Mud was a wonderfully anarchic and funny kids series that sadly has not been repeated since it's original broadcast in the mid 1990's. It followed social worker Miss Dudderidge (Susie Blake) and her under privileged charges (mainly Bill and Ruby) through two series as they ended up in a series of adventures. What was intriguing is that they had a series involving kids from poorer backgrounds (not common for the BBC), with both Bill and Ruby coming from a council block of flats and given the chance to have a break at Thelfort Heights holiday camp over the summer.
Series 1 and 2 differed from each other. The 1st series was a more prosaic affair that saw the group arrive at Thelfort Heights, an activity camp run by the snooty Miss Palmer (Victoria Wicks, in a less restrained version of her character in Drop the Dead Donkey), who is horrified that poor kids are staying at her camp and tries various ways to get rid of them, helped by teenage assistants Philippa and Shane (the lovely Paloma Baeza and the not so lovely Russell Brand, both in very early screen roles). Mostly the episodes involved camp challenges or Miss Palmer trying to frame the gang for theft, all with the object of trying to expel the gang from the camp. But there was one episode involving escaped cons looking for hidden loot, while the first episode saw Miss Palmer trying to lose the newly arrived gang in Five Wells Point, an apparently haunted woodland where a couple had been killed and their baby son disappeared. Ironically Miss Palmer finds herself trapped down a well with the group, with only the youngest Ruby (who has stowed away and technically isn't supposed to be there) able to help, but on running for assistance she encounters and befriends the missing child, now a teenage wild boy, and that provides one of the plot arches that follow through the rest of the series. A madcap dash for a hot air balloon and a mix up in transport caps off the end of the first series.
The 2nd series was a more elaborate affair and had a fantasy element to it. Heading off to Thelfort Heights again for the summer, they discover the camp is now closed, so Miss Dudderidge decides to take the kids to her Granny's cottage to stay. But a strange Raggedy Man has been ransacking the cottage (gloriously Miss Dudderidge doesn't notice a thing when she leads the kids in, commenting how granny's place hasn't changed a bit since she was a kid). It turns out he has been looking for her grandmother's diary that mysteriously suggests that something is after her and that something is hidden up in the castle. Unfortunately for them, things are further complicated by the release of two ex cons who are out to rob the castle, but it's nothing compared to what is to come. For when the Raggedy Man catches up with the gang he warns them them that the Evil One has put a curse on the village and plans to enact a Day of Destruction. The only ones who can stop them are the Five Horsemen of Connigar, who he declares the gang represent, and a magical sword hidden somewhere. Unfortunately for them, the Evil One is already onto them - represented in the form of sweet old shopkeeper Mrs Dears (wonderfully played by Jennifer Piercey), in a refreshing and amusing take on villainy. Thus the gang head off to find the sword and avoid the ever powerful old dear, who has a unnerving habit of shapeshifting into various people, hiding out in funfairs and even travelling back in time in what proves a crucial plot twist.
The humour is what made this so memorable, and is helped by the fact the social worker Miss Dudderidge is clearly as mad as a box of frogs, played with such glee by Susie Blake. Indeed, it's clear that the cast are having a whale of a time and helps make this series such a fun and memorable one. The humour can also be a little near the knuckle for a kids series, such as the scene in the 1st series where Miss Palmer is leading the gang through Five Wells Points woodland, only for a number of the kids to spot two horses together and continually asking "What ARE those horses doing together Miss?" It's clearly a joke aimed to go over the watching kids heads for their parents to chuckle at, but there is no doubt what they are getting up to! Then again, watching kids shows back then there were numerous near the knuckle stuff and jokes in them that TV executives wouldn't allow nowadays, but for me made these shows a lot more fun for it's uninhibited nature.
It's also notable for starting the careers of some famous faces, such as Russell Tovey and Brooke Kinsella, who proved so good sparking off each other they came back for the 2nd series. As well as the two siblings usual ribbing about Ruby bringing her teddy bear Steve with them on holiday, there is one scene that even all these years later sticks in my mind and makes me chuckle. In the 2nd series Bill has gone off with potential girlfriend Karen (Linda Slade) for a sneaky snog, not realizing it is actually the shapeshifting witch Mrs Dears until it is too late - much to Bill's horror. Later Ruby gleefully taunts him with the cry "You kissed a granny! You kissed a granny!" Out of the two series, Series 1 is rather ordinary by comparison, mainly stuck to camp escapades as Miss Palmer tries to rid herself of her unwanted guests, but it still remains funny. However the 2nd series is by far the better, and the fantasy element helps give it more scope as it throws the gang about all over the place and back and forth in time. It also helps with great support by Trevor Peacock as the mysterious Raggedy Man (who gives it more depth than you'd imagine for a kids' series) and Jennifer Piercey, who belies her sweet old dear act to make a very effective and sinister adversary while maintaining a lot of humour. For my ratings (as my 8/10 is a combined one for both series), I'd give Series 1 (6/10) and Series 2 (9/10). Astonishingly neither series have ever been released on video or DVD and the only copies seem to be uploads on Youtube of old recordings, but if you remember this show and loved it - or are even just curious about it - then check it out. It's a gloriously funny, madcap series that deserves to be better known.
