Director(s) – David Bleiman Ichioka (The Pjs) and Ken Pontac (Clayfighter)
Starring – Jim Cummings (Mickey Mouse, Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Rob Paulsen (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Scooby-Doo! Music of the Vampire), Gail Matthius (Cow and Chicken, Animaniacs)
Release Date – 1994
Rating – 4/5
I’m a very nostalgic person. I love movies, television shows, and video games of my youth and I am constantly on the lookout for those that brought me so much joy as a child. I was a huge television junkie growing up. I loved watching WCW Nitro, Big Wolf on Campus, Goosebumps, So Weird, Are you Afraid of the Dark?, Aaahh Real Monsters, and Bump in the Night. As you can see, I had an obsession with monsters and creatures of the night. My love for horror was not noticeable at first but seeing that these shows are horror based it only makes sense to see that I have always been a fan.
One particular show that I often talk about and not many people remember is the 1994 Claymation show Bump in the Night. Not many people remember that show and a good portion did not know that the show was such a thing. Which may account to why it only lasted 2 seasons. Sometime ago Mill Creek Entertainment released the entire series on DVD. I had to have it. I reached out to Mill Creek and they were kind enough to hook me up with a review copy. Thanks guys.
**Spoiler Alert**The show follows the titular character Mr. Bumpy, his best friend Squishington, and Molly Coddle. Mr. Bumpy is the dirty monster that lives under your bed and in your walls that loves previously chewed gum, dirty socks, and anything sticky and gross that you want to throw away. His best friend Squishington is the complete opposite. He lives in the toilet and prefers to keep things sanitary and clean. Their mutual friend Molly Coddle is a ragdoll that loves to cuddle and a positive environment. The three often find themselves in the middle of sticky situations following robots, killer bread, and other monsters that go bump in the night.**Spoiler Alert**
This show holds a lot of memories for me and I have to say that it was just as entertaining watching it now as a grown ass man as it was when I was a child. I was 8 when this show first aired and it was one that stayed with me over the years. I still watch the Night of the Living Bread episode yearly. As for the rest of the show, I could not remember a lot about it other than bits and pieces of it. This was a great trip down memory lane.
The voice acting in this is great. The three starring voice actors are legend when it comes to who they have voiced. Jim Cummings has laid his voice out for Transformers, The Lion King, Hellboy, Mickey Mouse, The Oblongs, and Aladdin. The man is a living legend. Rob Paulsen is well known for his voice as well having voiced characters in TMNT, The Fairly Odd Parents, Spider-Man, Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Green Lantern, and Kung Fu Panda. Gail Matthius has had an amazing career as well with her voice appearing in Pinky and the Brain, Animaniacs, Tiny Toons, Bobby’s World, The Tick, and Alvin and the Chipmunks.
The storyline for this series is fun and caters to the fears of children. Unlike most shows of the time that exploited these fears, i.e. Goosebumps, this show actually helped children overcome these fears by making light of the situations and showing real world causes. There is some thought put into each scenario. The stories are short so no real development is made but they still flow very well and hold the viewer’s attention.
Finally, the series has some great animation that we just don’t see a lot of. The creatures and characters are very fun and look great with a keen artistic eye applied to every scene. Sadly, the quality of this release does not reflect how great the animation is. The series is not re-mastered and I have actually seen VHS releases of this show that looks better. Overall, Bump in the Night is a forgotten gem of the 90s. The show has some laughs, teaches some life lessons, and shows children that not all monsters are bad. This set is well worth it so check it out.
