Old Bear Stories

Old Bear Stories
Format	Children's Stop motion
Starring	Anton Rodgers
Language(s)	English
No. of series	3
No. of episodes	41
Production
Running time	10 Mins
Production company(s)	Carlton Television
Broadcast
Original channel	ITV Network (CITV) Channel 5
Original airing	24 September 1993 - 24 December 1997

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.

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 bear, 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.
• Duck: a gloomy toy duck who sometimes wishes he could fly. Doesn't like to get his feet wet.
• Rabbit: 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 giraffe 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.
• Sailor: a toy sailor who enjoys sailing in his toy boat.
• Zebra: a female toy zebra.

Other characters

• Hoot the Owl: 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 Dog: a bouncy toy dog which resembles a Scottish Terrier. Likes to bury his rubber bones in some plant pots.
• Camel: a toy camel who is almost as tall as Jolly Tall. Once tried to use Little Bear's trousers as hump warmers.
• Cat: 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.

Episodes

Season 1 (1993)

1. Old Bear (24 September 1993)
2. Little Bear Lost (1 October 1993)
3. There Were Five in a Bed (8 October 1993)
4. Jolly Tall (15 October 1993)
5. Little Bear's Trousers (22 October 1993)
6. The Circus (29 October 1993)
7. The Rainy Day (5 November 1993)
8. The Fancy Dress Parade (12 November 1993)
9. Little Bear's Big Race (19 November 1993)
10. The Apple Tree (26 November 1993)
11. The Winter Picnic (3 December 1993)
12. Jolly Snow (10 December 1993)
13. The Dolls' House Christmas (17 December 1993)

Season 2 (1994)

1. Ruff (6 September 1994)
2. The Boat Race (13 September 1994)
3. Spring Clean (20 September 1994)
4. Ruff Follows His Nose (27 September 1994)
5. Jigsaw (4 October 1994)
6. Hoot (11 October 1994)
7. Hot and Spotty (18 October 1994)
8. The Play (25 October 1994)
9. Market Day (1 November 1994)
10. The Birthday Band (8 November 1994)
11. Little Bear's Book (15 November 1994)
12. Old Bear's Chair (22 November 1994)
13. The Car (29 November 1994)

Season 3 (1996)

1. Hoot and the Mystery Eggs (4 September 1996)
2. The Clock (11 September 1996)
3. The Castle (18 September 1996)
4. The Colour Chase (25 September 1996)
5. Little Bear's Snowmen (2 October 1996)
6. The Painting (9 October 1996)
7. Duck Tries to Fly (16 October 1996)
8. The Jolly Dragon (23 October 1996)
9. Rabbit and the Visitor (30 October 1996)
10. Little Bear's Cold Day (6 November 1996)
11. Ruff and the Big Wheel (13 November 1996)
12. The Birthday Camp (20 November 1996)
13. The Treasure Hunt (27 November 1996)

Specials

1. The Perfect Presents ("Winter Picnic", "Jolly Snow", "The Doll's House Christmas") (24 December 1993)
2. Little Bear and the Christmas Star (24 December 1997)

Cast and crew

• Writer: Jane Hissey
• 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 Rodgers

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 of the band Goldfrapp.^{[citation needed]}

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 Society - Best Children's Series
• 1993 BAFTA - Best Children's Programme
• 1993 New York Film Festival - Gold Medal
• 1993 Chicago International Film Festival - Silver Plaque

See also

• Old Bear and Friends
• Jane Hissey

External links

• Old Bear Stories at the Internet Movie Database
• TV.com entry
• Old Bear Stories TV theme song by Paul Castle