'Mary, Mungo & Midge : The Letter'

'Mary, Mungo & Midge : The Letter'

There's a rather clever spoof DVD commentary on YouTube for 'Mary, Mungo & Midge : The Crane', so let's jump ahead to the second episode ('The Letter') first broadcast in the 'Watch With Mother' slot on 14th October 1969.

If you've seen John Ryan's 'Captain Pugwash', you'll recognise the style at once, although it's a bit of a shame that the more wide-ranging tales of 'The Adventures Of Sir Prancelot' seem to be pretty much forgotten these days.

Richard Baker provides the calm, reassuring narration for what turns out to be a semi-educational episode.

Mary (voiced by Isabel Ryan, daughter of John) is writing a letter to her grandmother, a Mrs Angus of Bluebell Cottage, Bannock, Perthshire, apparently. We're in the infancy of postcodes here, by the way, so Mary not using one is not a case of her being lazy!

Mungo and Midge help with licking duties, although Midge (as the Frank Spencer of the rodent world) inevitably gets the stamp stuck on his arse at first. Incidentally, his playing of the flute is an interesting character quirk, not a millions mile from Patrick Troughton's Doctor, but at least there's no "I would like a hat like that" shennigans on display. Though it's never quite explained why he's wearing that red bow-tie...

We get the usual lift routine and Mary decides to sit this episode out.

Midge stands on Mungo's nose to post the letter, but somehow neglects to let go and falls in the pillar box. When the postman turns up, I suppose he could have escaped at that point, but the episode would be quite a short one.

Midge and the letter go to the local sorting office, which is a hive of activity. There's even a letter headed for America, though I've no idea if 'Mary, Mungo & Midge' was ever shown over the pond.
It does remind me a little of the episode of 'The Computer Programme' where Rex Malik follows Chris Serle's electricity bill payment through the banking system.

Midge is going all the way and we find ourselves on a mail train. There's a nice touch where we get some night-filming, or the nearest to it that you get in animation.

Anyone concerned about his calorie intake will be reassured to learn that he manages to scavenge some crumbs from a cheese sandwich belonging to one of the mail sorters.

Hours later, we're in a small Post Office in Perthshire where the postie (who, as Richard Baker points out, looks oddly like Mungo) gets on his bike.

A word here for Johnny Pearson's music, with the pieces 'Mini Walking' and 'Mini Movement' doing effective work over the opening and closing titles. The postman's bike ride is backed with 'Mini Clarinet' which was also used for the dinosaur animations on 'Vision On', in case it seems familiar.

.
The letter (and Midge) arrive at their destination and after another bite to eat, Midge gets to travel back in style in a custom-made box with all mod cons made by Mary's grandfather, Mr Angus.

Being counted as Rail Freight, Midge arrives back home in a massive lorry and Mary is very pleased to see him again, although Mungo feigns disinterest.

Midge plays it cool, with some very relaxed body language, but tells the story of his adventure to a rapt audience.

And we're done...

Next week, Midge dons a natty nautical hat (hmm, perhaps I was a bit hasty about there being no "I would like a hat like that") and goes for a sail in a small pond...

As with so many of the animated series of the time, there are only 13 episodes in the original run, but constant repeats mean these characters are forever etched in the memories of a generation.

It might not be the most thrilling of adventures, but 'The Letter' informs, educates and entertains its intended audience which is what it's all about. So full marks to writer Daphne Jones for fulfilling the brief admirably.

And that end frame, with the BBC logo is a work of art in itself.

(By Andrew Trowbridge)