Astro Farm

Lore & Background

The main action takes place on an asteroid dedicated to farming. The Foxwoods live in a small cottage with a barn, while Daisy the cow lives on a separate farm. The atmosphere is artificial and controlled by the weather machine in the cottage. The Gorups live on a nearby asteroid known as 'Gorp Dale', which is dark and wet. Principal characters include Sam, his wife Lizzie, their son Tom, Dinko the dog, Daisy the cow, and blue chickens called Clucks. Other characters include the Gorups, Splodger and Biff, two miscreants who steal food and cause trouble at the farm.

Reader's Guide

Astro Farm ran for five series from 1992 to 1996, with episodes airing on CITV. The series was repeated on CITV until 1996 and then aired on Nickelodeon in 1997, though Nickelodeon aired only the first series, as it was the only one remastered by CINAR after it acquired FilmFair London. In the United Kingdom, in 1992, Pickwick Video originally released two VHS tapes of the series, containing Series 1 episodes, reissued in 1995 by Carlton Home Entertainment. The show represents a notable example of British stop-motion children's television from the early 1990s, combining space-age settings with traditional farming themes.

Did You Know?

• The series was produced by FilmFair for Central Independent Television.
• The atmosphere on the asteroid is artificial and controlled by a weather machine in the cottage.
• Nickelodeon aired only the first series in 1997, as it was the only one remastered by CINAR.
• Two VHS tapes of the series were originally released by Pickwick Video in 1992.

Production & Creative Vision

Astro Farm stands as a distinctive entry in British children's television, crafted entirely through stop-motion animation rather than the more common drawn or digital methods of its era. The series was developed by FilmFair for Central Independent Television, with its debut broadcast landing on CITV in 1992. What sets the show apart from other farming-themed children's programmes is its cosmic setting: the Foxwood family tends their crops not on a rolling English countryside but on a small asteroid blanketed in farmland. The atmosphere surrounding their home is entirely artificial, regulated by a weather machine housed inside their modest cottage. This controlled environment gives the world a self-contained, almost laboratory-like quality, while the nearby asteroid known as Gorp Dale presents a stark contrast with its dark, perpetually wet conditions. The combination of pastoral domesticity and outer-space isolation creates a uniquely charming backdrop that distinguishes Astro Farm from both traditional farm shows and conventional sci-fi animation.

Characters & World

At the heart of Astro Farm is the Foxwood household: Sam and his wife Lizzie, their young son Tom, and their loyal dog Dinko. Together they manage a small cottage and barn on their farming asteroid, while Daisy the cow keeps to a separate farm nearby. The family's poultry consists of blue chickens affectionately called Clucks, adding a splash of colour to the otherwise earthy palette of the farm. The world beyond the Foxwoods' home introduces a cast of recurring neighbours and antagonists. The Gorups, a group of creatures dwelling on the gloomy, rain-soaked asteroid of Gorp Dale, serve as a contrasting community to the Foxwoods' tidy operation. Perhaps the most persistent source of trouble comes from Splodger and Biff, a pair of miscreants whose defining trait is their habit of stealing food and causing general mischief at the farm. Their presence ensures that even the most peaceful farming day can quickly spiral into comedic chaos, giving the series a reliable engine for its episodic adventures.

Broadcast Run & Episode History

Astro Farm ran for five series between 1992 and 1996, with new episodes airing on a weekly schedule each autumn and winter. The inaugural series of thirteen episodes premiered on 11 September 1992 and ran through December, covering a wide range of farm-based adventures from weather mishaps to a tomato competition. Series 2 followed in October 1993 with eleven episodes, introducing stories like a rocket-building Biff and a wild Martian tiger. By Series 3 in 1994, the show had settled into a nine-episode format, featuring tales such as Magic Onions and a crow-twin mystery. Series 4 in 1995 delivered ten episodes including a Pied Piper storyline set in Gorp Dale and a cowboy-themed Tom adventure. The final series, broadcast in 1996, offered ten episodes with titles ranging from Pigs Might Fly to Tom and the Beanstalk, the latter clearly nodding to classic fairy-tale storytelling. Across all five series, the show maintained its weekly cadence, giving young viewers a dependable autumn tradition on CITV.

Legacy & Home Media

Beyond its original CITV run, Astro Farm found a second life through repeat broadcasts and international syndication. The series continued to be repeated on CITV until 1996, keeping it in rotation for a full four years after its debut. In 1997, Nickelodeon picked up the show for its own schedule, though the American broadcast was limited to the first series alone. This restriction stemmed from a corporate reshuffle: CINAR acquired FilmFair London and undertook a remastering of the studio's catalogue, but only Series 1 received that treatment, making it the sole series available for the Nickelodeon run. In the United Kingdom, home video availability was modest but present. Pickwick Video released two VHS tapes in 1992 containing Series 1 episodes, and these were later reissued in 1995 by Carlton Home Entertainment. The fact that only the first series was ever remastered or widely distributed on home media means that for many fans, the later four series remain accessible primarily through their original television broadcasts, lending the show a certain scarcity that has only deepened its appeal among collectors.

Gallery