Mr. Benn

Popular British children's animation series. Mr Benn is the ordinary, bowler-hatted office worker who lives in the ordinary suburban street of Festive Road. However, when he tries on a costume in a mysterious shop, he steps out of the changing room into a different time and place, appropriate to his apparel. His adventures include him being a spaceman, a pirate and a cowboy.

Mr. Benn (1971-2005) is a British children's animated series created by David McKee for BBC Two. Its quiet protagonist, the bowler-hatted office worker Mr Benn, lives on an ordinary suburban street called Festive Road, and each fifteen-minute episode follows a simple engine: he tries on a costume in a mysterious shop, steps through the changing room, and finds himself in a different time and place matched to his outfit. Narrated by Ray Brooks, the single season of fourteen episodes runs as a set of self-contained adventures, with Mr Benn becoming a spaceman, a pirate, or a cowboy in turn. The series is a gentle, whimsical piece of children's television, with soft hand-drawn animation and a calm narrating voice. Its tone is comforting and playful, with a light educational thread running beneath each escapade. Viewers who loved the charm of Bagpuss and The Clangers will find the same warm, uncomplicated imagination here, a bedtime-friendly fantasy built on a simple magical premise.

• Bagpussgentle british children's animation, costume-driven fantasy adventures, whimsical episodic structure
• The Clangersordinary everyday protagonist stepping into fantastical worlds, episodic children's animation with a warm narrator
• Postman Patshort episodic adventures with a gentle magical premise and simple moral lessons for young viewers
• Doctor Who (1963)ordinary person transported into fantastical scenarios through an object, playful time-travel-like escapades

Created by

David McKee

Release Date

1971-02-25

Episode runtime

15 min

Rating

7.5 / 10 (13)

What is Mr. Benn about?

Ordinary bowler-hatted office worker Mr Benn steps through a mysterious shop changing room into a new adventure in every episode.

What is Mr. Benn like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Mr. Benn as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.

Is Mr. Benn violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Mr. Benn.

Which shows are like Mr. Benn?

Shows with a similar feel include Bagpuss, The Clangers, Postman Pat, and Doctor Who (1963).

How long is Mr. Benn?

Mr. Benn: 1 season, 14 episodes.

Is Mr. Benn still running?

No, Mr. Benn has ended.

Where can I watch Mr. Benn?

In United States, Mr. Benn is available to rent or buy from Google Play Movies.