This year is the fiftieth anniversary of Mr. Men by Roger Hargreaves’– one of the best-loved and successful children’s characters of all time, which in recent years has been continued by his son Adam, an author and illustrator too, who has introduced new characters such as Little Miss Inventor.
To celebrate this milestone, the UK’s Channel 4 has commissioned a new documentary to take a look into the rich 50-year history of the beloved brand. Entitled 50 Years of the Mr. Men, it will be presented by super fan, writer, comedian and presenter, Matt Lucas. The new programme will chart the history of Hargreaves’ colourful and fun little characters who changed the publishing industry forever. It will explore how the books found their way into the hearts and became bedtime story staples for a generation of children around the world.
Created in 1971 by Roger Hargreaves, after he was asked a question posed by his then eight-year-old son ‘what does a tickle look like?’ the Mr Men Little Miss books have become some of the most culturally significant titles of all time, as a cast of characters to have changed the face of global publishing forever.
Channel 4 will take a dive into the history of Mr. Men and Little Miss during the past 50 Years of the Mr. Men charts rise and rise of the colourful characters.
Meanwhile, to celebrate the milestone 50th birthday, the book’s now an author and illustrator Adam Hargreaves will be creating five prototype characters to be put to a public vote. The two most popular will be announced when the programme airs, before becoming the latest members of the Mr. Men Little Miss universe this September.
The feature will also explore significant moments in the Hargreaves’ family story, and the many artists and collaborators, child psychologists, marketing gurus, collectors and super-fans from the worlds of fashion, music and the arts that have each played their role in the global appeal of the Mr. Men Little Miss brand. In parallel, behind the scenes, the program will reveal the secret world of the artistic process; what it takes to brainstorm, draw, write and animate new Mr. Men and Little Miss characters for today’s world, as well as help launch the global competition to find the two newest characters, introducing them to new generations of children and parents across the world. Voting is now open globally for fans to have their say via the mrmen.com
In the theme of celebrating “50 years of fun” with the Mr. Men and Little Miss characters, coins are being released for sale by the Royal Mint. The Mr. Men Little Miss commemorative coin collection features Mr. Happy, Little Miss Sunshine, and Little Miss Giggles with Mr. Strong.
All three coin designs have been created by Adam Hargreaves to celebrate the characters’ 50th anniversary. The first coin being launched in the series will feature Mr. Happy.
Uncirculated versions of the coins feature the latest colour printing techniques showcasing the characters in vivid color. Prices for the coins, being made available on the Royal Mint’s website start at £13 for an uncirculated £5 denomination coin, or £22.50 for a colour version. A one-ounce gold proof coin in a denomination of £100 is being made available for £2,370.
The Royal Mint will also be hiding 50 “golden Mr. Tickle tickets” among all three of the colour uncirculated commemorative coins. Customers finding golden Mr Tickle tickets will be entitled to Mr. Men and Little Miss prize bundles.
