The Trouble with Miss Switch

The Trouble with Miss Switch
GenreAnimation
Adventure
Comedy
Drama
Family
Fantasy
Written bySheldon Stark
Directed byCharles A. Nichols
Voices ofJanet Waldo
Eric Taslitz
Nancy McKeon
June Foray
Frank Welker
Music byDean Elliott
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producersJoe Ruby and Ken Spears
ProducerJerry Eisenberg
Running time60 minutes
Production companyRuby-Spears Productions
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseFebruary 16 (1980-02-16) –
February 23, 1980 (1980-02-23)

The Trouble with Miss Switch is a 1980 animated television special produced by Ruby-Spears Productions and based on the 1971 children's book of the same name by Barbara Brooks Wallace. It originally aired in two parts on ABC Weekend Special series on February 16 and 23, 1980.[1]

Following its initial broadcast, Miss Switch was frequently rerun and due to its popularity, a sequel called Miss Switch to the Rescue was also produced as an ABC Weekend Special in 1982.[2]

Synopsis

Rupert Brown and Amelia Daley are classmates at Pepperdine Elementary School who discover that their substitute teacher, Miss Switch, is a witch complete with a magical talking Lykoi-Breed cat named Bathsheba. She tells the children that the wicked witch Saturna has taken control of the Witches' Council and has condemned the fair Miss Switch with the aid of her Computer Witch. Rupert suggests bewitching a certain football player's number at the big game to ensure victory, but Saturna causes the spell to backfire so that the visiting team wins. Rupert comes up with another plan, but asks Miss Switch to let him and Amelia accompany her.

Miss Switch and Bathsheba fly to Witch Mountain with Rupert and Amelia. Saturna sends out her bats to attack them, which causes the broom to splinter; some bats carry Miss Switch away, while the others drop Rupert, Amelia and Bathsheba down a well. Miss Switch finds herself in the council room, where the Witches' Council prepares their verdict. The children and Bathsheba get out of the well, and sneak in disguised as witches. Just as Miss Switch agrees to be banished, her friends reveal that her ability to spread love and joy is the most original witchcraft idea of all. After the Computer Witch explodes from Rupert and Amelia’s speech, the Witches' Council banishes Saturna and appoints Miss Switch the new Head Witch. The next day, Miss Switch tells the kids that she’s to return to Witch Mountain as she says goodbye to Rupert and Amelia.

Voices

Production

Home video

The 1991 VHS release The Miss Switch Mystery Special from Strand VCI Entertainment features The Trouble with Miss Switch alongside Miss Switch to the Rescue.[3] Current rightsholder Warner Home Video has yet to release a DVD.

See also

References

  1. ^ Woolery, George W. Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-five Years, 1962-1987, retrieved September 21, 2015.
  2. ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 55–56. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  3. ^ The Miss Switch Mystery Special at WorldCat