Tidy Bag

The Wombles to return on Channel 5 in 2015

New CGI Orinoco eating cake

Dramatico Entertainment has formally confirmed its plans for the future of The Wombles, announcing that the brand new TV series will be broadcast on Channel 5’s early morning preschool Milkshake! show in 2015.

News of the ‘comeback’ first hit the headlines a few weeks ago, when the Press Association picked up the story after Mike Batt told fans about his plans on his personal blog.

Jessica Symons, head of Children’s Channel 5, said: “This show was so loved by generations of children and the time is right for it to gain a whole new following. The stories and characters are as compelling as ever and we’re excited to welcome The Wombles to Milkshake.”

Dramatico Animation Ltd will be creating 52 new 11-minute episodes. Mike Batt confirmed that the new TV series will be CGI, saying: “It will look more like stop motion but with great fur."

He told The Times: "A lot of us have the old stop-motion in our hearts from childhood, but with The Wombles it was not the jerky movements, it was the design and the wonderful characters. They will be like stop-motion puppets to look at, but will move more smoothly.

“The old ones were lovely, but were very slow and of their time in terms of their pacing. They were even ahead of their time in terms of their green and recycling credentials. We want to keep it parochial and cuddly and yet inject some action and fun.”

New CGI Wombles line-up

Test footage will be shown this October at MIPJunior in Cannes, the international showcase for children’s programmes.

The ‘multi-platform relaunch’ will also include a full-length film combining live action with CGI Wombles, an online ‘Wombles World interactive experience’ created by kids’ games producer Dubit, a Wombles pop group tour ‘to be announced’, and a new range of character merchandise. The new episodes will have a ‘higher music content’ than in the 1970s.

Co-executive producer Genevieve Dexter said: “Many people have attempted to bring back classic properties, and failed. What sets The Wombles apart is that they were ahead of their time, as the first recycling enthusiasts and with the extra dimension of the band which brought them to a family arena. The rights have now been regrouped and adapted for 21st century tastes and media consumption, although the relevance of the original themes holds strong and the messages therein are perhaps even more widely accepted today.”

In an interview with animation magazine Skwigly, Genevieve shared a few more details. The characters will be the original seven with the addition of Alderney. The episodes will have dialogue, and are planned for spring/summer 2015. And “of course” they’ll be keeping Mike Batt’s original theme tune.

There were hundreds of reactions on Twitter - most people were pleased that The Wombles would be coming back, but wary of the new CGI production and keen for Bernard Cribbins to be involved again. See the most interesting comments below.

Mike Batt said he would love Bernard Cribbins to work on the new episodes. He told The Times: “I haven’t asked him yet, but he did a brilliant job in the Seventies and I would love it if he would grace us with his presence.” Genevieve Dexter said to Skwigly: “We would love him to be Great Uncle Bulgaria when the time comes.”

Wombles find new UK home

A UK broadcaster has picked up the new CGI series based on The Wombles, to be co-exec produced by the founder and former owner of UK kids TV firm Cake. Channel 5 in the UK will air the series in its Milkshake! slot in 2015, with co-creator Mike Batt onboard as exec producer alongside Cake founder Genevieve Dexter.

https://twitter.com/brokenbottleboy/status/372632279983861760

The Wombles picked up by C5

Channel 5 has snapped up the remake of The Wombles for its kids strand, Milkshake.

The Wombles will return to TV in 2015

The Wombles will make a TV comeback in 2015 on Channel 5, it has been confirmed. Channel 5’s pre-school strand Milkshake has snapped up the rights to the classic children’s characters, who first became popular on TV in the 1970s.

Remember the Wombles? TV favourites poised to return on Channel 5

The Wombles are coming back to TV and the loveable litter-pickers have had a high-tech makeover. A new show based on their adventures on Wimbledon Common, starts on Channel 5’s pre-school section Milkshake in 2015, and will be made using computer-generated imagery (CGI).

https://twitter.com/MetalMouthNet/status/372665791784968193

The Wombles to return with brand new series on Channel 5

Remember when you last watched The Wombles? It was way back in 1999 when the pointy-nosed furry creatures last made an appearance on our screens. But today Channel 5 announced plans to create a brand new series of the children’s classic to air on their pre-school strand Milkshake in 2015.

https://twitter.com/jacobs_ladder71/status/372669759319707649 https://twitter.com/comedybeard/status/372674368549044224 https://twitter.com/AlexWynick/status/372674516612161537

Wombles poised for return to TV

A new show based on the litter-pickers’ adventures on Wimbledon Common, starts on Channel 5’s pre-school section Milkshake in 2015, and will be made using computer-generated imagery (CGI). Jessica Symons, head of Children’s Channel 5, said: "This show was so loved by generations of children and the time is right for it to gain a whole new following.

The Wombles to make TV comeback on Channel 5, animated with CGI

The Wombles are coming back to TV - and the stop-motion litter-pickers will be having a high-tech makeover. A new show based on their adventures on Wimbledon Common is due to start on Channel 5’s pre-school Milkshake segment in 2015, and will be made using CGI.

https://twitter.com/loveandgarbage/status/372686938920472576

The Wombles arrive at Channel 5

Channel 5 is to air a new series of children’s classic The Wombles as part of its pre-school strand, Milkshake. This show was so loved by generations of children and the time is right for it to gain a whole new following.

https://twitter.com/hyperlinkage/status/372692058298785792 https://twitter.com/Sidekick28/status/372697321999708160

Dramatico prepares Wombles re-launch after bringing rights under one roof

Dramatico Entertainment has announced plans for the administration of the Wombles brand after bringing the core rights under one roof for the first time. The news comes following the acquisition of the major shareholding in Wombles Copyright Holdings. Damatico chairman Mike Batt is now planning a “holistic, multi-platform re-launch” of the brand including a tour of The Wombles pop group.

Wombles set for Channel 5 return

The Wombles of Wimbledon Common are to return to the small screen, in a new Channel 5 series made using computer-generated animation. Based on the adventures of the loveable London litter-pickers, the 52, 11-minute shorts will air on the channel’s pre-school segment Milkshake in 2015.

The Wombles to make TV comeback on Channel 5, animated with CGI

The Wombles are coming back to TV - and the stop-motion litter-pickers will be having a high-tech makeover. A new show based on their adventures on Wimbledon Common is due to start on Channel 5’s pre-school Milkshake segment in 2015, and will be made using CGI.

https://twitter.com/DavidMcK1968/status/372710725656911872 https://twitter.com/MannyMuses/status/372710834046136321

‘The Wombles’ returning in 2015, on Channel 5

It’s been announced that The Wombles will make their small screen return in 2015, on Channel 5. The 52-episode series, which is being created by Dramatico Animation Ltd using computer-generated imagery (CGI), will air as part of childrens’ strand, Milkshake. Head of Children’s Channel 5, Jessica Symons, said: "This show was so loved by generations of children and…

https://twitter.com/CrichtonLibrary/status/372713975625949185 https://twitter.com/smoothradio70s/status/372716449887838208

The Wombles are wombling their way back onto a telly-box near you. For real.

We don’t pretend to be experts on The Wombles. We haven’t studied them in their natural habitat (that’s Wimbledon Common, as an FYI), we don’t know what drives them to collect and recycle rubbish in such creative ways and we don’t know why they have retractable claws (has anyone ever seen a Womble in a fight before?).

https://twitter.com/__RyanPiper_/status/372718485891084288

Return of The Wombles: The best and worst children’s TV remakes of all time

The Wombles, remember them? The lovable litter-pickers from Wimbledon Common? Well, they are making a television comeback with a high-tech makeover. A new show based on their adventures, starts on Channel 5’s pre-school section Milkshake in 2015, and will be made using computer-generated imagery (CGI), it was announced.

Underground, overground… The Wombles return to TV!

A new show featuring the furry litter-pickers will be created using high-tech computer-generated imagery (CGI). The adventures of Great Uncle Bulgaria, Tobermory, Orinoco and others will start on Channel 5’s pre-school programme Milkshake in 2015. Animators are making 52 episodes which will each be 11 minutes long.

https://twitter.com/TweetsbyJonesy/status/372721028755378176

http://www.worldscreen.com/articles/display/2013-8-28-thewombles-channel5

https://twitter.com/Carnivac/status/372733570705412096 https://twitter.com/annapamps/status/372733929918173184

The Wombles to make small screen comeback in 2015 on Channel 5

Channel 5 have snapped up the rights to bring The Wombles back to TV, f ollowing the news that a new series of the show was in the offing. The eco-friendly Wimbledon Common dwellers - who reached the height of their popularity in the 1970s - will feature on the channel’s Milkshake strand in the mornings from 2015.

The Wombles will return to television after a CGI makeover

The litter-pickers will be updated using computer-generated imagery, giving them a new lease of life. Characters like Great Uncle Bulgaria and Orinico will star in at the new show on Channel 5’s pre-school programme Milkshake in 2015. Animators are making 52 episodes which will each be 11 minutes long.

https://twitter.com/Findus_Dinner/status/372747453281230848

http://www.stereoboard.com/content/view/181083/9

https://twitter.com/kd_mckenna/status/372752056563810304

Wombles back in UK with a new plan

Wombles Copyright Holdings and Dramatico Entertainment have revealed their plans to relaunch the iconic British brand, Wombles. Wombles Copyright Holdings and Dramatico Entertainment have revealed their plans to relaunch the iconic British brand, Wombles. Dramatico Animation is set to produce a new 52 x 11-minute series for a slot on UK-based Channel 5?s Milkshake block in 2015.

https://twitter.com/Greginator1995/status/372759849983307777 https://twitter.com/cool_aardvark/status/372761506489712640 https://twitter.com/Kerrymagorian/status/372770863625822208

The Wombles digital reboot will be an unwatchable atrocity, just like these terrible CGI kids’ show remakes

Hurrah! The Wombles are coming back, and are all set to teach the next generation of kids to tidy up their litter and crap whenever they’re on Wimbledon Common. But booo! They’re coming back in CGI form, created on computers by cold, soulless boffins and completely and utterly bereft of all the charm of their original incarnations.

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10151659695885835&id=516745834

The Wombles are coming back to TV

The Wombles are returning to television in 2015 in a new series using computer-generated imagery (CGI). The Wombles made their TV debut in 1968 in a story broadcast on Jackanory and later became a BBC series (1973-75) directed by Ivor Wood using stop-motion and Film Fair puppets.

https://twitter.com/DarkAeon/status/372781594211516416 https://twitter.com/aerionTehc/status/372781764713795584 https://twitter.com/bbcldn/status/372782863147884545 https://twitter.com/BlumolesareBlu/status/372789581998870528 https://twitter.com/chrismjmarsh/status/372794358400962560

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10153235604550341&id=560960340

https://twitter.com/chrismjmarsh/status/372795538363527168

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=384179635044474&id=351659788296459

https://twitter.com/davejnick/status/372802110330793984

Channel 5 Welcomes Back the Wombles

The fuzzy ol’ Wombles of Wimbledon Common are returning to the small screen in a new CG-animated series for the U.K.'s Channel 5. The new 52 x11 series of shorts about the loveable litter-pickers will debut on the channel’s Milkshake preschool block in 2015.

https://twitter.com/joecassels/status/372853745459400704

Page 3 Profile:The Wombles, furry litter pickers

Yes, but not any old one. The rather wonderful Wombles are heading back to our screens in all their pointy-nosed, unkempt - and slightly odd - glory. Hurrah for nostalgia! Don’t expect the same quaint animation style of the original series. Uncle Bulgaria and co are having a 21st-century CGI makeover for the Channel 5 series, slated for 2015.

Recycling Wimbledon’s Wombles

The Wombles will be wombling free again in a relaunch of Wimbledon’s most famous eco-warriors in a computer-generated TV animation series. Uncle Bulgaria, Orinoco and the litter-picking gang are due to return to Wimbledon Common on Channel 5 in 2015 in 52 new 11-minute episodes.

https://twitter.com/msircar/status/372900685349924864 https://twitter.com/K_V_5/status/372966116475539456 https://twitter.com/Geordie_Danny/status/372984157179478016 https://twitter.com/SiobhanClifton/status/372988555980992512 https://twitter.com/ThomasFTurrell/status/372995430348369921 https://twitter.com/menor_maimbyte/status/372999889023959040

The Wombles return with film, online world and new merchandise

The Wombles is to get an “holistic, multi platform relaunch” according to Dramatico Entertainment, with plans afoot for a live action/CGI film, merchandise, a pop group tour and an online world. With the controlling stake in the core rights now under one roof - for the first time in The Wombles’ history - Dramatico’s chairman Mike Batt has revealed the raft of new activity.

https://twitter.com/Pollage/status/373015313035845632 https://twitter.com/loveandgarbage/status/373021388913004544 https://twitter.com/afterfuse/status/373022972313079808

Wombling into the 21st century: 70s favourites set for TV return in 2015 after CGI revamp

Jessica Symons, head of Children’s Channel 5, said: 'This show was so loved by generations of children and the time is right for it to gain a whole new following.

https://twitter.com/badmachinery/status/373026075288170497 https://twitter.com/Pile_of_Plastic/status/373029436745994240

Batt plans various Womble ventures having secured rights beyond the music

Well, you know what they say, in this here digital age it’s not enough for a band to just write songs and sing them anymore - “the band’s the brand” remember, and merch, product extensions, TV shows and film projects are all part of the equation if you want to have a truly viable business.

https://twitter.com/IAmCatfink/status/373036760202506240 https://twitter.com/Gentlemansunion/status/373039735994073088 https://twitter.com/orlamcelroy/status/373040375453065216 https://twitter.com/Martin1Williams/status/373076513203048449 https://twitter.com/jezzajwilliams/status/373095288333799424 https://twitter.com/KristoferKeane/status/373104270725619712 https://twitter.com/star_dub/status/373128095139921920

http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10202245930368434&id=1195586031

https://twitter.com/pellivision/status/373180483556749312

Channel 5 Confirms CGI Return Of Puppet Classic The Wombles

They have spawned 112 episodes of stop-motion TV content, a live-action movie, a successful music career, and the nickname for a defunct football club, but since 1998 classic British franchise The Wombles (started as a book series in the 1960’s by Elizabeth Beresford) have been pretty quiet.

https://twitter.com/bethanjaneee_/status/373387350170427392 https://twitter.com/tamborineprod/status/373403702209814528 https://twitter.com/anotherboy88/status/373520393484918784