Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids is a British animated horror television series based on the generic trademarked children's book series of the same name by Jamie Rix. After the first three books were published from 1990 to 1996, Carlton Television adapted the short stories into ten-minute cartoons for ITV, produced by themselves, Honeycomb Animation, and Rix's production company, Elephant Productions. It aired on CITV between January 2000 and October 2006 with six series and 78 episodes, as well as a New Year's Eve special that was over 20 minutes longer than other episodes. The series returned in a new format for Nicktoons with 26 episodes split into two series[3] under the name Grizzly Tales (also known as Grizzly Tales: Cautionary Tales for Lovers of Squeam!), which aired between May 2011 and November 2012.
Both versions of the series have been nominated for BAFTAs and the CITV series has received numerous international awards from animated film festivals. Both have been popular on their respective channels; the CITV series has often been re-aired on Nickelodeon with the Nicktoons series.
History and development
In 1993, Honeycomb Animation founders Simon & Sara Bor had signed a deal with Central (later owned by Carlton Television) to create the cartoon Wolves, Witches and Giants. According to Simon, the then-head of Carlton Television, Michael Forte, had initially been hesitant to develop the project until Carlton took over Central, but he handed them a copy of Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids and advised them to "Get in touch with the author, and see if you can come up with something."[4] Years before, after the success of his debut book Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids, Rix had attempted to use his producer credits to get his work adapted by sending copies to television studios.[1] When Honeycomb and Elephant agreed on a partnership, Rix's producer partner Nigel Planer was performing a few of the Grizzly, Ghostly, and Fearsome short stories during the evenings on BBC Radio 5 (which re-aired on Radio 4),[5][6][7][8][9] but pre-production was forcibly halted just as storyboarding began due to studio hesitations over the source material and the publisher of Fearsome Tales for Fiendish Kids (Hodder Children's Books) being different from the rest in the trilogy (André Deutsch Limited).[1]
After Wolves, Witches and Giants concluded in 1998, Forte funded a three-minute television pilot based on Grizzly Tales book series. He intended to send it to Greece for Cartoon Forum, but they were unprepared so he sent it to ITV. Nigel Pickard had been the controller for CITV for a year[10] and greenlit the series immediately,[11] with a budget between US$2 million[d] (equivalent to £2,649,884 in 2021) and $3.3 million[e] (equivalent to £4,260,139 in 2021)[1][12] for 26 episodes, later explaining: "We [CITV] had commissioned a lot of cuddly preschool shows and needed something to act as a bridge between the older and younger stuff in the schedule."[1] In September, it was pitched to Cartoon Forum, which was attended by numerous children's television broadcaster representatives, who unanimously approved and offered a percentage of the budget.[1] Thirteen episodes were created within 15 months for the first series with Rix as co-director and co-screenwriter,[13] Nigel Planer as narrator, and the Bors as directors, with animation divided between Honeycomb, and Elephant Productions' sister company Lough House.[1] Carlton International joined with other British broadcasters to promote and sell the series along with other programmes and films as a combined package for MIPCOM's Media Market and Cape Town's Sithengi Film Festival in November and December 1999 respectively.[14][15] The first episode — "The New Nanny" — aired on CITV afternoon terrestrial slot at 4 pm on 4 January 2000,[16] followed by twelve episodes that aired weekly until 27 March. To promote the new cartoon, Rix rereleased the first three books with Hodder and Scholastic Ltd.,[1] as well as the new More Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids,[1] with front covers designed by Honeycomb Animation.[4]
Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids (2000–2006)
Each episode had a framing device set in an old Movie Theater (named The Squeam Screen) with its creepy caretaker and his spider companion, Spindleshanks. The adapted stories are short movies on film reels that the caretaker screens from the projector into the theatre, after he finishes talking to the audience about morals and proverbs that will later relate to the story of that episode, as he bullied Spindleshanks through malicious pranks and cowardice. These were an invention from Planer, who suggested that the adapted stories should have consistency.[17] These scenes are animated with Claymation whereas the adapted stories from the books were traditionally animated,[13] then later animated in Adobe Flash.[18]
Top, L-R: Algie and Ginger in "The Chipper Chums Go Scrumping"[19] Bottom, L-R: Milo and Ginger Pie in "Knock Down Ginger".[20]
Episodes were faithful to the original story, however, there were some minor changes. For example, the Cluck family in the eponymous story "The Dumb Clucks"[21] were renamed the Klutz family, and the title was expectantly adjusted.[22] Other notable changes included the use of character models that were constantly reused in many episodes either with minor adjustments or not, alternating between main and background characters: the character model for Dorothy May Piranha from "The Piranha Sisters"[23] is the same "actress" who was Savannah Slumberson in "The Grub-A-Blub Blub".[24] However, the set character appearances occasionally led to an appearance deviation from how the character was described in the original story: the bullying Ginger Pie in "Knock Down Ginger" was described as a tall, overweight boy with pale skin and pale red hair,[25] but his character model – the same one used for Ginger (no relation) in "The Chipper Chums Go Scrumping"[19] (who was a boy implied to be very outdoorsy with his friends) – was a skinny boy with curly red hair.[19][20] Loralilee's witch doctor cure in "Doctor Moribundus"[26] was adapted out of the cartoon, replaced with the Squeam Screen caretaker's narration claiming that the cure was too disturbing to tell as the viewer is shown the outside her bedroom window,[27] and Stinker's murder in "The Chipper Chums Goes Scrumping"[28] is changed to becoming crippled.[19]
The original four books in the series were adapted for the first four series (although some, such as "The Matchstick Girl", were never adapted) but the final two series featured new stories that would later appear in the Grizzly Tales: Cautionary Tales for Lovers of Squeam! books. The theme music was altered at this time with a completely different melody and a faster tempo than the one used at the beginning of the cartoon's run. The framing device with the caretaker and Spindleshanks disappeared and the end of the opening titles would cut to the projector being turned on.[29] Like the first two series, series five and six were commissioned in bulk as a 26-episode deal.[30][31][32]
In 2007, it was announced that ITV was planning to promote ITV4 more frequently, which led to numerous ITV programming being cancelled; Digital Spy and Broadcast revealed that Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids had not been offered a seventh series[33] — despite its popularity[34] — finishing in 2006.[35] Michael Grade, the ITV chairman, explained that it did not make "commercial sense" to generously invest in a children's channel.[33]
Grizzly Tales (2011–2012)
The CITV series was airing as reruns on Nickelodeon[36][37] when Honeycomb Animation announced in 2011 that a new series would be aired on Nicktoons UK in May.[2] This new programme would have a shortened, catchier name and be "reinvented for a modern audience with even more twisted, dark stories to delight children everywhere"[2] but would remain to a formula similar to the newer book series, Grizzly Tales: Cautionary Tales for Lovers of Squeam!.
Other differences would be the location of the framing device, which was now at The Hot-Hell Darkness[37] instead of the Squeam Screen movie theater and the animation: the hotel scenes were 3D animated and the stories were animated in 2D software. The cinema caretaker was now replaced by the re-invented books' The Night-Night Porter, his half-brother,[37] who banishes horrible children to spend an eternity at his hotel.[2] Nigel Planer, Elephant Productions (now named Little Brother Productions)[38] and the crew returned for this series, and the show, although for a new generation, was as popular and successful as its predecessor.[39]
Characters
This is a list of the cast that frequently appears in the two television adaptations.
The Squeam Screen caretaker: The caretaker of The Squeam Screen movie theater (revealed online to be named Uncle Grizzly) is the only character who speaks in the CITV series and is voiced by Simon Greenall. He gives the audience morals, proverbs and examples of life lessons, as well as narrating the short movies. In the opening titles, he appears at the end of the sequence, walking up to the projection room to blow out his electric torch and grab a film reel out of a towering stack as he says, "You are welcome to Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids, a series of cautionary tales for lovers of squeam!" Not much is known about him from the series outside of being a surrogate mentor, however, he is prone to shapeshift his head into a variety of things to terrify the audience or Spindleshanks. Outside of the series, his character profile is available to view on the official Grizzly Tales website, which reveals that his personal favourite movie he has shown is first series' third episode "Grandmother's Footsteps".[40]
Spindleshanks: A large purple spider that lives in The Squeam Screen movie theatre. He communicates non-verbally (through facial expressions) but occasionally squeaks or speaks. Uncle Grizzly constantly uses him for audience demonstrations but often as an excuse to bully, torture and abuse him for laughs. One ending to an episode showed that he had become a ghost, which made Uncle Grizzly cackle. He is said to have an aunt who lives in Australia.[41] He does not appear in the Nickelodeon series.[42]
The Night Night Porter: The official narrator of the second book series, half-brother of Uncle Grizzly, and the owner of the Hot Hell Darkness hotel; voiced by Nigel Planer. He is similar to his movie theatre caretaker relative through being a mentor to the reader/audience, being the only other character in the television adaptations that speaks. He relishes in punishing children, particularly horrible ones, and shows off some of the tortures that his guests are receiving in their rooms.
Crew
Forte was executive producer for three series of the CITV programme and was succeeded by David Mercer.[13] Other producers included Clive Hedges (first two series) and Sarah Muller (three and four).[13] The stop-motion was animated by Andy Farago, Richard Randolph and Nick Herbert[43] (Ealing Animation)[13] and the 2D animation was animated by numerous animators, including Gareth Conway, Graham Hayter, Chris Bowles, Sam Wooldridge, Oli Knowles, Dan Mitchell, Casey Fulton, Trev Phillips, Malcolm Yeates, Jon Miller, Daniel Mitchell, Victoria Goy-Smith, Liam Williamson, Francis Iowe, Karen Elliott, Craig Hindmarsh and Steven Buckler.[43][13]
In 2004, Grizzly TV was created: a sister company to represent the partnership between Honeycomb and Elephant/Little Brother.[32]
Broadcast
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2020)
The CITV cartoon was available for purchase on DVD in the UK, as well as PorchLight Home Entertainment in North America[59] and Time Life's Shock Records in Australia and New Zealand.[60] The Nickelodeon cartoon was later released on DVD through the same respective companies, however, it was released in the UK and Northern Ireland with Abbey Home Media.[61]
^McLean, Tom (18 June 2009). "Nick Revamps Grizzly for U.K."Animation Magazine. Retrieved 1 March 2020. A new series of 26 x 11 min. episodes of the award-winning animated series Grizzly Tales will be produced for the U.K. market and air on Nickelodeon UK.
^Fry, Andy (1 May 2000). "Nigel Pickard: Quick-change artist". Kidscreen. Retrieved 1 March 2020. CITV controller of kids programs Nigel Pickard is credited with making a major impact on CITV – for the better – in a remarkably short timeframe. [...] In the two years [written in 2000] since ITV controller of children's and youth programs
^Staff at Kidscreen (1 May 1999). "Up Next". Kidscreen. Retrieved 2 March 2020. This is the world of Grizzly Tales, a new animated series aimed at the six to eight set from London-based Carlton Television. Based on three successful collections of modern morality tales for kids by British author Jamie Rix, the series is budgeted at US$3.3 million...
^Shackleton, Liz (12 November 1999). "Distributors join forces for Sithengi". Broadcast. Retrieved 3 April 2020. Programming on offer will include Granada mini-series Longitude, Carlton International animated series Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids and Minotaur's thriller The Stretch.
^"The Gruesome Creatives". grizzlytales.blogspot.com. Blogspot. 6 April 2011. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 11 November 2019. We created the character of the narrator so that the many different stories would have some kind of overall cohesion, like bookends.
^"The First Digital Grizzly". grizzlytales.co.uk. 5 March 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2020. 2004 saw a move away from hand drawn to digital animation. The first Grizzly Tales in the new style was "A Grizzly New Year's Tale".
^ abcd"The Chipper Chums Go Scrumping". Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids. Series 1. Episode 10. 6 March 2000. CITV.
^ ab"Knock Down Ginger". Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids. Series 3. Episode 2. 17 December 2002. CITV.
^Rix, Jamie (8 April 1996). "The Dumb Clucks". Fearsome Tales for Fiendish Kids. Hodder Children's Group. ISBN9780340640951.
^"The Dumb Klutzes". Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids. Series 6. Episode 8. 17 October 2006. CITV.
^"The Piranha Sisters". Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids. Series 6. Episode 12. 19 October 2006. CITV.
^"The Grub A Blub Blub". Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids. Series 5. Episode 5. 31 March 2006. CITV.
^Rix, Jamie (19 January 2001). "Knock Down Ginger". More Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids. Scholastic Books UK. p. 2. ISBN9780439998185. Ginger Pie was a large, ungainly boy, with pale skin and light red hair. He was so fair that at a glance you could be forgiven for thinking he was bald.
^Rix, Jamie (8 April 1996). "Doctor Moribundus". Fearsome Tales for Fiendish Kids. Hodder Children's Books. ISBN978-0340640951.
^"Doctor Moribundus". Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids. Series 1. Episode 13. 27 March 2000. CITV.
^Rix, Jamie (8 April 1996). "The Chipper Chums Go Scrumping". Fearsome Tales for Fiendish Kids. Hodder Children's Books. ISBN978-0340640951.
^"Toonhound – Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids (2000–2005)". toonhound.com. Retrieved 21 September 2019. Speaking of brevity, those naughty folks at CiTV inexcusably cut the 3D intro from Series 4, when it was first broadcast in 2004.
^"Grizzly tales to come back on CiTV — News — Broadcast". Broadcast. 30 June 2005. CiTV has commissioned two new series of Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids from Honeycomb Animation and Elephant Productions. The Bafta-nominated series, narrated by Nigel Planer, is based on the successful books by Jamie Rix and will return to the screen in the new year for a 26 x 10-minute run.
^ abMaxie Zeus (23 June 2005). "CiTV Picks Up More "Grizzly Tales"". Anime Superhero. Retrieved 2 March 2020. CiTV has ordered two new seasons of Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids, c21 Media reports. The new seasons will be ready for broadcast in early 2006.
^ abOatts, Joanne (13 July 2007). "'Art Attack' axed after 18 years". Digital Spy. Retrieved 1 March 2020. According to Broadcast, the programme is one of several shows that have not been recommissioned which also includes Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids and Jungle Run. CITV has also reduced its hours at the weekends, to allow for ITV4 to broadcast...
^ ab"The Broken Down Cottage". Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids. Series 2. Episode 12. 26 April 2001. Event occurs at 9:36—10:00.
^"Untitled"(PDF) (in French). M TV and Radio. 14 July 2008. pp. 5, 9, 13, 17, 21. Archived from the original(PDF) on 3 March 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2020. Ciné-Trouille
^"Carlton takes UK toons into Canada". c21 Media. 17 July 2003. Retrieved 4 March 2020. Canada cablenet YTV will soon debut the third and fourth series of Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids...
^"Australia's new diginet goes for Carlton fare". c21 Media. 14 January 2002. Retrieved 4 March 2020. Carlton International, the distribution arm of the UK-based Carlton Communications Group, has inked a licensing deal with the new Australian digital kids' platform ABC Kids, for a package of kids' series. Included in the package is the animation series Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids (52×10')
^"Asian factual deals for Carlton". c21 Media. 29 May 2002. Retrieved 4 March 2020. In children's programming, TVB Hong Kong has picked up two series of animation Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids...
^"Gruesome tales for children honoured at British "Oscars" for animation". The Independent. 20 March 2004. p. 19. Grizzly Tales narrated by Nigel Planer were recognised last night at Britain's Oscars of animation industry, the British Animation Awards. Grizzly Tales far Gruesome Kids: Revenge of the Bogeyman, which was co -produced as well as voiced by Planer for children's ITV, was named best children's series, and also took the children's choice award at a ceremony at the Shaw Theatre, Bloomsbury, London.
