Maisy Explained

Genre:	Children, animated
Based On:	Maisy book series by Lucy Cousins
Creator:	Lucy Cousins
Director:	Leo Nielsen
Narrated:	Neil Morrissey (UK version) Brian Greene (US version)
Theme Music Composer:	KICK Productions
Opentheme:	"Maisy"
Endtheme:	"Maisy"
Composer:	KICK Productions
Country:	United Kingdom
Language:	English
Num Seasons:	1
Num Episodes:	26 (104 segments)
Executive Producer:	Lucinda Whiteley
Producer:	Clive Juster
Editor:	Christopher Gunningham
Runtime:	24 minutes
Network:	ITV (CITV)
Company:	King Rollo Films PolyGram Visual Programming (1999) Universal Pictures Visual Programming (1999-2000)

Maisy is a British preschool animated children's television series based on the book series of the same name by Lucy Cousins. The series aired for one season of 26 episodes, with each episode being made up of four segments. It won the British Academy Children's Award for Pre-School Animation in 2000.

Plot

The show focuses on the lives of Maisy Mouse and her friends. A mellow-voiced narrator narrates the action and communicates with the characters while the animals go through their paces communicating through unusual noises rather than traditional language.The characters are meant to be between four and nine years old. The narrator, however, can understand them easily because he is the only one who actually speaks. The animated series keeps the two-dimensional visual style of the books.

Characters

• Maisy is a mouse who lives in an orange house with a red roof. She wears different clothes. She loves to paint and play with her friends.
• Cyril is a squirrel who wears a yellow or green shirt.
• Tallulah is a chick who is almost always seen wearing a dress and a bow.
• Charley is a crocodile who loves to eat.
• Eddie is an elephant who is often in settings where he is too big to participate as he is often depicted as being almost animalistic rather than anthropomorphic in appearance.

Production

Maisy was produced by King Rollo Films, PolyGram Visual Programming, and Universal Pictures Visual Programming.

Release and subsequent telecasts

Maisy first aired on CITV in the United Kingdom on 11 February 1999 with the series' final episode aired on 2 November 2000,^[1] with repeats aired until the mid-2000s. In the US, the series aired for a few years on the now-defunct Qubo Channel,^[2] following a 2008 licensing deal that the network reached with the show's distributor, NBCUniversal. Before Qubo, the show had been seen on the Nick Jr. block on Nickelodeon, as well as Nickelodeon's sister network Noggin.

Accolades

Maisy won the British Academy Children's Award for Pre-School Animation in 2000.^[3]

Home media and streaming

Maisy was released on VHS in the US from 1999 until 2001, at which point it was replaced with DVD releases. Universal Studios Home Entertainment released several Maisy videotapes in the US, most of them with the Macrovision copying protection system.

As of 2020, the show was streaming on Peacock.

VHS releases (US)

• Count with Maisy (3 August 1999)
• Maisy's Bedtime (3 August 1999)
• Maisy's Colors and Shapes (21 September 1999)
• Maisy's Friends (21 September 1999)
• Maisy's Birthday (15 February 2000)
• Play with Maisy (23 May 2000)
• Maisy Makes Music (12 September 2000)
• Maisy's Winter Fun (12 September 2000)
• Maisy's ABC (6 February 2001)
• Maisy's Springtime (28 February 2001)

VHS releases (UK)

The series is also available on VHS and DVD in its native United Kingdom:

• Introducing Maisy (1999)
• Maisy Colours and Counting (2000)
• Maisy Animal Stories (2000)
• Maisy Birthday and other stories (2000)
• Maisy Christmas and other stories (2000)
• Maisy Bedtime and other stories (2000)
• Introducing Maisy (2001)
• Maisy's Fun in the Sun (2001)
• Maisy's Farm (2001)
• Maisy Playtime (2001)
• Maisy's ABC (2001)
• Maisy Circus (2002)
• Maisy and Panda (2002)
• Maisy Activity Time/Splash (2002)
• Good Morning Maisy (2003)
• Maisy Fun and Games (2003)

DVD releases (US)

• Good Morning Maisy (2004)
• Playtime Maisy (2004)
• Good Night Maisy (2004)

DVD releases (UK)

• Maisy's Farm (2001)
• Maisy Christmas and other stories (2004)
• Maisy's ABC (2005)
• Maisy Colours and Counting (2000)
• Maisy Animal Stories (2000)
• Maisy Birthday and other stories (2000) (AUS)
• Maisy Bedtime and other stories (2000)
• Maisy Fun in the Sun (2006)
• Maisy Playtime (2006)
• Maisy Splash (2006)
• Maisy and Panda (2006)
• Maisy Discovers (2010)
• Maisy Animals (2010)
• Maisy Helps (2010)
• Maisy On the Go (2011)
• Maisy Garden (2010)
• Maisy Adventures (2010)
• Maisy Playtime (2010) (AUS)
• Maisy Birthday (2010) (AUS)
• Maisy Bedtime (2010) (AUS)
• Maisy Christmas (2010) (AUS)

Episodes

The show lasted for one season that consisted of 26 episodes. Each episode was made up of four segments, so there were 104 segments in total.

Song shorts

• Drip Drip Drop (The Rain Song)^[4]
• Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush^[5]
• I Look Out of My Window^[4]
• I'm Gonna Write a Letter^[4]
• The Wheels on the Bus^[5]
• What Should We Do When We All Come In^[5]

Notes and References

1. Book: Crump . William D. . Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film . 2019 . McFarland & Co . 9781476672939 . 182.
2. Web site: qubo Inks Deals With PorchLight, NBC Universal. October 9, 2008. Annemarie Moody. Animation World Network.
3. Web site: Children's in 2000. British Academy of Film and Television Arts. 19 February 2023.
4. Maisy's Bedtime. VHS.
5. Maisy Makes Music. VHS.