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I’ve just found out that the brilliant Cosgrove Hall have recently folded! Please say it isn’t so. This company was responsible for some of the best British produced animated works ever made, and their work spanned both traditional cel animation, stop motion puppets and more recently computer generated imaging.
With the shocking state of British kids TV these days (with the possible exception of the BBC) it is disappointing to see a company that created many of my favourite childhood TV programmes being forced to close. Shame on you ITV, owners of Cosgrove Hall, for letting this happen.
As a mark of respect then this weeks survey is to find out which of the traditional cel animated cartoons produced by Cosgrove Hall in the 1980’s was the best. This means you have a choice of DangerMouse, Count Duckula or Alias the Jester, as including everything they ever made would make for far too many choices I’m afraid.
However, I don’t feel I can finish without mentioning some of my other favourite shows from the Cosgrove Hall animators. Sticking with the Eighties there was the beautifully made puppet series based on Kenneth Graham’s The Wind in the Willows, with David Jason’s Mr. Toad being particularly memorable. Other big favourites of mine from the Seventies were Chorlton and the Wheelies and Jamie and the Magic Torch. They just don’t make shows like those any more…
October 19th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
I loved Dangermouse but I never missed a new episode of Duckula, so I’ll have to plump for that. Once again, though, looks like I’m in the minority!
October 19th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
I expected DangerMouse to win but not by quite the landslide it has so far! (35 for DM, 7 for CD)
No love out there for Alias the Jester then (not that I’m that surprised – it was good, but not great, IMO)
April 29th, 2011 at 8:26 am
I am horrified that Cosgrove Hall folded!
I did hear that they were involved in the animated production of the Terry Pratched Discworld ani-movies – Wierd Sisters and Soul Music
The style of Pratchet is well matched with that of Cosgrove Hall with the humour on many levels – every time you read / watch it you get soemthing new.
That skill is what makes something a classic
DM will always have a place in my heart, and in my childrens as I have every episode on DVD!
May 1st, 2011 at 7:56 pm
I know, I was quite appalled when I first heard about CH going under.
They made some of the most fondly remembered programmes of my youth, so to hear that ITV who were the final owners closed them down as a cost cutting measure seems crazy.