Willo the Wisp Willo the Wisp is a Children’s TV cartoon that began in the 80’s. The series was based on a short animated advert that Nick Spargo created for British Gas called Super Natural Gas. The voice of Willo was still Kenneth Williams, but none of the other characters existed. Nick thought that Willo could become the storyteller of the adventures of a number of characters in Doyley Wood. He set about creating these characters, but it took a number of years before the original Willo the Wisp cartoon came to our screens (1981) as he had to convince the BBC and raise the funds for the show.   It became a hit and Mavis, the fat fairy became a household name. This was due to the storylines and strange characters, but it was helped by the fantastic voice talents of Kenneth Williams and the music of Tony Kinsey. 26 original episodes were made. Willo the Wisp has been off our screens for a number of years, but it has returned in a new second series. 'The This time the voice talents of James Dreyfuss have been used (who starred in Thin Blue Line' and the 'Gimme, Gimme, Gimme'). The style of animation hasn't changed, but characters have changed its a slightly. Such as a slimmer Mavis and a Flat Screen Evil Edna, so thumbs up from us.     Story  Down at Doyley Wood there are a number of strange friends who live there (apart from Evil Edna). Watching them is an enigmatic observer called Willo the Wisp. Willo the Wisp Characters       Willo the Wisp He is a spooky Dingly Dell who is made of Methane Gas (or Natural Gas). He observes the strange inhabitants of Doyley Wood and recount all their stories back to us all. He also looks very similar to a famous actor called Kenneth Williams, I wonder why? When he can, he likes to dance through the forest.     Mavis Cruet  She is the only fairy in the world that cannot fly. This is because she doesn't know how to fly (she thought her wings were for keeping off the rain!), but the main reason is because she is too heavy to fly! She became upset about this and Arthur thought he'd teach her how to fly, but it was no use, she had to diet. She did fly once the diet was over, but Evil Edna turned the tree she was flying near into a fairy cake tree. She gorged herself and her wings collapsed under the weight. That was the end of her flying career.   She would love a handsome Prince to ride in and whisk her away, but it never happens. Falling in love, is another thing Mavis does quite often. Like all fairies, she has a magic wand, but it looks a little beaten up, maybe its because she is a bit untidy and it was squashed by a few of her things? But she has a reputation as a fairy whose magic nearly always goes wrong.   Evil Edna does pick on her, once she turned her into a tree and another time she was listening to the sea in two sea shells and Edna stuck them to her head. She looked like a Viqueen (the female equivalent of a Viking). So convincing was she, that she was kidnapped by a group of Viking Trolls. Mavis even thought Edna was being kind when she said that she could make her thin, but as usual, there was a twist, as looking at her she still looked, ahem, rotund. But when she turned sideways she was pencil thin. She won the Beauty Queen of the Universe competition, when Evil Edna turned her into a frog. This was mainly to do with Edna turning the judges into frogs too and they thought Mavis was the most beautiful frog they had ever seen.      Arthur  He is a caterpillar that is trying to sound posh and be clever, but fails. But he makes up for things with his quick, dry wit, that most of the others don't understand, but it makes us giggle. Evil Edna turned him into a frog when he interrupted her counting sheep (she was trying to get to sleep). Also he has a habit of not believing a word that Mavis says to him and he thinks that she is quite mad.   He can be quite brave (sometimes) and he even connected an electronic miracle (games machine), that he bought off a salesman, to Evil Edna while she was sleeping. Edna wasn't pleased when she found that Arthur could play a tennis game on her. He told her that she must undo the spell she had put on Mavis, or forever have tennis played on her. She agreed (after a while). He keeps waiting to turn into a moth and fly away. He was so fed up with waiting, that he hired a moth outfit and told everyone he had transformed. But it was plain to them all that he was a fibber, as he plummeted to earth with a bump. So he still waits for the day for it to happen for real.     The Moog The Moog is a sort of dog, with very little brains. Now the inhabitants of Doyley Wood go on holiday once a year and the Moog has this sorted. He likes to go on package holidays and so packaged into a parcel and posted somewhere exotic. Once he found a pretty stick, which was in fact Mavis's Wand. Moog just wanted Arthur to throw it for him, so he could bring it back, but instead he used it to bring Mavis back from the horrible Viking Trolls. But when Mavis got back she wasn't happy, as she was enjoying her time as a Viqueen.   The Moog likes bones and once he licked a bone 3 times and a Genie appeared. He was stuck for a wish, as you see, Moog's can't think. So getting frustrated, he inadvertently said 'I wish Moog's could think' and so his wish was granted. So he made some kind wishes for some of the others and then he wished it would rain bones. But shock horror, he didn't know which bone was the magic one, so he couldn't stop it raining bones. The Moog made a mistake one day, when he drank one of Evil Edna's potions (well, he was thirsty) and he turned into a Werewolf. Luckily the tearing out of throats was not on the agenda (it is a children's programme) and he seemed his normal self inside. Poor Moog didn't understand why everyone ran away from him!   One day he decided to do some thinking and he thought of throwing a tomato at Evil Edna, but the stupid Moog told Edna about his thought. So she asked the Moog to think very hard of himself, which he did. But he disappeared and appeared in this 'Thinks Cloud', which was bad news, as he was trapped in it. So Edna put him where all the other clouds were, in the sky. Luckily Arthur thought of a way to get him down and got Mavis to make it rain and once all the water had fallen, the clouds disappeared and the Moog fell to earth. In fact he fell straight on Edna. It serves her right!     The Beast He was not always a beast and used to be a Prince. But Prince Humbert the Handsome made a terrible mistake one day, when he bumped into a Television Set while riding his bicycle through Doyley Wood. He wondered who had left a rotten old TV Set on the path, but it was Evil Edna and she didn't like being called rotten. So she turned him into the Beast, but his ordeal wasn't over as Arthur was trying to get Mavis to marry the beast (she was going to marry the next person or thing that came along). Luckily Mavis wasn't into Beast's who couldn't pronounce their R's.     Carwash Now Carwash is posh (compared to Arthur) and is not amused if he is called a pussycat. He keeps his feelings in check, apart from when Spring arrives. He sounds very much like Noel Coward, maybe they used to hang around together? For his holidays, he stays with a friend in Catford.     Evil Edna Evil Edna is a Television Set, but no ordinary one. In fact she is a witch of extreme wickedness. But one day she was nice to everyone! The others in the wood couldn't believe their eyes and they had to find out why. It was quite simple, Edna was in love with a news reader on the TV.   Not content with turning the Prince into a Beast, she even turned him into a large Ice Lolly because she was in a foul mood and it cheered her up. Now this doesn't sound too bad until you realise that he started to melt. Edna didn't come back to help and the Beast nearly melted to nothing, luckily Mavis and the Astronats magiced him back to the Beast, albeit smaller (well he had been melting).   She likes to call Mavis the 'Fat Fairy' and says to most people 'get out of my way!'. When she goes on holiday, she makes it rain everyday to upset everyone on the beach, so its best to know where she is going and then to go elsewhere. She got her comeuppance when Arthur asked a passing Wood Worm if he liked TV cabinets. The Wood Worm was very excited, so when he saw Edna, he had a feast eating her cabinet. She was not amused. She celebrates her birthday on Halloween.   Willo The Wisp - Mavis Wants To Be Kissed Willo The Wisp - Himself Willo The Wisp - Mavis Cruet Willo The Wisp - Arthur Willo The Wisp - The Moog Willo The Wisp - The Beast Willo The Wisp - Carwash Willow the Wisp T-Shirts - NONE Willow the Wisp DVDs Region 2 (Europe) - Willo The Wisp DVDs Region 1 (USA) - Willo The Wisp DVDs Willo the Wisp Video Willo The Wisp - Arthur and Mavis Cruet
Willo the Wisp Episodes Series 1 (1983)  1. The Bride-Groom  2. Edna's Secret  3. Food for thought  4. Holidays  5. The Dragon  6. The Wish-Bone  7. The Chrysalis  8. The Magnet  9. Wugged Wocks  10. The Flight of Mavis  11. The Thoughts of Moog  12. The Joys of Spring  13. Games with Edna  14. The Hot, Hot Day  15. Halloween  16. The Gnome  17. Boring Old Edna  18. The 'You Know What'  19. The Bean-Stalk  20. Cats and Dogs  21. The Midas Touch  22. The Viqueen  23. The Potion  24. The Beauty Contest  25. Magic Golf  26. Christmas Box   Series 2 (2005)   1. Moon on a Stick  2. The Toothache  3. The Nature Walk  4. Feed the Birds  5. The Magic Bone  6. The Knotted Handkerchief  7. The Little Cloud  8. The Mind Reader  9. The Fancy Dress Ball  10. Bowling for Carwash  11. The Knee-Knocking Tree  12. The Best Friend  13. The Tiddle-me-Wink  14. The Makeover  15. The Miracle  16. The Love Bug  17. The Wobbly Wood  18. The Doyley Hunt  19. The Cocoa Demon  20. The Beauty Spot  21. The Curse of Celebrity  22. The Lost City of Polenta  23. The Woodwind  24. The Vegetable Garden  25. The Art Class  26. Here Comes the Judge Willo the Wisp Images (click to enlarge) Willo The Wisp - Evil Edna Willo The Wisp - The Moog Transformed Willo The Wisp - A Wood Worm Willo The Wisp - Twit's Love Of His Life Willo The Wisp - Happy Halloween Willo The Wisp - The Moog Finds A Magic Wand Willo The Wisp - Vikings Love Mavis Willo The Wisp - Evil Edna Is Attacked By Wood Worm Willo The Wisp - Twit Flies Backwards Willo The Wisp - Prince Humbert Willo The Wisp - Evil Edna Attacks Willo The Wisp - Titles Willo The Wisp - Mavis Can Fly Willo The Wisp - Arthur Tries To Fly Willo the Wisp Merchandise Audiobook CD (Europe) - Willo the Wisp Downloadable Audiobook (USA) - Willo the Wisp © JedisParadise.com
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