Mike Young (producer)
Encyclopedia
Michael "Mike" Young is a Welsh
born, US domiciled
, Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning animation producer, he is founder of two animation companies in both UK and US. Young is the current COO
of MoonScoop.
, but while working as an advertising
copywriter he met partner Liz Young. After the pair married
in the 1970s, his step son Richard Finn (now head of post-production at MYP), was having trouble falling asleep. Young invented stories about a teddy bear
, which became SuperTed
. Finn went to school to tell his friends the wonderful stories, which resulted in the SuperTed books, co-produced with TV Producer Young.
In 1981, Mike Young along with his wife Liz Young, animator Dave Edwards and producer Robin Lyons, founded Siriol Productions
when the three men approached the newly formed Welsh TV channel S4C
and secured a commission to produce an animated series of Superted
. Due to the success of the initial series, it was re-dubbed in English and a special edition for the Welsh Office
which instructed children on the "dos" and "don'ts" of road safety. The series sold well in the UK, along with the larger developed series of Fantastic Max
, The Further Adventures of SuperTed
and Little Dracula
.
Young found it difficult to sell his series to Hollywood executives without a local presence there so in 1989 the family moved to Los Angeles
, selling their right to Super Ted and shares owned in Siriol Animation to finance the move and to set up Mike Young Productions
. His first production was P. J. Sparkles
before moving one to were Little Dracula, Potsworth & Co. and Hot Rod Dogs and Cool Car Cats (co-produced with the Dave Edwards Studio),
His company has also now created a series of caricatures at Cardiff City Stadium.
, and runs a junior soccer league in California
. Young was awarded the Chancellor's Medal at the 2007 graduation ceremony of the University of Glamorgan
.
In partnership with Siriol Animation
He left UK to work in partnership with other companies
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
born, US domiciled
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning animation producer, he is founder of two animation companies in both UK and US. Young is the current COO
Chief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
of MoonScoop.
Biography
Young trained as a television producerTelevision producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
, but while working as an advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
copywriter he met partner Liz Young. After the pair married
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
in the 1970s, his step son Richard Finn (now head of post-production at MYP), was having trouble falling asleep. Young invented stories about a teddy bear
Teddy bear
The teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
, which became SuperTed
SuperTed
SuperTed is a Welsh teddy bear who has magical super powers. He along with his friend Spotty try to do good. SuperTed was a series of stories created by Mike Young who eventually created a television series based on those stories.-Creation:...
. Finn went to school to tell his friends the wonderful stories, which resulted in the SuperTed books, co-produced with TV Producer Young.
In 1981, Mike Young along with his wife Liz Young, animator Dave Edwards and producer Robin Lyons, founded Siriol Productions
Siriol Productions
Calon is a Welsh animation Television production based in Cardiff, who primarily produce animation series in Welsh for S4C. The company was formerly known as Siriol Productions.- History :...
when the three men approached the newly formed Welsh TV channel S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
and secured a commission to produce an animated series of Superted
SuperTed
SuperTed is a Welsh teddy bear who has magical super powers. He along with his friend Spotty try to do good. SuperTed was a series of stories created by Mike Young who eventually created a television series based on those stories.-Creation:...
. Due to the success of the initial series, it was re-dubbed in English and a special edition for the Welsh Office
Welsh Office
The Welsh Office was a department in the Government of the United Kingdom with responsibilities for Wales. It was established in April 1965 to execute government policy in Wales, and was headed by the Secretary of State for Wales, a post which had been created in October 1964...
which instructed children on the "dos" and "don'ts" of road safety. The series sold well in the UK, along with the larger developed series of Fantastic Max
Fantastic Max
Fantastic Max is an animated cartoon series created by Kalisto Ltd. and Hanna-Barbera Productions and in association with S4C. It centres on a diaper-wearing toddler with a mohawk named Max , who has adventures in outer space with two of his toys: FX, a pull string alien doll from a planet called...
, The Further Adventures of SuperTed
The Further Adventures of Superted
The Further Adventures of SuperTed is an American/Welsh animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera and Siriol Animation in association with S4C, and continues the adventures of SuperTed...
and Little Dracula
Little Dracula
Little Dracula is a British series of children's books and an American animated television series that originally aired on FOX. Little Dracula revolves around a green-skinned, child vampire who aspires to be like his father, Big Dracula, yet also enjoys rock 'n roll and surfing...
.
Young found it difficult to sell his series to Hollywood executives without a local presence there so in 1989 the family moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, selling their right to Super Ted and shares owned in Siriol Animation to finance the move and to set up Mike Young Productions
Mike Young Productions
Mike Young Productions LLC is an animation studio that produces children's TV series. It is named after co-founder and partner Mike Young, and is part of the Moonscoop Group...
. His first production was P. J. Sparkles
P. J. Sparkles
P. J. Sparkles is a 1992 animated television Produced by Mike Young Productions. The special was more-or-less an advertising vehicle for a Mattel doll, just like He man. Jodi Benson, best known for voicing Ariel in Disney's The Little Mermaid franchise, voiced the title...
before moving one to were Little Dracula, Potsworth & Co. and Hot Rod Dogs and Cool Car Cats (co-produced with the Dave Edwards Studio),
His company has also now created a series of caricatures at Cardiff City Stadium.
Personal life
Young is married to partner, president and the other co-founder of Mike Young Productions, Liz Young. A football fanatic, he is a lifelong supporter of Cardiff City F.C.Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
, and runs a junior soccer league in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Young was awarded the Chancellor's Medal at the 2007 graduation ceremony of the University of Glamorgan
University of Glamorgan
The University of Glamorgan is a university based in Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales with campuses in Treforest, Glyntaff, Merthyr Tydfil, Tyn y Wern and Cardiff...
.
Filmography
Mike young has worked on the following series:In partnership with Siriol Animation
- SuperTedSuperTedSuperTed is a Welsh teddy bear who has magical super powers. He along with his friend Spotty try to do good. SuperTed was a series of stories created by Mike Young who eventually created a television series based on those stories.-Creation:...
(1982–1986, TV), - Wil Cwac CwacWil Cwac CwacWil Cwac Cwac or Will Quack Quack is a Welsh-language cartoon based on a series of children's books written in the 1920s by Jennie Thomas and J. O. Williams . The cartoon series ran from 1984 to 1986. Both book and cartoon series take place in rural Wales...
(1984) - A Winter Story (1986, TV)
- The Easter Egg (1987, TV)
- Turkey Love (1988, TV)
- The Further Adventures of Super Ted (with Hanna-BarberaHanna-BarberaHanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
) 1989 - The Little Engine That Could (with S4CS4CS4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
and Universal StudiosUniversal StudiosUniversal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
) - Gerald of Wales
- Fantastic MaxFantastic MaxFantastic Max is an animated cartoon series created by Kalisto Ltd. and Hanna-Barbera Productions and in association with S4C. It centres on a diaper-wearing toddler with a mohawk named Max , who has adventures in outer space with two of his toys: FX, a pull string alien doll from a planet called...
(with Hanna-BarberaHanna-BarberaHanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
)
He left UK to work in partnership with other companies
- Little DraculaLittle DraculaLittle Dracula is a British series of children's books and an American animated television series that originally aired on FOX. Little Dracula revolves around a green-skinned, child vampire who aspires to be like his father, Big Dracula, yet also enjoys rock 'n roll and surfing...
(with Fox KidsFox KidsFox Kids was the Fox Broadcasting Company's American children's programming division and brand name from September 8, 1990 until September 7, 2002. It was owned by Fox Television Entertainment airing programming on Monday–Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings.Depending on the show, the...
) - Potsworth & Co. (AKA: Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone) (with Hanna-BarberaHanna-BarberaHanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
, BBCBBCThe 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...
and Sleepy Kids Company Ltd) - Salty's LighthouseSalty's LighthouseSalty's Lighthouse was a series for young children, produced by Sunbow Entertainment in 1997 in association with the Bank Street College of Education in New York. The show centred around a young boy named Salty, as he plays and learns with his friends in a magical lighthouse...
(with TLCTLC (TV channel)TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...
)
- Once Upon a ForestOnce Upon a ForestOnce Upon a Forest is an animated film produced by Hanna-Barbera in association with HTV Cymru/Wales, Ltd. and released on June 18, 1993 by 20th Century Fox....
(Film, 1993)