Teddybears (TV series)
Five teddy bears and their dog in Bearbridge.
From 1998 to 2000, ITV aired Teddybears, a British children's show based on Susanna Gretz's books. It centered on five colorful teddy bears and their dog Fred. Produced by Meridian Broadcasting, it was often compared to Teletubbies, though aimed at an older audience.
Quick Facts
- Based on
- Teddybears series, Susanna Gretz and Alison Sage
- Developer
- Adrian Hedley
- Starring
- Cheryl Blaize
- Tigger Blaze
- Louise Conran
- Carl Matthewman
- Tim Hulse
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Series
- 3
- Episodes
- 39
- Executive producers
- Clarie Derry
- David Hamilton
- Dan Maddicott
Facts from the source article.
History
The programme is based on teddy bear books by Susanna Gretz and Alison Sage, the first published almost 30 years before the TV series. Its inaugural season began on 5 January 1998. Link Licensing, a United News & Media spinoff, began producing merchandise several months before the debut. In 2000, Link Licensing sold the rights to 26 episodes to the TV network Trio.
Comparison with Teletubbies
The producers stated Teddybears was not an immediate rival of Teletubbies, though the Daily Record considered it one and noted parallels. Teddybears characters eat hot cross buns, honey, pancakes, jelly and ice cream, while Teletubbies eat tubby toast and tubby custard. Teddybears aired on CITV and Teletubbies on BBC. The intended audience for Teddybears is older children. Media coverage of the similarities was intense.
Characters
The five teddybears are William (red, loves to cook), Sarah (orange, plays the mother role), Louise (green, the cheekiest), Robert (yellow, the youngest, often with a toy frog called Phillip), and Charles (black, the oldest, wise but stubborn). They live at No. 8 Green Street, Bearbridge, and wear brightly-coloured furry suits. Actress Louise Conran, who played Sarah, wore a lycra body suit with padding and thick costumes; masks were glued on, requiring actors to keep them on all day. Costumes were changed from the second series. The actors are adults playing child-sized bears on an oversized set. Fred is the Dalmatian. Puppeteers included Cheryl Blaize, Louise Conran, Tim Hulse, James O'Donnell, Carl Matthewman, John Tobias, Sarah Jane Honeywell, Rae Grant, Grant Mason, Simon Snellings, Kathy Ryan, Rebecca Clow, and Lee Crowley.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created Teddybears (TV series)?
Teddybears was created by Adrian Hedley.
Who stars in Teddybears (TV series)?
Teddybears stars Cheryl Blaize, Tigger Blaze, Louise Conran, Carl Matthewman and Tim Hulse.
How many episodes of Teddybears (TV series) are there?
Teddybears has 39 episodes across 3 seasons.
More in Television Shows Produced by Meridian Broadcasting
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