Unsettling Kids Shows (and some obscure characters too)
Noseybonk
Let’s dive into one of the oddest kids show characters to appear in the 1980s. Now this is one guy that gave many people who can remember him more than the heebie-jeebies. A weird-looking character with a big white face and the biggest nose ever seen.
Source: https://muc.fandom.com/wiki/Mr._Noseybonk
The character formed part of a children’s TV puzzle and game show called Jigsaw, between 1979 and 1984. With his fixed grin, he terrified young audiences. His role in the show - along with several other less terrifying characters - was to provide clues via miming along to playful music.
The mere sight of him left children traumatized for years to come. Even today if you were to ask anyone if they remember this horrendous creature, spawned from the mind of Satan’s focus group meeting, they will shiver at the memory. I am eternally grateful I was too young to remember this guy!
The Moomins
Source: By Comic book cover, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1724575
Now I’m not referring to the anime cartoon that appeared later. I’m referring to the original stop motion cartoon from the later 70s. Originally created by Finnish author Tove Jansson as a book series and comic strip, the original series aired from 1977 to 1982 for Polish, German and Austrian audiences. It later sold to other countries including the UK.
This original series was criticized for being dark and a little scary. I do recall it being rather disturbing in parts and creeped me out on a few occasions. But I stuck with it in the same way you can’t tear your eyeballs away from a car crash aftermath. It was repeated after the original airing which explains my ability to recall it.
The characters resembled hippos, but apparently they were trolls who lived in Momminvalley. The Moomin family were Moominmamma, Moominpappa and their son, Moomintroll. There were other characters such as Snufkin who was human and wore a wide-brimmed hat that always sat low.
Source: By [1], Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35612164
There was a little girl called Little My who had more than a bad attitude. In all honesty, she was my least favorite character in the show. Snork Maiden was also a Moomin and had blonde hair. There was also a kangaroo-like character called Sniff.
While some episodes were innocuous in nature, others had a darker tone. The Hobgoblin Arrives at the Party is a prime example of how dark this show could feel. At the same time, it was a strangely enchanting show with an occasional ominous quality that added to its weird charm.
Davros, Leader of the Daleks
I don't know what it was about this freak of nature, but did he scare the socks off me! For those who’ve never heard of him, he was the arch nemesis of Doctor Who and creator of the Daleks.
Source: By Screenshot of promotional photograph, taken from Genesis of the Daleks DVD by Josiah Rowe (talk • contribs) 02:47, 20 July 2008 (UTC), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18507849
A disturbing creature that was half-living half-Dalek, where there should be eyes, instead were two sunken eye sockets framed within a haggard face that resembled melting cheese (to me anyway). To replace his eyes, was a blue cybernetic eye in the center of his forehead. Although he was supposed to still have eyes, these he was unable to open for long, apparently.
Located on the planet Skaro, he is the survivor of a thousand-year long war between the Thals and Kaleds. Lacking a lower body, he is kept alive by a contraption that resembles the lower half of the Dalek body. It is thought this was his inspiration for creating his cyborg army.
It is reckoned his disfigured appearance is down to Thals destroying his laboratory in a shell attack. With only one working arm and hand, he operates his life-support mechanism and uses it to move around allowing him some mobility.
Thankfully, he was never heavily featured in the show with the more familiar Daleks taking center stage.
Also, if you haven't already noticed, Kaled is an anagram of Dalek.
Watership down
Released in 1978 as a fully animated feature film, it is based on a book by Richard Adams. The story revolves around the survival of a group of rabbits in the UK. When one has a nightmarish vision on the future of their warren, a small band of them leave to seek pastures new.
Led by one called Hazel, they encounter many dangers along the way. A badger, a dog and they even avoid being run over by a car which one of them calls a ‘hru-du-du’ and explains it is how humans move around quickly.
I won’t take a deep dive into the story as that would be an article in itself and you can search for more information on the whole plot easily. The book is still available, but it’s a whopper coming in at 475 pages.
For many children at the time, it was a dark tale with a lot of violence and utterly heartbreaking in parts. Compared to the more saccharine tales involving animals depicted in Disney films (excluding Dumbo and Bambi - just don't go there, okay!) this no doubt surprised many people and continued to do so years later.
I personally loved it. It felt much more real than the ‘happy endings’ you get with nearly all other kids' animations. That’s not to say this doesn't have a happy ending, but its journey getting there is brutal. It has all the elements that keep you engaged and rooting for the rabbits right to the end.
If you like a bit of realism in your animation, then I recommend it. Just be prepared for violence, (the torture scene with the ears) you’ll know if you watch it.
Max Headroom
Not technically anything to do with kids' shows, nevertheless, this horrendous abomination gave me nightmares. I can’t explain why. It was a TV show of only five minute long segments featuring this awful thing.
A floating head and shoulders set in front of a computer generated background, Max Headroom would introduce a music video show. His movements were often jerky as if signaling a technical glitch and resulting in a stutter.
I’m probably the only person at the time who found him disturbing. He doesn't have the same effect on me now, but to me there will always be something unnerving about this character.
The Wheelers
“Follow the yellow brick road…” Because if you don’t, the Wheelers will get you!
Yes, these nightmarish creatures were the creation of Princess Mombi in the less sugar-coated sequel of Wizard of Oz. Return to Oz saw Dorothy locked in a mental asylum (wait, what?) and escaping early on with another girl.
Her guardians - Aunt Em and Uncle Henry - believe that Dorothy is experiencing delusional behavior after her adventures and take it upon themselves to get therapy for her. Nice people!
During her escape, and almost captured by a nurse, Dorothy floats down a river on a battered chicken coop with one surviving chicken, while the girl who helped her is sadly washed away. Sets the tone for the rest of the film. At least the chicken survived. Overcome, Dorothy blacks out and wakes up to find herself in Oz and the chicken can now talk.
Source: Guardian Images/Flikr.com
She discovers the entire city of Oz is in a total state of disrepair. Even the yellow brick road appears to be having a bad day. It’s not long before she finds herself deep in the city ruins and cornered by the Wheelers.
Zipping around on all fours with wheels for feet and hands, they wear masks on their heads that have ghoulish faces,giving the impression of a second face. They also wear suits covered in multicolored wires.
Threatening and mocking her, they slowly approach while a terrified Dorothy stumbles back and forth desperate to escape.
Another interesting fact: the nurse at the beginning of the film is also Princess Mombi’s real head. While the orderly assisting the nurse is the leader of the Wheelers.
***Spoilers! ***
She does escape by using a key to open a hidden door in a wall. The Wheelers do appear again but in the meantime, enjoy a later scene where Dorothy meets Princess Mombi. We all get to see the room of glass cabinets each containing a disembodied female head!
So, there you go. There are certainly more oddball creations out there that we can all remember. Some have left their mark and will always make us shiver. Others make us wonder what it was that disturbed us.
Somewhere out there is a house where Max Headroom lives. His guard dog is a deranged Wheeler while his roommate is a reclusive fellow by the name of Davros. He lives on the outskirts of Moominvalley and his neighbor is a weird man with a huge nose and never stops smiling…ever. Oh, did I mention he built his house on top of a rabbit warren and buried the rabbits alive?