Little Charley Bear
| Little Charley Bear | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Children's |
| Created by | Daniel Pickering |
| Starring | James Corden |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 52 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 7 min |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | BBC |
| Picture format | 16:9 |
| Original run | 10 January 2011 – Present |
Little Charley Bear is a television show created & produced by Daniel Pickering, Annix Studios in 2007.[1] Narrated by James Corden, Little Charley Bear takes viewers on a journey into the world of let's pretend, where anything is possible.[2][3] Hit Entertainment were the original distributors, gaining a network deal with CBeebies in December 2008.
The show idea was originally created by Pickering when he attended animation school in Dublin, Ireland in the mid-1990s. He pitched the show to many international distribution companies and broadcasters, it was rejected across the board & at this point he shelved the idea. In mid-2007 he met Jennifer Upton (a Producer with HiT Entertainment) she saw the concepts of the show & suggested to him he should take another look at it. Annix Studios put together a small test sequence & HiT entertainment were impressed enough to become joint partners on the project.
Originally scheduled to start production in January 2009 but was halted due to the financial climate. Chapman Entertainment purchased Little Charley Bear from Annix Studios in September 2009 & full production commenced with Annix producing the show. Little Charley Bear made his TV debut in January 2011 on CBeebies[4] with 1.4 million unique viewers in the first week.[2] Annix finished making all 52 episodes in September 2011. The show has been sold into more than 80 territories, including Russia.[5]
Vivid Imaginations has produced a line of toys around the Little Charley Bear license.[2] In 2012 there was a stage version, Little Charley Bear and His Christmas Adventure written and directed by Brian Herring.[6] The Stage praised the adaptation for its "heart and imagination".[7]
In 2013, DreamWorks Animation bought the rights to Chapman Entertainment's back catalog, including the show.[8]
References
- ↑ Little Charley Bear at the Internet Movie Database
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 LTWmag.com
- ↑ "By Mirror.co.uk Comments James Corden to narrate pre-school series". Mirror (UK). 3 Jan 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ↑ "CBeebies Programmes - Little Charley Bear". BBC. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
- ↑ "Charley Bear enters 80th territory". Broadcast. 24 April 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ↑ "Little Charley Bear and His Christmas Adventure". Time Out (London). Oct 5, 2012. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ↑ Dowell, Ben (10 December 2012). "Little Charley Bear and his Christmas Adventure". The Stage. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ↑ "DreamWorks Animation Buys Chapman Entertainment Library". Variety. September 18, 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2013.