Britt Allcroft facts for kids

Britt Allcroft (born Hilary Mary Allcroft, 14 December 1943) is a talented English writer, producer, director, and voice actress. She is best known for creating popular children's TV shows. These include Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends (which later became Thomas & Friends), Shining Time Station (with Rick Siggelkow), Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales, and Magic Adventures of Mumfie. She also helped make the movie Thomas and the Magic Railroad in 2000.

Early Life and Early Career

Britt Allcroft was born Hilary Mary Allcroft in Worthing, West Sussex, England. This was on December 14, 1943. When she was 16, she changed her first name to Britt. This happened as her career in British radio and television grew.

During the 1970s and 1980s, she created many shows for the BBC and ITV. Some of these were Moon Clue Game and Dance Crazy. She also worked in theatre, putting on shows at famous places like the London Palladium.

Creating Beloved Shows

Bringing Thomas to Life

In August 1979, Britt Allcroft was making a film about British steam trains. During this time, she met Reverend Wilbert Awdry. He was the author of the children's book series The Railway Series. Britt was very interested in the train characters and their stories. She wanted to bring these stories to television. She made a deal to get the rights to the books.

In 1980, she started a company called Britt Allcroft Railway Productions. She co-founded it with her husband, Angus Wright. It took Britt four years to get the money and create the first 26 episodes of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends.

The first two episodes aired on British television on October 9, 1984. They were narrated by Ringo Starr in the UK and the US. Later, Michael Angelis narrated in the UK and George Carlin in the US.

Thomas's Global Success

Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends became very popular in the UK. Britt Allcroft also organized a big merchandising campaign. This success soon spread to other parts of the world.

In 1989, Britt and American producer Rick Siggelkow created Shining Time Station. This was a live-action children's show. It featured a magical character named Mr. Conductor. He would introduce two Thomas stories in each half-hour episode. Shining Time Station won several awards. It greatly increased how popular Thomas was in the US. The show ran until 1995. In 1996, she created a short spin-off series called Mr. Conductor's Thomas Tales.

Other Creations

In 1994, Britt Allcroft created Magic Adventures of Mumfie. This was a cartoon-animated show. It was inspired by books by Katharine Tozer. The show was praised by critics and seen all over the world. Many years later, in 2008, Britt Allcroft brought the Mumfie stories back. A new series eventually aired in 2021.

Britt Allcroft also wrote and directed Thomas and the Magic Railroad. This was a movie based on the Thomas stories. It was released in 2000. She also provided the voice for the character Lady in the film. The movie did not do as well as hoped. Because of this, Britt Allcroft decided to step down from her company in September 2000.

Personal Life

Britt Allcroft was married to television producer Angus Wright from 1973 to 1997. They have two children together.

Filmography