Miffy and Friends (Dutch: Nijntje en haar vriendjes) is a stop-motionanimated television series, based on the Miffy book series by Dutch artist Dick Bruna.[1] The series was produced by Big Tent Entertainment and Mercis BV in association with Palm Multimedia.
Miffy and Friends was originally broadcast from 2003 until 2005 on KRO in the Netherlands[2] and on CITV in the UK. In the US, it aired on Noggin.[3] Noggin created original "interactive game" shorts to air between segments of Miffy and Friends.[4]
Plot
The show focuses on the life of a young rabbit Miffy. The show is presented in a storybook style, with narration by Canadian actress/singer Cyd Vandenberg explaining the actions of non-speaking Miffy and her friends.
Characters
Miffy is a young rabbit and the series' protagonist. She is an aspiring artist who also likes to write.
Snuffy is a brave brown dog who was first introduced in the episode Miffy Meets Snuffy. She is one of Miffy's best friends.
Boris is a bear who lives near Miffy. He enjoys building things. He has a sister named Barbara.
Poppy is a pig often seen gardening or reading. She has a niece named Grunty.
Grunty is Poppy Pig's niece.
Barbara is Boris Bear's sister.
Episodes
The series lasted for three seasons, consisting of 39 episodes. Each episode is made up of two segments. On Noggin, original math-based shorts aired between the two segments.
Production took place in the Netherlands. Big Tent Entertainment and Mercis BV produced the series in association with Palm Multimedia.
Telecast and home media
Miffy and Friends was first introduced on the Dutch KRO in 2003 until it ended in 2005.[5] The show made its world premiere on CITV in the UK.[6] It aired on Noggin
in the U.S. until 2007.[7] Some PBS stations had aired on repeats in the late 2000s. It also aired on Treehouse TV in Canada,[8] on ABC Kids in Australia[9] and on TV3 in New Zealand.
During its run, several videotapes including episodes of the series were produced. The series was also made available on DVD in America through Sony Wonder and Big Tent Entertainment.[10] Select Miffy and Friends episodes were included on themed DVDs released in 2009.[11] In 2016, it was also available for streaming on the Noggin app.
^Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 541–542. ISBN978-1476665993.