Mio Mao


Mio Mao, also known as Mio and Mao, is a stop motion animated preschool children's television series created by Francesco Misseri in the 1970s, produced using claymation animation.
The original series was produced by PMBB and aired on Programma Nazionale in 1974. After Francesco Misseri's production company Misseri Studio acquired Mio Mao in 2000 and remastered series 1 in 2003, Misseri Studio and Associati Audiovisivi created two more series for Five's Milkshake! block in 2005 and 2007. In the United Kingdom, the episodes are narrated and the characters are voiced by Derek Griffiths. Mio Mao has aired on BabyFirst in the United States.
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Plot

Each episode is approximately five minutes long and focuses on the Mio, the red kitten; and Mao, the white kitten. As the episode progresses, they discover a variety of mysterious animals and objects on the other side. The garden changes appearance depending on the theme of the episode, or the animal or object featured.
The kittens go to investigate alone; they sometimes forget about the animal or object and wander off to look at the scenery. After a while, they get there but return scared, before watching from a distance and discovering that the scary item was either a friendly animal or a fun object.
Often, near the end of the episode, the animal or object will need help, and Mio and Mao come to their rescue, then invite the animal or object to come play with them. Gracious, the animal or object follows them as they squish and bounce back to the other side, posing together and looking at the viewers as the episode draws to a close.

List of episodes

Series 1 (1974)

  1. The Egg
  2. The Peacock
  3. The Little Lamb
  4. The Ants
  5. The Chameleon
  6. The Beehive
  7. The Spider
  8. The Tortoise
  9. The Caterpillar
  10. The Cicada
  11. The Snake
  12. The Dog
  13. The Doormouse
  14. The Polyp
  15. The Hippopotamus
  16. The Squirrel
  17. The Monkey
  18. The Hedgehog
  19. The Shell
  20. The Tadpole
  21. The Snail
  22. The Owl
  23. The Mole
  24. The Beaver
  25. The Piglet
  26. The Hare

Series 2 (2005–06)

  1. The Fox
  2. The Worm
  3. The Anteater
  4. The Seed
  5. The Cricket
  6. The Swan
  7. The Turkey
  8. The Crocodile
  9. The Racoon
  10. The Crab
  11. The Penguin
  12. The Little Bear
  13. The Christmas Tree
  14. The Snowman
  15. The Seal
  16. The Parrot
  17. The Mushroom
  18. The Dragonfly
  19. The Bat
  20. The Chestnut
  21. The Hornet
  22. The Kangaroo
  23. The Cow
  24. The Ladybird
  25. The Donkey
  26. The Koala

Series 3 (2006–07)

  1. The Deer
  2. The Elephant
  3. The Mouse
  4. The Ostrich
  5. The Pelican
  6. The Dove
  7. The Kingfisher
  8. The Television
  9. The Clew
  10. The Dolphin
  11. The Ghost
  12. The Goldfish
  13. The Zebra
  14. The Vacuum Cleaner
  15. The Sky Terrier
  16. The Sloth
  17. The Gorilla
  18. The Jinn
  19. The Bull
  20. The Train
  21. The Little Theater
  22. The Tap
  23. The UFO
  24. The Vulture
  25. The Piano
  26. The Dinosaur

Production

Mio Mao was conceived when two abandoned kittens were found on the doorstep of Misseri Studio studio in Florence, Italy. These kittens became the studio's mascots. Francesco Misseri, the creative mind behind the studio, was captivated by their playful discovery of the world. Moved by their pure and innocent attitudes, he decided to feature them in the show. Francesco did not distinguish which kitten was Mio and which was Mao, as they were inseparable friends; to him, they were both Mio and Mao.