Britt Allcroft
Encyclopedia
Britt Allcroft is the multi- award-winning creator of a trio of children's entertainment produced in the 1980s and 1990s: "Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends
", (now retitled "Thomas and Friends"), "Shining Time Station
" (with co-creator Rick Siggelkow) and "Britt Allcroft's Magic Adventures of Mumfie
".
She was born Hilary Mary Allcroft, in Worthing, England and, at 16, changed her name to Britt as her career in British radio and TV gained momentum. She went on to create a string of shows for the BBC and ITV networks, including "Moon Clue Game", "Get it, Got it, Good", "Dance Crazy", "Keepsakes" and "Mothers by Daughters" . She worked in live theatre staging shows at the London Palladium
and Drury Lane
Theatres.
In 1979, Allcroft was making a five-minute film for the Central Office of Information
about the resurgence of interest in steam railways. One inspiration for the film was A Guide to the Steam Railways of Britain, a book compiled by the Rev. W. Awdry and Dr Christopher Cook, and published by Eric Marriott, the former editor of The Railway Series
. As Awdry would be taking part in the programme, Allcroft was prompted to read some of the volumes of the Railway Series, for the first time. She said: "it really didn't take me long to become intrigued by the characters and the relationships between them and the simplicity of the stories. I was equally intrigued by the illustrations, the landscape in them and the nostalgia they invoked." She met Awdry, saying she wanted to make a TV series, based on his stories. Although Awdry was initially reluctant, a deal was eventually done. It took Britt three years to raise the finance and find all the people who could make her dream come true. The first episode of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, was aired in the UK in September 1984.
In 1984 she co-founded the Britt Allcroft Company with her then husband, Angus Wright
, formulating cover of all merchandising and television rights in Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. The company went public in 1996 and was renamed Gullane Entertainment
.
Once Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends had become a critical and commercial success in the UK, Allcroft and her production company looked to promote the brand in North America. As the Thomas films were only 5 minutes long, initially, the company found it difficult in placing the series in the USA, as generally, the networks preferred 30 minute formats and so in 1988 the Britt Allcroft Company teamed up with PBS Station WNET in New York to produce and distribute Shining Time Station
, where every episode of the show would include a couple episodes of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.
She wrote and directed the movie "Thomas and the Magic Railroad
", released in 2000, as well as providing the voice for the character Lady.
The film was not a critical success, and Allcroft resigned in September 2000. Her resignation followed many years of internal stress within the company.
In 2007, news surfaced on a Thomas fan site that the released version of the Thomas movie was a drastically edited version of Allcroft's original script and shot film - in effect, the claim was that production of the film had been taken out of her hands.
Gullane was subsequently acquired in 2003 by Hit Entertainment
, which was taken over by Apax Partners
in 2005.
Wright and Allcroft are divorced.
Britt Allcroft is now living and working in Santa Monica
, California. She re-acquired Mumfie from HiT Entertainment in 2008. She is on the advisory council of Southern California Public Radio and the Audrey Hepburn
Children's Fund.
Bouncy Castle
The Adventures of Septimus Seagull
The Rory Stories
Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends
Thomas and Friends is a British children's television series, first broadcast on the ITV network in September 1984. Until 2003, it was named Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. This series was shot on 35mm film...
", (now retitled "Thomas and Friends"), "Shining Time Station
Shining Time Station
Shining Time Station is an American children's television series co-created by Britt Allcroft and Rick Siggelkow. The series was produced by The Britt Allcroft Company and Quality Family Entertainment in New York for New York City PBS Station WNET, and was filmed first in New York and then in Toronto...
" (with co-creator Rick Siggelkow) and "Britt Allcroft's Magic Adventures of Mumfie
Magic Adventures of Mumfie
Britt Allcroft's Magic Adventures of Mumfie is an animated made-for-television movie and television series created by Britt Allcroft and directed by John Laurence Collins. It is based on the Mumfie novels by Katherine Tozer, which were originally published in 1936. Mumfie is a 'nelifunt', a toy...
".
She was born Hilary Mary Allcroft, in Worthing, England and, at 16, changed her name to Britt as her career in British radio and TV gained momentum. She went on to create a string of shows for the BBC and ITV networks, including "Moon Clue Game", "Get it, Got it, Good", "Dance Crazy", "Keepsakes" and "Mothers by Daughters" . She worked in live theatre staging shows at the London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
and Drury Lane
Drury Lane
Drury Lane is a street on the eastern boundary of the Covent Garden area of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of Camden and the southern part in the City of Westminster....
Theatres.
In 1979, Allcroft was making a five-minute film for the Central Office of Information
Central Office of Information
The Central Office of Information is the UK government's marketing and communications agency. Its Chief Executive, currently Mark Lund, reports to the Minister for the Cabinet Office...
about the resurgence of interest in steam railways. One inspiration for the film was A Guide to the Steam Railways of Britain, a book compiled by the Rev. W. Awdry and Dr Christopher Cook, and published by Eric Marriott, the former editor of The Railway Series
The Railway Series
The Railway Series is a set of story books about a railway system located on the fictional Island of Sodor. There are 42 books in the series, the first being published in 1945. Twenty-six were written by the Rev. W. Awdry, up to 1972. A further 16 were written by his son, Christopher Awdry; 14...
. As Awdry would be taking part in the programme, Allcroft was prompted to read some of the volumes of the Railway Series, for the first time. She said: "it really didn't take me long to become intrigued by the characters and the relationships between them and the simplicity of the stories. I was equally intrigued by the illustrations, the landscape in them and the nostalgia they invoked." She met Awdry, saying she wanted to make a TV series, based on his stories. Although Awdry was initially reluctant, a deal was eventually done. It took Britt three years to raise the finance and find all the people who could make her dream come true. The first episode of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, was aired in the UK in September 1984.
In 1984 she co-founded the Britt Allcroft Company with her then husband, Angus Wright
Angus Wright (producer)
Angus Wright - British television producer; co-founder and managing director of The Britt Allcroft Company plc until his retirement in 1999....
, formulating cover of all merchandising and television rights in Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. The company went public in 1996 and was renamed Gullane Entertainment
Gullane Entertainment
Gullane Entertainment was the name of the company that replaced that of The Britt Allcroft Company in 2000, when Britt Allcroft herself left the company she had originally co-founded with her then-husband Angus Wright....
.
Once Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends had become a critical and commercial success in the UK, Allcroft and her production company looked to promote the brand in North America. As the Thomas films were only 5 minutes long, initially, the company found it difficult in placing the series in the USA, as generally, the networks preferred 30 minute formats and so in 1988 the Britt Allcroft Company teamed up with PBS Station WNET in New York to produce and distribute Shining Time Station
Shining Time Station
Shining Time Station is an American children's television series co-created by Britt Allcroft and Rick Siggelkow. The series was produced by The Britt Allcroft Company and Quality Family Entertainment in New York for New York City PBS Station WNET, and was filmed first in New York and then in Toronto...
, where every episode of the show would include a couple episodes of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.
She wrote and directed the movie "Thomas and the Magic Railroad
Thomas and the Magic Railroad
Thomas and the Magic Railroad is a 2000 British/American film based on the well-known TV series Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends and the United States TV series Shining Time Station. The film was co-produced by Gullane Entertainment and the Isle of Man Film Commission. It was written, produced...
", released in 2000, as well as providing the voice for the character Lady.
The film was not a critical success, and Allcroft resigned in September 2000. Her resignation followed many years of internal stress within the company.
In 2007, news surfaced on a Thomas fan site that the released version of the Thomas movie was a drastically edited version of Allcroft's original script and shot film - in effect, the claim was that production of the film had been taken out of her hands.
Gullane was subsequently acquired in 2003 by Hit Entertainment
HIT Entertainment
Hit Entertainment is a British-American entertainment distribution company established in 1989, and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television...
, which was taken over by Apax Partners
Apax Partners
Apax Partners LLP is a global private equity and venture capital firm, headquartered in London. The company also operates out of eight other offices in New York, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Tel-Aviv, Madrid, Stockholm, Milan and Munich. The firm, including its various predecessors, have raised...
in 2005.
Wright and Allcroft are divorced.
Britt Allcroft is now living and working in Santa Monica
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
, California. She re-acquired Mumfie from HiT Entertainment in 2008. She is on the advisory council of Southern California Public Radio and the Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn was a British actress and humanitarian. Although modest about her acting ability, Hepburn remains one of the world's most famous actresses of all time, remembered as a film and fashion icon of the twentieth century...
Children's Fund.
Shows
Jungle JunctionJungle Junction
Jungle Junction is a current CGI animated children's television series created by Trevor Ricketts. It airs on Disney Junior in the United States, as well as Playhouse Disney in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and on Playhouse Disney in Asia. It is produced in the UK by...
Bouncy Castle
The Adventures of Septimus Seagull
The Rory Stories
Further reading
- "Thomas flotation steams ahead" (The Independent, Friday, 18 October 1996)
External links
- Britt Allcroft Productions
- Article on Ms. Allcroft's relationship with Gullane/HIT
- Inteview: Brit Alcroft: Secret sadness behind my Thomas The Tank (9 July 2000) (yes there are three typing errors in the original title!)
- Random House – About The Authors – Britt Allcroft