Dangermouse back on 25th birthday

Dangermouse lived inside a postbox on Baker Street in London

Cartoon secret agent Dangermouse is returning to television after the BBC bought episodes of the series to broadcast in its daytime schedules.

This month marks the 25th anniversary of the character and his bumbling sidekick Penfold, who joined forces to defeat evil Baron Greenback in 1981.

Last year the show was third in Channel 4's poll of the best children's TV.

The show has been seen in more than 80 countries, according to Fremantle Media, which owns distribution rights.

The secret of the programme's success was the bizarre scenarios in which the pair found themselves, said Mark Hall, co-founder of production company Cosgrove Hall, which produced the show for Thames TV.

"The adults watched because of that kind of anarchy," he told the BBC earlier this year.

"The kids watched it because they just loved the stories and the absolutely stupid gags."

Sir David Jason and Terry Scott provided the voices for the pair

He also praised the actors who had voiced the characters. Sir David Jason was "fantastic" as Dangermouse, he said, while the late Terry Scott provided a "wonderful" Penfold.

"Dangermouse was a sort of cross between Bond and all sorts of things," Mr Hall said.

"He was supposed to be suave but he was a mouse with big ears."

The cartoon was first aired on ITV in the UK and attracted an average audience of 3.5 million, Fremantle Media said. In recent years it has appeared on pay-TV channels, but it has not had a regular slot on mainstream TV since 1992.

No transmission date has yet been set for the re-runs on the BBC.