Cosgrove Hall Films was a British

animation Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby still images are manipulated to create moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Animati ...

studio founded by

Brian Cosgrove Brian Joseph Cosgrove (born 6 April 1934) is an English animator, designer, director, producer and sculptor. With Mark Hall, he founded Cosgrove Hall Films in 1976 and produced successful animated children shows including ''The Wind in the W ...

and Mark Hall, headquartered in

Chorlton-cum-Hardy Chorlton-cum-Hardy is a suburban area of Manchester, England, southwest of the Manchester city centre, city centre. Chorlton (ward), Chorlton ward had a population of 14,138 at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census, and Chorlton Park (w ...

Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...

. Cosgrove Hall was a major producer of

children's television Children's television series (or children's television shows) are Television show, television programs designed specifically for Child, children. They are typically characterised by easy-going content devoid of sensitive or adult themes and are ...

and

animated Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...

programmes/films, which are still seen in over eighty countries. The company was wound down by its then owner,

ITV plc ITV plc is a British media company that holds 13 of the 15 regional television licences that make up the ITV (TV network), ITV network (Channel 3), the oldest and largest commercial terrestrial television network in the United Kingdom. ITV plc ...

, on 26 October 2009. It was mainly known for its series ''

Danger Mouse Danger Mouse is a British action cartoon which has had two incarnations: * ''Danger Mouse'' (1981 TV series), a 1981 British animated television series * ''Danger Mouse'' (2015 TV series), a 2015 reboot of the British animated television series ...

'', ''

The Wind in the Willows ''The Wind in the Willows'' is a children's novel by the British novelist Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. It details the story of Mole, Ratty, and Badger as they try to help Mr. Toad, after he becomes obsessed with motorcars and get ...

'' and ''

Count Duckula ''Count Duckula'' is a British children's television series, children's animated comedy horror television series created by British studio Cosgrove Hall Films, Cosgrove Hall Productions and produced by Thames Television as a spin-off of ''Dang ...

''.

History

Stop Frame Productions

and Mark Hall first met while both were students at Manchester College of Art and Design, which is now part of

Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester Metropolitan University is located in the centre of Manchester, England. The university has 40,000 students and over 4,000 members of staff. It is home to four faculties (Arts and Humanities, Business and Law, Health and Education ...

. They later became co-workers at

Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV (TV network), ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire on weekdays only, as ABC Weekend TV, ...

, where they produced television graphics. Hall left his job in 1969 and founded his own production company, Stop Frame Productions. Cosgrove joined the company shortly after its establishment. Their first projects, for Stop Frame, included public service films and television commercials for such companies as the ''

TVTimes ''TV Times'' is a British television listings magazine. From 1955 until 1991, it was the only source of seven-day listings for ITV and, from 1982, Channel 4 (as well as S4C in Wales in an enclosed local supplement titled '' Sbec''). The magaz ...

''. From 1971 to 1972, the company released the animated series, ''The Magic Ball'', which they created in a renovated shed located in the yard of Cosgrove's father-in-law. Hall directed two animated productions for Stop Frame, ''Captain Noah and His Floating Zoo'', which was released in 1972, and the television series, ''Noddy'', which aired in 1975. The company also produced opening credits and graphics for children's TV series such as ''

Rainbow A rainbow is an optical phenomenon caused by refraction, internal reflection and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a continuous spectrum of light appearing in the sky. The rainbow takes the form of a multicoloured circular ...

'' in 1972. Stop Frame Productions halted production, and was closed in 1975.

Cosgrove Hall Productions

Following the closure of Stop Frame Productions, Cosgrove and Hall were able to find new work in animation, specifically due to their earlier work on the 1972 series ''

''. The producer of ''Rainbow'',

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...

, an ITV franchisee, created a new

subsidiary A subsidiary, subsidiary company, or daughter company is a company (law), company completely or partially owned or controlled by another company, called the parent company or holding company, which has legal and financial control over the subsidia ...

animation studio called Cosgrove Hall Productions in the following year, 1976. Thames hired and commissioned Cosgrove and Hall as lead

animators An animator is an artist who creates images, known as frames, which give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, and video games. Animat ...

to create new animated programmes, for this new studio, based on their earlier work with ''Rainbow''. Another bit of Thames commissioned work was the title sequence for the 1974 feature film The Best Of Benny Hill for Thames Television and EMI Films. Thames Television also hired John Hambley as Cosgrove Hall Films' first

executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the production of media. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights or royalties). In film ...

. Its first series was ''

Chorlton and the Wheelies ''Chorlton and the Wheelies'' is an animated children's television series that ran from 26 September 1976 until 17 December 1978 on the British television channel ITV. 40 episodes were produced. The show followed the adventures of Chorlton, an ...

'', the lead role being named after the suburb of Manchester where the company was based (the other characters were placed on wheels as this made the stop-frame animation easier). The pop singer and musician

Bernard Sumner Bernard Sumner (born 4 January 1956) is an English musician. He is a founding member of the bands Joy Division, New Order, Electronic, and Bad Lieutenant. Sumner was an early force in several areas, including the post-punk, synth-pop, and ...

worked for Cosgrove Hall from its founding until 1979 as a tracer. ''

'' was one of the studio's earliest international successes. The studio made 161 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 various scoundrels. In 1983, the studio made a 75-minute film, ''

'', based on

Kenneth Grahame Kenneth Grahame ( ; 8 March 1859 – 6 July 1932) was a British writer. He is best remembered for the classic of children's literature ''The Wind in the Willows'' (1908). Born in Scotland, he spent most of his childhood with his grandmother in ...

's classic story of the same name. It won a

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

award and an international

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...

award. Subsequently, the studio made a 52-episode TV series based on the characters between 1984 and 1990. All the music and songs for the feature and series were written by

Keith Hopwood Keith Hopwood (born 26 October 1946) is an English pop and rock musician, singer-songwriter, composer, businessman and record producer, who served as the rhythm guitarist and backing vocals for the 1960s pop band, Herman's Hermits. Hopwood als ...

, late of

Herman's Hermits Herman's Hermits are an English rock and pop group formed in 1963 in Manchester and formerly fronted by singer Peter Noone. Known for their jaunty beat sound and Noone's often tongue-in-cheek vocal style, the Hermits charted with numerous tra ...

and Malcolm Rowe.

The Stone Roses The Stone Roses were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1983. They were one of the pioneering groups of the Madchester movement in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The band's classic and most prominent lineup consisted of vocalist I ...

guitarist

John Squire Jonathan Thomas Squire (born 24 November 1962)Larkin, Colin (ed.) (1998) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Indie & New Wave'', Virgin Books, is an English musician, songwriter and painter. He was the guitarist for the Stone Roses, a rock band in w ...

worked on this series. ''

'' was a spoof on the

Dracula ''Dracula'' is an 1897 Gothic fiction, Gothic horror fiction, horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker. The narrative is Epistolary novel, related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist and opens ...

legend; its title character is the world's only

vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...

. He aspires to be rich and famous. Originally he was a villain/henchman recurring in the ''

'' series, but got his own

spin-off Spin-off, Spin Off, Spin-Off, or Spinoff may refer to: Entertainment and media *Spinoff (media), a media work derived from an existing work *''The Spinoff'', a New Zealand current affairs magazine * ''Spin Off'' (Canadian game show), a 2013 Canad ...

series in 1988 that rapidly became one of Cosgrove Hall's most successful programmes, and a Cosgrove Hall staple to spin-off characters from each successive cartoon. Both shows also aired on

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

in the U.S. during the late 1980s, and were popular in the ratings for the channel. In 1989, the studio produced a full-length feature based on Roald Dahl's ''

The BFG ''The BFG'' (short for ''The Big Friendly Giant'') is a 1982 children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. It is an expansion of a short story from Dahl's 1975 novel '' Danny, the Champion of the World''. The book is dedicated to Dahl's oldest ...

''. ''Truckers'', the first book in ''

The Bromeliad ''The Nome Trilogy'', also known as ''The Bromeliad Trilogy'' or just ''The Bromeliad'', is a trilogy of Children's literature, children's books by British writer Terry Pratchett, consisting of the books #Truckers (1989), ''Truckers'' (1989), # ...

'', was the studio's first collaboration with the best-selling author

Terry Pratchett Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English author, humorist, and Satire, satirist, best known for the ''Discworld'' series of 41 comic fantasy novels published between 1983 and 2015, and for the Apocalyp ...

. The 1992 series follows the efforts of a group of nomes, whose spaceship crash-landed on Earth 15,000 years ago, to return home. However, Cosgrove Hall Productions' days became numbered as on 31 December 1992, their financial backer and owner,

lost its ITV franchise and began divesting/closing its subsidiaries. The studio downgraded its operations following Thames' loss of ITV franchise, and eventually closed doors in 1993.

Cosgrove Hall Films

On 15 November 1993,

Anglia Television ITV Anglia, previously known as Anglia Television, is the ITV franchise holder for the East of England. The station is based at Anglia House in Norwich, with regional news bureaux in Cambridge and Northampton. ITV Anglia is owned and operated b ...

and

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

announced the re-opening of Cosgrove Hall Productions, albeit as Cosgrove Hall Films. The studio would be 75% owned by Anglia and HBO's joint-venture Anglia Television Entertainment, while Cosgrove and Hall would hold the remaining 25%, with Anglia/HBO's distribution arm ITEL holding international distribution to projects produced by the studio. Cosgrove Hall Films' first two projects were new episodes of both ''

Avenger Penguins ''Avenger Penguins'' is a British animated series produced by Cosgrove Hall Productions (Series 1)/ Cosgrove Hall Films (Series 2) for Granada Television, with Thames International holding worldwide distribution rights. The series broadcast o ...

'' and ''

Noddy's Toyland Adventures ''Noddy's Toyland Adventures'' is a British children's television programme that was broadcast from September 1992 until April 1994 and December 1994 (and reran in 2000 on the Children's BBC block of the BBC). The show stars the voices of Susan ...

'' (both of which began airing prior to the sudden shutdown and reopening). Cosgrove Hall Films also acquired the rights to produce new series based on existing Cosgrove Hall properties. However, Thames would retain the pre-1993 programming catalogue. Nearer the end of the 1990's, ownership was placed under ITEL itself, with then-Anglia owners United News & Media purchasing HBO's stake in November 1999. In 1997, Cosgrove Hall Films produced two series for

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...

based on ''

Wyrd Sisters ''Wyrd Sisters'' is Terry Pratchett's sixth '' Discworld'' novel, published in 1988. It re-introduces Granny Weatherwax of '' Equal Rites''. Plot ''Wyrd Sisters'' features three witches: Granny Weatherwax; Nanny Ogg, matriarch of a large ...

'' and ''

Soul Music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in African-American culture, African-American African-American neighborhood, communities throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps ...

'', two novels from Pratchett's ''

Discworld ''Discworld'' is a comic fantasy"Humorous Fantasy" in David Pringle, ed., ''The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Fantasy'' (pp.31-33). London, Carlton,2006. book series written by the English author Sir Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a fl ...

'' series. One of the studio's specialities was producing programmes for young children, such as ''

Oakie Doke ''Oakie Doke'' is a British children's television programme that was broadcast from 1995 to 1997 on the Children's BBC block of the BBC. It was produced by Cosgrove Hall Films and was animated with stop-motion animation. The show ran for two ...

'', '' Bill and Ben'', and ''

Andy Pandy ''Andy Pandy'' is a British children's television series that aired on BBC Television in 1950. Originally live, a series of 26 filmed programmes was shown until 1970, when a new series of 13 episodes was made. This series was the basis for a co ...

'' for the BBC. The latter two series were based on classic characters from the 1950s. In the mid 2000s, Cosgrove Hall worked on a new version of ''

Postman Pat ''Postman Pat'' is a British stop motion animated television series, animated children's television series first produced by Woodland Animations. The series follows the adventures of Pat Clifton, a Mail carrier, postman who works for the Royal ...

''. The studio also animated ''

Ghosts of Albion ''Ghosts of Albion'' is a series of fantasy films, books and role-playing games created by Amber Benson and Christopher Golden. Set in England, the storyline focuses on two siblings, Tamara and William Swift. The series started as an animated we ...

'', the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

's first fully animated webcast. Website visitors could learn about the production and help to develop the story. Cosgrove Hall produced ''

Scream of the Shalka ''Scream of the Shalka'' is a Flash-animated series based on the British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by ...

'', a ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' animated story for the BBC website. In 2005, Cosgrove Hall, with Zinkia Entertainment and Granada Kids, produced the Spanish-British children's series, ''

Pocoyo ''Pocoyo'' ( in Spanish and stylised as ''POCOYO'') is an animated interactive preschool comedy television series created by David Cantolla, Luis Gallego, and Guillermo García Carsí, that premiered on 7 January 2005 on La 2. The series was ...

'', making this their first ever CGI production. In 2006, they animated the missing first and fourth episodes of the Doctor Who serial '' The Invasion'' for a DVD release. ITV started reducing its children's department in 2006 and towards the end of 2008 it began winding down the operations of Cosgrove Hall. All except six staff were made redundant by ITV, and Cosgrove Hall moved 'in house' to the Granada Television Studios in Manchester, ending over 30 years of the studio in Chorlton, with many ex staff moving to

Chapman Entertainment Chapman Entertainment Limited was a British television production company founded by Keith Chapman and Greg Lynn and based in London. The company focused on producing content aimed at pre-school audiences. History 2001-2008 The company was foun ...

. ITV said Cosgrove Hall currently had no work but believed “It is on the verge of a commission that will lead to the next recruitment drive.” However the UK was going thought its deepest recession and ITV was not interested in investing in Cosgrove Hall. A financial review decided that the company was no longer viable. The company was again put under review by ITV plc in October 2009, being absorbed, and ceasing to exist a few months later. Cosgrove Hall was developing ''Theodore'', a CGI-animated series, when ITV absorbed the company. Despite being absorbed, the company is still classified as an "Active" business on Companieshouse.

Legacy

The land occupied by Cosgrove Hall's studios, in Albany Road, Chorlton, adjacent to the town's telephone exchange, which had stood empty for two years, was finally sold in the summer of 2010 to a housing development company. The intention was to demolish the historic studios and build retirement flats. During 2012, the studios were eventually demolished as part of the above development. Urban explorers who visited the site during the demolition found and photographed some models and backgrounds used in previous productions. Coincidentally, during April of that year it was announced that during the past summer, prior to the death of Mark Hall, he and Brian Cosgrove had pitched the idea of resurrecting the brand to possible investors. Brian Cosgrove became the executive producer at CHF Entertainment, (defunct 2019), as was Hall until his death. On 18 November 2011, Cosgrove Hall Films closed down due to Mark Hall’s death of cancer at the age of 75. CHF Entertainment had actively worked on a number of television series, including '' Pip Ahoy!'', which was aimed at preschool children, and ''HeroGliffix'', which was aimed at older children.

Filmography

Films and television specials

*''

The Best Of Benny Hill ''The Best of Benny Hill'' is a 1974 film version of material from the television comedy series ''The Benny Hill Show''. This movie features sketches from the early Thames Television years, from 1969 to 1973. The sketches in the film are from ...

'' (Thames Television for EMI Films, Opening Titles, 1974) *''

The Talking Parcel ''The Talking Parcel'' (also published as ''The Battle for Castle Cockatrice'') is a 1974 book by Gerald Durrell in which children are transported to the fantasy land of Mythologia to save it from cockatrices. They are aided by a talking parrot ...

'' (40 minutes, 1978) *''

Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...

'' (40 minutes, 1979) *''

The Pied Piper of Hamelin The Pied Piper of Hamelin (, also known as the Pan Piper or the Rat-Catcher of Hamelin) is the title character of a legend from the town of Hamelin (Hameln), Lower Saxony, Germany. The legend dates back to the Middle Ages. The earliest refer ...

'' (30 minutes, 1981) *''

'' (79 minutes, 1983) *'' The Reluctant Dragon'' (30 minutes, 1987) *'' A Tale of Two Toads'' (60 minutes, 1989) *''

'' (91 minutes, 1989) *''

The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship ''The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship'' is a made-for-television stop motion-animated film released in the United Kingdom on 27 December 1990 on ITV, based on the Eastern European folk tale. It was co-produced with WGBH Boston for broa ...

'' (60 minutes, 1990) *''On Christmas Eve'' (30 minutes, 1992) *''

Peter and the Wolf ''Peter and the Wolf'' ( rus, Петя и волк, Pétya i volk, p=ˈpʲetʲə i volk) Op. 67, a "symphonic tale for children", is a Program music , programmatic musical composition written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. The narrator tells a ...

'' (45 minutes, 1995) *''Father Christmas and the Missing Reindeer'' (25 minutes, 1998)

Short subjects

*''

Ersatz An ersatz good () is a substitute good, especially one that is considered inferior to the good it replaces. It has particular connotations of wartime usage. Etymology ''Ersatz'' is a German word meaning ''substitute'' or ''replacement''. Altho ...

'' (14 minutes, 1978) *'' The Sandman'' (10 minutes, 1991) *''Welcome to the Discworld'' (8 minutes, 1996) *''Blink'' (2001) (short film) *''One Night'' (2001) (short film, directed by Brian Demoskoff) *''The Trojan Horse'' (2001) (short film) (followed by Tindersticks: Dying Slowly) *''BBC Children in Need - Small People'' (stop-motion segments for 1998 promo) *''

Mr Scruff Andrew Carthy (born 10 February 1972), known professionally as Mr. Scruff, is an English record producer and DJ. He lives in Stretford, Greater Manchester and studied fine art at the Psalter Lane campus of Sheffield Hallam University. Before ...

'' (music video) (co-production with Four23Films)

Television series

1970s

*''The Magic Ball'' (Granada for ITV, 1971-1972) *''

'' (Thames for ITV, 1972-1976) (animated sequences) *'' Captain Noah and His Floating Zoo'' (Granada for ITV, 1972) *''Sally and Jake'' (Thames for ITV, 1973-1974) *'' Noddy'' (Thames for ITV, 1975) *''

'' (Thames for ITV, 1976-1979) *'' Jamie and the Magic Torch'' (Thames for ITV, 1976-1980) *''Grandma Bricks of Swallow Street'' (animation made for ''

'') (1976-1977) *''

The Kenny Everett Video Show ''The Kenny Everett Video Show'' (later renamed ''The Kenny Everett Video Cassette'') is a British television comedy and music programme that was made by Thames Television for ITV from 3 July 1978 to 21 May 1981. Overview Philip Jones, Tham ...

'' (Thames for ITV, 1978-1981) ('' Captain Kremmen'' shorts)

1980s

*'' Cockleshell Bay'' (Thames for ITV, 1980–1986) *''

'' (Thames for ITV, 1981-1992) *''

'' (Thames for ITV, 1984-1987) *''

Alias the Jester ''Alias the Jester'' is a British animated series created by Cosgrove Hall Productions, airing in 13 episodes on ITV starting on 13 November 1985. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation aired the show in 1987 during their after school timeslo ...

'' (Thames for ITV, 1985-1986) *''

Creepy Crawlies ''Creepy Crawlies'' is a stop motion animation series created by Cosgrove Hall Productions. The series consisted of 52 ten-minute episodes, which were broadcast on Children's ITV between 1987 and 1989. All episodes were written by Peter Reeves ...

'' (ITV, 1987-1989) *''

'' (Thames/Central for ITV, 1988-1993)

1990s

*'' Oh, Mr. Toad'' (Thames for ITV, 1990) *'' Victor & Hugo: Bunglers in Crime'' (Thames for ITV, 1991-1992) *''

Truckers A truck driver (commonly referred to as a trucker, teamster or driver in the United States and Canada; a truckie in Australia and New Zealand; an HGV driver in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the European Union, a lorry driver, or driver in ...

'' (Thames for ITV, 1992) *''

'' (Children's BBC, 1992-2000) *''

'' (Granada/Anglia for ITV, 1993–1994) *'' Opéra imaginaire'' (1993) ("Pêcheurs de perles" short) *''The Mutinearlys'' (Children's BBC, 1994-1996) (co-production with

BBC Enterprises The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

) *''

'' (Children's BBC, 1995-1996) *''

Fantomcat ''Fantomcat'' is a British animated series produced by Cosgrove Hall Films. It was first broadcast between 7 September 1995 and 18 December 1996, and was animated by Alfonso Productions, a Spanish animation studio also responsible for animating ...

'' (Anglia for ITV, 1995-1996) *''

Sooty's Amazing Adventures ''Sooty's Amazing Adventures'' is an animated spin off series of the ''Sooty'' franchise which aired from 1997 to 1998. In this incarnation, he is a fully bodied bear free from the puppeteer's hand. Setting and location The gang live in th ...

'' (Meridian for ITV, 1996-1997) *''

The Enchanted World of Brambly Hedge ''The Enchanted World of Brambly Hedge'' is a British stop-motion animated series based on the eight ''Brambly Hedge'' books by Jill Barklem. The show was produced by HIT Entertainment with Cosgrove Hall Films handling production for the first se ...

'' (episodes 1-4) (Children's BBC, 1997) (co-production with

HIT Entertainment HIT Entertainment Limited (stylised as HiT) was a British-American entertainment company founded in 1982 as Henson International Television, the international distribution arm of The Jim Henson Company, by Jim Henson, Peter Orton, and Sophie Turn ...

) *''

'' (Channel 4, 1997) (co-production with Carrington Productions International) *''

'' (Channel 4, 1997) (co-production with Carrington Productions International) *'' Captain Star'' (HTV for ITV, 1997-1998) (co-production with

Teletoon Cartoon Network (formerly Teletoon) is a Canadian English-language discretionary specialty channel owned by Corus Entertainment. The channel primarily broadcasts animated series aimed at children and teenagers. It was launched on October 17 ...

and

Nickelodeon UK Nickelodeon (commonly shortened to Nick) is a British pay television network. It launched on 1 September 1993, as a localised version of the Nickelodeon, American channel of the same name in the United Kingdom and launched in Ireland in 2004. I ...

) *'' Enid Blyton's Enchanted Lands'' (Children's BBC, 1997-1998) (Co-production with Abbey Home Entertainment and

PolyGram Visual Programming PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (formerly known as Filmworks, Casablanca Record & Filmworks, PolyGram Films and PolyGram Pictures or simply PFE) was a film production company founded in 1975 as an American film studio, which became a European co ...

) *''

The Animal Shelf ''The Animal Shelf'' is a British 1997–2000 animated children's television series produced by Cosgrove Hall Films, and based on the books written and illustrated by British writer Ivy Wallace about a group of talking toy animals who live in ...

'' (Anglia for ITV, 1997–2000) *''Father Christmas and the Missing Reindeer'' (1997) (TV special) (co-production with

Millimages Millimages is a French independent animation studio based in Paris which develops, produces and worldwide distributes high quality family entertainment on all media. In 2016, Millimages was nominated for an International Emmy Kids Award Th ...

) *''

Rocky and the Dodos ''Rocky and the Dodos'' is a stop motion animated television series seen on CITV in 1998 and 1999. The show was animated by Cosgrove Hall Films and created by Isabell Mills and Shanii Novak. Rocky And The Dodos aired on then-new channel Toons & ...

'' (Central for ITV, 1998-1999) *''

Lavender Castle ''Lavender Castle'' is a British stop motion/ CGI science fantasy television series created by Rodney Matthews and produced by Gerry Anderson. It was produced in 1997 through a collaboration between Carrington Productions International and Cosg ...

'' (HTV for CITV, 1999) (co-production with Carrington Productions International and Gerry Anderson Productions) *''

Rotten Ralph ''Rotten Ralph'' is a series of children's picture books written by Jack Gantos and illustrated by Nicole Rubel. About twenty ''Rotten Ralph'' books have been published from 1976 to 2011. ''Rotten Ralph'' is also the first book in the series, ...

'' (CBBC, 1999-2001) (co-production with Italtoons UK and Tooncan Enterprises Ltd) *''

The Foxbusters ''The Foxbusters'' is a British animated TV series very loosely based on the Dick King-Smith book ''The Foxbusters''. It was made by Cosgrove Hall, and consists of two series of thirteen 11-minute episodes each, made between 1999 and 2000. The ...

'' (Anglia for CITV, 1999-2000) (co-production with United Productions) *'' The Noddy Shop'' (PBS, 1999) (Series 2, additional Noddy animation in live-action scenes) *''Timekeepers of the Millennium'' (development for a series produced by The Foundation for ITV in association with NMEC, 1999)

2000s

*'' The Tales of Little Grey Rabbit'' (HTV for

CITV CITV is a British children's morning programming block on ITV2 and formerly a free-to-air channel owned by ITV plc. CITV, then Children's ITV, launched on 3 January 1983 as a late afternoon programming block on the ITV network for children aged ...

, 2000) *''

Fetch the Vet ''Fetch the Vet'' is a British stop motion children's television programme created by Gail Penston and Stephen Thraves. 26 episodes were produced by Cosgrove Hall Films, Flextech Television, and London Weekend Television for ITV's children's s ...

'' (2000-2001) (co-production with Flextech Television) *'' Vampires, Pirates & Aliens'' (2000) (co-production with

and France Animation) *'' Bill and Ben'' (2001-2002, Co-production with Ben Productions LLC and BBC Worldwide) *''

'' (Remake, 2002, Co-production with Ben Productions LLC and BBC Worldwide) *''

Engie Benjy ''Engie Benjy'' is a British stop motion animated pre-school children's television show, broadcast on ITV's children's strand, CITV. The titular character is a blue-haired mechanic who fixes problems with the help of his friends and an assortme ...

'' (2002-2005, Co-production with

Granada Kids CITV is a British children's morning programming block on ITV2 and formerly a free-to-air channel owned by ITV plc. CITV, then Children's ITV, launched on 3 January 1983 as a late afternoon programming block on the ITV network for children aged ...

) *'' Albie'' (2002-2004, co-production with

) *''Adventurers: Masters of Time'' (2002) (co-production with SBAF Berlin Animation Film GmbH) *''

Little Robots ''Little Robots'' is a British stop-motion animated children's television series that was produced by Cosgrove Hall Films for Create TV & Film. The series originally aired on CBeebies, a British children's television channel known for its educ ...

'' (2003-2005) (co-production with Create TV and Film Limited) *''Shadow of the Elves'' (2003) (co-production with SBAF Berlin Animation Film GmbH) *''

'' (Series 3-6, 2003–2008) (co-production with

Entertainment Rights Entertainment Rights PLC (formerly known as Sleepy Kids PLC and SKD Media PLC) was a British multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate that specialised in television shows and cartoons, children's media, films, and distribution. ...

) *''The Oddkinsons - A United Family'' (2003) (co-production with Manchester United Ltd) *''

'' ( BBCi, 2003) (webcast) *''Sixty Second Lovestory'' (2003) (short film, directed by Brian Demoskoff) *''Cosmorados'' (2003) (co-production with BBC Three's Animation Unit and BBC Talent) *''Sorted'' (2004) (3 minute animated fill-ins made for the show, produced by Libra Television for

Discovery Kids Discovery Kids, stylized as discovery k!ds, is a brand name owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Starting as a television block within Discovery Channel, the brand expanded as a separate television channel in October 1996. Discovery Kids on NBC was ...

) *''

'' (Series 1, 2005) (co-production with Zinkia Entertainment and

) *''Blue Dog Blues'' (2005) (short film) *''

Fifi and the Flowertots ''Fifi and the Flowertots'' is a British preschool children’s animated television series created by Keith Chapman (who also created the ''Bob the Builder'' series) that ran from 2 May 2005 until 5 July 2010. The series was commissioned by C ...

'' (

Nick Jr. Nick Jr. (sometimes disambiguated as Nick Jr. on Nickelodeon or Nick Jr. on Nick, and sometimes referred to as Nick, Jr.) is an American morning programming block that airs on Nickelodeon every weekday. It was launched on January 4, 1988. Nick ...

and

Milkshake! ''Milkshake!'' (stylised as milkshake!) is a British Children's television series, children's television programming block on 5 (British TV channel), 5. Originally launched in 1997, it is currently aimed at children aged 2 to 7. History Th ...

, 2005-2010) (co-production with

) *''Kid Clones'' (2005) (co-production with Toon Factory Ltd and Agogo Media) *'' The Likeaballs'' (

CBBC CBBC is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 to 12. Its sister c ...

, 2006) (produced by Cosgrove House and Animated Adventures & Pictures) *'' Rupert Bear, Follow the Magic...'' (

, 2006-2008) (co-production with

and

Express Newspapers Northern & Shell (holding company name Northern and Shell Network Ltd) is a British publishing group, founded in December 1974 and owned since then by Richard Desmond. Formerly a publisher of pornographic magazines including '' Penthouse'' and '' ...

) *''

Roary the Racing Car ''Roary the Racing Car'', stylised as ''ROARY: The Racing Car'', is a British preschool animated television series created by David Jenkins and produced by Chapman Entertainment for Five and Nick Jr. that aired from 7 May 2007 to 29 Septem ...

'' (

and

, 2007-2010) co-production with

) *''Eddie Retractorhead'' (

, 2008) *'' Rocket Boy and Toro'' (CBBC, 2008) *'' Postman Pat: Special Delivery Service'' (2008, series 1) (co-production with

)

Pilots

*''SuperTed'' ( not to be confused with Mike Young's character of the same name) (1975) * ''

Thomas the Tank Engine Thomas the Tank Engine is a fictional, anthropomorphised tank locomotive who originated from the British children's books ''The Railway Series'', created and written by Wilbert Awdry with his son Christopher Awdry, Christopher, first publish ...

'' (1976) (co-produced with

Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End theatre, West End and on Broadway theatre, Broad ...

) *''Trash'' (Nickelodeon, 1990) *''The Crowville Chronicles'' (Nickelodeon, 1990) *''The Mutinearlies'' (1993) (co-production with BBC Enterprises Ltd) *''Mungie'' (1996) (co-production with BBC Animation Unit) *'' The Story of Odysseus'' (1996) (co-production with Carrington Productions International) *''The Wot-a-Lots'' (later known as

The Beeps ''The Beeps'' is a British CGI animated pre-school children's television series of 65 x 11-minute episodes. The show was initially broadcast in the UK on Channel 5's Milkshake! segment. Subsequently transmitted worldwide. The series detail ...

) (directed by Sarah Ball) (1997) *''Meet the Frankensteins'' (1998) *''The Little Grey Men'' (written by Steve Walker) (1998) *''

Winnie the Pooh Winnie-the-Pooh (also known as Edward Bear, Pooh Bear or simply Pooh) is a fictional Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic teddy bear created by English author A. A. Milne and English illustrator E. H. Shepard. Winnie-the-Pooh first appeared by ...

'' (1999) (pilot for a stop-motion direct-to-video version of the popular Disney adaption by Bridget Appleby) *'' Eloise'' (2000) (co-production with The itsy bitsy Entertainment Company and

Cartoon Saloon Cartoon Saloon is an Irish animation film, short film and television studio based in Kilkenny which provides film TV and short film services. The studio is best known for its animated feature films ''The Secret of Kells'', ''Song of the Sea'', ' ...

) *''Mouth and Trousers'' (2000) *''The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew'' (2001) *''Porter and Daughter'' (2001) (Engie Benjy pilot, co-production with ITEL) *''Junglekids'' (2001) *''F1: Race for the Future'' (2001) *''Saturday Night Livestock'' (2001) *''The Inbreds'' (2002) (pilot for adult animated series, once launched an official website) *''The Kittens'' (2002) (Failed pilot for an

Atomic Kitten Atomic Kitten were an English girl group formed in Liverpool in 1998, whose original lineup comprised Kerry Katona, Liz McClarnon, and Natasha Hamilton. The group was founded by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) members Andy McCluskey an ...

animated series) *''Shelltown'' (2003) *''CodeWarriors'' (2004) (co-produced with Granada) *''The Wumblers: Bertrum's Color Day'' (2004) (co-production with Peak Entertainment and The Silly Goose Company) *''The Rag Pack'' (2004) (co-production with VGI Entertainment) *''The Slums'' (2004) (co-production with Streetplay Design Ltd) *''Super Hero High'' (2004) *''Harold's Planet'' (2004) *''Beat Freaks'' (2004) (co-production with Spin Entertainment and

Mainframe Entertainment Mainframe Studios is a Canadian animation studio owned by Wow Unlimited Media and based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Founded in 1993 as Mainframe Entertainment Inc. by Christopher Brough, Ian Pearson, Phil Mitchell, Gavin Blair and John Gr ...

) *''Octopus and Worm'' (2005) *''The Carrotty Kid'' (2005) (once launched an official website) *''Wobbly Horse'' (2005) *''The Mystics'' (2005) *'' The Boy Who Kicked Pigs'' (2005) *''Hamster in a Cage'' (2006) *''A Break From The Old Routine'' (2007) (co-production with

S4C S4C (, ''Sianel Pedwar Cymru'', meaning ''Channel Four Wales'') is a Welsh language free-to-air public broadcast television channel. Launched on 1 November 1982, it was the first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speakin ...

) *''My Neighbour is an Evil Genius'' (2007) *''Roger to the Rescue'' (2007) *''The Princess Bumblees'' (2007) *''Squidge and the Hardnuts'' (2008) *''Ruby to the Rescue'' (

CBeebies CBeebies is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content targeted for children aged six year ...

, 2009) (co-production with

Nelvana Nelvana Limited (; also known as Nelvana Enterprises, Nelvana International or Nelvana Digital; commonly known as Nelvana; stylized as "nelvana") is a Canadian animation studio and entertainment production company owned by Corus Entertainment s ...

) *''Theodore'' (2010) (was about to be developed for ITV during their absorption with the company)

Other

*'' I Love 1981'' (2001) (Danger Mouse's interview animation for

documentary) *''The Oddkinsons - A United Family'' (2003) (webcast, co-production with Manchester United) *''

'' (2003 - 2007) (''

'' webcast, an animated reconstruction of '' The Invasion'' and the televised serial ''

The Infinite Quest ''The 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 pa ...

'') *''

'' ( BBCi, 2003) (''Legacy'' webcast) *''Sorted'' (2004) (3-minute animated fill-ins for Libra Television and Discovery Kids UK) *''

Love on a Saturday Night ''Love on a Saturday Night'' is a London Weekend Television produced game show that aired on ITV between 7 February and 22 May 2004. It was a replacement show for ''Blind Date'', and lasted only two series before being axed. The first episod ...

'' (2004) (additional animated fill-in graphics for LWT) *''Top 10 Conspiracy Theories'' (2004) (animated graphics for Liberty Bell and Channel 5)

References

* Some text modified from the Animation Gallery of the

National Media Museum The National Science and Media Museum (formerly The National Museum of Photography, Film & Television, 1983–2006 and then the National Media Museum, 2006–2017), located in Bradford, West Yorkshire, is part of the national Science Museum ...

External links

Official Cosgrove Hall Films Site
{{Authority control British companies established in 1993 British companies disestablished in 2009 British animation studios Culture in Manchester Defunct companies based in Manchester Defunct film and television production companies of the United Kingdom Entertainment companies established in 1993 Entertainment companies disestablished in 2009 Mass media companies established in 1993 Mass media companies disestablished in 2009 1993 establishments in England 2009 disestablishments in England