The Wombles are back after 27 years as the IP deal opens the door to a return | Children’s TV

Go to Paddington Bear. After nearly 30 years out of business, the Wombles – the furry, litter-picking creatures that inhabit Wimbledon Common – are set to make a comeback.

These characters, whose slogan is “Make Good Use of Bad Waste”, are being revived after the inclusion of the brand’s intellectual property rights under The Blair Partnership, which will oversee its global development.

The partnership opens the door to new television, film, audio, print, theater, live events, TV and sports projects for the first time since 1999, with plans to appeal to nostalgic adults and a new generation of children.

It comes at a time when once-studied environmental topics have become increasingly worrisome, lending relevance to the Wombles’ old message of taking care of the planet.

Created by author Elisabeth Beresford in the late 1960s, The Wombles became an international phenomenon after the BBC adapted the books into a television series that ran from 1973 to 1975.

Two episodes of The Wombles were broadcast on BBC One to the accompaniment of Mike Batt’s music, which included the show’s theme with the words “Underground overground, Wombling free”. The characters were voiced by actor Bernard Cribbins, while the puppets were created by Ivor Wood.

Although the original BBC series ended in 1975, the franchise remained strong. A revival on ITV in the 1990s – combining film, stage production and progressive business – helped secure the Wombles’ place in British popular culture.

The revival will begin this summer with the launch of the Wombles YouTube channel featuring original episodes as well as new on-going content. Passionate and motivated young people will lead programs designed to promote creativity and environmental awareness through activities such as arts and crafts, cooking and gardening.

Other projects in development include digital gaming, celebrity audio and an additional philanthropic and educational program.

Neil Blairfounding partner and sponsor at The Blair Partnership, said: “The Wombles are an iconic British brand with a strong culture, iconic characters that translate and resonate around the world.

“With a lot of content opportunities, and with the freedom to agree with a clear development plan, the site is in a good position to be promoted on multiple platforms and teams.”

The renewed push will also focus on The Wombles Community Charity, which manages waste collection, recycling and education across the UK through more than 250 community groups and 50,000 registered volunteers.

Its 2026 campaign, “Be More Womble”, will encourage people to support their communities. The charity has also partnered with NHS hospitals in Sussex to recycle non-infectious medical waste into teaching materials, a scheme which is set to be rolled out to other hospitals.

The idea for The Wombles began during a Boxing Day visit to Wimbledon Common, when Beresford’s daughter mistakenly referred to the area as “Wombledon Common”. The author went on to create a group of people who were inspired by his family members.

The Great Uncle of Bulgaria inherited his father-in-law, Tobermory from his founding brother, Orinoco from his son, and Madame Cholet from his mother.

Although the stories were about people living in a pit under Wimbledon Common, Beresford envisioned the Wombles as living all over the world. In his first book, he described them as looking “like bears” but with “real claws”.

Over the next decade, Beresford wrote more Wombles novels that were translated into more than 40 languages. He also wrote stage adaptations, one of which was produced in the West End.