Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids (TV series) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids
Title card from series 1 to 3
Genre	Horror comedy
Written by	Jamie Rix
Directed by	Jamie Rix Sara and Simon Bor
Narrated by	Nigel Planer
Composer(s)	Ed Welch
Country of origin	England, United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	6 (Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids) 2 (Grizzly Tales)
No. of episodes	78 (+ 1 22-minute special) 26
Production
Executive producer(s)	Michael Forte (series 1–3) Rachel Pendleton (series 2) David Mercer (series 4)
Producer(s)	Clive Hedges (series 1-2) Sarah Muller (series 3-4) Simon Bor and Sara Bor
Production location(s)	Devon (Honeycomb Animation), Isle of Man (Lough House), Ealing Studios
Animator(s)	Honeycomb Animation, Ealing Studios
Editor(s)	Peter Beswick Nick Anderson Keezer Tracy
Running time	10 minutes
Production company(s)	Honeycomb Animation and Elephant Productions Carlton Television
Distributor	Carlton Television Grizzly TV
Release
Original network	ITV
Audio format	Dolby Surround (2000-2002) Dolby Digital (2004-2012)
First shown in	United Kingdom
Original release	4 January 2000 (2000-01-04) – 19 October 2006 (2006-10-19)
Chronology
Followed by	Grizzly Tales: Cautionary Tales for Lovers of Squeam!

Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids is a popular British animated TV show. It's based on a series of scary children's books by Jamie Rix. The show tells short, spooky stories that often teach a lesson.

The first three books came out between 1990 and 1996. Then, Carlton Television turned these stories into ten-minute cartoons. These cartoons aired on ITV's CITV channel. The show ran from January 2000 to October 2006. It had six series and 78 episodes. There was also a special longer episode for New Year's Eve.

Later, the series came back with a new look. It was called Grizzly Tales (or Grizzly Tales: Cautionary Tales for Lovers of Squeam!). This new version aired on NickToons UK. It had 26 episodes split into two series. These aired between May 2011 and November 2012.

Both versions of the show have been very popular. They have even been nominated for BAFTA awards. The CITV series won many international awards from animation festivals.

Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids (2000–2006)

Each episode of the original show started in an old, spooky cinema. It was called The Squeam Screen. A creepy caretaker and his spider friend, Spindleshanks, ran the place. The caretaker would talk to the audience about life lessons. He often played tricks on Spindleshanks.

The short stories were like mini-movies shown on film reels. The caretaker would project them onto the screen. These opening scenes were made using Claymation. This means characters were made of clay and moved frame by frame. The stories themselves were traditionally animated. This is like classic cartoons, drawn by hand. Later, some stories were made using Adobe Flash.

Top, L-R: Algie and Ginger in "The Chipper Chums Go Scrumping"
Bottom, L-R: Milo and Ginger Pie in "Knock Down Ginger".

The cartoon stories usually stayed true to the books. But there were a few small changes. For example, a family called the Clucks in one story became the Klutz family. Also, the show often reused character designs. The same "actor" model might appear as different characters in different episodes. Sometimes, this meant a character didn't look exactly like their book description. For instance, Ginger Pie in "Knock Down Ginger" was described as a tall, heavy boy. But his cartoon model was skinny.

The first four books were used for the first four series. Some stories, like "The Matchstick Girl," were never made into cartoons. The last two series featured brand new stories. These stories later appeared in the Grizzly Tales: Cautionary Tales for Lovers of Squeam! books. Around this time, the theme music also changed. It became faster and had a different tune. The scenes with the caretaker and Spindleshanks disappeared. The show just cut straight to the projector turning on.

In 2007, ITV decided to focus more on its other channels. This led to many shows being cancelled. Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids was one of them. Even though it was popular, it didn't get a seventh series. ITV said it didn't make "commercial sense" to spend a lot of money on a children's channel.

Grizzly Tales (2011–2012)

The original CITV series was being shown again on Nickelodeon. Then, in 2011, Honeycomb Animation announced a new series. It would air on NickToons UK in May. This new show had a shorter name: Grizzly Tales. It was made to feel fresh for a new audience. It promised even more "twisted, dark stories." The new show followed a similar style to the newer Grizzly Tales: Cautionary Tales for Lovers of Squeam! books.

The new series had a different setting for its opening scenes. Instead of the Squeam Screen cinema, it was set at The Hot-Hell Darkness hotel. The animation style also changed. The hotel scenes were made with 3D animation. The stories themselves were animated using 2D software. The cinema caretaker was replaced by The Night-Night Porter. He was the caretaker's half-brother. He would send naughty children to "spend an eternity" at his hotel.

Nigel Planer, who narrated the first series, returned. The production company, Elephant Productions (now called Little Brother Productions), also came back. This new version was just as popular as the first.

Characters in Grizzly Tales

Here are some of the main characters you'll see in the TV shows:

• The Squeam Screen caretaker: He runs The Squeam Screen cinema. Online, his name is revealed as Uncle Grizzly. Nigel Planer voices him. He is the only character who speaks in the CITV series. He shares life lessons and narrates the short movies. In the opening, he walks to the projection room. He blows out his electric torch and grabs a film reel. He says, "You are welcome to Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids, a series of cautionary tales for lovers of squeam!" He often changes his head into scary things to frighten the audience or Spindleshanks.

• Spindleshanks: This is a big spider who lives in The Squeam Screen cinema. He doesn't speak, but he shows his feelings with his face. He sometimes squeaks. Uncle Grizzly often uses him to show things to the audience. But he also bullies and plays tricks on Spindleshanks for laughs. In one episode ending, Spindleshanks became a ghost. Uncle Grizzly thought this was very funny. Spindleshanks does not appear in the Nickelodeon series.

• The Night Night Porter: He is the narrator for the second book series. He is Uncle Grizzly's half-brother. He owns the Hot Hell Darkness hotel. Nigel Planer also voices him. Like Uncle Grizzly, he guides the audience. He is the only other character in the TV shows who speaks. He enjoys punishing children, especially naughty ones. He likes to show off the "tortures" his guests are getting in their rooms.

Who Made the Show?

Many talented people worked on Grizzly Tales. Michael Forte was an executive producer for the first three series. David Mercer took over after him. Other producers included Clive Hedges and Sarah Muller.

The stop-motion animation was done by Andy Farago, Richard Randolph, and Nick Herbert. Many animators worked on the 2D animation. Some of them were Gareth Conway, Graham Hayter, and Chris Bowles.

In 2004, Grizzly TV was created. This company helped Honeycomb and Elephant/Little Brother work together.

Where It Was Shown

The CITV series was shown in many countries:

The Nickelodeon series was shown in:

• United Kingdom: NickToons
• Ireland: NickToons
• Australia: ABC 3

Merchandise

You could buy the CITV cartoon on DVD in the UK and Northern Ireland. It was also available in North America and Australia/New Zealand. The Nickelodeon cartoon was later released on DVD too.

Episodes

Awards and Nominations

Both Grizzly Tales series have been recognized with awards and nominations.

CITV Series Awards

Nickelodeon Series Awards