Brian Cosgrove

Last updated

Brian Cosgrove
OBE
Born
Brian Joseph Cosgrove

(1934-04-06) 6 April 1934 (age 91)
Manchester, England
Alma mater Manchester College of Art and Design
Occupation(s)Animator, designer, director, producer, sculptor
Years active1966–present

Brian Joseph Cosgrove [1] OBE (born 6 April 1934) [2] is an English animator, designer, director, producer and sculptor. With Mark Hall, he founded Cosgrove Hall Films in 1976 and produced successful animated children shows including The Wind in the Willows , Danger Mouse and Count Duckula . [3] In 2012, he won the BAFTA Special Award. [4]

Contents

Early life

Born in Manchester, [5] Cosgrove studied at Manchester College of Art and Design. It was there he met his future work partner Mark Hall. [6]

Career

Cosgrove started his career by producing television graphics at Granada Television. [6] He later joined Stop Frame Productions, which his partner at Granada Television, Mark Hall founded, where he worked on many public service films, commercials for companies like TVTimes and directed and produced animated shows such as The Magic Ball and Sally And Jake. [6]

After Stop Frame Productions was shut down, Cosgrove and Hall founded Cosgrove Hall Films, where they produced some of the most well known animated children's shows and films in Britain, such as Danger Mouse , Count Duckula , The Wind in the Willows (which would later become a 52 episode TV series), Noddy's Toyland Adventures , Bill and Ben and Fifi and the Flowertots until 2009.

In 1989, Cosgrove directed and produced the animated feature film The BFG , based on the Roald Dahl novel of the same name. According to Cosgrove, this is one of the only adaptations, based on one of Roald Dahl's novels, that Dahl himself actually liked.

When we finished, we ran a screening in Soho, and Dahl and his family came along. They were sitting at the back, and when the film finished they stood up and applauded. He could be quite vocal, Dahl, if he didn't like something. He didn't like Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory at all, the 1971 Gene Wilder one. So it was a real relief that he liked our film. [7]

Since 2011, Cosgrove has been the creator and executive producer of Cosgrove Hall Fitzpatrick Entertainment. [8]

Personal life

Cosgrove is good friends with actor Sir David Jason, who has been a loyal collaborator on most of his projects. [9]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleDirectorProducerAnimation/Art
Department
Notes
1989 The BFG YesYesYesKey animator, designer and background artist

Television

YearTitleDirectorProducerAnimation/Art
Department
Notes
1966Picture BoxYesEpisodes: "A Calm Country River in Holland"
"The Seaside Holiday"
1971–1972The Magic BallYesYesYes
1972Captain Noah and His Floating ZooYesYesTV movie
Rainbow YesEpisodes: "Shapes"
"Farm Animals"
1975NoddyYesYes
1976–1979 Chorlton and the Wheelies Yes
Jamie and the Magic Torch Yes
1978Captain KremmenYes
The Talking Parcel YesYesTV movie
1979CinderellaYesTV movie
1980–1986 Cockleshell Bay Yes
1981–1992 Danger Mouse YesYesYesAnimator
1981The Pied Piper of HamelinYesTV short
1983 The Wind in the Willows YesYesTV movie
Model character/sculpture designer
1984–1990 The Wind in the Willows YesYesModel character/sculpture designer
1985-1986 Alias the Jester Yes
1988–1993 Count Duckula Yes
1989–1990 Oh, Mr. Toad YesYesModel character/sculpture designer
1991–1992 Victor and Hugo YesYes
1992 Noddy's Toyland Adventures YesExecutive producer
On Christmas EveYesYesTV movie
Truckers YesExecutive producer
1993 Avenger Penguins Yes
1995 Fantomcat Yes
1995 Oakie Doke Yes
1996 Sooty's Amazing Adventures YesYesExecutive producer
designer
1997 Captain Star YesAnimation producer
1999 Lavender Castle YesExecutive producer
1999 Foxbusters Yes
2000 Albie YesTexture artist
2014–2015 Pip Ahoy! YesExecutive producer
2015-2016 Danger Mouse Yes
2017-present Daisy & Ollie Yes

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryTitleResult
1983 BAFTA Award Best Children's Programme (Entertainment/Drama) Danger Mouse Nominated
1984Nominated
Best Animated Film The Wind in the Willows Nominated
Danger Mouse Nominated
Best Children's Programme (Entertainment/Drama) The Wind in the Willows Won [10]
1985 The Wind in the Willows Nominated
Best Animated FilmNominated
Danger Mouse Nominated
CableACE Award Children's Programming Series Danger Mouse Nominated
1986 BAFTA Award Best Children's Programme (Entertainment/Drama) The Wind in the Willows Nominated
Danger Mouse Nominated
Best Short Animated Film Alias the Jester Won
The Wind in the Willows Nominated
Danger Mouse Nominated
1987Best Animated Film The Wind in the Willows Nominated
Danger Mouse Nominated
1988Best Short Animated Film The Wind in the Willows Nominated
CableACE Award Children's Entertainment Special or Series - 8 and YoungerNominated
1989Nominated
1990 BAFTA Award Best Children's Programme (Entertainment/Drama) The BFG Nominated

References

  1. "Cosgrove, Brian Joseph, (Born 6 April 1934), artist and sculptor; Executive Producer and Co-Founder, Cosgrove Hall Fitzpatrick, since 2011". COSGROVE, Brian Joseph (born 1934), artist and sculptor; Executive Producer and co-Founder, Cosgrove Hall Fitzpatrick, since 2011:Who's Who - oi. Oxford University Press. December 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U11968 . Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  2. "Brian Cosgrove - BFI". Archived from the original on 17 September 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  3. Count Duckula: Remembering Animation's Scariest Duck, Apart From Donald - Cultured Vultures
  4. "Brian Cosgrove - Special Award Recipient in 2012 - BAFTA". 18 November 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  5. "Search Results for England & Wales Births 1837-2006".
  6. 1 2 3 Hayward, Anthony (18 November 2011). "Mark Hall obituary, Animator whose TV cartoon series created with his friend Brian Cosgrove included Danger Mouse and The Wind in the Willows". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  7. Child, Ben; Child, Interviews by Ben (10 September 2012). "How we made The BFG by director Brian Cosgrove and Ben Turner - Film - The Guardian". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  8. "Team Profiles - CHF Entertainment". Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  9. "Sir David Jason - tells the colourful story of Cosgrove Hall - BBC" . Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  10. BAFTA Awards