Tube Mice
Encyclopedia
Tube Mice is a children's animated series produced in 1988 about the adventures of mice
who dwell in the tunnels of the London Underground
, the subway system locally referred to as 'the tube'.
The series was produced by Honeycomb Animation, and was created by Sarah and Simon Bor. Syndicated by the regional network TSW, the series was a rare TSW network offering, and was screened on Children's ITV
. They use the Tube to get around London, taking them to wherever their latest adventure was supposed to take place.
The mice had their own society, using rubbish thrown away by humans (the mice had a strict code prohibiting theft). They had their own compartments on Underground trains and decorated their tunnels with reused junk. This society included mouse businessmen, mouse underground supervisors and even mouse Members of Parliament
.
"types". The main characters were:
Other characters included:
, this series was set on a rather true-to-life version of the London Underground, right down to litter and graffiti.
The style of animation was very distinctive, using strange angles and perspectives, and using watercolour backgrounds. The series made heavy use of the ransom note effect
where writing appeared on screen, giving the series a very punk feel.
MICE
-Fiction:*Mice , alien species in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy*The Mice -Acronyms:* "Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions", facilities terminology for events...
who dwell in the tunnels of the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
, the subway system locally referred to as 'the tube'.
The series was produced by Honeycomb Animation, and was created by Sarah and Simon Bor. Syndicated by the regional network TSW, the series was a rare TSW network offering, and was screened on Children's ITV
Overview
The four main characters were mice living at Oxford Circus tube stationOxford Circus tube station
-External links:* ** ** * Plans of the station after the Victoria Line works , , *...
. They use the Tube to get around London, taking them to wherever their latest adventure was supposed to take place.
The mice had their own society, using rubbish thrown away by humans (the mice had a strict code prohibiting theft). They had their own compartments on Underground trains and decorated their tunnels with reused junk. This society included mouse businessmen, mouse underground supervisors and even mouse Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
.
Characters
The characters were all based on recognisable LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
"types". The main characters were:
- Bubble - A streetwise and confident female Rastafarian mouse, originally from a tower blockTower blockA tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, office tower, apartment block, or block of flats, is a tall building or structure used as a residential and/or office building...
. Voiced by Sheila Hyde. - Squeak - An upper classUpper classIn social science, the "upper class" is the group of people at the top of a social hierarchy. Members of an upper class may have great power over the allocation of resources and governmental policy in their area.- Historical meaning :...
fieldmouseField mouseField mouse may refer to:*in Europe, Asia and north Africa, one of several species of mice in genus Apodemus*in North America, a small vole such as the Meadow Vole*in South America, one of several species of mice in genus Akodon...
who initially comes to London seeking his inheritance, but who decides to stay at Oxford Circus. His and Bubble's names are a pun on the English dish bubble and squeakBubble and squeakBubble and squeak is a traditional English dish made with the shallow-fried leftover vegetables from a roast dinner. The main ingredients are potato and cabbage, but carrots, peas, brussels sprouts, and other vegetables can be added...
. Voiced by Rupert FarleyRupert FarleyRupert Farley is an actor from the UK. He has had various bit roles in Movies such as From Hell and Mrs. Brown. He is probably best known for his voice acting work, which includes voice over work for TV advertisements and animation. His name is well known amongst the fans of "The Animals of...
. - Vernon - A wheeler-dealer of a mouse, dressed as a teddy boyTeddy BoyThe British Teddy Boy subculture is typified by young men wearing clothes that were partly inspired by the styles worn by dandies in the Edwardian period, styles which Savile Row tailors had attempted to re-introduce in Britain after World War II...
. His greed and schemes would often form the basis of the adventure - often because he was rarely as clever as he thought he was. He was voiced by George Cole, and his character was remarkably similar to Arthur Daley, Cole's character in the popular television series MinderMinder (TV series)Minder is a British comedy-drama about the London criminal underworld. Initially produced by Verity Lambert, it was made by Euston Films, a subsidiary of Thames Television and shown on ITV...
. - Toaster - Vernon's dim-witted sidekick. He dressed like a punkPunk fashionPunk fashion is the clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics, jewelry, and body modifications of the punk subculture. Punk fashion varies widely, ranging from Vivienne Westwood designs to styles modeled on bands like The Exploited. The distinct social dress of other subcultures and art movements, including...
. Although he would follow Vernon anywhere, his stupidity and love of food would often scupper any plans they had. He was voiced by Dennis WatermanDennis WatermanDennis Waterman is a British actor and singer, best known for his tough-guy roles in television series including The Sweeney, Minder and New Tricks.-Early life:...
, also enjoying success in Minder at the time.
Other characters included:
- Bo Heemy - A mouse artist. His name is a pun on "bohemianBohemianA Bohemian is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region of Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic. The word "Bohemian" was used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language before the word...
" - Mickelmouse - An MP at WestminsterParliament of the United KingdomThe Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
, sitting in the Mouse of ParliamentPalace of WestminsterThe Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
. - Rapper - A mouse who talks only in the form of rapRappingRapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
. - Derby - A mouse Underground attendant, usually found leaning on his broom, asleep.
Style
Unlike the later Underground ErnieUnderground Ernie
Underground Ernie is a Computer-animated children's television series produced by Joella Productions in the UK and shown by the BBC on both CBeebies and BBC Two...
, this series was set on a rather true-to-life version of the London Underground, right down to litter and graffiti.
The style of animation was very distinctive, using strange angles and perspectives, and using watercolour backgrounds. The series made heavy use of the ransom note effect
Ransom note effect
In typography, the ransom note effect is the result of using an excessive number of juxtaposed typefaces. It takes its name from the appearance of a stereotypical ransom note, with the message formed from words or letters cut randomly from a magazine or newspaper in order to avoid using...
where writing appeared on screen, giving the series a very punk feel.