The Adventures of Blinky Bill
An animated series following a koala's adventures in the Australian bush.
Last updated
The Adventures of Blinky Bill is an Australian animated television series based on Dorothy Wall's books about Blinky Bill, serving as a sequel to the 1992 film Blinky Bill: The Mischievous Koala. Produced by the Yoram Gross companies, the series was animated overseas in Hong Kong and set in the fictional Australian bushland town of Greenpatch. It presents stories through the activities and misadventures of Blinky Bill, his family, and his friends.
Series
The first season, consisting of 26 episodes, aired in 1993 on ABC Television. In this season, Blinky Bill and his friends rebuild Greenpatch after its destruction by humans and adjust to the arrival of the Dingo family. The season was co-produced by Yoram Gross Film Studios with EM.Entertainment, WDR/ARD, ABC, and BBC. The second season, titled Blinky Bill's Extraordinary Excursion, also 26 episodes, aired in 1995 on ABC Television.
Here, Blinky Bill and his friends become lost during a school excursion and journey home across Australia, helping animals such as a crocodile, penguins, and farm and circus animals. This season was co-produced by Yoram Gross Film Studios with EM.Entertainment, WDR/ARD, VIDEAL, and ABC. The third season, marketed as Blinky Bill's Extraordinary Balloon Adventure or Blinky Bill's Around the World Adventures, aired on 10 June 2004 on the Seven Network.
Blinky Bill, Nutsy, and Flap travel in a hot air balloon, chased by two humans named Basil and Cyril, the Circus Bros. They rescue animals including Slippery, Leo, Ling-Ling, Tico, Yoyo, and Penelope, visiting Antarctica, the African plains, China, the Amazon rainforest, India, and Paris. This season was co-produced by Yoram Gross-EM.TV with EM.TV, WDR, ABC, and Wavery. Two spin-off pilot episodes, Flap's Family and Flap's Island, were developed in 1996 but not picked up.
In 2005, the television movie Blinky Bill's White Christmas aired on the Seven Network on 24 December, co-produced by Yoram Gross-EM.TV and WDR. Its theme song, "Christmas in Australia", was performed by Christine Anu. In the Philippines, the special aired across two parts on GMA Network on 1 and 2 December 2020.
Forest industry controversy
The first series carried a strong anti-woodchip message, with its theme song including the line "Save us from that woodchip mill" and scenes of forest destruction. Some forest industry groups lobbied the ABC, arguing the opening scene depicted illegal wood chipping unfair to the timber industry. In the following two series, the song lyrics and opening credits changed; the line became "You'll never catch him standing still", reflecting the shift in storylines and locations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which network aired The Adventures of Blinky Bill?
The Adventures of Blinky Bill aired on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1993–1995), Seven Network (2004–2005), ABC Kids (1993–2013).
How many episodes of The Adventures of Blinky Bill are there?
The Adventures of Blinky Bill has 78 episodes across 3 seasons.
When did The Adventures of Blinky Bill end?
The Adventures of Blinky Bill last aired on 5 July 2004.
More in 2000s Australian Animated Television Series
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: The Adventures of Blinky Bill (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced