Underground Ernie
Underground Ernie is a British computer animated children's television series produced by Joella Productions in the United Kingdom on the BBC on both CBeebies and BBC Two, and sold around the world by BBC Worldwide. It is set in International Underground, a fictional worldwide underground railway network, based on the London Underground, and focuses on the everyday adventures of Ernie, a friendly underground supervisor, Millie, his multilingual colleague, and Mr. Rails, the lovable maintenance man.
The locomotives under Ernie's watchful eye all have characters of their own. There is Bakerloo, Victoria, Circle, Jubilee and the twins, Hammersmith & City. From time to time they are joined by their friends from across the world including; Paris, Brooklyn, Moscow, Sydney and Osaka.
The show is aimed at children between the ages of three and eight years old. The initial series has twenty six episodes each, lasting twelve minutes. In October 2005, the series was officially announced, with it premièring the following year. Its first showing on was on Monday 5 June 2006 on BBC Two at 9:00am. It later premiered on CBeebies.
Creation
Writer John Deery and musician Sid Rainey, formerly of the band Compulsion, formed a production company in 2000 by the name of Joella Productions. During a brainstorming session, Sid came up with the idea of a children's TV series based on the names of tube stations, which is how Underground Ernie was born.Premise
The series focuses on the adventures of Ernie, the controller of International Underground. He works with his colleagues, computer expert Millie who loves all things international, and Mr Rails, the maintenance man who's been working at the railway for over 25 years. The trains have their own characters too. Bakerloo is the detective of the Underground, while Hammersmith and City are two fast and furious twins who love quizzes and banking. Victoria is the oldest and has seen it all. She acts as a grandmother figure to all the trains, offering a helping hand whenever they need guidance, and Circle is the hippy chick, who loves nature and animals, as well as helping her friends out. Jubilee is the youngest of the team, and he's gadget mad, as well as being very mischievous. Over the course of the series, they are joined by their friends from across the world, such as the snooty Paris, gentle giant Moscow and fun-loving Brooklyn. In each episode, Ernie comes across a problem that he needs a fix, needing the help of the trains or passengers, or both.Premiere
In its premiere run, Underground Ernie was broadcast twice a day five days a week, firstly on BBC Two at 9 am, and then repeated on CBeebies at 4.30 pm.In the series premiere, "Pop Decoy", pop superstar "Sam 7" is performing at the theatre, and Jubilee has to get him there without hundreds of fans finding out. Alas, the excitable Jubilee can't keep a secret, and he and Ernie have to come up with a plan to get Sam 7 safely to the theatre.
Production
Design
All the visuals for the show are produced using CGI computer graphics, and that largely explains the high cost of the production . The first series was produced using LightWave 3D software.Some critics have pointed out the similarities between Underground Ernie and Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends and Chuggington, in that all 3 series feature anthropomorphic locomotives. Whilst acknowledging a similarity, the producers make it clear that this is very different from Thomas and Chuggington, and is very much based in the twenty first century. Despite being underground metro trains, they often travel overground through the open countryside to various stations, including a seaside resort.
The overall design is inspired by the real London Underground, and Transport for London has allowed the series to use design elements directly taken from their brand, in particular the use of their distinctive Underground logo, or 'roundel' as it is known.
Characters
Humans
- Underground Ernie is an eponymous supervisor who owns the International Underground station.
- Millie is a computer expert working on the network, and the co-owner of the station.
- Mr. Rails is the maintenance man.
Trains
- Bakerloo is an eccentric and has a deerstalker hat similar to that of Sherlock Holmes but has a profile resembling that of the Duke of Wellington, the victor of the Battle of Waterloo, after the Waterloo Underground station.
- Hammersmith is twin brother to City, a fast and furious train who is a general knowledge "whizz". He wears blue spectacles.
- City is Hammersmith's twin brother, and is also fast and furious, but is an expert in mathematics and finances. He wears pink spectacles. Hammersmith and City are usually coupled back end to back and travel together as one train.
- Victoria is the oldest train, and is like a mother to the other trains. She wears a crown, to suggest the link between herself and Queen Victoria, but visually appears more like a caricature of the present Queen, Elizabeth II. Although Victoria is presented as the oldest character in the series, the Victoria line in real life is actually one of the newest lines — only the Jubilee line, opened in 1979, is newer.
- Circle is a "hippy chick"—always helpful and rarely loses her cool.
- Jubilee is the youngest train, and is into computers, music, internet, emails, games, and all the latest gadgets and technology. He can be mischievous, but is still well liked.
- Brooklyn is from New York City, is decked out in the American Stars and Stripes.
- Sydney is from Australia, always wants to go to the beach.
- Moscow is from Russia. He is strong, fast and likes to clear snow off the tracks. He often uses the wrong word when trying to use various English phrases, such as saying "as fit as a fishcake" instead of "as fit as a fiddle".
- Paris is from France. He's snooty, but kind.
- Osaka is from Japan, and has a super-speed booster. He is decked out in a Rising Sun decorated bandana.
Storylines
| Number | Title | Writer | Synopsis | Airdate |
| 1 | Pop Decoy | Louise Kramskoy | Jubilee lets slip his secret about pop superstar Sam 7. Bakerloo gets into pop. | 5 June 2006 |
| 2 | Sir Clunkalot | Diane Redmond | The medieval pageant sees Ernie save a damsel in distress. | 6 June 2006 |
| 3 | Mister Rails Never Fails | Diane Redmond | Ernie's severe cold leads to confusion over the arrangements for Mr. Rails' surprise party. | 7 June 2006 |
| 4 | Brooklyn and Rocky Two Shoes | Diane Redmond | An American athlete, Rocky Two Shoes, comes in on Brooklyn and overcomes his fears. | 8 June 2006 |
| 5 | Pulling Together | Jan Page | Hammersmith and City have split loyalties while Victoria gets into football. | 9 June 2006 |
| 6 | Caught Purple Handed | Diane Redmond | A rather absent-minded explorer brings a rare plant to the Underground. | 12 June 2006 |
| 7 | Ernie's Big Trip | Jan Page | Paris visits. Is Ernie going to France forever? Don't go, Ernie! | 13 June 2006 |
| 8 | Finders Keepers | Jan Page | A Golden Ticket becomes lost property. | 14 June 2006 |
| 9 | The Magician's Assistant | Diane Redmond | Millie assists as Paris brings Maestro the magician to town. | 15 June 2006 |
| 10 | Cover Story | Ross Hastings | Ernie tries to take some pictures for Tunnel Times; Sydney is in town. | 16 June 2006 |
| 11 | Millie's Dream Day | Ross Hastings | Millie has won a dream day, but can the Underground cope without her? | 19 June 2006 |
| 12 | Mr Movie Jones | Diane Redmond | A case of mistaken identity as Mr. Movie Jones visits Sea Shell Bay. | 20 June 2006 |
| 13 | Summer Breeze | Louise Kramskoy | Phew, what a scorcher on the Underground! | 21 June 2006 |
| 14 | Running Late | Lisa Akhurst | Is Victoria heading for the scrapyard? | 22 June 2006 |
| 15 | Light at the End of the Tunnel | Jan Page | A tiny crack in the tunnel wall breaks open and Miss Relic sees her mummy again. | 23 June 2006 |
| 16 | The Wreck of Sea Shell Bay | Diane Redmond | Sam and Dan are seriously bad kids - but they get lucky. | 26 June 2006 |
| 17 | Catnapped | Louise Kramskoy | Pippa's cat, Patch, goes missing during the heavy rain storm. | 27 June 2006 |
| 18 | Monster Mystery | Jan Page | A monster on the Underground? Not a good time for a practical joke. | 28 June 2006 |
| 19 | Bon Appetit | Jan Page | Millie cooks for the French chef, Marcel Le Magnifique, who arrives on Paris. | 29 June 2006 |
| 20 | A Change Is as Good as a Rest | Diane Redmond | The trains decide to swap lines, but Pippa doesn't hear the announcement. | 30 June 2006 |
| 21 | Elementary, My Dear Bakerloo! | Jan Page | A jumble sale saves the nature reserve. | 13 November 2006 |
| 22 | The Magic Lamp | Louise Kramskoy | Is this a genie I see before me? A theatre prop spreads confusion. | 14 November 2006 |
| 23 | How Great The Art | Ross Hastings | Modern art - who wants it? How about a squashed wheelbarrow for Brooklyn? | 15 November 2006 |
| 24 | The Mayor's Visit | Ross Hastings | Mr. Rails gets the wrong end of the stick and the mayor gets stuck. | 16 November 2006 |
| 25 | Techno Trouble! | Lisa Akhurst | Osaka gives Jubilee some Japanese technology that is just too good. | 17 November 2006 |
| 26 | Snow Go | Jan Page | The Underground suffers from the wrong type of snow as Moscow visits. Series Finale | 25 December 2006 |
Broadcast
Channel 4 were originally slated to show the series, but after a lot of deliberation, the BBC brought the rights to the series in 2005. In its premier run, Underground Ernie would be broadcast at 9am on BBC 2, followed by a repeat on the CBeebies channel at 4:30pm that afternoon.BBC 4 showed an episode as part of their themed "Tube Night" on 18 March 2007.
Merchandising
Toys
In November 2005, Halsall International Ltd. announced that they had secured the rights to produce merchandising linked to Underground Ernie . The products became on sale by September 2006, with a comprehensive range being available in 2007. The use of London Underground names and trains is a deliberate step to lead into merchandising suitable for children's gifts the revenue, from which were shared with Transport for London. Halsall International Ltd have, since 2009, have stopped making 'Underground Ernie' models.From 2007 up until 2009, Bachmann produced an HO scale Underground Ernie range, which was discontinued after the show went off air.
DVDs
Warner Vision International released four compilation DVDs of the show, which were later compiled into a boxset forming the complete first series. These releases are now out of print, and are very hard to find.Day Out with Underground Ernie
In 2008, one railway in Hampshire called the Eastleigh Lakeside Steam Railway secured the rights to hold children's days involving Underground Ernie, and held four Underground Ernie events a year called: Day Out with Underground Ernie.Miniature versions of 'Jubilee' and 'Ernie 1' were created which passengers could ride behind, as well as meeting a larger than life version of Underground Ernie. The last Ernie event was held during late December 2009, ending in early January 2010. Day out with Thomas took over where it left off.
Underground Ernie charity evenings
As well as Days Out with Ernie, in 2008 and 2009, two Underground Ernie fundraising events were held at the railway which were hosted by The Karen Ingram Foundation With over £3,500 raised on the night at the first event, which raised money for the hospital which cared and looked after Karen Ingram, for whom the events were in memory of. Co creator John Deery also attended the special charity evening, along with his family.With Eastleigh no longer hosting events involving Days Out with Ernie, a final fundraiser was held at the railway in 2010, however this was not themed to Ernie, due to the railway no longer having the Ernie characters available to use.
Theme song
The show's theme song, performed by members of The Wonder Stuff under the name "HRB Music", is called "The Importance of Being Ernie". This is a reference to Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest.Future
A second series has been on the cards since 2006. Co-creator John Deery has been seeking a £5.5 million investment in a bid to break the US market, with funds raised from that going towards making a second series. This hasn't happened yet, however.According to creative director Adam Batham, the strained relationship between 3D Films and Joella Productions prevented another series from being made.