Old Bear Stories
Encyclopedia
Old Bear Stories was a BAFTA
award winning stop frame animation television
series for children based on the Old Bear and Friends
books by Jane Hissey
. Jane Hissey also created the television series, starting it in 1996, and creating 3 seasons, which ended in 1998 with a double-length Christmas
special. In all, 41 episodes were made. The series was produced by Ealing Animation and was originally broadcast in the UK
on ITV
. Episodes have subsequently been repeated on Channel 5 in the UK, and are also broadcast in the US
and other countries worldwide. The show also aired for a short time on the CBC
morning children's block
in Canada
.
Please read us a story Old Bear, we'll all gather round
Dear Old Bear.
Sit in your favourite chair,
We'll sit all around, all around dear Old Bear.
listen
The harmony vocals were provided by Alison Goldfrapp
of the band Goldfrapp.
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 winning stop frame animation television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series for children based on the Old Bear and Friends
Old Bear and Friends
Old Bear and Friends is a popular series of children's books written by British author and illustrator Jane Hissey. The books became the basis for a BAFTA award winning television series Old Bear Stories.-Plot:...
books by Jane Hissey
Jane Hissey
Jane Hissey was born in Norwich in 1952 and currently lives in East Sussex. She is a British writer and illustrator. She is best known for her series of children's books Old Bear and Friends which became the basis for a BAFTA award winning television series Old Bear Stories.According to Hissey's...
. Jane Hissey also created the television series, starting it in 1996, and creating 3 seasons, which ended in 1998 with a double-length Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
special. In all, 41 episodes were made. The series was produced by Ealing Animation and was originally broadcast in the UK
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...
on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
. Episodes have subsequently been repeated on Channel 5 in the UK, and are also broadcast in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and other countries worldwide. The show also aired for a short time on the CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
morning children's block
Block programming
Block programming or television block is a strategy of broadcast programming and radio programmers. Block programming occurs when the television network schedules similar television programs back-to-back. The concept is to provide similar programming to keep the viewers. Radio stations use it...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Plot
The animals at the play room have remembered that Old Bear disappeared long ago. He has been put into the loft. They rescue him and bring him back down to the Play room. He becomes the most respected toy and guides the others in their many adventures, both in the play ground and in the garden.Characters
- Old Bear: an elderly dusty teddy bearTeddy bearThe teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
, he was put up in the attic when he reached an advanced age, but was rescued by the other toys. They now look up to him as a fearless, yet wise, leader. - Bramwell Brown: a wise old bear, often considered second to Old Bear.Likes to cook things for the other toys.
- DuckDuckDuck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
: a gloomy toy duck who sometimes wishes he could fly. Doesn't like to get his feet wet. - RabbitRabbitRabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
: an impulsive toy rabbit. - Little Bear: a small white bear who wears overly baggy red trousers. The youngest of the all the toys, as he is very much like a young child. Sometimes has some good ideas of what to do.
- Jolly Tall: a toy giraffeGiraffeThe giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant...
who despite his height doesn't like heights - he says his head thinks it was high enough as it is. Jolly has an extra long scarf which Bramwell knitted. - SailorSailorA sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
: a toy sailor who enjoys sailing in his toy boat. - ZebraZebraZebras are several species of African equids united by their distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds...
: a female toy zebra.
Other characters
- Hoot the OwlOwlOwls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
: a toy owl living in the loft. Originally had a nest made of a bunch of socks that didn't match, until Little Bear gave her an old bobble hat to use instead. - Ruff the DogDogThe domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
: a bouncy toy dog which resembles a Scottish TerrierScottish TerrierThe Scottish Terrier , popularly called the Scottie, is a breed of dog. Initially one of the highland breeds of Terrier that were grouped under the name of Skye Terrier, it is one of five breeds of terrier that originated in Scotland, the other four being the modern Skye, Cairn, Dandie Dinmont, and...
. Likes to bury his rubber bones in some plant pots. - CamelCamelA camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the bactrian has two humps. Dromedaries are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia,...
: a toy camel who is almost as tall as Jolly Tall. Once tried to use Little Bear's trousers as hump warmers. - CatCatThe cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
: a toy cat who likes to nap in anyplace she finds. - Rabbit's cousin: female cousin of Rabbit, who occasionally stays with the toys. She wears a straw hat, and seems to like to cause mischief, and doesn't like cleaning.
- The dolls: a family of 3 dolls (a father, a mother (Mrs. Doll) and a daughter) who live in a dolls' house in a corner of the play room.
Season 1 (1993)
- Old Bear
- Little Bear Lost
- There Were Five in a Bed
- Jolly Tall
- Little Bear's Trousers
- The Circus
- The Rainy Day
- The Fancy Dress Parade
- Little Bear's Big Race
- The Apple Tree
- The Winter Picnic
- Jolly Snow
- The Dolls' House Christmas
Season 2 (1994)
- Ruff
- The Boat Race
- Spring Clean
- Ruff Follows His Nose
- Jigsaw
- Hoot
- Hot and Spotty
- The Play
- Market Day
- The Birthday Band
- Little Bear's Book
- Old Bear's Chair
- The Car
Season 3 (1995)
- Hoot and the Mystery Eggs
- The Clock
- The Castle
- The Colour Chase
- Little Bear's Snowmen
- The Painting
- Duck Tries to Fly
- The Jolly Dragon
- Rabbit and the Visitor
- Little Bear's Cold Day
- Ruff and the Big Wheel
- The Birthday Camp
- The Treasure Hunt
Specials
- The Perfect Presents ("Winter Picnic", "Jolly Snow", "The Doll's House Christmas") (1993)
- Little Bear and the Christmas Star (1998)
Cast and crew
- Writer: Jane HisseyJane HisseyJane Hissey was born in Norwich in 1952 and currently lives in East Sussex. She is a British writer and illustrator. She is best known for her series of children's books Old Bear and Friends which became the basis for a BAFTA award winning television series Old Bear Stories.According to Hissey's...
- Director: Kevin Griffiths
- Assistant Director: Liz Whitaker
- Producer: Richard Randolphe
- Executive Producer: Peter Gillbe
- Composer: Paul Castle
- Film Editor: Nick Follows
- Puppet Makers: Monique Brown, Alix Hardwood, Val Johnston
- Animators: Fin and Humphrey Leadbettery
- Narrator: Anton RodgersAnton RodgersAnton Rodgers was an English actor and occasional director. He performed on stage, in film and in television dramas and sitcoms.-Life and career:...
Theme Music
The theme tune was composed by Paul Castle and consists of the lyrics:Please read us a story Old Bear, we'll all gather round
Dear Old Bear.
Sit in your favourite chair,
We'll sit all around, all around dear Old Bear.
listen
The harmony vocals were provided by Alison Goldfrapp
Alison Goldfrapp
Alison Elizabeth Margaret Goldfrapp is an English singer-songwriter and record producer, best known as the lead singer of the electronic music duo Goldfrapp. Goldfrapp has a soprano vocal range.-Early life:...
of the band Goldfrapp.
Awards
The series was very well critically received and won a lot of awards:- 1995 Chicago International Children's Film Festival - Outstanding Achievement Award
- 1994 Royal Television SocietyRoyal Television SocietyThe Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world...
- Best Children's Series - 1993 BAFTABritish Academy of Film and Television ArtsThe 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:...
- Best Children's Programme - 1993 New York Film FestivalNew York Film FestivalThe New York Film Festival has been a major film festival since it began in 1963 in New York. The films are selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center...
- Gold Medal - 1993 Chicago International Film FestivalChicago International Film FestivalThe Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America....
- Silver Plaque