Celebrating 50 years of Mr Men with Matt

Sunday: 50 Years of Mr Men with Matt Lucas; (Channel 4, 6pm)
Presenter and super fan, writer, actor and comedian Matt LucasPresenter and super fan, writer, actor and comedian Matt Lucas
Presenter and super fan, writer, actor and comedian Matt Lucas

“Daddy, what does a tickle look like?”

Six-year-old Adam Hargreaves uttered these immortal words to his author dad, Roger, little knowing he’d just given birth to one of the best loved, successful and psychologically important children’s characters of all time.

Since the creation of Mr Tickle, a round, orange figure with long, bendy arms, the Mr Men and Little Miss books have brought fun and laughter to generations of families.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Currently one Mr Men and Little Miss book is sold every 2.5 seconds worldwide, with all-time sales totalling over 250 million; a third of Brits own a Mr Men or Little Miss book.

Presented by super fan, writer, actor and comedian Matt Lucas, 50 Years of Mr Men charts the history of the colourful little characters from the fictional town of Mister Land who changed global publishing forever and found their way into the hearts and bedtime stories of generations of children around the world.

We begin by learning that the Mr Tickle was rejected by all the UK’s big publishers before being published by Fabbri Books in 1971. Eventually, Mr Men-Little Miss became a family dynasty, and one of Britain’s most pioneering, successful and enduring brands globally.

Tonight’s film showcases the remarkable evolution of these characters and their role in pioneering a new world of inclusivity and openness.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It will explore iconic moments via the Hargreaves’ extraordinary family story, while we also hear from artists and collaborators, child psychologists, marketing gurus, collectors and super-fans from the worlds of fashion, music and the arts.

As well as tracing the history of the books and characters, Matt also goes behind the scenes to reveal the secret world of the astonishing artistic process: what it takes to brainstorm, draw, write and animate new Mr Men and Little Misses for today’s world.

The Little Britain star and Great British Bake Off host says: “I grew up on these books and considered the Mister Men and Little Miss characters my friends. I am delighted to be meeting them all again and look forward to finding out the story behind this much-loved, iconic series.”

Roger Hargreaves died in 1988, aged 53. However, his son, author and illustrator Adam, continued the business – writing and drawing the Mr Men Little Miss books. And to celebrate the milestone birthday in 2021, he has created five prototype new characters for a global public vote, with the two most popular announced when this programme airs, before they become the latest members of the Mr Men Little Miss universe in September.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

So, whether you have an inner sense of zen and tranquility like Mr Calm, are always putting others first like Little Miss Kind, have the heart of a lion like Little Miss Brave, have a can-do attitude like Mr Brilliant, or are full of zest like little Miss Energy, there’s likely to be a part of these new personas inside everyone.

And, just like the other 90 or so loveable characters that the Hargreaves family have created over the years, kids and grown-ups won’t be able to get enough of them.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper whenever you are able to do so.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper when you can safely.

You can also enjoy unlimited access to the best news from across Northern Ireland and the UK by subscribing to newsletter.co.uk

With a digital subscription, you can read more than five articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Thank you