Brian Trueman is a British writer and broadcaster known mainly for his work with the animation studio Cosgrove Hall. He wrote and/or narrated many fondly remembered children's cartoon series, mostly during the 1970s and 1980s, including:-

• Chorlton and the Wheelies
  Chorlton and the Wheelies
  Chorlton and the Wheelies was an animated children's television series that ran from September 1976 until June 1979 on British Television Channel...
  
  
• Jamie and the Magic Torch
  Jamie and the Magic Torch
  Jamie and the Magic Torch was a British children's animated television series, made by Cosgrove Hall for Thames Television and shown on the ITV network, running from 1976 to 1979. It was shown again in the 1980s to a new audience of children...
  
  
• Cockleshell Bay
  Cockleshell Bay
  Cockleshell Bay is a children's television series which was shown at lunchtime on ITV during the early 1980s. It was made by Cosgrove Hall for their parent company, the ITV broadcaster Thames Television...
  
  
• The Wind in the Willows
  The Wind in the Willows (TV series)
  The Wind in the Willows is a 52-episode TV series that was originally broadcast between 1984 and 1987, based on characters from Kenneth Grahame's classic story The Wind in the Willows and following the 1983 film The Wind in the Willows. It was made by animation company Cosgrove Hall for Thames...
  
  
• The Treacle People
  The Treacle People
  The Treacle People was a children's television programme shown on CITV in the United Kingdom, from 3 May 1996 to 25 July 1997. It only had two series, each with 13 episodes. The programme was short lived due to a lack of viewers. In a similar vein to other shows by the same writer, the humour...
  
  
• Alias the Jester
  Alias the Jester
  Alias the Jester is an animated series created by Cosgrove Hall Films, airing in 13 episodes on ITV starting on November 13, 1985. The show also aired during the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's after school timeslot and is considered one of the Classic ABC shows.-Synopsis:The show follows...
  
  
• DangerMouse
  DangerMouse
  Danger Mouse is a British animated television series which was produced by Cosgrove Hall Films for Thames Television. It features the eponymous Danger Mouse, an English mouse who works as a superhero/secret agent. The show is a loose parody of British spy fiction, particularly James Bond and the...
  
  
• The Reluctant Dragon
  The Reluctant Dragon
  The Reluctant Dragon is an 1898 children's story by Kenneth Grahame , which served as the key element to the 1941 feature film with the same name from Walt Disney Productions. The story has also been set to music as a children's operetta by John Rutter, with words by David Grant...
  
  
• Count Duckula
  Count Duckula
  Count Duckula is a British animated television series created by British studio Cosgrove Hall, and a spin-off from DangerMouse, a show in which the Count Duckula character was a recurring villain. The series first aired on September 6, 1988 and was produced by Thames Television for 3 seasons and...
  
  
• Victor and Hugo
  Victor and Hugo
  Victor and Hugo, Bunglers in Crime is an animated series made by Cosgrove Hall for Thames Television and screened on CITV from 6 September 1991 to 29 December 1992 and is a spin off from Count Duckula....
  
  
• Truckers
  Truckers (TV series)
  Truckers is a stop motion animated series, an adaptation the first book of Terry Pratchett's The Nome Trilogy, produced in the United Kingdom by Cosgrove Hall for TV, then released on VHS, though edited together into a feature-length film...
  
  
• Budgie the Little Helicopter
  Budgie the Little Helicopter
  Budgie the Little Helicopter is a series of children's books and animated television series relating to a fictional character 'Budgie' and his friends. The characters were based on the books by Sarah, Duchess of York , who was influenced by her flight training in the Royal Navy...
  
  
• Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends

These cartoons were originally shown on ITV

ITV

ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...

, in its CITV

CITV

CITV is a British television channel from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive, as well as commissions and acquisitions. CITV itself is the programming block on the main ITV Network .The CITV channel broadcasts from 06:00 to 18:00...

 programming slot. However, Brian also briefly presented the BBC

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

's children's film quiz Screen Test

Screen Test

Screen Test was a UK children's quiz show about films, broadcast from 18 November 1970 to 20 December 1984 on BBC1. It was first hosted by Michael Rodd, who was succeeded by Brian Trueman and Mark Curry.-Background:...

, taking over from original host Michael Rodd

Michael Rodd

Michael Rodd is a British television presenter and businessman.-Education:Rodd was educated at the independent school Trinity College, Glenalmond near Perth in Scotland, and at Newcastle University.-Life and career:Rodd became a familiar face to millions of television viewers in Britain as a...

 between 1979 and 1983. Prior to taking up a writing career Brian worked for many years on local programming in the North West

North West England

North West England, informally known as The North West, is one of the nine official regions of England.North West England had a 2006 estimated population of 6,853,201 the third most populated region after London and the South East...

, from It's Trueman to Granada Reports

Granada Reports

Granada Reports is the flagship regional news programme of ITV franchisee Granada, presented by Tony Morris and Lucy Meacock, and serving the North West of England and the Isle of Man....

. He also had a stint hosting Granada

Granada Television

Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....

's film review show, Cinema, taking over from Michael Parkinson

Michael Parkinson

Sir Michael Parkinson, CBE is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007.- Early life :...

.

In 1951, in his youth, he appeared on stage for the Urmston

Urmston

Urmston is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England, with a population of around 41,000. Historically a part of Lancashire, it lies about six miles to the southwest of Manchester city centre. The southern boundary is marked by the River Mersey and the...

 Amateur Operatic Society (now the Urmston Musical Theatre

Urmston Musical Theatre

Urmston Musical Theatre is an amateur theatre company based in Urmston, Greater Manchester, UK.-History:The organisation was formed in 1911 as the Urmston and District Operatic Society, and produced H.M.S. Pinafore at the Urmston Public Hall...

) in a production of Merrie England

Merrie England (opera)

Merrie England is an English comic opera in two acts by Edward German to a libretto by Basil Hood. The patriotic story concerns love and rivalries at the court of Queen Elizabeth I, who is portrayed as jealous of the affection of Sir Walter Raleigh for Bessie Throckmorton. Its sunny depiction of...

, playing the role of Big Ben.

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