Fabulous Films has announced that The Wombles will be coming to Blu-Ray and DVD on the 24th of May 2024. The show has been remastered from the best available film elements and will be in high definition for the first time. The release was first publicised in a pamphlet included in recent releases, but was only listed as “coming soon”.
The Wombles
Directed by Ivor Wood, The Wombles featured the adventures of the titular small furry creatures who lived in burrows and collected and recycled human rubbish to make useful items. The series consisted of 60 episodes over two, originally running between 1973 and 1975. It was narrated by Bernard Cribbins, who voiced all the characters including Oronoco, Tobermory and Great Uncle Bulgaria. It was produced in stop-frame animation by FilmFair and based on the Wombles characters created by Elisabeth Beresford.
Details of this Release
“For the first time ever, every classic episode of The Wombles can now be seen together now fully restored and in high definition on Blu-ray. Created by author Elisabeth Beresford in the 1970s and voiced by Bernard Cribbins, The Wombles are well-established British folk heroes, known for helping the environment by collecting and recycling rubbish in useful and clever ways, turning trash into treasures and coming up with ingenious inventions. Although Wombles live in every country in the world, these stories focus on life in the burrow on Wimbledon Common in London, England and with 60 episodes, the box set contains 5 hours of outstanding Wombles action for you to enjoy over and over again” Synopsis from Fabulous Films
The Extras
There are several extras including:
- Barry Leith: FilmFair Animator
- Mike Batt: The Wombles and Me
- The Creator Of The Wombles: Elisabeth Beresford
- Bonus DVD of the 1977 Feature Film ”Wombling Free”.
- Fold-out Double-Sided Poster
The Rise of Classic Kids Content From Fabulous Films
In recent years, Fabulous Films has issued several classic children’s TV series on Blu-Ray for the first time. These titles include Bagpuss, The Clangers, The Trumptonshire Trilogy, Ivor The Engine, and Willo the Wisp. Another Filmfair title was recently announced, the 1970s Paddington series, which is due on the 28th of October 2024.
We will continue to update our website when new titles are announced.
Jamie’s Reaction:
I am delighted that this has FINALLY been announced! The Wombles stands as one of my favourite TV shows of any genre, directed expertly by the brilliant Ivor Wood. As with Paddington, I can’t wait to put in the Blu-Ray disc and watch this glorious stop-frame animation in HD for the first time.
There are more special features than I had anticipated, which is a bonus. It is disappointing that Wombling Free will be supplied on a Blu-Ray, but I suspect the rights holder may differ and hasn’t provided an HD print. It will not deter my enjoyment, as this is a film which has passed me by for many years. The price, at nearly £40, is a little steep but understanding considering the label and the work that has gone into it.
I can’t wait to go Wombling!
The Wombles The Complete Collection will be available from the 18th of November 2024. It is available to pre-order on DVD and Blu-Ray.
