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''Mike and Angelo'' is a British
children's television Children's television series (or children's television shows) are Television show, television programs designed specifically for Child, children. They are typically characterised by easy-going content devoid of sensitive or adult themes and are ...
,
sci-fi Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
series, that ran on
CITV CITV is a British children's morning programming block on ITV2 and formerly a free-to-air channel owned by ITV plc. CITV, then Children's ITV, launched on 3 January 1983 as a late afternoon programming block on the ITV network for children aged ...
between 16 March 1989 and 7 March 2000. The show is ITV's longest running sitcom (as per series count).


Plot

The shows initially centred on Mike King (played by Matt Wright), and his mother Rita moving to
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
from the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
after she divorces Mike's father. In their new house, and feeling lonely in his new surroundings, Mike discovers a mysterious wardrobe. It bursts open containing Angelo ( Tyler Butterworth), an alien who came from another world; the portal being the wardrobe. Angelo has no knowledge of life on Earth or of his own - so relies on the help of Mike to understand the world he has crashed on. At the same time, Mike is in turn helped by Angelo to integrate into life in London. Together, Mike and Angelo have many crazy adventures, all within the vicinity of the house that they live in. Angelo is always inventing something crazy, or walking on the ceiling (due to him being an alien), and generally misunderstanding various aspects of human behaviour and daily life which leads to various escapades and situations. The series frequently featured guest actors in various roles. Some actors which appeared in the show include:
Ron Moody Ron Moody (born Ronald Moodnick; 8 January 1924 – 11 June 2015) was an English actor, composer, singer and writer. He was best known for his portrayal of Fagin in '' Oliver!'' (1968) and its 1983 Broadway revival. Moody earned a Golden Glob ...
,
John Savident John Frederick Joseph Savident (21 January 1938 – 21 February 2024) was a British actor, known for his numerous television roles, including his portrayal of Fred Elliott in the soap opera ''Coronation Street'' from 1994 to 2006. He was also ...
,
Christopher Ryan Christopher Papazoglou (born 25 January 1950), known professionally as Christopher Ryan, is a British actor. He is best known for his roles as Mike The Cool Person in the BBC comedy series '' The Young Ones'', Dave Hedgehog in the BBC comedy se ...
, Brian Murphy and Anthony O'Donnell.


History


Development

The title of the series is a play on the name of the painter
Michelangelo Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (6March 147518February 1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet of the High Renaissance. Born in the Republic of Florence, his work was inspir ...
. In the early planning stages of the series, creators Grant Cathro and Lee Pressman had toyed with the idea of making Angelo somehow a
guardian angel A guardian angel is a type of angel that is assigned to protect and guide a particular person, group or nation. Belief in tutelary deity, tutelary beings can be traced throughout all antiquity. The idea of angels that guard over people played ...
towards Mike. They were inspired by Michelangelo's ''
The Creation of Adam ''The Creation of Adam'' (), also known as ''The Creation of Man,'' is a fresco painting by Italian artist Michelangelo, which forms part of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, Sistine Chapel's ceiling, painted –1512. It illustrates the Bible, Biblica ...
''. Although the idea of the guardian angel was ultimately unutilised in the series, they liked the name-play and stuck with it. Writers Lee Pressman and Grant Cathro set ''Mike & Angelo'' in
Cricklewood Cricklewood is a town in North London, England, in the London Boroughs of Camden, Barnet, and Brent. The Crown pub, now the Clayton Crown Hotel, is a local landmark and lies north-west of Charing Cross. Cricklewood was a small rural hamlet ...
,
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
- which would also later be the setting of their later series '' Spatz''.


Thames Television era (series 1-4)

The tone of the first two series was more
comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...
(early episodes were even billed as a drama.) Several episodes of the first series focussed on the loneliness Mike was feeling after moving to a different country which was helped by his new friendship with Angelo. The original two series featured a quirky, whimsical flute-led theme tune on the opening and closing credits, written by Jim Parker. The first changes to the show would occur with repeats of the first two series in 1990. The original theme tune was replaced by the version which would later be used from Series 3 onwards, written by David Stafford, as well as a new opening credits narration (read by Matt Zimmerman), also used from Series 3, was also added to these repeated episodes. Additionally, a laugh track was added, which would until the end of the show's run, was also dubbed on, where it had not originally been present. These changes to the originally shown versions were in part to make the series more 'uniform', as ''
Children's ITV CITV is a British children's morning programming block on ITV2 and formerly a free-to-air channel owned by ITV plc. CITV, then Children's ITV, launched on 3 January 1983 as a late afternoon programming block on the ITV network for children aged ...
'' had hoped to sell the series to stations in America; a plan which never fully came to fruition. Series 3 would feature the first of the show's many cast changes, with
Tim Whitnall Timothy Charles Whitnall (born 27 June 1961) is an English actor, playwright and screenwriter. He is known for playing Angelo in the long-running CITV series ''Mike and Angelo'' and narrating the BBC Children's Television programme ''Teletubbi ...
replacing Tyler Butterworth as Angelo. In the first episode of the series, Angelo falls ill and eventually "regenerates" (borrowing a concept first used in ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
''). Tim Whitnall would remain as the character for the rest of the programme's run. At around this point, the comedy drama tone of the first two series began to be shifted towards the more fantastical and farcical, with Angelo creating many inventions which typically run out of control, and occasionally summoning up historical figures from the past. Mike King moves back to the US at the beginning of Series 4 to be with his dad, with Ellie, a young neighbour, filling the gap left by the character for the rest of Series 4, befriending Angelo and getting caught up with his various gadgets and escapades.


Tetra Films era (series 5-12)

Mike and Angelo was recommissioned in 1992 by
Carlton Television Carlton Television (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV franchise holder for London and the surrounding counties from 9.25am every Monday to 5.15pm every Friday. The company is now managed with London Weekend Tele ...
for a fifth series, after Thames Television lost its ITV franchise. Series 5 would be produced by Tetra Films, and featured a new theme composed by Kim Goody and Alan Coates, which would remain, in several slight variations, for the remainder of the show's run. Rita's nephew Mike Mason (
Michael Benz Michael Benz (born ) is an English-American actor. Early life and education Benz was born in England to American parents Thomas and Margaret Benz. He attended The American School in London before graduating from Georgetown University in 200 ...
) is introduced - as well being in keeping with the title of the series (despite the character of Ellie in Series 4), Benz would become the longest-running "Mike" character, featuring in 6 of the 12 series. By the start of Series 7, Rita has decided to return to the USA. Her place was filled by new character Katy Andrews ( Katy Murphy), a new housekeeper. Series 11 saw the exit of Michael Benz, and the series began with Angelo and Katy reading a postcard explaining that Mike was having a good time in America after returning there. In his place, recurring neighbour character Daphne Fawkes-Bentley's niece Mickey (Gemma Gregory) became Angelo's sidekick. For the final series, Katy's nephew - also called Mike (Steven Geller), joined. Geller later passed away in 2015 aged 30. Although the series never came to an official conclusion, it was not renewed after Series 12 (2000) due to it being felt that the series had run its course, and because of a shift in Children's ITV's audience demographic.


Cast and characters


Main

*Angelo - Tyler Butterworth (1989–1990) &
Tim Whitnall Timothy Charles Whitnall (born 27 June 1961) is an English actor, playwright and screenwriter. He is known for playing Angelo in the long-running CITV series ''Mike and Angelo'' and narrating the BBC Children's Television programme ''Teletubbi ...
(1990–2000):
Angelo is a goofy but kind-hearted alien from the planet of Ptarg. He has the ability to make crazy inventions for his friends and among other things, is able to walk on the ceiling. *Mike King - Matt Wright (1989–1991):
The original Mike, American teenager Mike King discovers Angelo and helps him accustom to life on Earth - all while ensuring no-one finds out his secret. *Rita King - Shelley Thompson (1989–1994):
Rita is the owner of the house and Mike's mother. She is aware of Angelo and helps her son keep him a secret from visitors to the house. *Mike Mason -
Michael Benz Michael Benz (born ) is an English-American actor. Early life and education Benz was born in England to American parents Thomas and Margaret Benz. He attended The American School in London before graduating from Georgetown University in 200 ...
(1993–1998):
The second and longest-appearing Mike, Mike Mason is the nephew of Rita. *Katy Andrews - Katy Murphy (1995–2000):
The quick-tempered but good-natured Scottish housekeeper, who takes over looking after the house in addition to seeking work as an actress. She lands a big Hollywood role at the end of her first season, but returns to her housekeeping job soon afterwards. *Michaela "Mickey" Fawkes-Bentley - Gemma Gregory (1999):
The niece of posh neighbour Daphne, Mickey is more fun-loving than her aunt. *Mike - Steven Geller (2000):
The final Mike and Katy's nephew, he is snarky and intended to act as a
Straight man The straight man (or straight woman in the case of female characters), also known as a "comedic foil", is a stock character in a comedy performance, especially a double act, sketch comedy, or farce. When a comedy partner behaves eccentrically ...
to Angelo. How he came to be staying with them was never explained.


Supporting

*Cyril Pinner - John Levitt (1989–1994):
A nosey neighbour, Mr Pinner is suspicious of the events happening next door. *Philippa Fraser - Alessia Gwyther (1989–1991):
A young snooty neighbour who attempts to befriend Mike King. *Brett Douglas - Gavin Richards (1989–1993):
Rita's friend who is suspicious of Angelo. *Nancy Mancini (Rita King's mother) -
Libby Morris Libby Morris (born 1932, Winnipeg) is a Canadian singer, comedienne and actress. She appeared in several CBC radio shows of the 1950s and moved into TV and film from the 1960s onward after she moved to London, England. She became a very well know ...
(1989–1991):
Sassy and a gossip, she stays occasionally in the house. *Tony King (Rita King's former husband) - Jeff Harding (1989–1991):
Father of Mike King who has a strained relationship with Rita. *Ellie - Jade Magri (1991):
Neighbourhood girl who helps Angelo in Series 4. *Melanie Pinner - Alexandra Milman (1993–1994):
Mike Mason's girlfriend in Series 5 and 6, niece of Mr Pinner. *Uncle Bob - Ron Berglas (1995):
Uncle of Mike Mason who checks in on Mike, Angelo and Katy regularly in Series 7. *Sam - Katie Pearson (1995):
Mike Mason's girlfriend in Series 7. *Daphne Fawkes-Bentley -
Elizabeth Estensen Elizabeth Estensen (born 10 August 1949) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Diane Sugden on the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'' from 1999 to 2021, with a guest stint in 2022. She has also made appearances in various British t ...
(1995–2000):
The stuck-up neighbour and aunt of Mickey. Played by Elizabeth Estensen, who portrayed the first T-Bag in fellow Pressman and Cathro show T-Bag. As a result, much of Daphne's character is in reference to the character of T-Bag. *Zoe - Candace Hallinan (1998):
Mike Mason's rather snarky girlfriend in Series 9 and 10.


Transmissions


Old Skool Weekend

In 2013, two episodes of ''Mike & Angelo'' were repeated on CITV as part of its 30th anniversary Old Skool Weekend: * The first, shown on 5 January 2013, entitled "Fuzzball", had originally been broadcast on CITV on 26 October 1989 * The second, shown on 6 January 2013, was titled "Heirs And Graces", and had originally been broadcast on CITV on 7 March 1996.


References


External links

*
''Glad You Remember - Mike and Angelo''
- Fansite featuring an episode guide and interviews. *
''Mike and Angelo''
at BFI {{DEFAULTSORT:Mike And Angelo 1989 British television series debuts 2000 British television series endings 1980s British children's television series 1980s British science fiction television series 1980s British teen sitcoms 1990s British children's television series 1990s British science fiction television series 1990s British teen sitcoms 2000s British children's television series 2000s British science fiction television series 2000s British teen sitcoms British science fiction television shows Carlton Television British English-language television shows ITV children's television shows Television duos Television series by Fremantle (company) Television series by FremantleMedia Kids & Family Television shows produced by Thames Television