Teddybears (TV series)
Teddybears | |
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Based on | Teddybears book series by Susanna Gretz and Alison Sage |
Developed by | Adrian Hedley |
Directed by | Adrian Hedley |
Starring |
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Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
No. of series | 3 |
No. of episodes | 39 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producers | Adrian Hedley Kate Marlow |
Editor | Mike Parkins |
Running time | 10 minutes |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | ITV (CITV) |
Release | January 5, 1998 2000 | –
Teddybears is a British
History
Teddybears is based on Susanna Gretz and Alison Sage's teddy bear books, the first of which was published almost 30 years before the TV programme's creation.[1] Teddybear's inaugural season began on 5 January 1998.[2]
A 1999 article in the
Comparison with Teletubbies
The producers of Teddybears asserted that Teddybears is not an immediate rival of Teletubbies;[2] the Daily Record considers it a rival.[2] The Daily Record noted that the two TV series have several parallels.[2] Whereas the Teddybears eat "hot cross buns, honey, pancakes, jelly and ice cream", the Teletubbies eat "tubby toast and tubby custard".[2] The Teddybears sing The Teddybear Song while the Teletubbies sing Teletubbies say "Eh-oh!".[2] A difference between the two TV series is that Teddybears's intended audience is older children.[2]
The shows' similarities sparked "intense" coverage by the media. Newspapers and TV shows requested interviews with the teddybears, who all appeared on Richard and Judy's This Morning.[1]
Characters
The five teddybears in the series are William, Sarah, Louise, Robert, and Charles. They wear "brightly-coloured furry suits"
- Robert, the youngest of the bears, yellow. Often seen with his best friend, a toy frog called Phillip.
- Louise, green. The cheekiest of all the bears.
- Charles, black. The oldest of the bears, wise but very stubborn.
- William, red. Loves to cook.
- Sarah, orange. Plays the mother role. Stokenchurch actress Louise Conran played the role. She heard of the role while she was a maid on the BBC adaption of The Children of the New Forest from the TV film's assistant director who was a friend of Kate Marlow, Teddybear's producer.[1]
- Fred, the Dalmatian[3]
Puppeteers Cheryl Blaize, Louise Conran, Tim Hulse, James O' Donnell, Carl Matthewman, John Tobias,
Video and DVD
- Teddybears: Circus and other stories (VHS released 1999, DVD released 2003)
- Teddybears: And The Garden Party and other stories (VHS released 1998, DVD released 2004)
- Teddybears: And The Surprise Party and other stories (VHS released, 1999, DVD 2005)
- Teddybears: And The Giant Tomato and other stories (VHS released 2000, DVD 2006)
References
- ^ a b c d "Playing a Teddybear is a picnic for Louise". Buckinghamshire County Publications. 24 January 1998. Archived from the original on 21 February 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Teddies ready for telly war". Daily Record. 11 December 1997. Archived from the original on 20 February 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
- ^ a b "TV bears in town". Bristol Post. 16 October 1999. Archived from the original on 20 February 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
- ^ Trapp, Roger (22 November 1998). "Barbie's booming business: Claire Derry - as the head of Link Licensing - is the woman behind a thousand spin-offs". The Independent. Archived from the original on 20 February 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
- ^ Snoddy, Raymond (5 April 1999). "ProVen hopes $150m fund will be child's play". The Times. Archived from the original on 20 February 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
- ^ "Television". Animation World Magazine. Animation World Network. February 2000. Archived from the original on 20 February 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
- ^ Young, Graham (3 September 2001). "Switch On: Teddybears (Carlton, 3.30pm)". Birmingham Mail. Archived from the original on 21 February 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
External links
- "Teddy Bears Moving Day", 5 January 1998, the first episode of Teddybears from ITN
- "Teddybears and the Trip to the Moon", 12 January 1998, another episode of Teddybears from ITN