The Animals of Farthing Wood is an animated series created by the
European Broadcasting UnionThe European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 74 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 49 associate broadcasters from a further 25...
between 1992 and 1995 and based on the
series of booksThe Animals of Farthing Wood is a series of eight books written by British author Colin Dann. The books tell the story of a group of woodland animals whose home has been paved over by developers. They learn of a nature reserve, White Deer Park, where they will be safe, and undertake to make the...
written by
Colin DannColin Dann is an English author. He is best known for his The Animals of Farthing Wood series of books, which was subsequently made into an animated series....
. It was produced by Telemagination, based in London, and
La Fabrique, based in Montpellier in France, but also aired in other European countries. The first countries to air the series were Germany and the United Kingdom, in January 1993.
Synopsis
The television series followed the basic plots of the series of books, although certain elements were changed. It followed the animals of Farthing Wood, who were forced to flee their homes after humans started destroying the wood in order to build houses. Led by
FoxFox is a fictional character from the animated children's television series The Animals of Farthing Wood based upon the books of the same name by author Colin Dann....
, and guided by
ToadToad is a fictional character from the animated children's television series The Animals of Farthing Wood based upon the books of the same name by author Colin Dann....
, the animals left Farthing Wood on a journey to White Deer Park, a nature reserve where they would be protected.
Unlike other children's series and films,
The Animals of Farthing Wood did not feature much
comedicComedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
content but rather relied on its strong storyline and plot, and multiple main characters are killed or die during the journey. The series contains mild gore in some episodes, like the 1978 film
Watership DownWatership Down is a classic heroic fantasy novel, written by English author Richard Adams, about a small group of rabbits. Although the animals in the story live in their natural environment, they are anthropomorphised, possessing their own culture, language , proverbs, poetry, and mythology...
.
Series 1 chronicled the journey to White Deer Park, Series 2 took place in White Deer Park and chronicled the feud between the Farthing Wood animals and the hostile blue foxes, the third, and final, series chronicled the invasion of the rats into White Deer Park and the animals' attempts to fight them off.
The episodes were made in both the UK and France. Because of this, in Series 1 the motorway's carriageways have traffic driving on the right hand carriageway of the motorway. However, they are briefly seen in Series 3 driving on the left hand side.
Series
Three series of the show were produced, each based on one or more of the Farthing Wood books.
- Series 1 (1992–1993)
- The Animals of Farthing Wood
- Series 2 (1994)
- In the Grip of Winter
In the Grip of Winter is the second book of The Animals of Farthing Wood series. It was first published in 1981, and later republished as part one of the first "Omnibus".-Plot summary:...
- Fox's Feud
Fox's Feud is the third book of The Animals of Farthing Wood series. It was first published in 1982 and has since been included in a single book with both The Fox Cub Bold and In the Grip of Winter and in the "Omnibus" edition .-Summary:...
- The Fox Cub Bold
The Fox Cub Bold is the fourth book of The Animals of Farthing Wood series. It was first published in 1983 and has since been included in a single book with Fox's Feud and in the "Omnibus" edition with Fox's Feud and In the Grip of Winter.-Plot summary:Following the defeat of Scarface, Fox's son...
- Series 3 (1995)
- In the Path of the Storm
In the Path of the Storm is the sixth book of The Animals of Farthing Wood series. It was first published in 1989 and has since been included in a single book with The Siege of White Deer Park and Battle for the Park in the "Second Omnibus" edition .-Plot summary:The death of the Great Stag, leader...
- Battle for the Park
Battle for the Park is the seventh book of The Animals of Farthing Wood series. It was first published in 1992 and has since been included with The Siege of White Deer Park and In the Path of the Storm in the "Second Omnibus" edition .-Plot summary:The inhabitants of White Deer Park face a new...
The first two series were seen by fans as among the best animated shows on TV at the time due to its complex and intriguing plot, solid script and generally consistent animation, along with being likened for its darker and more dramatic themes for a children's show. However, the third series was seen as a disappointment. Fans claimed this was due its inferior story and script as opposed to the first two series', but the change in animation also did not help.. The change in animation style was also an attempt for the series to fit in with the 'cartoonish' appeal of other children's shows that were being aired at the time. In Series 3, the animals appear to take on more human movements, like folding their arms, or wings (though this occurred to a minor extent in the first series).
Cast
- Jeremy Barrett: Mr Rabbit, Mole
Mole is a fictional character from the animated children's television series The Animals of Farthing Wood, based upon the books of the same name by author Colin Dann.-Character:...
, Mr Shrew, Hollow, Mossy, MeasleyMeasley is a fictional character from the animated children's television series The Animals of Farthing Wood based upon the books of the same name by author Colin Dann. He is a male weasel, who becomes the mate of Weasel...
and others.
- Rupert Farley
Rupert Farley is an actor from the UK. He has had various bit roles in Movies such as From Hell and Mrs. Brown. He is probably best known for his voice acting work, which includes voice over work for TV advertisements and animation. His name is well known amongst the fans of "The Animals of...
: FoxFox is a fictional character from the animated children's television series The Animals of Farthing Wood based upon the books of the same name by author Colin Dann....
, Hare, Mr Pheasant, Friendly, Bold, Plucky, Trey and others.
- Jon Glover
Jon Glover is a British actor. He has appeared in various television programmes including Play School, Survivors, the Management consultant in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Casualty, Bodger and Badger and Peak Practice....
:Scarface, Ranger, The Warden and others.
- Sally Grace
Sally Grace is a British actress who has worked extensively in radio and animation.She was a long-standing member of the team on Week Ending, the long-running BBC Radio 4 topical satirical sketch show, where she was the voice of Margaret Thatcher from 1983 onwards, and her work with Ken Bruce on...
: OwlTawny Owl is a fictional character in The Animals of Farthing Wood and its many sequels, written by Colin Dann. Tawny Owl also appeared in the animated children's television series of the same name based upon the books...
, WeaselWeasel is a fictional character from the animated children's television series The Animals of Farthing Wood based upon the books of the same name by author Colin Dann. She is, as her name suggests, a Weasel.-In the TV Series:...
and others.
- Stacy Jefferson
Stacy Jefferson is an actress who was the voice of Vixen and Adder in the acclaimed TV series The Animals of Farthing Wood. She was also the voice of Rosa in the Japanese cartoon Makyu Senjo and provided voices for the Moomintroll TV series....
: VixenVixen is a fictional character from the animated children's television series The Animals of Farthing Wood based upon the books of the same name by author Colin Dann.-Introduction:Vixen is the mate of Fox and is voiced by Stacy Jefferson....
, AdderAdder is a fictional character from the novel series The Animals of Farthing Wood, written by Colin Dann. He appeared in all of the sequels in the series. Adder also made appearances in the animated children's television series The Animals of Farthing Wood based upon the books. Adder is, as her...
, CharmerCharmer is a resident of White Deer Park and the daughter of Fox and Vixen.Charmer is a very attractive young vixen. She had a sister, Dreamer, who was killed at a young age by Scarface, an enemy of the family, and two brothers, Friendly and Bold....
, Mrs Hare, Mrs Rabbit and others.
- Pamela Keevilkral
Pamela Keevilkral is a British actress who did voice work for the animated series The Animals of Farthing Wood.She also played Debbie in the comedy TV film Incident on The Line. She was also the narrator for The Essential Lover's Guide...
: Dash, Cleo, Fido, Speedy, Whisper, Mrs Squirrel, Mrs Hedgehog and others.
- Ron Moody
Ron Moody is an English actor.- Personal life :Moody was born in Tottenham, North London, England, the son of Kate and Bernard Moodnick, a studio executive. His father was of Russian Jewish descent and his mother was a Lithuanian Jew. He is a cousin of director Laurence Moody and actress Clare...
: BadgerBadger is a fictional character from the animated children's television series The Animals of Farthing Wood, based upon the books of the same name by author Colin Dann....
, ToadToad is a fictional character from the animated children's television series The Animals of Farthing Wood based upon the books of the same name by author Colin Dann....
, WhistlerWhistler is a fictional character from the animated children's television series The Animals of Farthing Wood based upon the books of the same name by author Colin Dann. In the TV series he was voiced by Ron Moody but in the audio tapes he was voiced by Peter Woodthorpe. His name comes from the...
, Bully, Spike, Rollo, Mr Hedgehog, Mr Vole, Mr Mouse, Great White Stag and others.
- Maria Warburg: Whisper (Audio Book Only)
Fox, the leader of the Animals of Farthing Wood, was voiced by
Rupert FarleyRupert Farley is an actor from the UK. He has had various bit roles in Movies such as From Hell and Mrs. Brown. He is probably best known for his voice acting work, which includes voice over work for TV advertisements and animation. His name is well known amongst the fans of "The Animals of...
in the
UKThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
version but in the
U.S.The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
version he was played by
Ralph MacchioRalph George Macchio is an American actor, best known for his roles as Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid series, Bill Gambini in My Cousin Vinny, and Johnny Cade in The Outsiders. He is also known to American television audiences for his season five recurring role as Jeremy Andretti on the...
.
In
FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
,
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
,
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
the cast included the following:
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Character
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German
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Italian
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French
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Swedish
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Norwegian>
| Fox |
Stephan Schwartz |
Michele Gammino |
Bernard Tiphaine -Filmography:*Spin City *Futurama *NYPD Blue *The Inside *Friends *Prison Break *Frasier...
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Totte Wallin |
Hallvard Lydvo |
| Vixen |
Uschi Wolff |
Pinella Dragani |
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| Badger |
Franz-Josef Steffens |
Bruno Alessandro |
Marc de Georgi |
Svante Thuresson Svante Thuresson is a Swedish jazz music musician and singer. He started his career as a drummer, before joining the band Gals and Pals in 1963...
|
Harald Mæle Harald Mæle is a Norwegian television presenter and voice actor. He made a name in the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, where he gave the Norwegian voice to the US sitcom Soap , and presented the popular science show Magnus. He has later worked as a voice actor on numerous animated films, such...
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| Mole |
Ulli Philipp |
Fabrizio Vidale |
Serge Lhorca |
Michael B Tretow |
Åsleik Engmark Åsleik Engmark is a Norwegian comedian, actor and director, living in Nesodden outside Oslo.Engmark was one of the co-founders of the Norwegian cabaret group Lompelandslaget in 1987...
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| Owl |
Tilly Lauenstein |
Alina Moradei |
Maaïké Jansen |
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| Weasel |
Marion Martinzen |
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Laurence Badie |
Meta Roos |
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| Whistler |
Donald Arthur |
Fabrizio Manfredi |
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| Toad |
Manfred Lehmann |
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Raoul Delfosse |
Bo Maniette |
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| Adder |
Karin Kernke |
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Évelyne Grandjean |
Christel Körner |
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| Kestrel |
Andrea Wildner |
Rossella Acerbo/Federica De Bortoli |
Mireille Audibert |
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| Mr. Hare |
Horst Sachtleben Horst Sachtleben is a German television actor and director.After studying theory of drama, Germanic philology and history of art in Berlin he concentrated on his acting career. He had various engagements at the Hebbel-Theater in Berlin, Schauspielhaus in Zürich, Bayerischen Staatsschauspiel in...
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| Mr. Vole |
Walter von Hauff Walter von Hauff is a German actor and voice actor.-Television animation:*Buzz Lightyear of Star Command *Family Guy *Hey Arnold! *One Piece...
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| Mr. Shrew |
Walter von Hauff |
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| Mr. Fieldmouse |
Walter von Hauff |
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| Mrs. Fieldmouse |
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Isa Di Marzio |
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| Mr. Hedgehog |
Martin Semmelrogge Martin Semmelrogge is a German actor, best known for his role as the comical 2WO in the film Das Boot...
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Vittorio Stagni |
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| Mr. Rabbit |
Michael Habeck |
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| Baby Rabbit |
Sabine Bohlmann Sabine Bohlmann is a German actress and dub voice actor, perhaps most famous as the German voice of Lisa and Maggie Simpson on The Simpsons....
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| Mr. Pheasant |
Thomas Reiner |
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| Mrs. Pheasant |
Andrea Wildner |
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| Mr. Squirrel |
Walter von Hauff |
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| Mrs. Squirrel |
Monika John |
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| Mr. Newt |
Oliver Stritzel Oliver Stritzel is a German voice actor from Berlin.-Acting Roles:*Das Boot *Der Untergang -Television animation:*Hellsing -Theater animation:...
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| Mrs. Newt |
Karin Kernke |
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| Baby Newt |
Sabine Bohlmann |
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| Scarface |
Benno Hoffmann |
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| Lady Blue |
Elisabeth Endriss |
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| Ranger |
Oliver Stritzel |
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| Bounder |
Oliver Stritzel |
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| Bully |
Otto Sander Otto Sander is a German film, theater, and voice actor.Sander grew up in Kassel, where he graduated in 1961 from the Friedrichgymnasium. After leaving school he spent his military service as a navy reserve officer and then studied theatre science, history of art and philosophy. In 1965 he made his...
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| Brat |
Walter von Hauff |
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| Great White Stag |
Roland Hemmo Roland Hemmo is a German actor and voice actor. Roland Hemmo is one of the most successful voice actors in the history of German cinema...
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| Bold |
Udo Wachtveitl |
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| Charmer |
Anja JaenickeAnja Jaenicke is a German actress working mostly for German television and film.She is C.E.O. of her own company HIQ-MEDIA-POOL INC...
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Stella Musy |
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| Friendly |
Axel Malzacher |
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| Dreamer |
Simone Weyrich |
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| Plucky |
Pierre Peters Arnolds |
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| Speedy |
Kathrin Ackermann |
Georgia Lepore |
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| Whisper |
Karin Kernke |
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| Measly |
Pierre Franckh Pierre Franckh is a German television actor, director and writer.- Filmography :*1962: Peter Pan *1963: Südfrüchte *1963: Das Haus in Montevideo...
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| Sinuous |
Franz Rudnick |
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| Dash |
Madeleine Stolze |
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| Mossy |
Ulli Philipp |
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| Rek |
Jan Gebauer Jan Gebauer was a significant Czech expert on Czech studies and one of the most renowned Czech scientists of all times. His scientific work was influenced by the methods of positivism.-Biography:...
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| Lustig |
Peter Fricke Peter Fricke is a German television actor.-Selected filmography:* Derrick - Season 5, Episode 6: "Klavierkonzert" * Derrick - Season 6, Episode 11: "Die Versuchung"...
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| Spike |
Martin Semmelrogge |
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| Fido |
Alexander Brem |
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| Cleo |
Sabine Bohlmann Sabine Bohlmann is a German actress and dub voice actor, perhaps most famous as the German voice of Lisa and Maggie Simpson on The Simpsons....
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| Warden's Cat |
Arne Elsholtz |
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| Rollo |
Michael Gahr |
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| Donkey |
Wichart von Roell |
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| Boar |
Stefan Orlac |
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| Crow |
Tommi Piper |
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| Shadow |
Angelika Bender |
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| Hurkel |
Helmut Ruge |
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| Bruno |
Benno Hoffmann |
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| Large rat |
Helmut Krauss Helmut Krauss is a German synchronis speaker and actor. He provides the German dub voices for Marlon Brando, John Goodman, Yaphet Kotto, Jean Reno, and Samuel L. Jackson....
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| Chief wild cat |
Ingeborg Lapsien |
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| Tom, the cat |
Arne Elsholtz |
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| Bats |
Kathrin Ackermann |
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| Other crow |
Tommi Piper |
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| Young crows |
Tommi Piper |
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| Shrike |
Benno Hoffmann |
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| Ferkelchen |
Andrea L'Arronge |
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Buzz Books
These are based upon the Characters in the Television series. Some parts had happened differently.
- Farewell to the Wood (Based upon The Wood in Danger)
- The Adventure Begins (Based upon The Journey Begins)
- Fire (Based upon Through the Fire and Water)
- A New Friend (Based upon Friend in Need)
- Heroes (Based upon Whistler's Quarry)
- The Silent Field (Based upon A Deathly Calm)
- The Storm Shelter (Based upon Pandemonium)
- Journey's End (Based upon So Near And Yet So Far)
- A New Home (Based upon A Hero's Welcome, Winter and Survival)
- Badger in Danger (Based upon Winter and Survival)
- Unwelcome Visitors (Based upon New Enemies)
- Spring Awakening (Based upon Home is Where the Heart Is)
- Bold (Based upon The Feud Begins)
- Trouble in the Park (Based upon Like Father, Like Son, Narrow Escapes and Shadows)
- Showdown (Based upon Blood is Thicker Than Water)
- Peace (Based upon Reconciliation)
- Strangers in the Park (Based upon Comings and Goings)
- The Weasels' Adventure (Based upon The Missing Fox's Friend, Tiffs and Tempers and The Long Tailed Visitor)
- To the Rescue (Based upon The Missing Fox's Friend, Adventure for the Birds and Scared by Silly Snakes)
- The Rat Spy (Based upon The Long Tailed Visitor and The Mole Game)
- What is Buzz Book 21 called? (Based upon The Worst Kind of Hurricane, Homeward Bound and Bully, Bully, Bully)
Broadcasts and releases
In
FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
the programme is known as
Les Animaux du Bois de Quat'sous ("The Animals of the Wood of Quat'sous"). It first aired on
France 2France 2 is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4, France 5 and France Ô...
in 1994, and in
SwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
at the same time on
TSR 2TSR 2 is a Swiss public television channel owned by Télévision Suisse Romande, launched on 1 September 1997, showing documentary, culture and sport programmes...
. It also aired in the following countries:
- Germany (ARD
ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
) and Austria (ORFÖsterreichischer Rundfunk, ORF, is the Austrian national public service broadcaster.Funded from a combination of a television licence fees and revenue from limited on-air advertising, ORF is the dominant player in the Austrian broadcast media...
), as Als die Tiere den Wald verließen
- Belgium (BRTN and RTBF
Radio Télévision Belge Francophone is the public broadcasting organization of the French Community of Belgium, the southern, French-speaking part of Belgium...
), as Beestenbos is boos (for BRTN) and Les Animaux du Bois de Quat'Sous (for RTBF)
- Bulgaria (Канал 1
The Bulgarian National Television or BNT is the public broadcaster of Bulgaria. The company was founded in 1959 and began broadcasting on December 26 of the same year. It began broadcasting in color in 1970...
), as Животните от старата гора
- Croatia (HRT
Croatian Radiotelevision is a Croatian public broadcasting company. It operates several radio and television channels, over a domestic transmitter network as well as satellite...
), as Pustolovine šumske družine
- The Netherlands (NOS
The Nederlandse Omroep Stichting , English: Netherlands Broadcasting Foundation, is one of the broadcasters in the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system...
), as Beestenbos is boos
- Denmark (DR), as Dyrene Fra Lilleskoven
- Finland (YLE), both in Finnish and Swedish, as Kaukametsän pakolaiset and De Vilda Djurens Flykt respectively
- Sweden (SVT
Sveriges Television AB , Sweden's Television, is a national television broadcaster based in Sweden, funded by a compulsory fee to be paid by all television owners...
), as above
- Ireland (RTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
), both in English and Irish, the latter as Cairde Na Coile
- Italy (RAI
RAI — Radiotelevisione italiana S.p.A. known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane, is the Italian state owned public service broadcaster controlled by the Ministry of Economic Development. Rai is the biggest television company in Italy...
), as Le avventure del bosco piccolo/Volpe, Tasso e compagnia
- Norway (NRK), as Flukten frå dyreskogen (in Nynorsk
Nynorsk or New Norwegian is one of two official written standards for the Norwegian language, the other being Bokmål. The standard language was created by Ivar Aasen during the mid-19th century, to provide a Norwegian alternative to the Danish language which was commonly written in Norway at the...
)
- Hungary (MTV
Magyar Televízió is the Hungarian national public service television company, with three TV channels, called m1 , m2 and m3....
), as A Gyűszűnyi Erdő Lakói
- Poland (WOT
Wot or WOT may refer to:* Wot , a circular panpipe used in the morlam music of Laos and Thailand* Wot, Nepal* WOT: Web of Trust, a community-based safe Web-surfing tool* Wat or wot, an Eritrean and Ethiopian spicy meat stew...
), as Zwierzęta z ginącego lasu, later (PolsatPolsat is Poland's second biggest television channel, founded on December 5, 1992 and owned by Zygmunt Solorz-Żak.Polsat belongs to the Polsat Group , which also owns other channels:*Polsat HD*Polsat 2 International*Polsat News*TV Biznes...
), as Zwierzęta z Zielonego Lasu
- Portugal (RTP2), as Animais do Bosque
- Spain (TVE), as Los animales del bosque
- Turkey (TRT
The Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, also known as TRT , is the national public broadcaster of Turkey and was founded in 1964. Around 70% of TRT's funding comes from a tax levied on electricity bills and a sales tax on television and radio receivers...
), as Gürültülü Ormanin Hayvanlari
- Canada (Télé-Québec
Télé-Québec is a French language public educational television network in the Canadian province of Quebec. Known legally as Société de télédiffusion du Québec , it is a provincial crown corporation owned by the Government of Quebec...
) as Les Animaux du bois de Quat'sous
It also aired in Brazil (
TV CulturaTV Cultura is Brazilian television network headquartered in São Paulo and a part of Fundação Padre Anchieta. It focuses on cultural subjects but also has sports as entertainment options.- History :...
,
Os animais do bosque dos viténs), featuring Élcio Sodré (Fox), Vanessa Alves (Vixen), Maximira Figueiredo (Owl), Francisco Bretas (Toad), Neuza Azevedo (Mole and Adder), Eudes Carvalho (Badger), Zaíra Zordan (Lady Blue) and Fábio Tomazine (Scarface). The series was broadcast by the ABC in Australia where it also became popular.
26 episodes were also broadcasted in Japan by Shizuoka Asahi Television.
Adventures of Fox
Comes last on the Greatest BBC Children's Video ever along with
Fireman SamFireman Sam is a Welsh animated children's television series about a fireman called Sam, his fellow firefighters, and other townspeople in the Welsh town of Pontypandy . The original idea for the show came from two ex-firemen from Kent...
,
PinguPingu is a British-Swiss stop-motion claymated television series created by Otmar Gutmann. The series was produced by The Pygos Group and Trickfilmstudio for Swiss television. The show is about a family of anthropomorphic penguins at the South Pole. The main character is the family's son and title...
,
SpiderSpider! is a musical children's television series made by Hibbert Ralph Entertainment for the BBC that originally aired in 1991. It follows the adventures of a spider, the protagonist, and a young boy. The stories are told through song, performed by Jeff Stevenson with his children, Casey and Holly...
,
William's Wish WellingtonsWilliam's Wish Wellingtons is an animated BBC children's television series made by Hibbert Ralph Entertainment that was first aired from 25 October 1994 to 28 November 1997. It was narrated by Andrew Sachs of Fawlty Towers fame. It was also translated into Gaelic and aired as on BBC Two Scotland...
,
ClangersClangers is a popular British stop-motion animated children's television series of short stories about a family of mouse-like creatures who live on, and in, a small blue planet . They speak in whistles, and eat green soup supplied by the Soup Dragon...
, Nursery Rhyme Time,
Noddy's Toyland AdventuresNoddy's Toyland Adventures was a children's television programme that was broadcast from September 1992 until December 1994 and again from 1999 to 2001 on the BBC...
,
FunnybonesFunnybones was a Welsh children's television series that was first aired in Welsh on S4C and in English on the BBC in 1992. It was based on the eponymous series of books by Janet and Allan Ahlberg which were illustrated by Andre Amstutz and focused on the adventures of a gang of skeletons...
, Hairy Jeremy and
The Little Polar BearThe Little Polar Bear is a franchise about a Polar Bear cub named Lars who first starred in a number of books written by Dutch author, Hans de Beer. It later became an animated TV series, Lars, der Kleine Eisbär, in the early 1990s. The show proved to be popular in Germany, but its English-dubbed...
. It has clips from the following episodes:
- Beginning and end of The Wood in Danger (Loggers attack the Wood, Owl informed about the pond filled in, Assembly)
- Beginning of The Journey Begins (Leaving the Wood)
- End of Snare for the Unwary (Kestrel spots river, Animals cross River, Fox and Badger hit by driftwood)
- Beginning of Who Shall Wear the Crown? (Badger found in reeds, Kestrel loses Fox, Animals move on)
- Some beginning and Middle of New Friends, Old Enemies (Fox arrives at Town, Fox put onto truck, Fox meets Vixen)
- Some parts of Friend in Need (parts with Hunting, Meeting Big Owl, Searching, Fox Hunt and the ending)
Merchandise
Apart from books and videos, there was also a Farthing Wood CD and in the mid-1990s, a 130-part
magazineMagazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
for children entitled "Farthing Wood Friends" was also developed. Audio tapes recapping the first two seasons were released, with the story being told to young fox cubs by several of the cast who would also debate the events and mimic some of the other characters.
There are also three TV tie-in books available, one to accompany each of the TV series:
- The Animals of Farthing Wood links with Series 1.
- The Further Adventures of The Animals of Farthing Wood links with Series 2.
- The Animals of Farthing Wood - Spirit of Survival links with Series 3.
These follow the same storylines, but are presented in a comic-strip style.
Watered-down versions of episode storylines were also featured as a running story in 'Farthing Wood Friends', illustrated using photographic stills from the series. Between magazine coverages of second and third series episodes, abridgements of Colin Dann's original stories were used to fill the void, entitled 'Tales From Farthing Wood'. Another book adaptation of the running story employed for series one was released by Ted Smart Publishing, with illustrations by Stuart Trotter.
Episode stories were also abridged for Buzz Books, Reed Children's Books' range of storybooks based on popular children's characters. The Farthing Wood stories in this range started with five books to begin with, then steadily expanded to cover the remainder of series one and series two. Illustrations were produced by William Heinemann in favour of using stills from the series.
HornbyHornby Railways is the leading brand of model railway in the United Kingdom. Its roots date back to 1901, when founder Frank Hornby received a patent for his Meccano construction toy. The first clockwork train was produced in 1920. In 1938, Hornby launched its first 00 gauge train...
, known mainly for its model railways, produced collectable figurines of the series ensemble, released in batches or 'presentation packs'. They were as follows:
1st Series: Fox, Badger, Mole, Weasel, Toad & Owl
2nd Series: White Stag, Scarface, Kestrel, Adder, Whistler & Rabbit
3rd Series: Bully, Vixen, Plucky, Fido, Cleo, Rollo, Measly, Speedy, Hollow, Hurkel, Dash & Sinuous
The characters were also released in twin packs and later in the run, Hornby produced compatible play-scenes. Early in the run, almost simultaneous with the first series being shown in the UK, they released plush toys of Badger, Fox and Mole. Although these were rare finds in toyshops, they were the subject of a running promotion in 'Farthing Wood Friends', enabling readers to win them.
Despite the show being very popular, the series did not see any form of DVD release until 2009, with the episodes on VHS hard to find up to then (in particular the last two collections). However, there had been an increase in unofficial DVDs available on ebay.
Series 1 came out in France in February 2009
http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B001LV5P2A.
Series 1 was released in Germany on September 25, 2009
http://www.amazon.de/dp/B00297YGS4/, and Series 2 will be released in Germany on May 27, 2011
http://www.amazon.de/dp/B004O5N3LU/. The German DVD releases offer both English and German audio options.
Differences between the books and the series
There are a number of differences between the books and the television series, most notably the changing of a number of characters from male to female. This included Adder, Weasel, Owl and Kestrel, who retained the markings of a male kestrel. Owl had also been known as Tawny Owl in the books. In addition to this, the books featured a family of lizards who became the newts of the television series. New characters like the Shrews, Hurkel and Measley were introduced. Plucky is also changed from being Bold's grandson to his son. There are females that are Males now. They are Sinuous, The Big Owl and Hollow. The Fieldmice are now known as the Mice. Holly is now known as Hollow.
Minor plot changes also exist, such as the order of the pheasant's deaths, the deaths of Badger and Moley, and the motives of certain characters. Scarface has a different reason for attacking the Farthing Animals and Bold leaves the Park after an argument with his father, rather than to find a mate as he does in the books. In contrast to Badger's death, Toad and Mossy survive the television series, the former befriending the rat who killed him in the books. The cause of Sinuous death was also changed. Of the rats, Brat originally returned to the sewers instead of being killed by Sinuous, while Bully had his tail bitten off by Cleo rather than being killed by Vixen.
Scarface and his tribe were rival red foxes in the books. His mate was not also named in the books and her personality is not so developed. Too many red foxes would have been confusing for viewers, so the animators made Scarface and his family distinguishable by making them "blue foxes" (actually "silver foxes", a species with a greyish coat which is normally found only in fur farmings). Speedy was also unnamed. There are also one episode characters that didn't appear in the books such as The Red Squirrels, Stoat and Scragg the Rat who is killed on his one time appearance.
The only main plotline that is left out of the series is the plot of
The Siege of White Deer ParkThe Siege of White Deer Park is the fifth book of The Animals of Farthing Wood series. It was first published in 1985 and has since been included in a single book with In the Path of the Storm and Battle for the Park in the "Second Omnibus" edition .-Plot summary:The animals of White Deer Park face...
, in which the character known as 'The Beast' (a big wild cat) attacks the park causing further trouble for the animals' survival. The storyline of this book is presumbly removed because of too much horror and peril themes and the sub-plots that occur in the book (such as Badger mistaking Mossy for Mole) are broken down into small plot changes in the other book storylines for the series.
Credits
- Based on the Books by: Colin Dann
- Written by: Alan Case, Steve Walker, Sue Butterworth, Jenny McDade, Gordon Harrison, Elphin Lloyd-Jones, Valerie Georgeson
- Adapted by: Steve Walker
- Music Composed by: Detlev Kuhne
- Theme Music Composed and Arranged by: Dennis Cooper
- Recorded by: WDR Orchestra, KRO Cologne
- Directors: Elphin Lloyd-Jones, Philippe LeClerc
- Assistant Director: Emile Bourget
- Animation Director: Alan Simpson
- Character Designs: Elphin Lloyd-Jones, Philippe LeClerc, Patrick Michel
- Storyboard: Gordon Harrison, Jean Francois Laguionie, Claude Aufrere
- Backgrounds: Ian Henderson, Richard Mithonard, Valerie Carmona
- Layouts: Sue Butterworth, Gordon Harrison, Ted Pettengell, Trevor Ricketts, Patrick Michel, Gerard Kiszel, Christian Ragoust
- Animation: Thomas Barker, Monica Brutton, Alison De Vere, Andy Eraclerus, Christopher Evans, Joan Freestone, Tony Guy, Peter Hale, Arthur Humberstone, Simon Loxton, Fraser MacLean, Charlie MacRae, Janet Nunn, John Perkins, Mike Pocock, Paul Stone, Rosemary Welch, José Xavier
- Key Animators: Chris Clarke, Gary Hender, Nathalie Biston, Marian Brooks, Valerie Pouyanne, Jean Francois Galataud, Monica Moinar, Lea Movement
- Assistant Animators: Philippe Archer, Jean-Yves Regnault, Laurence Commeyras, Isabelle Pouyanne, Didier Chenu, Catherine Halvic, Muriel Chevallier, Sega Favre, Sylvia Bottiau, Sim Lignon
- Trace & Paint: Audrey Hammond, Pat Arthy, Pete Arthy, Lynda Marmont, Chris Jones, Ross Marks, Sharon Martin, Becky New, Vivienne Redmond, Jenni Steers, Dominique Lenoble, Clarie Dame, Nancy Rey, Frederic Jaubert, Suzy Kopp, Sophie Beltran, Brigitte Boursereau, Rodney Crofton, Carole Dorange, Nathalie Finiels, Cathy Gentric, Isabelle Landmann, Claire Larnelle, Cathy Rigall, Maria Stockman, Mireille Valentin
- Checking: Ann Kotch, Janine Arthy, Isabelle Perrichon
- Rostrum Camera: Chris Williams, Anthony Hagen, Jacques Armand, Yves Francon, Jean Paul Rossard
- Software: Animo Cambridge Animation Systems
- Production Supervisor: Jean-Paul Gaspari
- Production Coordinator: Dominique Edmond-Marlette
- Production Accountants: Helmut Breuer, Philippe Marteaux
- Editing: Theresa Plummer-Andrews, John Daniels, Ken Morgan, Tom Oliver
- Special Effects: Stephan Hartl, Malcolm Beattie
- Picture Editor: Fiona Keene
- Videotape Services: Video Time
- Line Test Camera: Plaza Synchron
- Dialogue Editor: John Daniels, Hilary Daniels, Hans-Peter Kaufman
- Track Readers: Otto Sander, Ulli Philipp, Tilly Lauenstein, Martin Semmelrogge, Helmut Ruge, Wichart V. Roell, Karin Kernke, Franz-Josef Steffens, Stephan Schwartz, Marion Martinzen, Manfred Lehmann, Peter Fricke, Benno Hoffmann, Thomas Reiner, Horst Sachtleben, Michael Habeck, Tommy Piper, Arne Elsholtz, Ingeborg Lapsien, Stefan Orlac
- Associate Producer: Wolfgang Wegmann
- Producer: John M. Mills
- Production: Telemagination (London), Praxinos (Montpeller)
- EBU Coordinator: Marie-Claire Vionnet
- Executive Producers: Siegmund Grewenig, Theresa Plummer-Andrews
- Film Laboratories: European Cineman, Television Year
External links