Munch bunch
Encyclopedia
The Munch Bunch is the title of a series of children's books, written by British author Denis Bond
(under the pen name
Giles Reed) and illustrated by Angela Mitson, a teenager who had created the characters. They were published between 1979 and 1984 by Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. in the UK and Rourke Publications, Inc. in the US. The Munch Bunch are a group of unwanted vegetable
s, fruit
s, legumes and nuts
who were swept to the corner of a shop but ran away together and set up home in and around an old, forgotten garden shed.
The Munch Bunch were not dissimilar to The Garden Gang
, created by teen author Jayne Fisher between 1979 and 1983 and published by Ladybird Books
.
-based television show, produced by long-time Gerry Anderson
associates Mary Turner and John Read for ITC Entertainment
, that featured the characters from the books. The stories for the television series were different from those contained in the books and were written mainly by Bond (this time under his real name), though other writers such as Rosemary Kingsland also contributed. The series characters were voiced by the husband-and-wife team of Judy Bennett and Charles Collingwood
probably best known for their work in The Archers
. 52 ten minute editions were produced.
The brand did enjoy something a resurgence in the UK during the mid-1990s, largely thanks to a popular TV commercial for the Munch Bunch "pot shots" range (a petits-filous type yoghurt aimed at the young) set in a pool hall which ran from May 1994 until February 1996, although this renewal in popularity proved short-lived, and only three of the Munch Bunch characters were featured in the "pot shots" range. A completely different series of Munch Bunch books was published in 1998 by Ladybird Books
in the UK to tie in with the yoghurts following the resurgence brought about by the TV commercials of 1994-96. Denis Bond and Angela Mitson had nothing to do with these and the characters were different although a few were similarly named e.g. Sally Strawberry.
The Munch Bunch yoghurt brand name itself nevertheless still continues to this day under the Nestlé
umbrella, although it is now almost completely unrecognisable from the 1980s and 1990s, with the "fruit and veg" characters having been dropped completely and replaced by a "cow" mascot named Munch.
The original books continue to sell second-hand on Amazon, eBay and other websites.
US character name differences
Denis Bond
Denis Bond, is a British writer of children's books and television. His TV programmes include The Munch Bunch and Picme, and his books include Avenue, Pop Rivals and, for younger children, The Witch Who Loved To Make Children Cry.-Children's ITV:Bond was trained in drama at the Rose Bruford...
(under the pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
Giles Reed) and illustrated by Angela Mitson, a teenager who had created the characters. They were published between 1979 and 1984 by Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. in the UK and Rourke Publications, Inc. in the US. The Munch Bunch are a group of unwanted vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s, fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s, legumes and nuts
Nut (fruit)
A nut is a hard-shelled fruit of some plants having an indehiscent seed. While a wide variety of dried seeds and fruits are called nuts in English, only a certain number of them are considered by biologists to be true nuts...
who were swept to the corner of a shop but ran away together and set up home in and around an old, forgotten garden shed.
The Munch Bunch were not dissimilar to The Garden Gang
The Garden Gang
The Garden Gang was a series of books for children written by Jayne Fisher. They were published by Ladybird Books during the late 1970s and early 1980s as Series 413 and later re-issued as Series 793....
, created by teen author Jayne Fisher between 1979 and 1983 and published by Ladybird Books
Ladybird Books
Ladybird Books is a London-based publishing company, trading as a stand-alone imprint within the Penguin Group of companies. The Ladybird imprint publishes mass-market children's books.-History:...
.
Television series
There was also a 1980 marionette/puppetPuppet
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....
-based television show, produced by long-time Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson
Gerry Anderson MBE is a British publisher, producer, director and writer, famous for his futuristic television programmes, particularly those involving specially modified marionettes, a process called "Supermarionation"....
associates Mary Turner and John Read for ITC Entertainment
ITC Entertainment
The Incorporated Television Company was a British television company largely involved in production and distribution. It was founded by Lew Grade.-History:...
, that featured the characters from the books. The stories for the television series were different from those contained in the books and were written mainly by Bond (this time under his real name), though other writers such as Rosemary Kingsland also contributed. The series characters were voiced by the husband-and-wife team of Judy Bennett and Charles Collingwood
Charles Collingwood
Charles Collingwood may refer to:* Charles Collingwood , British actor, best known for his work in the BBC Radio 4 soap opera The Archers* Charles Collingwood , American newscaster for CBS...
probably best known for their work in The Archers
The Archers
The Archers is a long-running British soap opera broadcast on the BBC's main spoken-word channel, Radio 4. It was originally billed as "an everyday story of country folk", but is now described on its Radio 4 web site as "contemporary drama in a rural setting"...
. 52 ten minute editions were produced.
- Series 1: 12 editions,first shown from 24 September 1980
- Series 2: 13 editions, first shown from 25 March 1981
- Series 3: 21 editions, first shown from 30 September 1981
- Series 4: 6 editions, first shown from 7 April 1982
Deletion
The books went out of print in the mid-to-late 1980s after a fire at Studio Publications apparently destroyed all the original artwork, and the brand name only survived as a range of yoghurts. These had been launched circa 1981 to coincide with the launch of the television series, with Mitson's characters as well as a few non-book characters such as Jenny Cherry and Charlie Chocolate but by the 1990s had struck out completely in their own right retaining only the logo and a few character names.The brand did enjoy something a resurgence in the UK during the mid-1990s, largely thanks to a popular TV commercial for the Munch Bunch "pot shots" range (a petits-filous type yoghurt aimed at the young) set in a pool hall which ran from May 1994 until February 1996, although this renewal in popularity proved short-lived, and only three of the Munch Bunch characters were featured in the "pot shots" range. A completely different series of Munch Bunch books was published in 1998 by Ladybird Books
Ladybird Books
Ladybird Books is a London-based publishing company, trading as a stand-alone imprint within the Penguin Group of companies. The Ladybird imprint publishes mass-market children's books.-History:...
in the UK to tie in with the yoghurts following the resurgence brought about by the TV commercials of 1994-96. Denis Bond and Angela Mitson had nothing to do with these and the characters were different although a few were similarly named e.g. Sally Strawberry.
The Munch Bunch yoghurt brand name itself nevertheless still continues to this day under the Nestlé
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
umbrella, although it is now almost completely unrecognisable from the 1980s and 1990s, with the "fruit and veg" characters having been dropped completely and replaced by a "cow" mascot named Munch.
The original books continue to sell second-hand on Amazon, eBay and other websites.
Original character series 1979-82
- Aubrey Aubergine
- Adam Avocado
- The Banana Bunch
- Barnabus Beetroot
- Billy Blackberry
- Bounce (spring onion)
- Button and Tiny (mushrooms)
- Casper Carrot
- Chunky Pineapple
- Corky Coconut
- Corny-on-the-Cob
- Dick Turnip
- Emma Apple
- Lizzie Leek
- Lucy Lemon
- Merv Marrow
- Nurse Plum
- Olive
- Olly Onion
- Peanut
- Pedro Orange
- Pete Pepper
- Penny Parsnip
- Percy Prune
- Pippa Pear
- Professor Peabody
- Rory Rhubarb
- Rozzy Raspberry
- Runner Bean
- Sally Strawberry
- Scruff Gooseberry
- Spud (Potato)
- Supercool (cucumber)
- Suzie Celery
- Tom Tomato
- Wally Walnut
US character name differences
- Aubrey Aubergine - Eddie Eggplant
- Barnabus Beetroot - Barnabus Beet
- Merv Marrow - Zack Zucchini
1979 group 'Munch Bunch' book series
- Meet the Munch Bunch
- The Munch Bunch at the Seaside
- The Munch Bunch Have a Party
- The Munch Bunch Go Camping
- The Munch Bunch Welcomes New Friends (1982)
1983 series
- Pete Pepper's Trip to the Zoo
- Casper Carrot's Big Mistake
- Lucy Lemon and the Birthday Post
- Aubrey Aubergine and the Grandfather Clock
- Spud's Sports Day
- Adam Avocado and the Picnic Basket
- Barnabus Beetroot's Blue Umbrella
- Penny Parsnip Starts a School
- The Banana Bunch Have Half a Holiday
- Button and Tiny Buy Bicycles
- Nurse Plum's Busy Week
- Peanut Goes to the Circus
- Emma Apple's Jumble Sale (1985)
1984 series
- Spud and the Big Red Balloon
- Sally Strawberry and the Painted Snake
- Olly Onion's Fancy Dress Party
- Casper Carrot's New Blue Jumper
- Dick Turnip and the Crazy Clowns
- Rozzy Raspberry's Wallpaper Machine
- Billy Blackberry's Secret Tunnel
- Corny-on-the-Cob's Not so Funny Day
- Rory Rhubarb and the River Monster
- Merv Marrow's New Police Car
- Scruff Gooseberry and the Wishing Well
- Emma Apple's Late Birthday Party
New Zealand character series 1985
- Charlie Kumara
- Kiri Kiwifruit
- Patty Passionfruit
- Ted Tamarillo
Yoghurt tie-in series 1998
- Andy Apricot
- Barney Banana
- Bertie Blackcurrant
- Ollie Orange
- Rozzy Raspberry (different character though identically named)
- Sally Strawberry (different character though identically named)