I ADORED Mr Benn as a child. I remember guessing with my mum not only which outfit he would pick, but also what the memento from each adventure would prove to be at the end, after the shopkeeper appeared.
And as they starred, amongst others, a sorcerer, a knight in shining armour, an astronaut and a caveman, all to be found lurking behind the rails of the costume hire shop in Festive Road, there was much to fire the imagination.
I scarcely believed in later life that there were only 14 – count 'em! – episodes of this classic series made
The programme makers decided to quit while they were ahead. For the DVD though, they've gone to the trouble of producing a new and "exclusive" 15th episode (The Gladiator) voiced as ever by Ray Brooks, sounding no different, despite being better known most recently as Pauline Fowler's on/off love interest.
Images accompanying the laid back voiceover were more reminiscent of a picture book than an audiovisual production. Emily and Melissa loved it. They wanted to watch it all in one go. Little wonder when you consider that Elmo The Elephant, also penned by David McKee, was always one of their favourite bedtime stories.
There's a simplicity about each mini adventure that will keep pre-schoolers gripped, but anyone aged more than nine may start to get a little bored, pestering for a blast of their X-box, or PlayStation, instead.
But I found the uncomplicated drawings lack-lustre rather than charming and thought it all a bit slow. I dread to admit it but it appears Mum is the one in the family whose brain has been addled by all those slick, over-produced effects-laden modern kids' TV programmes and films we all love to knock.
Still, Mr Benn is a real hero – even if my girls insisted on calling him Mr Bean – and the stories are all old fashioned, perfectly crafted 15-minute slices of good triumphing over bad.
One surprisingly enduring feature is that the costumes in the fancy dress shop, which is the launch pad for each tale, do not seem at all dated, even if Mr Benn does look a little like a stuffed shirt in immaculate suit and bowler hat.
There's much to entertain in this unique series. It's just a shame times have moved on. I really wanted to love it, as I am its target audience as much as my kids.
Director David McKee
Writer David McKee
Stars voice of Ray Brooks
Certificate U
Running time 192 minutes
Country UK
Year 1970
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