50 Years of Mr Men
Matt Lucas celebrates 50 magical years of the children’s favourites…
16 May, 6pm C4 Factual
There’s a joyful dose of nostalgia in this documentary, as Matt Lucas charts the history of the Mr Men books, which began in 1971 when Roger Hargreaves created Mr Tickle after his son Adam, then eight, asked what a tickle looked like. We also follow Adam, now an artist and illustrator, as he creates five new potential characters to celebrate the birthday milestone.
Athird of all Brits own one, they’ve sold over 250 million copies worldwide and been published in 17 languages worldwide – there’s no doubt the Mr Men and then the Little Miss books, first created by Roger Hargreaves in 1971, are a publishing phenomenon and one of Britain’s most enduring global brands.
Inspiration
To celebrate their half century, comedian and Mr Men fan Matt Lucas presents this documentary charting the evolution of the colourful characters, and chats to superfans, collectors and collaborators.
‘I’ve loved the Mr Men and Little Miss books since I can remember,’ says Matt, who will also unveil two new characters chosen by a public vote, and visit a primary school to see how the books continue to inspire a whole new generation. ‘Revisiting the books for research, I was also reminded of just how funny they are.’
The story began when Roger Hargreaves, then working as an advertising executive, was asked by his eight-year-old son, Adam, what a tickle looked like. Hargreaves doodled a plump orange figure with long arms and created a story which, despite initial rejection by publishers, was picked up by a friend who worked in printing. Within nine years, 39 Mr Men books had been published, followed in 1974 by an animated TV series narrated by Dad’s Army legend Arthur Lowe.
Sadly, Roger died from a stroke in 1988, aged 53, and Adam picked up the mantle of his father’s characters.
‘They’re warm, likeable and feel like your friends,’ adds Matt. ‘My favourite was Mr Bump because I was always bumping into things and could identify with him!’