Nettlecatfish - Pilot for a TV Series for Kids of all Ages

People do moan on about children’s TV programmes simply not being the same as when they were kids. They harken back to the days of Bagpuss and Ivor the Engine and assume that such treasures (or their like) will never be seen again. Perhaps the golden age of children's TV is over.

Well, perhaps not!  This is the first adventure of Nettlecatfish, who lives on the coast of Cornwall. He wakes up one morning to find that the summer weather has suddenly turned to winter.  Fortunately he has a number of friends, including two local children, to help him find out what has caused the strange weather. Together they will set the seasons straight!

We are not entirely sure what Nettlecatfish is, in terms of animal, vegetable or mineral but his name suggests a little genetic modification to say the least.  To us he looks like a cross between Catweazle and Cadfael with more than a little muppet thrown in for good measure.  We don’t really care though – he is a brilliant creation! Someone, commission this series please!

This lovely short was created by Cornish filmmaker Hana Backland together with an entire rural primary school of children.  If you have small children, go and grab them away from whatever they were doing.  They will love this first adventure of Nettlecatfish and his friends!