"The wind in the willows sang softly to me,
     Follow my voice where ever it leads..."
 

    Mole, Ratty, Badger and the indefatigable Toad, step out of the pages of Kenneth
    Grahame's classic volume and lead us into a sepia-tinged series of stories set
    around the riverbank, at Mole End, Toad Hall and the Wild Wood. Cosgrove Hall's
    models and naturalistic sets are exquisite, the storytelling perfect, and the gentle,
    melancholic tone spot on. The viewing experience is as pleasurable as dipping your
    toes in the river on a golden Summer afternoon...

    The series was launched on the back of Cosgrove Hall's film special, The Wind In
    the Willows, an adaptation of the original Grahame story concerning Toad's exploits
    abroad on the road, a spell in prison and the reclamation of Toad Hall. The series
    continues where that volume left off, and you can barely see the join, such is the
    skill of the film makers. Even the Court House is revisited (see: "Buried Treasure")
    wherein the animals stand before the human Magistrate. And on occasion we're
    taken further still, all the way to a nighttime dock indeed, where great ships
    depart for sea-bound adventures (see: "Wayfarers All").

    The craftsmanship on show here is extraordinary. From mole's over-tight cardigan,
    to Ratty's scuffed-up shoes, to the miniature artworks adorning Badger's home,
    the models, sets and props are Lilliputian delight, the animation beautifully
    observed.

    Four series were filmed between 1984 and 1987, before Cosgrove Hall embarked
    on a second film special A Tale of Two Toads. A fifth series followed in 1990, only
    now there was a title change to Oh! Mr Toad and the emphasis was shifted to
    stories dealing with the colourful and preposterous poop-pooper Toad of
    Toad Hall....

 

    See also

    The Wind in the Willows (feature)
    A Tale of Two Toads (feature)
    Oh! Mr Toad! (series)

 

  

     Toad, Ratty and Mole on DVD


     

     Devoted UK fans need look no further than this very attractive complete
     box set, featuring all four seasons and both films:

     Wind in the Willows: The Complete Collection
     Region 2 / eleven discs / Fremantle / October 2008

     Or you might want to pick a single series:

     Wind in the Willows: The Complete First Series
     Region 2 / 2 discs / Fremantle / March 2007

     Wind in the Willows: The Complete Series Two
     Region 2 / 2 discs / Fremantle / June 2007

     Then there's this alternative box set, which cherry picks
     some of the best seasonal episodes:

     Wind in the Willows: The Four Seasons
     Region 2 / 4 disc compilation / Fremantle / May 2006

     And finally, the four discs in that above set are also available as
     individual releases:

     Wind in the Willows - Spring
     Wind in the Willows - Summer
     Wind in the Willows - Autumn
     Wind in the Willows - Winter

     
    
     
     The situation in America is far simpler, with just two sets
     to consider:

     Wind in the Willows: The Complete First Series
     Region 1 / 2 discs / A&E Home Video / March 2005

     Wind in the Willows : The Complete Second Series
     Region 1 / 2 discs / 1A&E Home Video / July 2005

 

      based upon characters created by Kenneth Grahame

      producers:           Brian Cosgrove, Mark Hall
      exec prod:           John Hambley
      directors:             Jackie Cockle, Barry Purves, Chris Taylor
      writers:                 Rosemary Anne Sisson, Brian Trueman                             
      music:                  Keith Hopwood, Malcolm Rowe
                              arranged by Brian Ibbetson
                              'Wind in the Willows' sung by Ralph McTell
      animators:         Barry Purves, Sue Pugh
     model characs
      design & sculpt:  Brian Cosgrove, Bridget Appleby, David Hayes   
     model characs
       construction:     Peter Saunders, Neal Scanlan,
                              Rebecca Hunt, Bridget Smith
     models, sets
      and props:          Terry Brown, Chris Walker, Yvonne Fox,
                              John Squire, Francis Vose, Jo Pierpoint-White
     costume des:     Nigel Cornford
     illustration:        Beverly Bush
     stills photo:        Richard Smiles
     model cam:       Joe Dembinski, Jerry Andrews
     rostrum:            Frank Hardie
     dubbing mix:     Ted Spooner
     film editors:       John McManus, Ellis Ward
     asst editors:      Nibs Senior, Zygmunt Markiewicz,
                             Jane Hicks
     voices:              Ian Carmichael (Narrator)
                             Richard Pearson (Mole)
                             Peter Sallis (Ratty)
                             Sir Michael Hordern (Badger)
                             David Jason (Toad)
                             Daphne Oxenford (other voices)

 

      On the web


      Pluto Music
      Info here on the sound studio owned and operated by Keith Hopwood
      and Malcolm Rowe, who wrote the songs and music for the series...