Wander to Wonder (2024)

There’s something quite sad about this short feature. It’s all about three once famous kids’ television characters who have been abandoned following the end of their run on the small screen. Left to rot, really, forgotten in a fly-ridden room with only loads of old VHS cassettes of happier times, we meet the characters who epitomise so much of what we grew up watching religiously. “Mary” is still unconvinced that there aren’t still people watching somewhere as she scours the colourful letters from the fans; “Fumbleton” is a disappointed, unfulfilled, thespian and then we have “Billybud” all longing for the days when “Uncle Gilly” would take them on adventures and explore their hobbies. When something unexpected happens and their horizons perhaps broaden, red paint takes on a whole new meaning. It’s a poignant look at the simplicity of what once enthralled our younger selves and also at just how fickle we can be when things no longer appeal. I couldn’t help but think of the toys I had once cherished but that ended up discarded and broken when I lost interest. I didn’t particularly appreciate the conclusion here, but there’s something about this evocative little animation that made me smile, and wonder!