Remembering Yonderland…

By Ben Wright (@iamzavagno | www.xgeeks.co.uk)

This article is spoiler-free.

You may know them, more recently, from Ghosts, or, to go back further, you may know them from Horrible Histories, however, there is one show that I talk about a lot that people need to be made aware of, Yonderland!

Yonderland was a British fantasy sitcom which aired between 2013 and 2016, delivering three series and originally aired on Sky One. As mentioned, it starred the Horrible Histories/Ghosts comedy troupe that includes Martha Howe-Douglas, Mathew Baynton, Jim Howick, Simon Farnaby, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond. Here, the gang were in full creative control and ended up producing one of the most underrated and underappreciated comedy series of all time! And the sad thing is, I don’t think enough people have seen this absolute gem of a comedy!

So what is Yonderland about?

Bored stay-at-home mum Debbie Maddox (Martha Howe-Douglas) has her life turned upside down when a magical elf (voiced by Mathew Baynton) opens the doorway to a magical land full of crazy and eccentric characters, mystery and intrigue. Debbie soon learns that she is ‘The Chosen One’ and must save the world from the evil that is consuming the lands within. Using a mixture of live-action and traditional puppetry, the end result is a truly magical and hilarious family-friendly fantasy adventure! 

True to form, the cast play multiple characters throughout the show, be it in live action or lending their voices to the various puppets. The set pieces have a great visual aesthetic and are a wonderful mix of high-end production and theatre production. This mash-up really works well and the visual and production quality makes a truly unique show, from a visual perspective.

As for the humour, as you’d expect, it is deliciously hilarious, with comedy that works on multiple levels! While this is very much a family-friendly series, the adult jokes are plentiful and they land really hard! I don’t think I’ve experienced a show that successfully pulls off this blend of humour, as well as Yonderland, does. There are silly jokes, there are incredibly nuanced jokes and there are some truly tremendous visual gags that all land just as successfully. It’s not just the mix of humour styles that makes the show so enjoyable, the show has a lot of heart and emotion behind it as well, with all the different elements perfectly balanced.

If you enjoyed Ghosts or Horrible Histories, if you like the puppetry fantasy worlds of Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, then Yonderland is the perfect fantasy comedy series for you! Its charm, heart and humour will penetrate your soul and leave you with the biggest smile on your face! The jokes are bone-shakingly funny, and the visuals and production are truly unique! Yonderland is magic in its purest form – so what are you waiting for? Step through the portal and enter a realm of laughs and magic!

Yonderland is available to watch via Sky On Demand.