Cosgrove Hall Films
Encyclopedia
Cosgrove Hall Films was a British
animation
studio based in Chorlton-cum-Hardy
, Manchester
, that once was a major producer of children's television programmes. Cosgrove Hall's programmes are still seen in over eighty countries. The company was wound up by then-owner, ITV plc
, on 26 October 2009.
. They later became co-workers at Granada Television
, where they produced television graphics.
Cosgrove Hall Films was founded in 1969 by two television producers, Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall, who named it Stop Frame Productions. Based in Manchester until it folded in 1975, it was an independent company that had a significant minority shareholding held by Thames Television
and that was commissioned by the station to produce animated shows, aimed primarily at children. In 1993 its ownership
transferred to Granada Television
following the loss of Thames' ITV licence and following a series of takeovers and mergers, ownership belonged to ITV plc
.
Its first series was Chorlton and the Wheelies
, the lead role being named after the district of Manchester where the company was based (the other characters were placed on wheels as this made the stop-frame animation easier). The show, sold worldwide by Thames, was never shown in Israel
after a graphic designer mistakenly put a Star of David
on the front of a talking spell-book instead of a pentagram
. The book spoke with a German accent
and therefore was considered offensive.
Danger Mouse was one of the studio's earliest international successes. The studio made 89 episodes between 1981 and 1992. In each one, Danger Mouse, the world's greatest secret agent, and his well-meaning but useless sidekick Penfold, outwit the evil Baron Silas Greenback and assorted baddies.
In 1983 the studio made a 75-minute film, The Wind in the Willows, based on Kenneth Grahame
's classic story of the same name
. It won a BAFTA
award and an international Emmy award. Subsequently the studio made a 52-episode TV series based on the characters between 1984 and 1990. Legendary The Stone Roses
guitarist John Squire
worked on this series.
Count Duckula
was a spoof
on the Dracula
legend; its title character is the world's only vegetarian vampire
. He aspires to be rich and famous. Originally he was a villain/henchman recurring in the Danger Mouse series, but got a spin-off
series in 1988 that rapidly became one of Cosgrove Hall's most successful programmes. Both shows also aired on Nickelodeon
in the United States during the late 1980s, and were popular in the ratings for the channel.
Truckers, the first book in The Bromeliad
, was the studio's first collaboration with the best-selling author Terry Pratchett
. The 1991 series follows the efforts of a group of gnomes whose spaceship crash-landed on Earth 15,000 years ago, to return home.
In 1997 Cosgrove Hall films produced two series for Channel 4
based on Wyrd Sisters
and Soul Music
, two novels from Pratchett's Discworld
series. In 1999, they produced ID's for Cartoon Network
when the channel's European outlet could use some new ID's.
One of the studio's specialities was producing programmes for young children. They made 39 episodes of Noddy (1992–1999) and 52 of Bill and Ben
(2001) for the BBC. Like Bill and Ben, the 52 episodes of Andy Pandy
(2002) are based on the classic characters from the 1950s. Inspiral Carpets
drummer Craig Gill was involved in the early stages of this project. In Australia
all of them were aired on the ABC
, although Danger Mouse, Count Duckula
and Alias the Jester
later aired on Network Ten
.
The studio also made Ghosts of Albion
(2003) for the BBC
's first fully animated webcast. This gothic tale is set in a 19th century London swarming with demons. Website visitors can learn about the production and help to develop the story. The studio also produced Scream of the Shalka
, a Doctor Who
animated story for the BBC website. In 2006 they animated the missing first and fourth episodes of the Doctor Who serial The Invasion
for a DVD release.
Other animations made by the studio include The Foxbusters
, Victor and Hugo
, Avenger Penguins
, Jamie and the Magic Torch
, Fetch The Vet
and Albie. They have also produced the new episodes of Postman Pat
. They had also tried to make their first CGI-animated show "Theodore
", but they failed due to ITV's absorbing of the company.
The pop singer and musician Bernard Sumner
worked for Cosgrove Hall from 1976 to 1979 as a tracer.
In 2008, all except four staff were made redundant and moved to an office in Granada Studios in Manchester, thus ending 30 years of the studio in Chorlton. The reasons are complex but it was mostly as a result of the company's owner, ITV's, lack of interest in investing in Cosgrove Hall because of the broadcaster's failing financial condition. Additionally the UK animation production industry in general is struggling because of increasingly tough competition from state-subsidised production in countries such as Canada, France and the Far East where the industry is growing and very buoyant.
The company was put under review by ITV plc in October 2009, and was absorbed into ITV a few months later.
The land occupied by Cosgrove Hall studios, which had sat empty for two years, was finally sold in summer 2010 to a housing development company. The intention is demolish the historic studios and build retirement flats.
Cosgrove is now Executive Producer at Cosgrove Hall Fitzpatrick, as was Hall until his death.
On 18 November 2011 it was announced that Mark Hall had died of cancer at the age of 75.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
studio based in Chorlton-cum-Hardy
Chorlton-cum-Hardy
Chorlton-cum-Hardy is a suburban area of the city of Manchester, England. It is known locally as Chorlton. It is situated about four miles southwest of Manchester city centre. Pronunciation varies: and are both common....
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, that once was a major producer of children's television programmes. Cosgrove Hall's programmes are still seen in over eighty countries. The company was wound up by then-owner, ITV plc
ITV plc
ITV plc is a British media company that operates 12 of the 15 regional television broadcasters that make up the ITV Network, the oldest and largest commercial terrestrial television network in the United Kingdom...
, on 26 October 2009.
History
Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall first met while both were students at Manchester College of Art and Design, which is now part of Manchester Metropolitan UniversityManchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University is a university in North West England. Its headquarters and central campus is in the city of Manchester, but there are outlying facilities in the county of Cheshire. It is the third largest university in the United Kingdom in terms of student numbers, behind the...
. They later became co-workers at Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
, where they produced television graphics.
Cosgrove Hall Films was founded in 1969 by two television producers, Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall, who named it Stop Frame Productions. Based in Manchester until it folded in 1975, it was an independent company that had a significant minority shareholding held by Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
and that was commissioned by the station to produce animated shows, aimed primarily at children. In 1993 its ownership
Ownership
Ownership is the state or fact of exclusive rights and control over property, which may be an object, land/real estate or intellectual property. Ownership involves multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different parties. The concept of ownership has...
transferred to Granada Television
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
following the loss of Thames' ITV licence and following a series of takeovers and mergers, ownership belonged to ITV plc
ITV plc
ITV plc is a British media company that operates 12 of the 15 regional television broadcasters that make up the ITV Network, the oldest and largest commercial terrestrial television network in the United Kingdom...
.
Its first series was Chorlton and the Wheelies
Chorlton and the Wheelies
Chorlton and the Wheelies was an animated children's television series that ran from September 1976 until June 1979 on British Television Channel...
, the lead role being named after the district of Manchester where the company was based (the other characters were placed on wheels as this made the stop-frame animation easier). The show, sold worldwide by Thames, was never shown in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
after a graphic designer mistakenly put a Star of David
Star of David
The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism.Its shape is that of a hexagram, the compound of two equilateral triangles...
on the front of a talking spell-book instead of a pentagram
Pentagram
A pentagram is the shape of a five-pointed star drawn with five straight strokes...
. The book spoke with a German accent
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and therefore was considered offensive.
Danger Mouse was one of the studio's earliest international successes. The studio made 89 episodes between 1981 and 1992. In each one, Danger Mouse, the world's greatest secret agent, and his well-meaning but useless sidekick Penfold, outwit the evil Baron Silas Greenback and assorted baddies.
In 1983 the studio made a 75-minute film, The Wind in the Willows, based on Kenneth Grahame
Kenneth Grahame
Kenneth Grahame was a Scottish writer, most famous for The Wind in the Willows , one of the classics of children's literature. He also wrote The Reluctant Dragon; both books were later adapted into Disney films....
's classic story of the same name
The Wind in the Willows
The Wind in the Willows is a classic of children's literature by Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. Alternately slow moving and fast paced, it focuses on four anthropomorphised animal characters in a pastoral version of England...
. It won a BAFTA
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
award and an international Emmy award. Subsequently the studio made a 52-episode TV series based on the characters between 1984 and 1990. Legendary The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
The Stone Roses are an English alternative rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement that was active during the late 1980s and early 1990s...
guitarist John Squire
John Squire
John Thomas Squire is an English musician, songwriter and artist.Squire is best known as the guitarist for The Stone Roses, a rock band in which he formed a songwriting partnership with lead singer Ian Brown. After leaving The Stone Roses he went on to found The Seahorses and has since released...
worked on this series.
Count Duckula
Count Duckula
Count Duckula is a British animated television series created by British studio Cosgrove Hall, and a spin-off from DangerMouse, a show in which the Count Duckula character was a recurring villain. The series first aired on September 6, 1988 and was produced by Thames Television for 3 seasons and...
was a spoof
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
on the Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
legend; its title character is the world's only vegetarian vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
. He aspires to be rich and famous. Originally he was a villain/henchman recurring in the Danger Mouse series, but got a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series in 1988 that rapidly became one of Cosgrove Hall's most successful programmes. Both shows also aired on Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
in the United States during the late 1980s, and were popular in the ratings for the channel.
Truckers, the first book in The Bromeliad
The Bromeliad
The Nome Trilogy, also known in the US as The Bromeliad Trilogy, is a trilogy of children's books by Terry Pratchett, consisting of#Truckers #Diggers #Wings...
, was the studio's first collaboration with the best-selling author Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett
Sir Terence David John "Terry" Pratchett, OBE is an English novelist, known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels...
. The 1991 series follows the efforts of a group of gnomes whose spaceship crash-landed on Earth 15,000 years ago, to return home.
In 1997 Cosgrove Hall films produced two series for Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
based on Wyrd Sisters
Wyrd Sisters
Wyrd Sisters is Terry Pratchett's sixth Discworld novel, published in 1988, and re-introduces Granny Weatherwax of Equal Rites.- Plot :...
and Soul Music
Soul Music
Soul Music is the sixteenth Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, first published in 1994. Like many of Pratchett's novels it introduces an element of modern society into the magical and vaguely late medieval, early modern world of the Discworld, in this case Rock and Roll music and stardom, with...
, two novels from Pratchett's Discworld
Discworld
Discworld is a comic fantasy book series by English author Sir Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants which, in turn, stand on the back of a giant turtle, Great A'Tuin. The books frequently parody, or at least take inspiration from, J. R. R....
series. In 1999, they produced ID's for Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
when the channel's European outlet could use some new ID's.
One of the studio's specialities was producing programmes for young children. They made 39 episodes of Noddy (1992–1999) and 52 of Bill and Ben
Flower Pot Men
The Flower Pot Men were a British pop group created in 1967 as a result of the single "Let's Go to San Francisco", recorded by session musicians, becoming a major UK Top 20 and Continental Europe hit) in the autumn of 1967...
(2001) for the BBC. Like Bill and Ben, the 52 episodes of Andy Pandy
Andy Pandy
Andy Pandy is a British children's television series that premiered on BBC TV in June or July 1950. The original series of programmes was shown until 1970, when a new series was made. A third series was made in 2002...
(2002) are based on the classic characters from the 1950s. Inspiral Carpets
Inspiral Carpets
Inspiral Carpets are an alternative rock band from Oldham in Greater Manchester, England formed by Graham Lambert and Stephen Holt in 1983. The band is named after a clothing shop on their Oldham estate...
drummer Craig Gill was involved in the early stages of this project. In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
all of them were aired on the ABC
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
, although Danger Mouse, Count Duckula
Count Duckula
Count Duckula is a British animated television series created by British studio Cosgrove Hall, and a spin-off from DangerMouse, a show in which the Count Duckula character was a recurring villain. The series first aired on September 6, 1988 and was produced by Thames Television for 3 seasons and...
and Alias the Jester
Alias the Jester
Alias the Jester is an animated series created by Cosgrove Hall Films, airing in 13 episodes on ITV starting on November 13, 1985. The show also aired during the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's after school timeslot and is considered one of the Classic ABC shows.-Synopsis:The show follows...
later aired on Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
.
The studio also made Ghosts of Albion
Ghosts of Albion
Ghosts of Albion started as a computer-animated web movie series on the BBC's website and has now spawned two book adaptations and two novels with a new role-playing game on the way.The works in order of release:...
(2003) for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's first fully animated webcast. This gothic tale is set in a 19th century London swarming with demons. Website visitors can learn about the production and help to develop the story. The studio also produced Scream of the Shalka
Scream of the Shalka
Scream of the Shalka is a flash-animated series based on the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was produced to coincide with the 40th Anniversary of the series and was originally posted in six weekly parts from 13 November to 18 December 2003 on bbc.co.uk's Doctor Who...
, a Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
animated story for the BBC website. In 2006 they animated the missing first and fourth episodes of the Doctor Who serial The Invasion
The Invasion (Doctor Who)
The Invasion is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in eight weekly parts from 2 November to 21 December 1968...
for a DVD release.
Other animations made by the studio include The Foxbusters
Foxbusters
The Foxbusters is a British animation very loosely based on the Dick King-Smith book The Fox Busters. It was made by Cosgrove Hall and consists of two series of thirteen 11-minute episodes each, made between 1999 and 2000. The show was co-written by the animation partnership of David Max Freedman...
, Victor and Hugo
Victor and Hugo
Victor and Hugo, Bunglers in Crime is an animated series made by Cosgrove Hall for Thames Television and screened on CITV from 6 September 1991 to 29 December 1992 and is a spin off from Count Duckula....
, Avenger Penguins
Avenger Penguins
Avenger Penguins was an animated series produced by Cosgrove Hall Films in 1993, it was animated by Alfonso Productions, a Spanish based animation studio also responsible for bringing Cosgrove's previous show Fantomcat to life. It aired largely on Children's ITV and was originally to be called...
, Jamie and the Magic Torch
Jamie and the Magic Torch
Jamie and the Magic Torch was a British children's animated television series, made by Cosgrove Hall for Thames Television and shown on the ITV network, running from 1976 to 1979. It was shown again in the 1980s to a new audience of children...
, Fetch The Vet
Fetch The Vet
Fetch the Vet is a British children's television programme that was produced by Cosgrove Hall Films for ITV's children's strand CITV and originally aired between 1999 & 2001. It circulated around Tom Fetch who lived in the countryside working as a vet and was respected by everyone because of his...
and Albie. They have also produced the new episodes of Postman Pat
Postman Pat
Postman Pat is a British stop-motion animated children's television series first produced by Woodland Animations. It is aimed at pre-school children, and concerns the adventures of Pat Clifton, a postman in the fictional village of Greendale .Postman Pat's first 13-episode season was screened on...
. They had also tried to make their first CGI-animated show "Theodore
Theodore (TV series)
Theodore is a cancelled computer-animated show was produced by Cosgrove Hall Films for CBBC, about a Nuclear Organisation called "Radioactive Science and Techolony Station" , one of the workers Theodore the Main Character. It never aired due to ITV's absorbing of Cosgrove-Hall....
", but they failed due to ITV's absorbing of the company.
The pop singer and musician Bernard Sumner
Bernard Sumner
Bernard Sumner , also known as Bernard Dickin, Bernard Dicken and Bernard Albrecht is an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, keyboard player and producer....
worked for Cosgrove Hall from 1976 to 1979 as a tracer.
In 2008, all except four staff were made redundant and moved to an office in Granada Studios in Manchester, thus ending 30 years of the studio in Chorlton. The reasons are complex but it was mostly as a result of the company's owner, ITV's, lack of interest in investing in Cosgrove Hall because of the broadcaster's failing financial condition. Additionally the UK animation production industry in general is struggling because of increasingly tough competition from state-subsidised production in countries such as Canada, France and the Far East where the industry is growing and very buoyant.
The company was put under review by ITV plc in October 2009, and was absorbed into ITV a few months later.
The land occupied by Cosgrove Hall studios, which had sat empty for two years, was finally sold in summer 2010 to a housing development company. The intention is demolish the historic studios and build retirement flats.
Cosgrove is now Executive Producer at Cosgrove Hall Fitzpatrick, as was Hall until his death.
On 18 November 2011 it was announced that Mark Hall had died of cancer at the age of 75.
Series & productions
- The LikeaballsThe LikeaballsThe Likeaballs is a cartoon created by Jim Quick that airs on BBC One and CBBC. It began production in 2006. It was produced by Cosgrove Hall until they were absorbed into ITV plc in 2009 and is now produced and distributed by HIT Entertainment.-Themes:...
(2006) - 100% People (2004)
- Albie
- Alias the JesterAlias the JesterAlias the Jester is an animated series created by Cosgrove Hall Films, airing in 13 episodes on ITV starting on November 13, 1985. The show also aired during the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's after school timeslot and is considered one of the Classic ABC shows.-Synopsis:The show follows...
(1986) - Andy PandyAndy PandyAndy Pandy is a British children's television series that premiered on BBC TV in June or July 1950. The original series of programmes was shown until 1970, when a new series was made. A third series was made in 2002...
(CBeebiesCBeebiesCBeebies is the brand used by the BBC for programming aimed at children 6 years and under. It is used as a themed strand in the UK on terrestrial television, as a separate free-to-air domestic British channel and used for international varients supported by advertising, subscription or both...
remake - 2002) - The Animal ShelfAnimal ShelfAnimal Shelf is a children's model animation series that airs on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Australia, and Kidzone on TVNZ 6 in New Zealand. It used to air on Playhouse Disney , now on CITV there...
(1997–1998) - Avenger PenguinsAvenger PenguinsAvenger Penguins was an animated series produced by Cosgrove Hall Films in 1993, it was animated by Alfonso Productions, a Spanish based animation studio also responsible for bringing Cosgrove's previous show Fantomcat to life. It aired largely on Children's ITV and was originally to be called...
(1993–1994) - The BFGThe BFG (film)The BFG is a 1989 animated film based on the book of the same name by Roald Dahl. It was first shown on Christmas Day 1989 on ITV1 in the UK.The film was dedicated to animator George Jackson who worked on numerous Cosgrove Hall Productions-Plot:...
(1989) - Bill and BenFlower Pot MenThe Flower Pot Men were a British pop group created in 1967 as a result of the single "Let's Go to San Francisco", recorded by session musicians, becoming a major UK Top 20 and Continental Europe hit) in the autumn of 1967...
(CBBCCBBCCBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
remake - 2001) - Brambly HedgeBrambly HedgeBrambly Hedge is a series of illustrated books for children written by Jill Barklem.The Brambly Hedge series is based around a community of self-sufficient mice who live together in the tranquil surroundings of the English countryside. The books are written and illustrated by Jill Barklem, with...
(1996 to 1998) - Chorlton and the WheeliesChorlton and the WheeliesChorlton and the Wheelies was an animated children's television series that ran from September 1976 until June 1979 on British Television Channel...
(1976-1979) - Captain KremmenCaptain KremmenCaptain Kremmen was a science fiction radio serial set in the early 21st Century. It was written and performed for Capital Radio by the DJ Kenny Everett, and was also broadcast on Liverpool's Radio City and Nottingham's Radio Trent. It featured the eponymous vain and dimwitted spaceship captain...
(1978-1980) - CinderellaCinderella"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
(1979) - Cockleshell BayCockleshell BayCockleshell Bay is a children's television series which was shown at lunchtime on ITV during the early 1980s. It was made by Cosgrove Hall for their parent company, the ITV broadcaster Thames Television...
(1981-1986) - Count DuckulaCount DuckulaCount Duckula is a British animated television series created by British studio Cosgrove Hall, and a spin-off from DangerMouse, a show in which the Count Duckula character was a recurring villain. The series first aired on September 6, 1988 and was produced by Thames Television for 3 seasons and...
(Thames for ITV 1988 to 1993) (Repeated on BBC1 1994 to 1995) - Danger Mouse (Thames for ITV 1981) (Repeated on BBC2 2007 to 2009)
- Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
(Scream of the ShalkaScream of the ShalkaScream of the Shalka is a flash-animated series based on the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was produced to coincide with the 40th Anniversary of the series and was originally posted in six weekly parts from 13 November to 18 December 2003 on bbc.co.uk's Doctor Who...
webcast, an animated reconstruction of The InvasionThe Invasion (Doctor Who)The Invasion is a serial in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who, which was first broadcast in eight weekly parts from 2 November to 21 December 1968...
and The Infinite QuestThe Infinite QuestThe Infinite Quest is an animated serial based on the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was made by BBC Television, but does not share the same producers as the live-action series. It was aired in twelve weekly parts starting 2 April 2007 as a segment of the children's...
.) - Engie BenjyEngie BenjyEngie Benjy was a pre-school children's television show, broadcast on ITV's children's strand, CITV. Engie Benjy is a blue haired boy, a mechanic who helps fix problems with his friends' vehicles. His dog is Jollop. Other characters include Pilot Pete and Astronaut Al...
(ITV 2002) - Enid Blyton's Enchanted Lands (1997)
- FantomcatFantomcatFantomcat was an animated series produced by Cosgrove Hall Films, it was first broadcast in 1995 and was animated after Avenger Penguins in 1994 by Alfonso Productions, a Spanish based animation studio. It aired largely on Children's ITV. The show also had a brief run on Pop...
(1995 to 1996) - Father Christmas and the Missing Reindeer (1997)
- Fetch The VetFetch The VetFetch the Vet is a British children's television programme that was produced by Cosgrove Hall Films for ITV's children's strand CITV and originally aired between 1999 & 2001. It circulated around Tom Fetch who lived in the countryside working as a vet and was respected by everyone because of his...
(2000s) - Fifi and the Flowertots (2005)
- The Fool of the World and the Flying ShipThe Fool of the World and the Flying ShipThe Flying Ship or The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship is a Russian fairy tale. Andrew Lang included it in The Yellow Fairy Book and Arthur Ransome in Old Peter's Russian Tales....
(Thames for ITV 1990) - The FoxbustersFoxbustersThe Foxbusters is a British animation very loosely based on the Dick King-Smith book The Fox Busters. It was made by Cosgrove Hall and consists of two series of thirteen 11-minute episodes each, made between 1999 and 2000. The show was co-written by the animation partnership of David Max Freedman...
(1999 to 2000) - Grandma Bricks of Swallow Street (Thames for ITV 1976 to 1978)
- Guess with JessGuess with JessGuess with Jess is a British and Canadian television series featuring Jess the Cat. It follows Jess's adventures with his friends on Greendale Farm, and how they always try to solve each other's problems with a Big Question, which is answered by "asking, testing, find a way". The series is a...
(1st season only, 2009) - Jamie and the Magic TorchJamie and the Magic TorchJamie and the Magic Torch was a British children's animated television series, made by Cosgrove Hall for Thames Television and shown on the ITV network, running from 1976 to 1979. It was shown again in the 1980s to a new audience of children...
(Thames for ITV 1976 to 1978) - Kid Clones (2005)
- Lavender CastleLavender CastleLavender Castle is a British stop motion/CGI television series created by Rodney Matthews and produced by Gerry Anderson. It produced between 1996 and 1998 through a collaboration between Carrington Productions International, Gerry Anderson Productions and Cosgrove Hall Films, and was first...
(CiTV 1998 to 1999) - The Magic Ball (Granada for ITV 1971)
- Mimi & Scruff (as part of Jamboree, 1998)
- Grandma's Bricks Of Shallow Street (as part of Rainbow, 1978 to 1980)
- Oakie Doke (1995 to 1996)
- Oh, Mr. Toad (Thames for ITV 1989)
- Noddy's Toyland AdventuresNoddy's Toyland AdventuresNoddy's Toyland Adventures was a children's television programme that was broadcast from September 1992 until December 1994 and again from 1999 to 2001 on the BBC...
(BBC Worldwide 1992 to 1999) - Peter and the WolfPeter and the WolfPeter and the Wolf , Op. 67, is a composition written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936 in the USSR. It is a children's story , spoken by a narrator accompanied by the orchestra....
(1996) - Postman PatPostman PatPostman Pat is a British stop-motion animated children's television series first produced by Woodland Animations. It is aimed at pre-school children, and concerns the adventures of Pat Clifton, a postman in the fictional village of Greendale .Postman Pat's first 13-episode season was screened on...
(2003–2010) - The Pied Piper of HamelinThe Pied Piper of HamelinThe Pied Piper of Hamelin is the subject of a legend concerning the departure or death of a great many children from the town of Hamelin , Lower Saxony, Germany, in the Middle Ages. The earliest references describe a piper, dressed in pied clothing, leading the children away from the town never...
(Thames for ITV 1981) - The Reluctant DragonThe Reluctant DragonThe Reluctant Dragon is an 1898 children's story by Kenneth Grahame , which served as the key element to the 1941 feature film with the same name from Walt Disney Productions. The story has also been set to music as a children's operetta by John Rutter, with words by David Grant...
(Thames for ITV 1987) - Roald DahlRoald DahlRoald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
's BFGThe BFG (film)The BFG is a 1989 animated film based on the book of the same name by Roald Dahl. It was first shown on Christmas Day 1989 on ITV1 in the UK.The film was dedicated to animator George Jackson who worked on numerous Cosgrove Hall Productions-Plot:...
(Thames for ITV 1989) - Roary the Racing CarRoary the Racing CarRoary the Racing Car is an animated children's television show that currently airs on Milkshake! on Five and Nick Jr. in the United Kingdom, PBS Kids Sprout in the United States, Treehouse TV in Canada, Discovery Kids in Latin America, and Nick Jr. and ABC2 in Australia...
(Nick Jr. 2007) - Rocky and the DodosRocky and the DodosRocky and the Dodos was a stop motion animated television series seen on CITV in 1998 and 1999 about a group of dodos who lived on a far off island near tom's house...
(HTV for ITV 1998) - Rotten RalphRotten RalphRotten Ralph is a children's book about a mischievous red cat who enjoys playing mean, practical jokes on his family. It was written by Jack Gantos and published in 1976...
(FOX Family 1999) - Sally And Jake (Thames for ITV 1974 to 1978)
- Sooty's Amazing AdventuresSooty's Amazing AdventuresA one season animated spin off of the popular puppet show SootyIn this incarnation of the famous bear he is a full bodied bear; free from the puppeteer's hand.-Setting:...
(Meridian for ITV 1996 to 1997) - The Tale of Two Toads (Thames for ITV 1989)
- The Talking ParcelThe Talking ParcelThe Talking Parcel is a 1974 book by Gerald Durrell in which children are transported to the fantasy land of Mythologia to save it from cockatrice...
(Thames for ITV 1978 to 1980) - Terry Pratchett's TruckersTruckers (TV series)Truckers is a stop motion animated series, an adaptation the first book of Terry Pratchett's The Nome Trilogy, produced in the United Kingdom by Cosgrove Hall for TV, then released on VHS, though edited together into a feature-length film...
(Thames for ITV 1992) - Vampires, Pirates & AliensVampires, Pirates & AliensVampires, Pirates & Aliens was a CITV children's television program based on a the book by Colin Hawkins and Jacqui Hawkins. The story follows the adventures of the vampire known as "the Blods", and features a ship names "The Mad Maggot" including the character "Captain Blunder" and crew.The show...
(2000) - Victor and HugoVictor and HugoVictor and Hugo, Bunglers in Crime is an animated series made by Cosgrove Hall for Thames Television and screened on CITV from 6 September 1991 to 29 December 1992 and is a spin off from Count Duckula....
(Thames for ITV 1991 - 1992) - The Wind in the WillowsThe Wind in the Willows (TV series)The Wind in the Willows is a 52-episode TV series that was originally broadcast between 1984 and 1987, based on characters from Kenneth Grahame's classic story The Wind in the Willows and following the 1983 film The Wind in the Willows. It was made by animation company Cosgrove Hall for Thames...
(Thames for ITV 1983 to 1990)
DVDs
- The Pied Piper of Hamelin/The Reluctant Dragon (2002)
- Count Duckula
- Danger Mouse
- Wind in the Willows