 and 1957. A new modern animated version of Muffin reappeared on the BBC in 2005.
The original mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
puppet was created in 1933 by Punch and Judy
Punch and Judy
Punch and Judy is a traditional, popular puppet show featuring the characters of Mr. Punch and his wife, Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically the anarchic Punch and one other character...
puppet maker Fred Tickner for husband-and-wife puppeteers Jan Bussell (1909-c.1987) and Ann Hogarth (1910–1993), to form part of a puppet circus for the Hogarth Puppet Theatre. The act was soon put away, and the puppet was not taken out again until 1946, when Bussell and Hogarth were working with presenter Annette Mills. Annette Mills named the puppet mule "Muffin", and it first appeared on television in an edition of For The Children
For The Children
For The Children is a British television programme, the first to be designed especially for young children of school age. First broadcast on the BBC Television Service at 3pm on Saturday 24 April 1937, for its first two years the series was only ten minutes in length...
broadcast on 20 October 1946.
The character proved popular, and ran on BBC television until 1955. Typically, Muffin danced on top of a piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
as Mills played it. Muffin the Mule was supported by a host of other puppet characters who appeared occasionally, such as Crumpet the Clown, Mr. Peregrine Esquire the penguin, Louise the Lamb, Oswald the Ostrich, Willie the Worm, Peter the Pup, Poppy the Parrot, Grace the Giraffe, Wally the Gog, Hubert the Hippo, Katy the Kangaroo, Kirri the Kiwi, Monty the Monkey, Maurice and Doris the Mice, Zebbie the Zebra, Sally the Sea-lion, and Prudence and Primrose Kitten. A separate series of 15 minute episodes, "Muffin the Mule", was broadcast from 1952, with his signature tune "We want Muffin". Muffin became a television star, and a wide range of spin-off merchandise was made using the Muffin character, including books, records, games and toys. The BBC decided to discontinue the show in 1955, when Annette Mills died, although shows were broadcast on ITV in the following two years.
A Fleetway weekly magazine, WOMAN'S ILLUSTRATED in the early 1950s featured on their Children's page (Gnomes Club) stories on Muffin the Mule and or his friends, some were written by Annette Mills and illustrated by Molly Blake such as in 1953 Muffin meets the Rear Light, others did not state who the illustrator was such as in 1953 Muffin's Good Deed by Anette Mills, and many stories were written and illustrated only by Molly Blake such as Willie Disappears (a Muffin story) on August 20, 1955.
Bussell and Hogarth, and later their daughter Sally McNally (1936–2004), continued to use Muffin in their own shows. Surviving original episodes are available on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
. Archive footage of the original series was shown on a television set in the 2006 Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
story "The Idiot's Lantern
The Idiot's Lantern
"The Idiot's Lantern" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 27 May 2006.-Plot:...
".
The rights to Muffin were bought by Maverick Entertainment Plc in 2003, and a new 26 part animated version of Muffin returned to BBC TV in September 2005. The new series was also translated into Welsh as "Myffin y Mul" and broadcast on S4C.
The Official BBC Children in Need Medley
In 2009 Muffin the Mule appeared in The Official BBC Children in Need MedleyThe Official BBC Children in Need Medley
"The Official BBC Children in Need Medley" is a cross-over single by Peter Kay's Animated All Star Band. It is the official Children in Need Single for 2009, and was released on 21 November 2009. The song was shown for the first time on Children in Need 2009. The cover art is a parody of the cover...
music video which reached No.1 in the UK singles charts.
External links
- Muffin The Mule Collectors' Club
- British Film Institute Screen Online
- Whirligig TV
- CBeebies - Muffin the Mule at bbc.co.ukBbc.co.ukBBC Online is the brand name and home for the BBC's UK online service. It is a large network of websites including such high profile sites as BBC News and Sport, the on-demand video and radio services co-branded BBC iPlayer, the pre-school site Cbeebies, and learning services such as Bitesize...
- Museum of Childhood at the Victoria and Albert MuseumVictoria and Albert MuseumThe Victoria and Albert Museum , set in the Brompton district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England, is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects...
- Muffin the Mule to return, BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, 16 April 2003 - Muffin the Mule gets modern touch, BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, 5 September 2005 - TV star Muffin the Mule turns 60, BBC NewsBBC NewsBBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, 30 October 2006 49 second clip