The Trouble with Miss Switch

*The Trouble with Miss Switch*
The Trouble with Miss Switch
Genre	Animation; Adventure; Comedy; Drama; Family; Fantasy
Written by	Sheldon Stark
Directed by	Charles A. Nichols
Voices of	Janet Waldo; Eric Taslitz; Nancy McKeon; June Foray; Frank Welker
Music by	Dean Elliott
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producers	Joe Ruby and Ken Spears
Producer	Jerry Eisenberg
Running time	60 minutes
Production company	Ruby-Spears Productions
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	February 16 –; February 23, 1980

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

Janet Waldo—Miss Switch, Council Witches
Eric Taslitz—Rupert Brown
Nancy McKeon—Amelia Daley
June Foray—Bathsheba, Saturna, and Council Witches
Frank Welker—Hector and Computer Witch
Philip Tanzini—Banana, Bill Swanson, Rudy Lopez and Conrad
Alan Dinehart—Caruso, Football Announcer

Production

Executive Producers: Joe Ruby & Ken Spears
Produced by: Jerry Eisenberg
Directed by: Charles A. Nichols
Written by: Sheldon Stark
Story Direction: Ron Campbell
Voice Direction: Alan Dinehart
Layout Supervisor: Larry Huber
Music: Dean Elliott

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.

References

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

External links

The Trouble with Miss Switch at IMDb

[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

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