Audrey and Friends (partially found Milkshake! animated series; 2002): Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 22:56, 16 November 2023
The logo for the show.
Status: Partially Found
Audrey and Friends is a British animated TV series created and directed by David Bennett that ran on Channel 5's both Milkshake! and Shake! blocks in Autumn 2002.[1] The series revolves around a teenage girl named Audrey with her pet dog named Rounball and her friends Meena and Constance (Stan for short) living in a world of the internet, texting and medieval love potions. The show was animated, produced and distributed by Impossible Television.
The Series
Bennett pitched the show to Channel 5 with a pilot that ended up airing on December 26th, 2000 on the channel's Milkshake! block as a Christmas special.[2] The network then picked it up as a series that lasted for 26 episodes. The show was animated in a mixture of 2D and CGI animation similar to the distributor's other series that aired on the block at the time.[3] After the initial episodes aired, the show ended up getting cancelled with no home media release ever made for it.
Reception
According to one of the writers of the show Adam Peters, the show didn't have good ratings in the UK due to the cheap animation and character design that traumatized people, and especially the fact that the show was made on an extremely low budget, however, the show had a minor cult following in New Zealand where the show aired on Prime for several years.
Findings
For a while no footage or images from the show were available online as the only evidence of this show's existence came from an IMDb page and footage of a promo for the series. At some point, a user named LovelyAngel1004 discovered some footage of the show from a 2012 showreel from Impossible TV along with a Soundcloud upload of the theme.
On January 3rd, 2023, YouTuber Lucas’s Archive found and uploaded the pilot to his channel. The pilot served as the show's Christmas special with the most notable differences is the different voice cast and Meena's original name being Mona.
On February 22nd, 2023, LovelyAngel1004 contacted one of the writers Adam Peters via email about the show. A day later, he sent her scans of the inlays from the 5 fake VHS releases he made with information on each episode, the voice cast and other members of the production team.
On March 5th, 2023, LovelyAngel1004 then contacted Bennett via email only to confirm that he doesn't have any full episodes on hand. He then sent a photo of his old portfolio page with concept art from the series, a couple of days later he sent a WeTransfer containing more artwork and a small clip from the show.
On April 21st, 2023, Lucas’s Archive uploaded a Milkshake! December 2002 continuity and found the 26th and final episode of the show titled "Away", but has yet to upload the entire episode due to issues with his capture card.
Voice Cast
The voice cast for the pilot of the show had 3 voice actors while the voice cast for the 2002 series had 5 and more voice actors as the whole tone changed for the show.
Pilot
- Nicola Stapleton as Audrey
- Kate O'Sullivan as Meena (originally named as Mona), Constance, Valerie (Audrey's mom), Sienna (Audrey's dad's girlfriend)
- Simon Schatzberger (credited as Simon Shatzberger) as Audrey's Dad, Jonny, Dave, Mr. Edgar
2002 Series
- Elly Fairman as Audrey
- Marina Niel as Meena
- Lucinda Chambers as Constance
- Tim Whitnall as various male characters
- Catherine Vandome as Valerie (Audrey's mom), various characters
Episode List
| # | Episode Title | Synopsis | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Audrey and Friends[4] (Pilot/Christmas Special) | It is almost Christmas, and Audrey's parents got divorced as Audrey's dad already got a new girlfriend named Sienna, but Audrey's mother hasn't got a new or old boyfriend, so Audrey asks Stan to help her find a new boyfriend for her while Mona (later renamed to Meena) does her audition for the Jack and the Beanstalk pantomime. | Found | DVR recording from December 22, 2001. |
| 1 | Valentine | Audrey is disappointed when she doesn't get any Valentine's Day cards, especially when she learns that her best friends have got loads. | Lost | |
| 2 | Lost Dog | Meena loses Audrey's beloved dog Rounball and refuses to look for him, leading to terrible arguments between the girls. | Lost | |
| 3 | Alt Healing | Stan teaches Audrey and Meena how to do yoga, before introducing them to aromatherapy, crystals and a whole world of weirdness and danger. | Lost | |
| 4 | Jailbird | Stan's mum is arrested on a political protest. As everyone at school starts picking on her, Stan turns to Audrey and Meena for help. | Lost | |
| 5 | Fruit | Stan has started a fruit-only diet, but it's giving her terrible wind. How long can Audrey and Meena suffer without saying something? | Lost | |
| 6 | Shampoo | Meena and Stan are both auditioning for a shampoo commercial, but who will get the part? And how well will the loser take it? | Lost | |
| 7 | Fads | Audrey is worried that she's not 'cool' enough so she tries to change her ways. Can she transform herself into the coolest girl in town? | Lost | |
| 8 | Popstars | The girls form a pop group in their quest for fame, but soon find themselves arguing about which of them should write the group's songs. | Lost | |
| 9 | Foreign Exchange | Audrey's school has an exchange programme with a school in France. The girls are excited to discover who will be coming to stay with them. | Lost | |
| 10 | Ow | Uh-oh! Things are getting a little painful for the girls. Stan is taken ill and Meena has an appointment with her super-scary dentist. | Lost | |
| 11 | Daydream Believer | The girls are queuing up for a gig at the town's main music venue. They imagine what sort of cute boys they might meet at the concert. | Lost | |
| 12 | Rudley TV | A new local TV station is looking for presenters. The girls get hold of a video camera and set about filming their own programmes. | Lost | |
| 13 | Sleepover Makeover | The girls are spending the night over at Stan's house. Cue midnight chocolate binges, girlie gossip and ill-advised makeovers. | Lost | |
| 14 | Rounball in Love | Audrey's dog Rounball has fallen in love with girl dog Jojo, but Jojo doesn't want to know. Can the girls work their match-making magic on the two canines? | Lost | |
| 15 | Stupid Boys | Audrey's next-door neighbours Jonny and Dave come to stay while their Gran's in hospital. Audrey tries to teach the boys to be more grown-up. | Lost | |
| 16 | Heroes | Audrey and Stan become heroes and get their photos in the local paper. Meena is annoyed and sets about trying to become a hero herself. | Lost | |
| 17 | Project | The girls have to write about their best qualities. Audrey and Stan end up doing Meena's essay, but what can they say about her that's nice? | Lost | |
| 18 | Glam Stan | Stan is going on a first date with a cute boy. Meena gives her coaching and advice, but how good a teacher is the self-styled Queen of Lurve? | Lost | |
| 19 | Silence | Audrey has lost her voice. Mischievous Meena uses the situation to set her up on a date with the ugliest boy in school. Special guest star: Inkey Jones. | Lost | |
| 20 | Rounball at the Vets | Rounball has been bothering girl dogs and there have been complaints. Audrey and her friends try to cure him of this behaviour, with mixed results. | Lost | Screenshots exist |
| 21 | Hideous! | Audrey wakes up to discover a huge spot of her chin. What can she do to get rid of it? Meena and Stan have some suggestions... | Lost | |
| 22 | Stan and Judey | A cute boy is staying in Stan's house. Stan and Meena compete for his affections using increasingly desperate tactics. | Lost | |
| 23 | Run Rabbit Run | Audrey's little brother Toby has just got an evil pet rabbit which is making her life hell. She enlists the girls to help her defend against it. | Lost | |
| 24 | Meena vs the World | Meena's rudeness has gone too far, and the whole town has turned against her. Stan and Audrey have to teach her how to be nice - and fast! | Lost | |
| 25 | Diet | Meena gets the other girls to join her in the new celebrity-endorsed Standing Diet. Is this the weirdest thing they've ever done? Sadly not... | Lost | |
| 26 | Away | Audrey is moving to another town. Does this mean she'll never see Stan or Meena ever again? Time for tearful goodbyes. | Lost |
Gallery
Footage
Images
Screenshot of David Bennett's old portfolio page.
Tape 1 with episodes 1-5 from the mock-up Audrey and Friends VHS box set.
Tape 2 with episodes 6-10 from the mock-up Audrey and Friends VHS box set.
Tape 3 with episodes 11-15 from the mock-up Audrey and Friends VHS box set.
Tape 4 with episodes 16-20 from the mock-up Audrey and Friends VHS box set.
Tape 5 with episodes 21-26 from the mock-up Audrey and Friends VHS box set.
Production Material
Background Artwork
Location sheet (1/4).
Location sheet (2/4).
Location sheet (3/4).
Location sheet (4/4).
Character Artwork
The main characters.
Top row: Audrey, Meena (mistakenly named Mona), and Constance (mistakenly named Penny)
Bottom row: Jonny, Dave, and Toby.
Early versions of Meena and Constance.
Early versions of Audrey and Rounball.
Another early version of Audrey.
Early version of Dave.
Rounball catching a ball.
Episode Screenshots
Episode Props
Props from the episode "Valentine."
Props from the episode "Alt Healing."
Props from the episode "Foreign Exchange."
Props from the episode "Foreign Exchange."
Props from the episode "Foreign Exchange."
Props from the episode "Stupid Boys."
Props from the episode "Heroes."
Props from the episode "Silence."
Props from the episode "Rounball at the Vets."
Props from the episode "Run Rabbit Run."
Props from the episode "Meena vs the World."
Props from the episode "Diet."
See Also
- Angels of Jarm (partially lost Milkshake! animated series; 2007-2009)
- The Beeps (partially found Milkshake! CGI animated series; 2007-2008)
- Jelly Jamm (partially found pitch pilot of British Spanish children's animated TV series; 2009)
- Little Kingdom (found pitch pilot of "Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom" Channel 5 animated series; 2005)
- MechaNick (partially found Milkshake! animated series; 2003)
- Peppa Pig (partially found American dub of Channel 5 animated series; 2005-2007)
- Peppa Pig (found pitch pilot of Channel 5 animated series; 2002)
- Pip Ahoy! (partially found unaired pilot of Milkshake! animated series; 2013)
- Roary the Racing Car (lost pitch pilot of Channel 5 stop-motion animated series; 2005)
- Roary the Racing Car (partially found American dub of Channel 5 stop-motion animated series; 2008-2012)
External Links
- IMDb page for Audrey and Friends.
- Link to the Audrey and Friends Wiki.
- Soundcloud upload of the show's theme.
- Google Drive folder for VHS recordings of episodes from the series.
References
- ↑ Shake! website with an ad for Audrey and Friends (archived). Retrieved 16 Mar '23
- ↑ Channel 5 Christmas 2000 TV schedule guide. Retrieved 16 Mar '23
- ↑ An archived Twitter thread with more information on the show. Retrieved 01 May '23
- ↑ Impossible Television website archived on October 8, 2000. Retrieved 22 Aug '23