Me and My Monsters

Me and My Monsters is a live-action television series from the Jim Henson Company and Jim Henson's Creature Shop. Twenty-six half-hour episodes were produced, with productions taking place in Sydney, Australia during mid-2010. The Jim Henson Company worked with Tiger Aspect Productions, Australia's Sticky Pictures on this UK/Australian co-production.
Me and My Monsters tells the story of the Carlson family - Nick (dad), Kate (mom), Angela (daughter), Eddie (son) - who have recently relocated from Australia to the UK to discover that there are three monsters - Norman, Fiend and Haggis - living in their basement. For Eddie, these monsters become the best friends a kid could have, but they become three more rowdy kids for Kate to deal with, a constant source of chaos and stress for Nick and an ongoing embarrassment for Angela.
The show debuted in the UK on BBC-CBBC television on Monday October 18, 2010, and aired daily on the network. The series had also been commissioned to air on ZDF in Germany and Network Ten and Nickelodeon in Australia. The Spanish dubbed version aired on Canal Once in Mexico. Distribution is handled by BBC Worldwide.
==Characters==
Norman - Me and My Monsters.png|Sean MastersonDavid C. Collins (voice)
Fiend - Me and My Monsters.png|Heath McIvor
Haggis - Me and My Monsters.png|Don Austen
Eddie - Me and My Monsters.png|Macauley Keeper
Nick - Me and My Monsters.png|Felix Williamson
Kate - Me and My Monsters.png|Lauren Clair
Angela - Me and My Monsters.png|Ivy Latimer
Norman is an odd purple monster. He's a bit of an oddball — even by monster standards. Much of the time he appears to be in a world of his own. He does not speak English, but rather communicates in absurd strings of gibberish. The other monsters say that Norman is not crazy, he just seems that way.
Haggis is a gigantic red and orange monster. He's a big loveable furball that often crashes through doors and makes rude noises. Although he may look tough, inside he's a real softy. Haggis scares easily (by creepy crawlies and even sudden movements). He's not very good at being a monster as he's even frightened of himself! 
Fiend is a green multi-eyed monster and the smallest of the monsters. He's extremely talkative and is always willing to offer his advice - whether asked for it or not. Fiend is the leader - the boss of everything - because he says so.
Puppeteers:
*Heath McIvor: Fiend (puppeteer and voice)
*Alice Osborne: Fiend (assistant puppeteer)
*Don Austen: Haggis (puppeteer and voice)
*Sean Masterson: Haggis (assistant puppeteer, episodes 1-6), Norman (puppeteer, episodes 7-26)
*David Collins: Norman (voice only), Haggis (assistant puppeteer, episodes 7-26)
*Matthew McCoy: Norman (puppeteer, episodes 1-6)
*Fiona Gentle: Norman (assistant puppeteer)
==Production==
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The series was created by Mark Grant and features human actors alongside the three monsters (puppets developed by Henson's Creature Shop). The puppets were built in the UK by the Henson Creature Shop with puppet builders Niki Lyons, Jamie Campbell, Pete Brooks and Dan Carlisle.
The series was produced by Justine Flynn and Pete Coogan. The series was executive produced by Tiger Aspect's Greg Brenman and Rebecca deSouza; The Jim Henson Company's Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford; and Sticky Picture's Donna Andrews.
The series was written by Mark Grant, George Sawyer, Mark Huckerbee and Nick Ostler, Tom Basden, Laurence Rickard and George Sawyer, Sam Leifer, and James Bachman.
==Episodes==
===Series 1===
# Strictly No PetsWriter: Mark Grant | Director: Martin DennisThe Carlson's move into their new home but little do they realise there are monsters in the basement. How long can Eddie hide them from the rest of the family?
# Dust Bag LoveWriter: Mark Grant | Director: Martin DennisWhen the monsters scare off a cleaner, Kate reaches breaking point; either they clean up their own mess or get out. Eddie is desperate to tidy the house before she gets back but the monsters have other ideas.
# Monster in a BoxWriter: Mark Grant | Director: Martin DennisHaggis is depressed and no one knows why. A therapist says he needs a father figure so Nick reluctantly steps into the role. But when Nick starts to enjoy his time with his new monster son, Eddie and the other monsters start to get jealous.
# The Fabulous MonsterettesWriter: Mark Grant | Director: Martin DennisEddie is convinced that his parents are splitting up and asks the monsters to help him stop his Dad running away. But the monsters are too busy reviving their singing group, The Fabulous Monsterettes, convinced that Angela wants them as her backing group.
# Baby LoveWriter: James Bachman | Director: Lynn HegartyWhen Angela is asked to babysit, the monsters ask Nick how babies are made. As usual, they get the wrong end of the stick and Haggis ends up thinking he's pregnant. But will Eddie and Angela persuade him that the baby's not his before the real mother comes back?
# Monster SmartWriters: Mark Huckerby and Nick Ostler | Director: Lynn HegartyEddie is panicking about the arrival of his school report, and tries to stop the post with the help of the monsters. But they are too busy being educated by Kate and Nick, who are desperate to prove who is the brainier parent.
# My Big Fat Monster WeddingWriters: Jamie Lennox and Louis Waymouth | Director: Marcus ColeNick messes up his and Kate's wedding anniversary, she announces that he is not the man she married. So Fiend, Haggis and Norman kidnap him to find the 'real' Nick. Can Eddie and Angela persuade the monsters that it really is their dad?
# Haggis Strikes BackWriters: Laurence Rickard and George Sawyer | Director: Mark BarnardWhen Eddie teaches Haggis to be more assertive, things soon gets out of hand as the furry giant starts to throw his weight. Meanwhile Fiend is reduced to a gibbering wreck, now that Haggis has taken his role as the bossy monster.
# The Big FibWriters: Mark Huckerby and Nick Ostler | Director: Marcus ColeWhen Eddie teaches the monsters about lying, little does he realise what he has unleashed. What starts out as a tiny fib soon escalates into a series of huge whoppers and Eddie has to play along with all of them for fear of being found out.
# SleepoverWriters: Laurence Rickard and George Sawyer | Director: Marcus ColeWhen Angela's new-found friends bail out of her first ever sleepover, the monsters are only too keen to step in for some girly fun. But her fickle friends decide to turn up after all, and Angela finds herself trying to keep the two sleepovers separate.
# Dear DiaryWriters: Tom Basden and Sam Leifer | Director: Marcus ColeEddie and the monsters keep reading Angela's diary - obsessed with her day-to-day life. But when Angela finds out, she gets her revenge by writing entries she knows will freak the monsters out.
# Call of the MildWriters: Mark Huckerby and Nick Ostler | Director: Marcus ColeEddie sneakily floods the basement so that Fiend, Haggis and Norman are allowed to live upstairs with the family. But his plan backfires when hanging round with the human's too long turns the monsters into very un-monsterly, civilised grown-ups.
# Bogey BrothersWriters: Mark Grant | Director: Mark BarnardWhen Eddie announces that he wants to become a full-time monster, his parents start to worry and encourage him to play with a normal boy. But when Eddie abandons the monsters to play computer games with his new friend, Fiend, Haggis and Norman create so much havoc that Nick finally snaps and dumps them in a forest.
===Series 2===
# Monster LurgyEddie pretends to be ill to avoid a maths test, promising the monsters they will have a great day hanging out together. But the monsters think they really have caught something - from Nick, who is at home, genuinely ill. So they make their own medicine which they test on Human Dad Thingy first.
# Shiny StuffThe monsters become obsessed with all things shiny - especially money, the shiniest thing there is. So to get as much of it as possible, they set up a business in the basement - but what starts out as a bit of fun starts to go sour when the monsters turn into hard-nosed businessmen.
# StaycationThe Carlsons are all set to go on a dream holiday to Mexico - until Norman eats their passports at the last minute. But Eddie and the monsters persuade the family they don't need to go away to have fun, and they decide to have their holiday at home.
# Teenage Dream BoyNorman turns into a human boy for just one hour and escapes from the basement - so Eddie and the others have to catch him before he barges in on Kate and Nick's dinner party upstairs. But worst of all, how do they stop Angela falling for this mysterious, gorgeous blue-eyed dream boy?
# Monster on TopWhen Eddie goes on a school trip, the monsters are lost without their leader. So Fiend appoints himself king of the monsters. But Haggis and Norman each think they should be in charge, so they decide to hold an election.
# Monstrously Good CookiesWhen Kate wins a cookie competition, little does she know that some of Norman's fur went into the mix that won her the top prize. So when a film crew comes to film her making the famous cookies, Eddie and the monsters have to secretly get more fur into the dough.
# Quality TimeThe monsters are fed up with the family never having time for them, so they steal all the clocks in the house. In response, Nick installs a huge and terrifying grandfather clock - from now on, the house is going to run like clockwork! There's definitely no time for fun anymore.
# Next Big ThingEddie pretends to be ill to avoid a maths test, promising the monsters they'll have a great day hanging out together. But the monsters think they really have caught something from Nick, who is genuinely ill. So they make their own 'medicine', which they test on Human Dad thingy first.
# The Fall OutIt's Eddie's birthday and he can't wait for a party with his three best friends in the all the world - Haggis, Fiend and Norman. But when the monsters argue over what present to give Eddie, it turns into a full scale row that threatens all the party plans, and even their friendship with Eddie.
# Chain GangWhen the monsters are impressed by a few of Dad's old magic tricks, Fiend decides to become a master magician. Of course, he is useless, and manages to chain Angela and Norman together - just as Angela has a date coming over to watch a DVD!
# Swap FeverWhen Eddie tells the monsters about swapping teeny pets - free toys that come in cereal packets - Fiend becomes addicted, determined to build the biggest collection of teeny pets ever. Meanwhile, it gives Kate and Nick the idea to swap roles - leading to even more chaos in the household.
# Alone TogetherWhen the monsters are left home alone, they receive a surprise visit from burglars.
# MonstersitterNick and Kate go out for dinner, leaving a new babysitter in charge. At first it seems Mrs Travers just wants to spoil Eddie and Angela's Friday night fun - but it turns out she is a monster catcher! How will they stop her from seeing the monsters - especially when Haggis thinks he doesn't exist and actually wants to be seen?
==Merchandise==
===DVDs===
In Australia, a region 4 DVD entitled "Me and My Monsters: Series 1: Episodes 1–7" was released; as the title suggests it contains the first seven episodes of the series along with a behind the scenes featurette in a single-disc release.
===Books===
*Monsters in the Basement by Rory GrowlerEddie and his family have just moved into their new home at 12 St Olave's Avenue. But what they don't know, is that their house is already inhabited by three furry monsters - Fiend, Haggis and Norman! They live in the basement and are the naughtiest, stinkiest, craziest friends Eddie could wish for! But how long can he keep them a secret from his parents and sister?
*Monster School by Rory GrowlerEddie's school report is due and he's determined to stop his mum and dad from reading it. Luckily, his parents are too busy teaching the monsters (who have suddenly decided to improve their minds) to notice. Will Eddie be able to intercept his school report? And can Fiend, Haggis and Norman really learn anything useful?
*Monster Manners by Rory GrowlerWhen Eddie sees a chance for the monsters to live upstairs he decides to teach them human manners so they can stay for good. But when Fiend, Haggis and Norman start acting like serious grown-ups the whole family want things to go back to normal - QUICKLY!
*Monster Mess by Rory GrowlerWhen Fiend, Haggis and Norman make one mess too many, Eddie's Mum tells them they need to learn to clean up . . . OR ELSE. Can Eddie teach the monsters to be tidy?
==Other Appearances==
*Both Haggis and Fiend appeared in The Jim Henson's Creature Shop Yule Log Experience in 2024. 
== External links==
*meandmymonsters.net (archive)
*CBBC
*Tiger Aspect Productions
*Sticky Pictures
*CBBC Trailer
*Australia's 10 News Clip
*Henson Company press release
*BBC press release
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Category:Creature Shop TV Shows
Category:Henson Company TV Shows