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Ragdoll Productions

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Ragdoll Productions
Company typePrivate
IndustryTelevision production company
Founded26 July 1984; 40 years ago (1984-07-26)
FounderAnne Wood
HeadquartersTimothy's Bridge Rd.,
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire
,
England
Key people
Anne Wood
Andrew Davenport
Robin Stevens
ParentRagdoll Ltd.
WebsiteRagdoll

Ragdoll Productions is a British television production company located in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, that produces children's television series. It was founded in 1984 by Anne Wood, who had recently made similar programmes for Yorkshire Television and TV-am. It is known for a number of children's programmes, most notably Teletubbies, Rosie and Jim, Brum, Boohbah, Tots TV, In the Night Garden..., and Pob's Programme.

Ragdoll Productions is owned by Ragdoll Ltd.,[1] which in 2006 formed a joint venture with BBC Worldwide, Ragdoll Worldwide, to sell and license the company's programmes outside of the UK and North America. On 16 September 2013, Ragdoll Worldwide was sold to Canadian production company DHX Media (later WildBrain) for £17.4 million (or USD$24 million)[2] WildBrain now owns the rights to all of Ragdoll's programming. Despite Ragdoll Worldwide being sold, Ragdoll Productions themselves remain as an independent company and still continue to make shows to this day.

Pre-Ragdoll productions

The following are some of Ragdoll's productions before the company was founded, accompanied by a brief description and vital statistics:

  • Puzzle Party - First broadcast in 1977. Hosted by Gyles Brandreth and featuring characters Gnigel and Gnu, the show was one of Anne Wood's earliest TV shows for BBC.
  • The Book Tower - first broadcast in 1979, hosted by Tom Baker and Stephen Moore.
  • Ragdolly Anna - first broadcast in 1979; based on the children's books by Jean Kenward.
  • Roland Rat - first broadcast in 1983.

Ragdoll's productions

All of the following shows (except Pob's Programme, Playbox, and Storytime) are now owned by WildBrain (formerly DHX Media).

The Ragdoll Shop

The Ragdoll Shop in Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire was a shop that consisted of themed play areas based on Ragdoll properties and an area where merchandise was sold. The store originally opened in 1992, and traded until 2005, due to expansion limits and failure to find a new larger venue.[3]

The building that formerly housed the shop is now a optometrist's practice named Dr. CP Grey's. The picture of Rosie and Jim waving can still be seen in the black window at the top of the building.

References

  1. ^ "Ragdoll puts sales joint venture with BBC Worldwide on the market". The Guardian (London). 29 January 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  2. ^ "Teletubbies owner bought by Canadian firm DHX Media". The Guardian (London). 16 September 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  3. ^ http://www.ragdoll.co.uk/our-story/the-ragdoll-shop/
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