Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids

Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids
Genre Children, Animation, Horror, Comedy
Created by Jamie Rix
Written by Jamie Rix
Directed by Sara Bor
Simon Bor
Jamie Rix
Narrated by Nigel Planer
Country of origin United Kingdom
Original language(s) English
No. of series 10 (7th and 8th series was on NickToons) (Series 1,2,3,4,5,6,9 and 10 were on ITV)
No. of episodes 105 (79 ITV episodes + 26 Nickelodeon episodes)
Production
Producer(s) Sara Bor
Simon Bor
Jamie Rix
Broadcast
Original channel ITV (1999-2010, 2014-present)
Nickelodeon (2010-present)
Nicktoons (2010-present)
Original run 26 December 1999 – present

Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids (or Grizzly Tales) is a series of books by Jamie Rix and a TV series produced for ITV. The original TV series was based on the award winning collections of cautionary tales by Jamie Rix. Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids, Ghostly Tales for Ghastly Kids, Fearsome Tales for Fiendish Kids and More Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids. The series was narrated by Nigel Planer and animated by Sara and Simon Bor of Wolves Witches & Giants fame.

In all, six series and a New Year's special ran from 1999 to 2007 on ITV and Grizzly Tales was consistently one of the highest rated children's animation shows on the channel. In 2011, a new 26 re-invention of the show was produced for Nickelodeon UK and NickToons UK. It was awarded Best Children's Programme at the Broadcast Awards 2012.

The BAFTA-nominated show has picked up many other awards including Animated Series and Children's Choice at the British Animation Awards, and Children's Animated series at Cartoons on the Bay.

The show is available on DVD through ITV in the UK, Porchlight in the USA and Time Life in Australia. Orion Audiobooks have also released full CD recordings of the books, read by Rupert Degas. Audio Go have re-released the original Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids audio book on CD and download.

The series is produced by Grizzly TV.

In 2010 Nickelodeon UK and NickToons UK started broadcasting the original series. The re-invented series airs from 2011 on Nickelodeon UK and Nicktoons UK.

Focus

The series is a collection of morality tales which also has insinuations of a horror story; gruesome punishments happen throughout. The stories mainly focus on naughty or horrible children(for example those that are vain, untidy, lazy, or lying) learning a grim lesson. Examples include "The Bugaboo Bear" (in which a little blond girl, buys a "Bugaboo Bear", and treats it as a person, only after a surprisingly short amount of time she gets bored with it, and starts treating it in a horrid manner), and "William the Conkerer" (in which a young lad, who destroys trees, attempts to steal every conker in the village). The programme also focuses on frightening children into believing their parents.

Television series

First debuting in 2000, the show was broadcast on CITV, commissioned by Carlton Television, now part of ITV plc. It was a co-production between Elephant Productions and Honeycomb Animation, Jamie Rix co directing the series with Simon & Sara Bor. On most of the early series, a stopmotion sequence involving a creepy cinema owner named Uncle Grizzly (On occasion, the CITV presenters referred to him as the 'Storyteller man') and his pet spider, Spindleshanks would be present. The two would discuss the morals of the tales shown, often ending with Spindleshanks getting badly injured, e.g. squashed or splatted.

These sequences were later removed, possibly to shorten the cartoon's length. More recently, only Uncle Grizzly is shown welcoming you to the show. Spindleshanks was removed too. They also had a different theme song.

Many of the episodes between Seasons 1-4 were adaptations from the books also written by Rix, although they usually edited out or altered many parts of the stories to fit the time slot. In 2006, the series went from hand-drawn animation to digital, starting with "A Grizzly New Year's Tale: The Crystal Eye". The latest seasons of stories were later published in book form, in a new format and known as the Grizzly Tales Series. Each of these books focused on various themes (such as "Nasty Little Beasts", "Gruesome Grown Ups" and "Freaks of Nature") and contained six stories each.

Each tale is normally set in a different location. However, many of the character designs and backgrounds were reused and altered to make different characters and settings.

Nigel Planer was the narrator for this series and played Uncle Grizzly. He also narrated Fearsome Tales for Fiendish Kids on audiobook. Bill Wallis narrated More Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids and Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids and Ghostly Tales for Ghastly Kids were both read by Andrew Sachs.

After Grizzly Tales ended in 2007, it was announced that Grizzly Tales would return for a brand new series for Nicktoons UK in May 2011. The series location moved from the Squeam Screen, to the Hot-Hell Darkness. Uncle Grizzly made way to his half brother, The Night Night Porter, who took over as storyteller, but retained Nigel Planer's voice.

Grizzly Tales will air a brand new series on 7 April 2014.

Episode list

List of Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids episodes

Season 1 (2000)

  1. The New Nanny (4 January 2000) Tristram and Candy Frightfullybusy (are horrible to their nanny, but soon they have her back after other nanny's teach them a lesson) Always treat your nannies with respect and never lie
  2. The Spaghetti Man (11 January 2000) Timothy King (gets turned into a lasagne) Always eat your food on the table
  3. Grandmother's Footsteps (18 January 2000) Jolyon (finds a ghost in his house), Grandma (reads a story for her grandson)
  4. Death By Chocolate (25 January 2000) Serena Slurp (turns into a chocolate fly) don't eat too much chocolate or be mean to siblings.
  5. The Wooden Hill (31 January 2000) Jack (finds courage for his mother to climb her son's creepy staircase)overcome your fear of dark and do not allow your imagination to get the better of you
  6. A Tangled Web (7 February 2000) Nigel (keeps his mouth shut forever)
  7. The Princess's Clothes (14 February 2000) Felicity (tears her plain clothes with sewing scissors) do not be spoilt or too obsessed with cloths
  8. Burgerskip (21 February 2000) Oswald O'Burger (gets dragged underground by a tree) don't destroy rainforests.
  9. The Barber of Civil (28 February 2000) Tanya and Peregrin (get the bad parts of their tongues cut off) always be polite
  10. The Chipper Chums Go Scrumping (6 March 2000) Col, Algy, Alice, Ginger, Sam and Stinker (get squeezed into cider) never steal from others
  11. The History Lesson (13 March 2000) Elizabeth (fails her history test) concentrate during tests.
  12. Sweets (20 March 2000) Thomas (gets made into a shop window dummy) always behave in shops
  13. Dr. Moribundus (27 March 2000) Lorelei Lee (gets cured of No School-itis) don't feign illness to get days off school.

Season 2 (2001)

  1. Jack in a Box (23 April 2001) Jack DeLaunay (turns into a ventriloquist's dummy) don't interrupt others constantly or be a chatterbox.
  2. Glued to the Telly (10 April 2001) Herbert (turns into a cheese and onion crisp)do not watch to much television
  3. The Cat Burglar (12 April 2001) Fedora Funklefink (gets eaten by a tiger named Tigor) don't trick others for the money they offer.
  4. Mr Peeler's Butterflies (16 April 2001) Alexander (has never slept again for the rest of his life) go to sleep when told.
  5. An Elephant Never Forgets (26 April 2001) Percy and Belinda Crumpdump (get flattened by an elephant)
  6. The Childhood Snatcher (9 April 2001) Albert (girl, turns into an old lady)leave children alone with their childhood.
  7. The Giant Who Grew Too Big for His Boots (17 April 2001) Huge Hugh (gets slimed by a snail) do not take up anybody's space
  8. Prince Noman (19 April 2001) Leticia (has an invisible baby)
  9. Tag (18 April 2001) Terry (confesses to his mother that he's a thief) don't steal.
  10. The Litter Bug (24 April 2001) Bunty Porker (gets eaten by a huge litter bug) Colonel Buffy (escorts the Earth) never be greedy or pollute
  11. Fat Boy with a Trumpet (25 April 2001) Johnny Bullneck (gets struck by lightning) don't bully and torture other children at school.
  12. The Broken Down Cottage (11 April 2001) Augustus (dies in a fire and becomes a ghost).
  13. Well'ard Willard (27 April 2001) Willard (melts into a puddle of water)

Season 3 (2002-2003)

  1. The Upset Stomach (23 December 2002) Ethel Turnip (gets eaten by pet stomach) you can't neglect your stomach
  2. Knock Down Ginger (24 December 2002) Ginger Pie (gets eaten by Mr. Thrips' termites) don't play pranks, even if you hate that person
  3. The Locked Door (26 December 2002) Ishbell (opens the locked door when the old man asks) don't wonder too much
  4. Simon Sulk (30 December 2002) Simon (gets eaten by trolls) don't sulk
  5. The Urban Fox (30 December 2002) Pierce and Tamara (hide in the sewers for the rest of their lives) don't try to kill foxes
  6. When the Bed Bugs Bite (31 December 2002) Hannibal (turns into a giant bed bug) don't bite people
  7. Spoilsport (31 December 2002) Girl (turns into a puddle of smelly brown sludge) believe what you like, but don't tease people for what they believe in
  8. The Pie Man (7 January 2003) Donald (gets baked into a pie) don't suck your thumb, except when you're a baby
  9. Head in the Clouds (14 January 2003) Brian (has his head locked in a box forever) don't daydream
  10. Dirty Bertie (21 January 2003) Bertie Bath (gets replaced by an alien) always take a bath
  11. Crocodile Tears (28 January 2003) Gwendolyn Howling (gets eaten by a crocodile) don't cry to get what you want
  12. Little Fingers (4 February 2003) Daffid Thomas (gets all his fingers chopped off) don't fiddle

Season 4 (2004)

  1. Revenge of the Bogeyman (2 April 2004) Dee Doodah (learns that bogeys have feelings) don't flick bogeys
  2. It's Only a Game, Sport! (2 April 2004) Bruce (gets swallowed by a snake) don't be a spoilsport
  3. The People Potter (16 April 2004) Greta Gorky (gets turned into pottery) be careful
  4. The Gas Man Cometh (16 April 2004) Stefan (floats into space from too much helium, when the Gas Man pays a visit) don't prank call
  5. Bogman (16 April 2004) Helen (cleans up all the peat from the house) don't shirk
  6. Bunny Boy (23 April 2004) Bill (turns into a rabbit) eat your greens
  7. Bessy O'Messy (23 April 2004) Bessy (shrinks in the wash) tidy your bedroom when asked
  8. Goblin Mountain (30 April 2004) Joe Alexander (gets turned into a tree) always treat books with respect and never tear them apart
  9. Superstitious Nonsense (30 April 2004) Araminta Jane Gaslamp (gets squashed by a cow) don't be superstitious
  10. Athlete's Foot (7 May 2004) Antony St. John-Smythe (gets hit by a bomb) don't think your the best
  11. The Stick Men (7 May 2004) Chico (is forced to live in his own drawing) don't draw on the wall, even if you're lonely and don't draw the goblins.
  12. The Grass Monkey (14 May 2004) Esmerelda (gets eaten by a cow) don't be a brat or mess with magic
  13. The Top Hat (21 May 2004) Benjamin (gets trapped in a magician's hat) never be greedy, spoilt or steal and respect presents you receive
  14. The Decomposition of Delia Dethabridge (21 May 2004) Delia Dethabridge (turns white as a corpse and faints, also becomes dumb) don't think you're a genius
  15. The Crystal Eye (A Grizzly New Year's Tale) (31 December 2004) Fick (gets swapped with his own reflection and turns into a zombie) don' be selfish

Season 5 (2006)

  1. The Bugaboo Bear (27 March 2006) Emily Stiff (gets turned into a stuffed toy and mistreated) treat your toys well
  2. The Butcher Boy (28 March 2006) Gilbert (gets chopped into sausages) money can't buy happiness
  3. The Fruit Bat (29 March 2006) Cherie Stone (gets turned into a fruit bat) eat your fruit
  4. Monty's Python (30 March 2006) Monty (becomes Sister Eater's pet) don't tease your siblings
  5. The Grub A Blub Blub (31 March 2006) Savannah Slumberson (gets turned into a witchety grub) don't be lazy
  6. Wolf Child (3 April 2006) Garth McQueen (gets kidnapped by wolves) don't act like a baby to get attention
  7. The Weather Witch (4 April 2006) Jack Frost (turns into an ice sculpture) don't play pranks on the elderly
  8. Kiss and Make Up (5 April 2006) Holly Hotlips (gets an old witch's face) looks don't get the boy (or girl)
  9. William the Conkerer (6 April 2006) William (gets turned into a conker) don't destroy nature
  10. Silence is Golden (7 April 2006) Dolores Bellicose (turns into a golden statue) don't be noisy
  11. Her Majesty's Moley (10 April 2006) Mattie (looks like a holy-moley) never kill a mole
  12. Puppet on a String (11 April 2006) Callaway (becomes a puppet) don't say "can't"
  13. The Soul Stealer (12 April 2006) Poppy (gets locked into a picture) don't play tricks with a camera

Season 6 (2007)

  1. Jamie's School Dinners (18 September 2007) Jamie (explodes and turns into a "chicken nugget") if you have school dinners, eat what is given to you
  2. Recyclops (19 September 2007) Scabi (gets recycled into something useful) don't throw everything away
  3. The Clothes Pigs (20 September 2007) Truffle (gets eaten by Incy, Wincy, Nibble and Titch, the piglets) don't treat your parents like slaves
  4. Why Boys Make Better Burglars (21 September 2007) Billy Burglar (gets 'caught red handed') never be a burglar
  5. The Watermelon Babies (22 September 2007) Kitty and Winnie (turn into watermelons, and devoured) don't misuse water
  6. eBoy (16 October 2007) Eric (gets stripped to his brain, eye and hands) don't constantly play on the computer
  7. Nobby's Nightmare (16 October 2007) Nobby (gets eaten by his 'alien girlfriend' Sophie) don't be naked in front of a girl
  8. The Dumb Klutzes (17 October 2007) The Klutz family (gets eaten by a giant) don't believe everything people say
  9. The Lobster's Scream (17 October 2007) Shannon Shellfish (gets boiled alive) never say 'I want'
  10. The Old Tailor Of Pelting Moor (18 October 2007) Jumbo Ferrari (turns into an old man) it's how you feel, not how you look
  11. Big Head (18 October 2007) Sammy Slitherall (his head shrinks to the size of a pin) don't be a show-off
  12. The Piranha Sisters (19 October 2007) Dorothy May (gets stripped bare by piranhas) never play pranks or be gullible
  13. Tom Time (Last episode aired on ITV1 and CITV) (19 October 2007) Tom (explodes, while the world ceased to exist) always be on time

Grizzly Tales - Cautionary Tales of Lovers of Squeam

This series (7 & 8) were the first to ran on Nickelodeon.

Batch 1 (series 7 - 2010)

These episodes premiered outside the UK, girst UK transmission was in May 2011.

  1. Tinklebell (2 May 2011) Gilbert Sparrow (gets eaten by his parents, as they would not eat what was on their plate) eat what's on your plate
  2. Sick To Death (2 May 2011) Victoria Spew (gets sucked into the vacuum cleaner literally) don't vomit to get what you want
  3. The Ugly Prince (3 May 2011) Prince Spencer (dies in the blades of a lawnmower horribly) don't get revenge on your girlfriend
  4. Hear No Weevil See No Weevil (3 May 2011) Broccoli Brassica (gets gobbled up by weevils) big is NOT beautiful
  5. The Rise and Fall of The Evil Guff (4 May 2011) Bart Thumper (falls into a compost heap) don't fart too much
  6. Cat's Eyes (4 May 2011) Cat Clore (gets run over by a steamroller, when the police arrive) don't bully others
  7. Message in a Bottle (5 May 2011) Popering Partridge (gets squashed into a bottle) don't reprimand your parents
  8. Little Angel (5 May 2011) Eliza Toadley (petrifies into a stone gargoyle) don't tell lies
  9. The Dragon Moth (6 May 2011) Josiah Reeks (never does as he is told) always read signs
  10. The Long Face (6 May 2011) Petty Ggambrel-Ffetlock (has a horse face) don't sulk
  11. Kingdom of Wax (9 May 2011) Nathaniel (burns to death) don't try and attract girls
  12. The Spelling Bee (9 May 2011) (Based On The Death Rattle) Purnellopy Underblanket (turns into a human beehive) don't be obstinate
  13. The Flat Pack Kid (10 May 2011) Humpty Egg (becomes more useful) don't take things apart
Batch 2 (Series 8 - 2011)
  1. The Blood Doctor (5 Sept 2011) Georgina Sutcliffe (shrivels up from vinegar in her veins) Don't be a diva
  2. The Hair Fairies (6 Sept 2011) Peacebiscuit (petrifies into wood) Be thankful for what God gives you
  3. The Apostrophic Expositor (7 Sept 2011) B.S Brogan (turns into a full stop) don't be a chatterbox
  4. Nerves of Steel (8 Sept 2011) Charlie Chicken (sinks underwater) don't lie to get attention
  5. The Worm (9 Sept 2011) Eustace Colon (turns into a tapeworm) don't eat worms
  6. Lazy Bones (10 Sept 2011) Ida Lydon (gets relieved of her lazy bones) don't be lazy
  7. Frank Einstein's Monster (29 Oct 2012) Frank Einstein (gets strapped to a rocket) don't play with fireworks
  8. Nails In Her Coffin (29 Oct 2012) Griselda Grim (gets drowned in a neighbourhood's swimming pool) don't wish you were a cat
  9. The Undertaker (30 Oct 2012) Gulab Gobby (gets relieved of his body) keep your opinions to yourself
  10. Little Flower Girl (30 Oct 2012) Petal Stalewater (gets drilled into the ground) don't pick flowers without permission
  11. The Wrap Man (31 Oct 2012) Carlton (gets sent to his Auntie Wilma) be thankful for what you receive
  12. Old McDonald's Farm (1 Nov 2012) Angela Asbrew (turned into a chicken) respect your elders
  13. Nuclear Wart (2 Nov 2012) Jim and Terry (get swallowed by a nuclear wart) don't fight with your siblings

Home Release

VHS

  1. Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids: The Spaghetti Man - 28 March 2000
  2. Grizzly Tales Fro Gruesome Kids: The Barber Of Civil - 28 March 2000

DVD

  1. Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids: Doctor Moribundus & Other Tales - 11 February 2006
  2. Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids: A Tangled Web & Other Tales - 11 February 2006
  3. Grizzly Tales: Monty's Python & Other Tales - 10 August 2006
  4. Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids: Series 1 & 2 – 7 January 2007
  5. Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids: Series 3 & 4 – 7 January 2007
  6. Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids: Series 5 & 6 – 7 January 2007
  7. Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids: The Complete Series (6-Disc Complete Box Set) - 5 July 2008
  8. Grizzly Tales: Series 7 – 2 February 2012
  9. Grizzly Tales: Series 8 – 2 February 2012
  10. Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids: Series 1 – 28 December 2012
  11. Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids: Series 2 – 28 December 2012
  12. Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids: Series 3 – 28 December 2012
  13. Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids: Series 4 – 28 December 2012
  14. Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids: Series 5 – 28 December 2012
  15. Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids: Series 6 – 28 December 2012
  16. Grizzly Tales For Gruesome Kids: Nuclear Wart - 30 September 2013

Note

  1. Monty's Python & Other Tales and Nuclear Wart are 2 DVDs that made in the UK.
  2. A Tangled Web & Other Tales and Doctor Moribundus & Other Tales, are the only DVD's made in the USA.
  3. Apart from them, all the others were made in Australia.

Books

Nearly every story Jamie Rix has written for Grizzly Tales are adaptations from his books:

Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids

  1. The New Nanny
  2. The One Tailed, Two Footed, Three Bellied, Four Headed, Five Fingered, Six Chinned, Seven Winged, Eight Eyed, Nine Nosed, Ten Toothed Monster
  3. The Spaghetti Man
  4. The Princess's Clothes
  5. The Black Knight
  6. Glued to the Telly
  7. The Barber of Civil
  8. The Man with a Chip on his Shoulder
  9. The Giant who grew Too Big for his Boots
  10. The Wooden Hill
  11. The Litter Bug
  12. Goblin Mountain
  13. Sweets
  14. The Top Hat
  15. The Childhood Snatcher

Ghostly Tales for Ghastly Kids

  1. Grandmother's Footsteps
  2. Burgerskip
  3. Tag
  4. The Locked Door
  5. A Tangled Web
  6. The Well
  7. An Elephant Never Forgets
  8. School Dinners
  9. The Big Sleep
  10. Bogman
  11. The Broken-Down Cottage
  12. Guilt Ghost
  13. A Lesson From History
  14. The Ghost of Christmas Turkeys Past
  15. Rogues Gallery

Fearsome Tales for Fiendish Kids

  1. The Cat Burglar
  2. Mr Peeler's Butterflies
  3. Fat Boy with a Trumpet
  4. The Chipper Chums Go Scrumping
  5. Prince Noman
  6. Death By Chocolate
  7. Well'ard Willard
  8. Athlete's Foot
  9. The Matchstick Girl
  10. Simon Sulk
  11. The Dumb Clucks
  12. Doctor Moribundus
  13. The Stick Men
  14. Little Fingers
  15. Bessy O'Messy
  16. Jack in a Box

More Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids

  1. Knock Down Ginger
  2. The Upset Stomach
  3. The Gas Man Cometh
  4. The Urban Fox
  5. Spoilsport
  6. Dirty Bertie
  7. The People Potter
  8. It's Only a Game, Sport!
  9. Fast Food
  10. Sock Shock
  11. Revenge of the Bogeyman
  12. Crocodile Tears
  13. The Pie Man
  14. Bunny Boy
  15. Spit
  16. The Grass Monkey
  17. Superstitious Nonsense
  18. Head in the Clouds
  19. When the Bed Bugs Bite
  20. The Decomposition of Delia Deathabridge

Nasty Little Beasts

  1. The Grub A Blub Blub
  2. Monty's Python
  3. The Lobster's Scream
  4. Wolf Child
  5. The Fruit Bat
  6. The Clothes Pigs

Gruesome Grown Ups

  1. Jamie's School Dinners
  2. Silence is Golden
  3. The Old Tailor of Pelting Moor
  4. Her Majesty's Moley
  5. The Soul Stealer
  6. Nobby's Nightmare

The "Me!" Monsters

  1. The Apostrophic Expositor
  2. Kiss and Make Up
  3. The Kingdom of Wax
  4. The Blood Doctor
  5. The Ugly Prince
  6. Big Head

Freaks of Nature

  1. Frank Einstein's Monster
  2. Recyclops
  3. The Weather Witch
  4. William the Conkerer
  5. Hear No Weevil, See No Weevil
  6. Tom Time

Terror Time Toys

  1. The Butcher Boy
  2. The Bugaboo Bear
  3. Why Boys Make Better Burglars
  4. Puppet on a String
  5. The Death Rattle
  6. eBoy

Blubbers and Sicksters

  1. The Piranha Sisters
  2. The Crystal Eye
  3. Cat's Eyes
  4. The Hair Fairies
  5. The Watermelon Babies
  6. The Nuclear Wart

The Naughty Gnomes of NO!

  1. Tinkerbell
  2. The Long face
  3. The Dragon Moth
  4. Sick to Death
  5. Message in a Bottle
  6. Lazybones

Super Zeroes

  1. Fatal Attraction
  2. Little Angel
  3. The Flat-Pack Kid
  4. The Worm
  5. The Little Flower Girl
  6. The Rise and Fall of the Evil Guff

A Grizzly Dozen

  1. The Grub A Blub Blub
  2. Monty's Python
  3. The Lobster's Scream
  4. Wolf Child
  5. The Fruit Bat
  6. The Clothes Pigs
  7. Jamie's School Dinners
  8. Silence Is Golden
  9. The Old Tailor of Pelting Moor
  10. Her Majesty's Moley
  11. The Soul Stealer
  12. Nobby's Nightmare

References

    External links