[PoochJD]

Hi Everyone,

If you were a youngster in the mid-1980's, you may well remember this charming animation show, first shown on Children's ITV in 1986. "The Moomins" is now being released to UK DVD, initially as 7 separate discs, between now and the end of the year, and then as a complete 7-dsic boxed set in December 2006, for about £45. Volumes 1 and 2 are available now!

Irrespective of whether you buy the single discs or the boxed set, the content will be identical! Each disc lasts about 2.5 hours - 90 minutes for the pre-cut English-language editions (as originally shown on UK Children's ITV), and a further hour (approximately) for the original German uncut versions (which were considered too dark and intense for British kiddies of the 1980's)! The Boxed set is available on Amazon, but it's an old edition, not the new 2006 release! My advice, be patient, and buy the 2006 release in December. Or failing that, satisfy yourself with the single-disc releases instead.

More details can be found at the excellent Moomins UK site here, including free downloads of episode one, a screensaver, and the various theme tunes. An excellent site, which is not run by me or anyone I know... honest!


Pooch

[Battlestar]

Cant get the link to work Pooch

[cabstar]

Brilliant series, the only tv show theme tune you couldn't hum or sing!!!!!

Gary

[PoochJD]

Hi Dave,

Originally Posted by Dave-S

Cant get the link to work Pooch

Sorry to hear that, but it seems to work okay with me. However, you could just try cutting and pasting the link shown below instead, and see if that works. If it doesn't, it sounds like the particular PC you are trying to access the website on, doesn't like/approve of Geocities websites.

The link url is: http://www.geocities.com/moomin_trolluk/

Best of Luck!


Pooch

[Battlestar]

Originally Posted by PoochJD

Hi Dave,



Sorry to hear that, but it seems to work okay with me. However, you could just try cutting and pasting the link shown below instead, and see if that works. If it doesn't, it sounds like the particular PC you are trying to access the website on, doesn't like/approve of Geocities websites.

The link url is: http://www.geocities.com/moomin_trolluk/

Best of Luck!


Pooch

Got it to work now mate. cheers.

Its interesting to hear how the differnt countrys have different theme music. I prefer the uk version my self.

[Mep]

remember these as books, long before the tv series.......not exactly the most intuitive of web sites though

[PoochJD]

HI,

Dave S - Am glad it worked! And, yes, the UK music was definitely the best out of the three themes that were used around the world.

Mep - Am not sure what you were expecting, but for a show that is nearly 30 years old now, and only ever having been shown once in this country, it's a reasonable attempt to give viewers and fans fond memories.

But, seeing as the site wasn't good enough for you, let's see if you could do better!


Pooch

[cabstar]

I am really surprised that the Moomins has never been repeated

regards

Gary

[Mep]

Originally Posted by PoochJD

HI,

Dave S - Am glad it worked! And, yes, the UK music was definitely the best out of the three themes that were used around the world.

Mep - Am not sure what you were expecting, but for a show that is nearly 30 years old now, and only ever having been shown once in this country, it's a reasonable attempt to give viewers and fans fond memories.

But, seeing as the site wasn't good enough for you, let's see if you could do better!


Pooch

blimey calm down mate, i just found it a bit hard to navigate...it wasn't meant to be a pop you!! sorry for any offence

[Knyght_byte]

i must admit, the Moomins was probably one of the few things i have seen in my life that actually disturbed me at all....not all the time, just some instances, cant remember what now in my later years, but they definitely had me on my toes....lol

wouldnt mind seeing them again...heh

(and this is coming from someone who laughed through most of Ichi The Killer and Oldboy....lol)

[huwg]

Originally Posted by cabstar

Brilliant series, the only tv show theme tune you couldn't hum or sing!!!!!

Gary

that and Miami Vice

[eviljohn2]

Originally Posted by Knyght_byte

i must admit, the Moomins was probably one of the few things i have seen in my life that actually disturbed me at all....not all the time, just some instances, cant remember what now in my later years, but they definitely had me on my toes....lol

I agree, they always seemed to get lost in a dark wood somewhere and get attacked by strange monsters. Just thinking about it now is freaking me out a bit.

[PoochJD]

HI,

Have just bought Volumes 1 and 2 of the series. Although each disc contains no extras, it's interesting to compare the uncut German episodes, with the edited UK episodes. The uncut ones, do contain alternate and new footage not seen in the UK editions, but they also drag out the overall story unnecessarily. As such, I much prefer the UK editions. And we still got the best theme tune of all the versions of the show released around the world! Emminently hummable, even if "Cabstar" (see their post, above), disagrees.

Picture is reasonable. There are scratches, nicks and dirt on the prints used, and some remastering does need doing, but overall, nothing major, unless you'll end-up watching the shows on a giant screen. Audio is mono left and right, but clear, and hiss-free. One good thing, about the UK versions, is that Richard Murdoch who did the English narration, really put a heck of a lot of effort into it, including trying to give each of the characters their own "voice". Listen to the German audio, on the German episodes, and the narrator there doesn't bother at all, and turns the little stories into a rather dry, Jackanory-type show.

German subtitles on the English episodes, and English subs for the German episodes, can be switched on or off, but no English subs for the English episodes, which is a shame for deaf or HOH viewers.

Other than that, it's still an excellent show, and I loved watching the discs through adult eyes, just as much as I did 20-odd years ago when they originally aired on Childrens ITV, back in the early 1980's. And, there's still lots of good humour to be had, for adults too! Worth a purchase, and online, each disc can be had for about £5-99. Infact, sod the kids: go out and treat yourself instead to this great little show!

Lastly, they are releasing the original Tove Jansson comic strips, in October 2006. The details are available here!


Pooch