this piece was once to be headed with 'and this is tinged with sadness...'
for this is the reason. a couple of years ago i saw in a sale, for just three british pounds the complete willo the wisp. instead what did i purchase? bod. now bod is ok, in fact i may even add the little fellow to this section if i have the time. however, i COULD have got both. or i could have got willo over bod. i have watched bod once and haven't felt a hankering to do so again. willo, i know, would be repeat viewing. then willo was deleted. willo was changing hands for fifty quid a pop. second HAND.
i saw that there were now second hand copies going for twenty quid on amazon and thought...hmmmm..SHALL I? and then - AND THEN! - i noticed that they are RE-RELEASING IT AT THE END OF THIS MONTH! huzzah!
so this begins on a happy and excited note.
on at tea time in the early 80s, willo the wisp is a DELIGHT. set in Doyley Woods it's inhabitants are Mavis Cruet, a fat fairy with a heart of pure gold. 'Mave' to her friends, her little lispy voice and good nature made her a joy;
arthur (or 'arfur') the caterpillar who is waiting and waiting to become a moth;
carwash the cat, a bit up himself;
the beast who was once a prince but transformed by the witch;
her witchness, evil edna who is a television set;
the wisp himself, narrator
and my absolute favorite, one of my favorite cartoon characters EVER - the moog.
in my favorite moment everyone is sad because mavis has lost her wand and no one can find it. the moog brings a 'stick' to arthur and says, 'i've got a stick arfur, and if you frow it arfur, i'll go and get it arfur'. it is, of course, mavis's wand.
the show was voiced by the sublime kenneth williams and the characterisations he did were fantastic, making him one of the most underated actors we had i think. his animated likeness as the wisp is also incredible. though his face WAS quite cartoon anyway.
the stories are lovely, sweet, enchanting and fondly remembered. the show was a HUGE hit with kids and adults alike.
thank GOODNESS they are releasing it again. it was apparently one of the best sellers of children's dvds ever. what TOOK them so LONG?