The son of David McKee, creator of the beloved children's show Mr Benn, has revealed that his father never made repeat fees from the programme, despite it being shown more than 40 times. Brett McKee, 61, explained that the BBC paid a one-off fee for the series, which originally consisted of 13 episodes before a 14th, Gladiator, was added in 2005.
A one-off deal
"The series was sold to the BBC for a one-off fee, so Dad never received repeat fees – even though the entire series was shown more than 40 times," said Brett McKee, the youngest of David's three children. Instead, it was McKee's other creation, Elmer the Patchwork Elephant, that brought in royalties. The Elmer series sold over 12 million copies and was translated into 60 languages.
Brett, who has written children's books himself, is hosting an exhibition of his father's work at St Barbe Museum & Art Gallery in Lymington, Hampshire. The exhibition includes artwork from Mr Benn, Elmer, and McKee's personal pieces, including black-and-white landscapes.
The inspiration behind Mr Benn
David McKee got most of his ideas while relaxing in the bath, according to Brett. "He always claimed the best stories came to him that way. Dad had extremely good observational skills and could retain a lot of visual information. Having a hot bath each evening was his think-tank, and he'd let his mind wander."
Festive Road was based on Festing Road in Putney, South-west London, where the McKees lived. The costume shop was inspired by a Plymouth bric-a-brac shop David passed on his way to art college. The bowler hat was a nod to Charlie Chaplin and others.
Messages in the stories
Each Mr Benn episode contained a moral. Brett said: "Dad always enjoyed writing stories containing not only adventure but a moral. He thought that children would understand that the story was telling them something important. Such stories are timeless and will always be popular." For example, in The Red Knight, Mr Benn befriends a dragon wrongly accused of a crime; in Hunter, he persuades a hunter to photograph animals instead of shooting them.
Rejected episodes and a movie plan
Two stories never made it to TV. A 1970 book, 123456789 Benn, saw Mr Benn enter a prison, which the BBC deemed too controversial. A Father Christmas story was rejected because it would limit repeats to the festive period. Plans for a Mr Benn movie are now in development, directed by Kirk Jones of Nanny McPhee fame, with production set to begin in 2027. Brett suggested actors like Ben Whishaw or Jack Whitehall could play Mr Benn, though he has no say in casting. The project was previously mooted by Disney, with Ben Kingsley and John Hannah considered.
Exhibition details
The exhibition, "Elmer and Mr Benn: The Magic of David McKee," runs until September 6 at St Barbe Museum & Art Gallery in Lymington. It features framed paintings, fancy-dress costumes, and a giant poster of Mr Benn at the costume shop. Brett noted that the poster's origins are unknown. David McKee died in 2022. His last book, Elmer and the Tug of War, illustrated by Marysia Milewski, is published on September 10 by Andersen Press.
