Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted November 18, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted November 18, 2011 Animator Mark Hall, co-founder of Cosgrove Hall, responsible for Chorlton and the Wheelies, Danger Mouse and The Wind in the Willows, has died of cancer at the age of 74. He died in the early hours of Friday at his home in Manchester surrounded by his family, his company Cosgrove Hall Fitzpatrick Entertainment said.  Operations director Adrian Wilkins hailed "a lifetime of achievement" in the world of animation.  "He is one of life's gentlemen."  Hall, together with Brian Cosgrove, set up production company Stop Frame in the late 1960s before forming Cosgrave Hall Films.  They enjoyed international success with their productions which also included Danger Mouse spin-off Count Duckula, Jamie and the Magic Torch and Cockleshell Bay.  Danger Mouse - voiced by Only Fools and Horses actor David Jason - was joined in his quest to defeat the evil Baron Greenback by bumbling sidekick Penfold, voiced by Terry and June star Terry Scott.  In 2006, the 25th anniversary year of Danger Mouse, Hall told the BBC that the programme had succeeded because of the strange scenarios the pair found themselves in.  "The adults watched because of that kind of anarchy," he said.  "The kids watched it because they just loved the stories and the absolutely stupid gags."  He praised Jason's "fantastic" voicing of Danger Mouse as well as Scott's "wonderful" Penfold.  He said that Danger Mouse, who lived inside a postbox in London's Baker Street, was "a sort of cross between Bond and all sorts of things".  The show, produced by Cosgrove Hall for Thames TV, attracted an average audience of 3.5 million when it was first shown in the UK on ITV.  It has since been seen in more than 80 countries.  Cosgrave Hall went out of business two years ago but both Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall came out of retirement this year to form Cosgrove Hall Fitzpatrick Entertainment (CHF) with Francis Fitzpatrick, creator of children's TV hit Jakers!  The company has created a new character Pip! which it says could create at least 75 jobs in the Manchester area when production gets under way.  They have also created new series The HeroGliffix, a set of "so-called super heroes" who have "paws with flaws that get in the way of their superpowers in the most inconvenient and comical ways".  CHF's Adrian Wilkins said: "Mark was instrumental in designing the two new TV shows which we're taking to market now which are, if you like, his legacy.  "And he actually saw the Cosgrove Hall name resurrected which was the nicest tribute we could give to him."  Mr Wilkins added: "One of our fellow directors summed it up the other day and said, when the history of animation is written you'll have the likes of Walt Disney up there, [bob the Builder] Keith Chapman etc.  "But Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall are going to be in the lifetime hall of fame for their contribution to the animation industry."  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-15792282  I'm sure there are many other people on here for whom Cosgrove-Hall shows formed a huge part of their childhood. I was a massive Danger Mouse fan as a kid and my first ever school bag was a Danger Mouse one!  Their list of productions is an amazing one:-  The Likeaballs (2006) 100% People (2004) Albie Alias the Jester (1986) Andy Pandy (recent CBeebies remake - 2002) The Animal Shelf (1997 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members chokeout Posted November 18, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted November 18, 2011 Saw this on Twitter this morning. A very British talent. Used to love the Cosgrove Hall Museum that was on the Albert Docks, it had the sets from Wind in The Willows and a lifesize Nanny from Count Duckula Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thunder Lips Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 RIP! what a great contribution to kids TV this man made! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIDDUM_N_STYLE Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 RIP, created two of my favourite cartoons when i was a kid in DM and Duckula Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Thunderplex Posted November 18, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted November 18, 2011 Bummed about this. Really great bloke. My mates brother worked for them in the early 80's (He drew the backgrounds for Duckula), and they came to do a talk at our school. They were both pleasent as could be and spent loads of time answering questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patiirc Posted November 18, 2011 Share Posted November 18, 2011 Just seen this on the local news  Never realised A) he was so old, and B) Cosgrove-Hall had shut, been amalgamated   RIP  Chorlton and the Wheelies and Jamie and the Magic Torch were class. Ive never been too keen on Danger Mouse if Im honest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Devon Malcolm Posted November 18, 2011 Author Paid Members Share Posted November 18, 2011 Chorlton And The Wheelies was my persona favourite as a kid, I have to say, but they have been responsible for some excellent recent stuff as well and their style has been much imitated and influential on a lot of stuff you see on kids TV these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Thunderplex Posted November 19, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted November 19, 2011 Chorlton And The Wheelies was my persona favourite as a kid, I have to say, but they have been responsible for some excellent recent stuff as well and their style has been much imitated and influential on a lot of stuff you see on kids TV these days. Â I can proudly say that I know all the words to the theme song, and sing it at the most inoppertune moments possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiamTheGreat Posted November 19, 2011 Share Posted November 19, 2011 Crumbs! Seriously getted. I loved Danger Mouse as a child and watched it religiously (even though citv would put ad breaks in it) and it's one of the few kids show that still stand up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.