Miffy and Friends
Miffy and Friends (Dutch: Nijntje en haar vriendjes) is a stop-motion animated television series, based on the Miffy book series by Dutch artist Dick Bruna.[1] The series was produced by Big Tent Entertainment and Mercis BV in association with Palm Multimedia.
| Miffy and Friends | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Children's television series |
| Created by | Dick Bruna |
| Directed by | Raymond Jafelice Andrew Young |
| Narrated by |
|
| Theme music composer | Tom van Beers |
| Opening theme | Miffy Theme |
| Composer | Jerry Hickman |
| Country of origin | Netherlands United Kingdom |
| Original languages | Dutch, English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 39 (78 segments) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 24 minutes |
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | KRO (The Netherlands) CITV (United Kingdom) |
| Release | 3 February 2003 – 30 March 2005 |
| Related | |
| Miffy's Adventures Big and Small | |
Miffy and Friends was originally broadcast from 2003 until 2005 on KRO in the Netherlands[2] and on CITV in the UK. In the US, it aired on Noggin.[3] Noggin created original "interactive game" shorts to air between segments of Miffy and Friends.[4]
Plot
The show focuses on the life of a young rabbit Miffy. The show is presented in a storybook style, with narration by Canadian actress/singer Cyd Vandenberg explaining the actions of non-speaking Miffy and her friends.
Characters
- Miffy is a young rabbit and the series' protagonist. She is an aspiring artist who also likes to write.
- Snuffy is a brave brown dog who was first introduced in the episode Miffy Meets Snuffy. She is one of Miffy's best friends.
- Boris is a bear who lives near Miffy. He enjoys building things. He has a sister named Barbara.
- Poppy is a pig often seen gardening or reading. She has a niece named Grunty.
- Grunty is Poppy Pig's niece.
- Barbara is Boris Bear's sister.
Episodes
The series lasted for three seasons, consisting of 39 episodes. Each episode is made up of two segments. On Noggin, original math-based shorts aired between the two segments.
| Season | Segment & Episode | First air date | Last air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26/13 | February 3, 2003 | August 11, 2003 | |
| 2 | 26/13 | April 5, 2004 | May 14, 2004 | |
| 3 | 26/13 | October 25, 2004 | March 30, 2005 | |
Season 1 (2003)
| # | Title | Original air date | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1a | "Miffy’s Musical Day" | February 3, 2003 | 101A |
| 1b | "Miffy's Rainy Day" | February 10, 2003 | 101B |
| 2a | "Miffy Meets Snuffy" | February 17, 2003 | 102A |
| 2b | "Miffy's Gift from Boris" | February 24, 2003 | 102B |
| 3a | "Poppy Pig Lends a Hand" | March 4, 2003 | 103A |
| 3b | "Miffy's and Aggie's Teddy Bears" | March 11, 2003 | 103B |
| 4a | "Miffy at a Costume Party" | March 18, 2003 | 104A |
| 4b | "Miffy Goes Camping" | March 25, 2003 | 104B |
| 5a | "Snuffy's Birthday" | April 7, 2003 | 105A |
| 5b | "Miffy Has the Flu" | April 14, 2003 | 105B |
| 6a | "Miffy Finds the Cup" | April 21, 2003 | 106A |
| 6b | "Snuffy Learns Patience" | April 28, 2003 | 106B |
| 7a | "Miffy's Birthday Party" | May 12, 2003 | 107A |
| 7b | "Miffy's Dancing Lessons" | May 19, 2003 | 107B |
| 8a | "Miffy is Lost in the Woods" | May 26, 2003 | 108A |
| 8b | "Miffy and Poppy Pig Have Breakfast" | June 2, 2003 | 108B |
| 9a | "Miffy and the Little Bird" | June 9, 2003 | 109A |
| 9b | "Miffy Plays Hide and Seek" | June 16, 2003 | 109B |
| 10a | "Miffy and the Wall Paintings" | June 23, 2003 | 110A |
| 10b | "Miffy and the Blue Egg" | June 30, 2003 | 110B |
| 11a | "Miffy and the Snow Bunny" | July 7, 2003 | 111A |
| 11b | "Miffy Flies a Kite" | July 14, 2003 | 111B |
| 12a | "Miffy and Melanie Learn to Read" | July 21, 2003 | 112A |
| 12b | "Miffy Paints Her Room" | July 28, 2003 | 112B |
| 13a | "Boris's Bird House" | August 4, 2003 | 113A |
| 13b | "Miffy's Three Wishes" | August 11, 2003 | 113B |
Season 2 (2004)
| # | Title | Original air date | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14a | "Miffy's Summer Vacation" | April 5, 2004 | 114A |
| 14b | "Miffy Gets a Postcard" | April 6, 2004 | 114B |
| 15a | "Miffy Meets Snuffy" | April 7, 2004 | 115A |
| 15b | "Miffy's Gift from Boris" | April 8, 2004 | 115B |
| 16a | "Miffy and the Caterpillar" | April 9, 2004 | 116A |
| 16b | "Miffy and the Great Carrot Feast" | April 12, 2004 | 116B |
| 17a | "Miffy's Colorful World" | April 13, 2004 | 117A |
| 17b | "Miffy's Scooter" | April 14, 2004 | 117B |
| 18a | "Miffy's Snowfall" | April 15, 2004 | 118A |
| 18b | "Miffy and Grunty Sleep in a Tent" | April 16, 2004 | 118B |
| 19a | "Miffy's Restaurant" | April 19, 2004 | 119A |
| 19b | "Miffy Discovers Nature" | April 20, 2004 | 119B |
| 20a | "Miffy and the Birthday Cake" | April 23, 2004 | 120A |
| 20b | "Miffy Counts Leaves" | April 24, 2004 | 120B |
| 21a | "Miffy in the Wind" | April 25, 2004 | 121A |
| 21b | "Miffy's Late for School" | April 26, 2004 | 121B |
| 22a | "Miffy Worries about Snuffy" | April 27, 2004 | 122A |
| 22b | "Miffy Helps Grunty" | April 28, 2004 | 122B |
| 23a | "Miffy Plants a Seed" | May 3, 2004 | 123A |
| 23b | "Snuffy's Doghouse" | May 4, 2004 | 123B |
| 24a | "Miffy Finds Snuffy" | May 5, 2004 | 124A |
| 24b | "Miffy and the Seasons" | May 6, 2004 | 124B |
| 25a | "Miffy Makes and Bakes" | May 11, 2004 | 125A |
| 25b | "Miffy's Surprise" | May 12, 2004 | 125B |
| 26a | "Miffy in the Shade" | May 13, 2004 | 126A |
| 26b | "Miffy's Flower Pot" | May 14, 2004 | 126B |
Season 3 (2004–2005)
| # | Title | Original air date | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27a | "Miffy's Beach Picnic" | October 25, 2004 | 201A |
| 27b | "Boris Tidies Up!" | October 26, 2004 | 201B |
| 28a | "Miffy Wants to Fly" | October 27, 2004 | 203A |
| 28b | "Miffy's Teddy Bear is Sick" | October 28, 2004 | 203B |
| 29a | "Miffy's Ball Game" | October 29, 2004 | 207B |
| 29b | "Miffy Has an Unexpected Day" | November 1, 2004 | 206B |
| 30a | "Miffy's Apple Pie" | November 2, 2004 | 205A |
| 30b | "Miffy's Musical Soup" | November 3, 2004 | 205B |
| 31a | "Miffy and Snuffy at the Playground" | November 6, 2004 | 202A |
| 31b | "Miffy and the Hungry Bird" | November 7, 2004 | 202B |
| 32a | "Miffy's Lost Teddy Bear" | November 14, 2004 | 204A |
| 32b | "Miffy and the Great Summer Picnic" | November 15, 2004 | 204B |
| 33a | "Miffy and the Three Christmas Trees" | December 16, 2004 | 206A |
| 33b | "Miffy's Mystery" | March 8, 2005 | 206B |
| 34a | "Miffy and the Shadows" | March 11, 2005 | 216A |
| 34b | "Snuffy's Winter Fun" | March 12, 2005 | 216B |
| 35a | "Miffy Plays Doctor" | March 17, 2005 | 213A |
| 35b | "Miffy Goes Skiing" | March 18, 2005 | 213B |
| 36a | "Miffy's Family Car Trip" | March 19, 2005 | 208A |
| 36b | "Miffy and the Falling Leaves" | March 20, 2005 | 208B |
| 37a | "Miffy and Snuffy Hear a Strange Sound" | March 23, 2005 | 211A |
| 37b | "Miffy's Mother's Day Present" | March 24, 2005 | 211B |
| 38a | "Boris Forgets Something" | March 27, 2005 | 212A |
| 38b | "Miffy's Dance Show" | March 28, 2005 | 212B |
| 39a | "Miffy Counts the Trees" | March 29, 2005 | 207A |
| 39b | "Boris's Race" | March 30, 2005 | 207B |
Production
Production took place in the Netherlands. Big Tent Entertainment and Mercis BV produced the series in association with Palm Multimedia.
Telecast and home media
Miffy and Friends was first introduced on the Dutch KRO in 2003 until it ended in 2005.[5] The show made its world premiere on CITV in the UK.[6] It aired on Noggin in the U.S. until 2007.[7] Some PBS stations had aired on repeats in the late 2000s. It also aired on Treehouse TV in Canada,[8] on ABC Kids in Australia[9] and on TV3 in New Zealand.
During its run, several videotapes including episodes of the series were produced. The series was also made available on DVD in America through Sony Wonder and Big Tent Entertainment.[10] Select Miffy and Friends episodes were included on themed DVDs released in 2009.[11] In 2016, it was also available for streaming on the Noggin app.
In 2022, Miffy and Friends was made available to stream on Amazon Prime.
Sequel
In 2015, a continuation of the series, Miffy's Adventures Big and Small, premiered on NPO Zappelin in the Netherlands and on Tiny Pop in the UK; it concluded on June 15, 2019.
References
- Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 541–542. ISBN 978-1476665993.
- "Australian and Dutch Stations Buy Miffy". licensemag.com. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
- Big Tent Entertainment (21 January 2003). "Major Deals Set Stage for Miffy and Friends Brand Expansion in United States and Canada". prnewswire.com. Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
- Renner, Lisanne (2 May 2004). "FOR YOUNG VIEWERS; Dutch Bunnies with Depth". The New York Times.
- "Australian and Dutch Stations Buy Miffy". licensemag.com. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
- "Big in Japan: Miffy (image credited to ITV)". Telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
- NOGGIN (25 March 2003). "Noggin Adds Miffy and Friends to Its Preschool Line-Up". prnewswire.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
- "Treehouse TV's Miffy and Friends Show Page". treehousetv.com. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007.
- "Miffy and Friends on ABC Kids". ABC Television. Archived from the original on 23 November 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
- "Miffy and Friends, Volume 1 (VHS)". amazon.co.uk. 8 September 2003. Archived from the original on 18 August 2021. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
- "Miffy and Friends: Miffy's Adventure DVD". amazon.com. 24 March 2009. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2017.