Michael Cole (writer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michael Cole
Michael Cole (writer-TV producer)
Born	(1933-03-17)17 March 1933 Willesden, London, England
Died	4 August 2001(2001-08-04) (aged 68)
Occupation	Writer / TV producer
Nationality	British
Genre	Children's TV and books
Notable works	Bod, Fingerbobs, Ragtime
Notable awards	1973 BAFTA Best Children's Programme
Spouse	Joanne Cole (1955-1985) Pam (1992-2001)

Michael Cole (born 17 March 1933 – died 4 August 2001) was a British writer. He created many popular children's TV shows. These shows aired from the 1970s to the 1990s. Some of his well-known works include Alphabet Castle, Heads and Tails, and Ragtime. For Ragtime, he won a special award. This award was from the Society of Film and Television. Today, it is known as a BAFTA award. He won for Best Children's Programme.

With his wife, Joanne Cole, he also created Bod. Bod started as four books in 1965. Later, it became a TV show in the 1970s. They also created Fingerbobs and Gran.

Michael Cole's Life and Work

Michael Cole was born in Willesden, London. His birthday was March 17, 1933. During World War II, his family moved to Cheltenham. After junior school, he attended Cheltenham College.

Early Career and Animations

Michael trained as an intelligence officer in the army. He went to Cambridge University to learn Russian. In 1959, he worked with Halas and Batchelor. He wrote for two animated short series called Habatales. These were for ABC TV. One of these, The Cultured Ape, won an award. It was named best film in its category at the 1959 Venice Film Festival.

Creating Bod and BBC Shows

In 1964, Cole moved to the South of France. He was with his wife and two children. There, they created the first Bod books. These books were published in 1965. Two years later, with four children, Cole started working for BBC children's television. He first wrote and directed for Play School and Play Away.

In 1972, Michael and Joanne Cole created Fingerbobs. This show featured songs and stories. It used simple paper puppets and artwork by Joanne Cole. Rick Jones starred in the show. It was shown on BBC until 1984.

Also in 1972, Cole wrote and directed Ragtime. This was a BBC studio show. It had songs and sketches. Joanne Cole made the puppets. Quentin Blake did the illustrations. Peter Gosling composed the music. The show won a Society of Film and Television Award in 1973. This award was for Best Children's Programme. A second series of Ragtime followed.

Bod Becomes a TV Series

In 1975, Cole turned the four original Bod books into a TV series. It was an animated cartoon series for BBC. There were thirteen episodes. John Le Mesurier and Maggie Henderson narrated the show. Derek Griffiths created the music. Nine new Bod stories were made for TV. These were later turned into books. Alan Rogers animated the films. The shows also featured Alberto Frog. Joanne Cole created the artwork for Alberto Frog. Bod was shown on BBC until 1984. It was also popular in other countries. These included Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Europe. In the United States, Bod was part of the Pinwheel program on Nickelodeon.

More Animal and Everyday Life Shows

Music and songwriting were very important in Cole's programmes. He worked with Derek Griffiths again. This led to Heads and Tails in 1977. This show featured animals. It used old footage and new videos. Griffiths added funny voices, songs, and music. Songs from both Ragtime and Heads and Tails were released as vinyl records.

In the early 1980s, Cole wrote and directed two more BBC studio shows. Bric-a-brac starred Brian Cant. It was set in a pretend junk shop. Chockablock featured a big yellow computer. Fred Harris and Carol Leader presented it.

He also worked with David Yates to create Pigeon Street. Alan Rogers and Peter Lang animated it. The 13 episodes showed everyday people and animals. They all lived on Pigeon Street. Characters included Clara, a long-distance lorry driver. The show aired on BBC from 1981. It was repeated until 1994.

Gran and Later Works

In 1982, the Coles created Gran. Joanne Cole co-wrote these stories. They were about a very surprising grandmother. These tales later became books. Ivor Wood animated the show. He had worked with Cole on the first series of Postman Pat. Patricia Hayes narrated Gran.

In 1985, Michael Cole's wife, Joanne Cole, passed away. She was 51 years old. In the same year, Fingermouse was released. This was a musical version of Fingerbobs. It starred the paper mouse and other puppets. This was Joanne Cole's last work.

In 1987, Cole wrote 26 episodes of Edward and Friends. This was a stop-motion animated show using Lego. Bernard Cribbins narrated it. He also created Dot Stop for Playdays. This show aired on BBC from 1989 to 1997.

In 1992, Cole married his second wife, Pam. From 1993 to 1995, he wrote and produced three series. These were Alphabet Castle and Tinysaurs. They were made for Carlton TV.

In 2000, Cole began working on a new Bod book. He passed away in 2001 at age 68. He left the book unfinished. One year later, Bod's Way was published. His children, Alison and Laurence, wrote and illustrated it. It was based on Michael Cole's original ideas.

Michael Cole's TV Shows

• Play School – 1967–88
• Play Away – 1971–76
• Fingerbobs – 1972
• Ragtime – 1973
• Bod – 1975
• Heads and Tails – 1977
• Bricabrac – 1980
• Pigeon Street – 1981
• Chockablock – 1981
• Stop and Go – 1981
• Gran – 1982
• Fingermouse – 1985
• Pie in the Sky – 1986
• Playdays – 1988–1997
• Alphabet Castle – 1993
• Tinysaurs – 2000

Theatre Work

Cole also worked on musical shows for the theatre. He collaborated with composer Paul Reade. They created a musical version of Aesop's fables. It was called A Feast of Fables. They also made the musical fairytale Cinderella. These shows were performed across the UK.

Music from His Shows

Music was a big part of Michael Cole's work. Several albums were released with songs from his TV shows.

• Ragtime - lyrics by Michael Cole, music by Peter Gosling. Released by BBC records in 1974.
• Heads and Tails - lyrics by Michael Cole, music by Derek Griffiths. Released by BBC records in 1980.
• Fingerbobs - lyrics by Michael Cole, music by Michael Jessett. Released by Trunk records in 2011.