FORGOTTEN TV: MURUN BUCHSTANSANGUR
Prior to the launch of Channel 4 in the UK, Timothy Forder created a pilot for a surreal short animated series called Murun Buchstansangur. Channel 4 were impressed and went on to commission 52 episodes between 1982 and 1988. Timothy’s intention was to create a series for young children, but, somehow the stories turned out to attract a slightly older audience. This was probably down to the fact we can all relate to the everyday annoyances that Murun faced.
We managed to track down Timothy and asked him some questions about the legendary character who lived in a crack under the kitchen cupboard.
Could you tell us a bit about Murun's character?
Generally, Murun is good natured and enjoys his own company. Unfortunately, it is other people he often finds irksome.
Did you base his personality on anyone in particular and what was the inspiration behind Murun’s name and appearance?
I suppose a lot of his personality and experiences are my own. His name is based on nothing and came out of the ether. Likewise his physical appearance.
Where was the cartoon based?
The location of the Murun stories is fictitious, but is probably somewhere in the south of England.
What was the general reaction to the show when it originally aired?
Considering early Channel 4 had fairly low viewing figures, Murun did quite well and soon developed a slight cult following. This may have been due to it going out rather late in the evening.
Generally, Murun is good natured and enjoys his own company. Unfortunately, it is other people he often finds irksome.
Did you base his personality on anyone in particular and what was the inspiration behind Murun’s name and appearance?
I suppose a lot of his personality and experiences are my own. His name is based on nothing and came out of the ether. Likewise his physical appearance.
Where was the cartoon based?
The location of the Murun stories is fictitious, but is probably somewhere in the south of England.
What was the general reaction to the show when it originally aired?
Considering early Channel 4 had fairly low viewing figures, Murun did quite well and soon developed a slight cult following. This may have been due to it going out rather late in the evening.
Murun had some strange habits, like picking various parts of his body, and his finger would sometimes randomly start to bleed. There were also references made to Murun's filthy dirty crack. Did Channel 4 ever pick up on any of these moments?
I think the main point was that Murun was comfortable in his own skin. If there were any double entendres or the like, they were not intentional. There were never any complaints from Channel 4.
Was there a reason why the supporting characters appeared small like Murun when they visited him but were of human size when they were outside of his crack?
Their scale changes for no reason, just as ‘Toad’s’ does in The Wind in the Willows. It never seemed important.
Do you have a memorable episode or Murun moment?
I quite like the one where he discovers that ‘if you put a thing off for long enough, the need to do it disappears.’
Could you tell us a bit about how the episodes were created, including where the audio for the narration was recorded and the animation process involved?
The animation was hand drawn by a small team at a studio in Soho, London. It was then shot on a rostrum camera and edited by one of the many local film editors. The sound was also dubbed nearby. Soho, at that time, provided all the facilities needed for film production within a few streets.
Why did Murun come to an end in 1988? Was it your choice or one by Channel 4?
We were planning a Christmas Special half hour episode with Channel 4, but the commissioning editor left and the idea was dropped. No more episodes were made after that.
Could you tell us what you‘re currently up to and if there is a possibility that we will ever see a return for Murun?
I’m currently engaged in documentary work. I’m sure, if the opportunity arose, I would like to make further episodes of Murun. I think he has many more adventures yet to be told!
Interview originally printed in 'Beyond The Bleak' Zine - Issue 1
Murun artwork created by Ant Jones exclusively for the zine.
Murun artwork created by Ant Jones exclusively for the zine.