22 September 1993 (1993-09-22) – 23 December 1997 (1997-12-23)
Old Bear Stories is aBAFTA award-winningstop-motion animation television series for children based on theOld Bear and Friends books byJane Hissey. Jane Hissey also created the television series, starting it on 22 September 1993, and creating 3 series, which ended on 24 December 1997 with a double-lengthChristmas special. In all, 41 episodes were made.[1]
The series was produced by Ealing Animation (El Nombre) and was originally broadcast in the United Kingdom onITV. Episodes have subsequently been repeated onChannel 5 in the UK, and are also broadcast in the United States and other countries worldwide. The show also aired for a short time on theCBCmorning children's block in Canada. It also aired in the United States as part ofCartoon Network'sSmall World as well asABC in Australia,M-Net,SABC 2 andBop TV in South Africa,MediaCorp Channel 5 in Singapore,Channel Eye in Sri Lanka,ČT1 in the Czech Republic,TVP1 in Poland,SVT Barnkanalen in Sweden andTV2 andTV One in New Zealand. The series was also screened on armed forces television onBFBS (and its former networkSSVC Television) where it was shown in several countries such as Germany and the Falkland Islands.
Episodes of the series were released on VHS byCarlton Video.
In aplayroom which is home to a variety of sentient toys, their leader, the wise and caring "Old Bear" had disappeared some time ago, having been put into the loft and forgotten. After the toys rescue him and bring him back down to the playroom, Old Bear again becomes their most respected toy and guides his friends in their many adventures, both in the play room and in the garden.
Old Bear – An elderly dustyteddy bearbear. He was put up in the attic when he reached an advanced age, but was rescued by the other toys. They now look up to him as a fearless, yet wise, leader.
Bramwell Brown – A wise and intelligent teddy bear, often considered second to Old Bear. He often likes to cook things for the other toys.
Duck – a gloomy and pessimistic but amiabletoyduck. He sometimes wishes he could fly, and he does not like to get his feet wet.
Rabbit – An impulsive and energetic toyrabbit. He enjoys jumping, and has talents for magic tricks and acrobatic performances.
Little Bear – A small white bear who wears overly baggy orange-redtrousers. Being the youngest of all the toys, he is very enthusiastic and inquisitive, rather like a young child. He sometimes has good ideas for solving problems or playing games.
Jolly Tall – A kind and loyal toygiraffe who, despite his height, suffers fromacrophobia – he says his head thinks it is high enough already.
Sailor – asailor doll who enjoys sailing in his toy boat.
Zebra – A female toyzebra, who likes giving the other toys rides in her cart.
Hoot – A toyowl living in the attic. She originally had a nest made of a bunch of socks that didn't match, until Little Bear gave her an old bobble hat to use instead. She doesn't often appear as, like all owls, she sleeps during the day. However, she sometimes appears at night to help people, such as when she rescued Little Bear from the snowy rooftop one Christmas Eve.
Ruff – A toydog that resembles afox terrier. He had been left in the garden next door, as found nobody seemed to want him due to his bouncy nature. When he first visited the toys, they gave him his name due to the barking noise he made. They also gave him a whole week of birthdays, as he believed he was seven years old but had never counted or celebrated a birthday before. At the end of the week, he was afraid that the toys would want him to leave; but to his delight, they asked him to stay permanently.
Dog – A toy blackScottish terrier who likes to bury his rubber bones in some plant pots.
Camel – A kindly toycamel who is almost as tall as Jolly Tall. She once tried to use Little Bear's trousers as hump warmers.
Cat – A sleepy toycat who likes to nap in any place she finds.
Rabbit's cousin – A female cousin of Rabbit, who occasionally stays with the toys. She wears a straw hat, seems to like to cause mischief and does not like cleaning.
The dolls – A family of three dolls (a father, mother and daughter) who live in a dolls' house in a corner of the playroom.
^Crump, William D. (2019).Happy Holidays—Animated! A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and New Year's Cartoons on Television and Film. McFarland & Co. p. 226.ISBN9781476672939.
