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    Summerton news   (31.12.07)

    Here's some great New Year news, straight from Summerton Valley.
    The second series of Summerton Mill is finally in the bag, and by all
    accounts, Pete Bryden and his team have brewed and bottled another
    thirteen magical little adventures for us to savour.

    

    Here's Mr Bryden himself, enthusing about his recent endeavours:

    "We set out to make another 13 episodes that would
    fit in with the first 13, keeping the charm, without
    dropping the standards – and it worked. There are
    some true gems in the series, and we’re really happy
    with every episode.

    James Cleland who started Series 1 as our assistant
    animator, and was later promoted to animator, came
    back to us as Director of Animation. Dan Stirrup was
    our second animator, and Bournemouth graduates
    Abi Mendoza and Hannah Watkins were assistant
    animators.

    We did most of the model-making (props etc) in-house
    and, as per the first series, kept the scriptwriting, sound
    and picture editing and music in-house too..."

   As most Toonhound regulars will know, The Hound is a die hard
    Summerton Millfreak, and that first series has been on constant rotation
    on his DVD player since it first appeared, back in 2005. So what better
    way to start the New Year than with news of 13 more singalong stories
    to treasure?  

    Pete goes on to tell us that "Summerton Mill" is currently being broadcast
    throughout the Middle East on Al Jazeera Children’s Channel,
    which is a bizarre notion indeed, but just goes to show how universal
    Dan, Fluffa and the gang are in their appeal. 

    And if you think that's rather bizarre, apparently, "Mrs Naybhur’s
    Vegetables" is one of two pre-loaded toons currently available on
    the high-flying kids toy, the iTeddy. That's the tv/media teddy that hit the
    big time after appearing on "Dragon's Den", the entrepreneurial series
    that airs on BBC2. Summerton Mill on a teddy bear's teddy? - I bet
    no one saw that coming!

    There's no news yet on a UK broadcast date, but Pete ensures us
    that he'll keep us informed. He'd better, or The Hound will be down there
    hammering on his Mill door for an answer!

    Oh, goodness. Here we are, just shy of the New Year festivities and
    already 2008 looks set to be a doozy... All together now...

    "Let's meet at the top of the hill..."

                                                             More: Summerton Mill

  

    A Likeaball Christmas   (24.12.07)

    Well, here we are, folks. The Big Day is almost upon us, and
    The Hound will be offline for most of the forthcoming festivities - probably
    through to the New Year. So I'll leave you with an image lifted from
    my favourite Christmas card of the season. It's been mailed to me by
    Jim Quick, the creator of current CBBC favourite The Likeballs,  and
    it stars that most disagreeable chap, Count Horriball...

    

    Jim's series is "kicking" at the moment. HIT Entertainment have been
    appointed as UK and Rest Of World agents for TV and DVD sales,
    and LMI are on board as licensing agents. But most importantly for
    us, the first Likeaballs DVD is due to be released in March 2008.

    So here's to you and yours, and let's hope 2008 is even better than
    likeable... hugely memorable... unforgettable, even...

    See you in the New Year!

                                                             More: The Likeaballs

  

    Piggin Christmas   (20.12.07)

    Yes, so this one's a little late, but some folks might not know that
    our favourite little piddy - Peppa Pig - has her very own Christmas
    Special available on DVD. Peppa's Christmas actually hit UK stores
    back in November, but the poor gal got overlooked here as The Hound
    took his eye off the ball for a while.

    

    The seasonal tale features Peppa and her brother George, having
    fun in the snow, decorating their tree and - yes - getting to meet
    Father Christmas, in the flesh. It's been packaged up with 10
    regular stories too, so there's plenty here to keep us entertained.
    and it should make the perfect last-minute stocking-filler for
    your little 'uns...

                                                               More: Peppa Pig

  

    Fluffy Christmas   (19.12.07)

    Now here's a cuddly Christmas present for fans of Fluffy Gardens.
    There's a half-hour Christmas Special on the way!

    

    This extended festive special takes place three days before
    Christmas and stars Paolo the Cat. Paolo's on his way to the
    Post Office to post his Christmas cards. But when he gets there
    the place is closed. And so are all the other shops and businesses
    in Fluffy Gardens. With disaster looming, our clever friend Paolo
    must use his head and come up with an ingenious plan to save
    the big day for all his fluffy friends...

    "Fluffy Gardens" is just the most precise and perfect tv show.
    So a 30minute special is a real Christmas treat. Only... it's being
    broadcast on RTE2 in Ireland, and not here on the great British
    mainland. So get on the phone to your Irish pals at once, and get
    them to set their videos for RTE2, at 8:30am on Christmas Day.
    And then you can get our your pen and paper and get writing
    to Santa Claus at once:

   "Dear Santa, please could you get a UK broadcaster to
    put on the Fluffy Gardens Christmas Special, here in the
    UK. At once. Immediately. Or as soon as possible..."

                              More: Fluffy Gardens  Jason Tammemagi
     
  

    Singalongashaun  (09.12.07)

    Actually, if we're getting technical, we're singing with comedian and
    entertainer turned presenter Vic Reeves. You see, he's the one singing
    that ridiculously catchy theme song to Aardman's "Shaun the Sheep"
    tv series. And it's so catchy, it's just been released as a Christmas
    single for our aural entertainment, with a fine chance of snatching
    the coveted number one slot over the festive period.

    

    Yes, it's too darned catchy for its own good. Yes, you're probably
    sick to death of it already. But you know, it sure would beat (or, bleat?)
    another dull and predicatble X-Factor-Idol-Star chart-topper.

    By the way, fans of the series may also want to get their paws on
    the latest DVD release, which features both of Shaun's DVD releases
    in one handy box set - it's on my crimbo list, for sure...

                                                              More: Shaun the Sheep

 
 
   200 at last!  (12.11.07)

    This time last year, The Hound was celebrating the imminent arrival of
    a very jolly milestone. He was closing in rapidly on the big 200. That is
    to say, the 200th animated series to have entered the TvToons index.
    He had his streamers and party poppers at the ready... The cake was
    in the oven...

    And then, fate intervened. 2007 has been a ridiculously busy year.
    I've been pulled everywhichway, offline and on, and the amount of new
    additions to the various indexes have slowed to a mere trickle of late...

    But finally, twelve months later than planned. We've done it. We've hit
    that double century, courtesy of Roger Hargreaves and those fantastic
    Little Miss, who joined the site this week. And it's rather apt because,
    Mr Hargreaves was a masive influence on this dawg's formative years.
    His Mr Men books were my first love when I was five, and their
    elegant simplicity encouraged me to pick up a pen for myself and
    get drawing... Why, those are just felt pen drawings.. I could do
    what he did... Easy-peasy...

    But of course, that's the beauty of the Mr Men. They are, in fact,
    defiantly sophisticated. Oh for sure, my young hand could draw a
    big wobbly shape, colour it purple and call it "Mr Greedy". But
    Mr Hargreaves' original had such splendid control to it. A perfect
    smile... dinky little fingers on the tummy... I spent a whole Summer
    drawing Mr Men over and over, but they were never as good as
    those originals.... and maybe I'm not alone, given the furore that's
    been building over "The Mr Men Show"!

    Anyways, let's not get mired in that debate. Instead, let's celebrate
    that 200th addition to the index. Of course, there are still plenty of
    missing shows - Roger Hargreaves' "Timbuctoo" amongst them -
    but you can bet the index will keep growing, slowly but surely.
    As long as they keep makin' them, Toonhound will keep on
    indexing...
    
    Till next time!

              thehound@toonhound.com

 
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