Teletubbies creator Anne Wood
The real story
Wood grew up in a colliery village near County Durham during the Second World War. Despite not having much access to literature as a child, she self-published her own magazine, Books For Children, and founded the Federation Of Children's Books Groups, which caught the attention of TV producers.
A stint at Yorkshire Television and TV-AM saw her create her first show Rub-A-Dub-Tub before a change of management saw her set up her own production company, where she created the likes of Rosie And Jim.
Teletubbies came about when, during a trip stateside to try to break America, Wood and Tots TV puppeteer Andrew Davenport visited Washington's National Air And Space Museum and noticed that astronauts walking on the moon resembled giant babies. The idea was cemented when Wood's mother, who suffered from MS and was in a wheelchair, commented that there were so many domestic devices beeping while Wood had popped out to the shops and so realised, Thats the atmosphere that little kids are growing up in. The Teletubbies became "technological babies, living in a technological environment.
Since then, Wood has worked on other hit shows In The Night Garden and Twirlywoos, and is still developing ideas today at the age of 82.
The Hollywood pitch
The year is 1996 and technology is everywhere: picture commuters rushing around listening to Walkmans, the BBC launching one of its first websites to document the Olympic Games and school children playing with Tamagotchis under their desks. Meanwhile, after 20 years working in childrens TV, Anne Wood is juggling looking after her ill mother with managing her own production company and fighting the influx of American shows on British childrens TV. Space travel, tech and transatlantic media collide as Wood adapts to a changing world, but will it be enough to save the UK's children's programming from an American takeover?
Tagline
Time for Tubby bye-bye? She's only just getting started
Who would play Anne Wood?
"It would have to be someone with a bit of acerbic-ness about them. Meryl Streep, lets say," says Wood.
The real story
Over the course of his career, Keith Chapman has dreamed up two of the biggest children's TV shows of all time, Bob The Builder and Paw Patrol, the former making 5 billion since it was created and the latter doubling that figure in the past six years alone.
Describing his life as one big cartoon, Chapman was always drawing as a child and his first cartoons got published in a local newspaper when he was just 12 years old. He went on to study graphic illustration at art college, after which he went to work in advertising, before moving to work for the Muppets' creator, Jim Henson.
Every night, he'd go home and work on his own ideas, testing them out on his three young boys. The character they'd always want to hear more of was, of course, Bob, who Chapman dreamed up after he saw a JCB outside his flat in Wimbledon Village. He pitched the idea to HIT Entertainment, who optioned the show and turned it into the stop-frame classic we're all now familiar with. From beating Westlife to a Christmas No1 with Can We Fix It?" to shows at the O2, the success of Bob The Builder was unprecedented and gave Chapman the opportunity to start his own company, Chapman Entertainment, which created shows such as Rory The Racing Car and Fifi And The Flowertots.
Unfortunately, the company was one of many to be hit by the Great Recession and eventually had to close down, with the bank selling the rights to their properties to Dreamworks. Paw Patrol came about a few years later when Chapman was approached by toy company Spin Master to create a show based on emergency vehicles and since then it's become a worldwide success. The work doesn't stop there, though. Currently Chapman has about 15 projects in the works, ranging from adult cartoons to feature-length films.
The Hollywood pitch
Christmas No1s, sold-out shows at the O2, billions of pounds' worth of merchandise sales: Keith Chapman is at the top of his game, riding high on the success of his hit show Bob The Builder and his growing production company. But nothing lasts for ever. Can he pick up the pieces after he's hit by hard times during the recession? A tale of resilience and creativity, there's only one thing that save him: his imagination.
Tagline
Life is one big cartoon. How you draw it is up to you.
Who would play Keith Chapman?
Sometimes people say that look like Alec Baldwin," says Chapman. "I cant see it myself, but a few people have so maybe him. Of course, he wouldnt get the accent, so it would have to be a British actor: Gary Oldman, hes a brilliant actor. Hes got London roots so hell probably get the accent.
Born in Leeds but raised in Liverpool, Brenton's childhood was spent playing outside and watching shows such as Danger Mouse, Grange Hill, Crackerjack and Play Away. Like Chapman, he also went to art college, but followed that up with a stint at drama college, where he and a friend set up a theatre company to pay the bills, often staging shows for children.
Eventually, Brenton landed a gig presenting on Playbus, where he copresented with Iain Lauchlan, who would later become his business partner. This is also where he learnt to write and direct and the pair began to write and perform in pantomimes in Coventry.
Their Bafta-winning show Tweenies was born when the duo got wind that the BBC had invited companies to pitch ideas for a follow-up from Teletubbies for a slightly older audience. While waiting in the wings at a production of Cinderella, ready to take the stage as an ugly step sister, he took his chance and asked the then director of BBC Children's, Roy Thompson, if he and Lauchlan could pitch an idea. The pair had already been creating a series of videos called Fun Song Factory, so this was the natural next step. Thompson sent them a brief and the pair got to work creating ideas until they won the slot. It was the Tweenies' first live tour that made the success of the show really sink in for Brenton. That year we sold more tickets than Robbie Williams and Britney Spears put together. It was huge.
The Hollywood pitch
Life as an aspiring young actor can be tough, but if you come at the industry from all directions, it might just let you in. Will Brenton becomes a multi-hyphenate long before millennials made it the norm, in a story that shows that determination and ingenuity can go a long way. Going from Coventry pantomimes to tours that sold more tickets than Robbie Williams and Britney Spears combined, Brenton's journey is far from conventional, but aren't those always the best kind of rides?
Tagline
Are you ready to play?
Who would play Will Brenton?
I asked my wife this and she said David Thewlis," says Brenton. "When I was still acting I was offered a part in a Yorkshire TV series called A Bit Of A Do, but I couldnt do it because I was doing a theatre show. The actor who ended up doing it was David Thewlis. It was his first TV part and it kicked everything off for him. He played it better than I would have done, but we were laughing about that, saying how it would be ironic if he would then one day play me in a movie.
Daniel Kaluuya: 'Everyone that grew up on my estate, theyre not there any more'
Why hasnt Curb Your Enthusiasm faced a woke backlash yet?
Is Narcos: Mexico too real for its own good?
All products featured on the website are independently selected by our Editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Read this article:
The British children's show creators worthy of the biopic treatment - British GQ
- A Real Life Hibernation Chamber is Being Made For Deep Space Travel - Futurism - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Humans to be FROZEN IN TIME for space travel as scientists move to COLONISE other planets - Express.co.uk - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Space flight changes astronauts' brains, research reveals - Fox News - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Space travel changes DNA, study finds - STLtoday.com - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Space travel visionaries solve the problem of interstellar slowdown ... - Science Daily - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Quantum Entanglement May Be Key To Long Distance Space Travel Ex Lockheed Exec Said It's Already Happening - Collective Evolution - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Is This Buzz Aldrin-Inspired Locomotive The Future Of Space Travel? - Forbes - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Celestial bodies: The Kelly twins offer a vital sign for space travel ... - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Space travel visionaries solve the problem of interstellar slowdown at Alpha Centauri - Phys.Org - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Newspaper review: Heartthrob and space travel in Wednesday's papers - BBC News - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Another View: NASA's Twins Study offers vital sign for space travel - Press Herald - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Piece of tragic shuttle history gets a second chance at space travel - WQAD.com - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Meet Shawn Pandya, The Third Indian-Origin Woman To Space-Travel - Huffington Post India - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Shawna Pandya clears the air on rumours of space travel - Daily News & Analysis - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- The Expanse and Frankie Adams: Meet the Kiwi who's conquered space travel - Stuff.co.nz - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Did a CSU study find that space travel makes you younger? Not so ... - The Denver Post - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Twins study offers valuable data on space travel - Herald-Whig - - Herald-Whig - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- The Expanse and Frankie Adams: Meet the Kiwi who's conquered space travel - Waikato Times - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Kelly twins offer a vital sign for space travel - San Angelo Standard Times - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Lacoste delves into the world of space travel at New York Fashion Week as Baptista honours founder's lesser-known ... - Evening Standard - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- NASA's Irish Twins Study reveals first results of space travel on humans - IrishCentral - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Starbound to revamp space travel in future update - PC Gamer - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- How Does Long-Term Space Travel Affect Humans? - Voice of America - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- A VR Company is Attempting to Make Holographic Videos for Space Travel - Mobile Magazine - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Two-Time Space Traveling Astronaut to Speak at Black History ... - Patriots Point - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Make space travel great again: NASA, heeding Trump, may add astronauts to a test flight moon mission - National Post - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- In recently unearthed essay, Winston Churchill anticipated space travel and extraterrestrial life - The Providence Journal - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Twins in space: intergalactic travel could change DNA - The Student - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- An unearthed essay reveals Winston Churchill anticipated space travel and aliens - Stuff.co.nz - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- Focus Friday: The necessity of space travel - The Daily Cougar - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- NASA announces $2m investment on technology advancement for deep space travel - WDSU New Orleans - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- Focus Friday: The necessity of space travel - The Daily Cougar - The Daily Cougar - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- Ask Ethan: How Can I Travel Through Space Without Getting Into Trouble? - Forbes - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- Do You Have The Right Personality For Long-Term Space Travel ... - Seeker - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- In recently unearthed essay, Winston Churchill anticipated space travel and extraterrestrial life - Washington Post - February 18th, 2017 [February 18th, 2017]
- UK bids to be world leader in Space travel by 2020 - Daily Star - February 20th, 2017 [February 20th, 2017]
- Know before you fly: privatized space travel - Observer Online - February 21st, 2017 [February 21st, 2017]
- You could fly to SPACE from the UK within three years as plans are for space port are unveiled - The Sun - February 21st, 2017 [February 21st, 2017]
- Cosmic cinema: spurring interest in real-life space travel? - Miami Student - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- Commercial space travel could be ready as early as 2020 - New York Post - February 22nd, 2017 [February 22nd, 2017]
- This Finnish startup democratizes space travel and it just raised over 3 million to find the next 'Slumdog ... - Business Insider Nordic - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Commercial space travel WITHIN THREE YEARS on flights to launch from BRITAIN - Express.co.uk - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Katherine Johnson led African American efforts in space travel - Farm and Dairy - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- Space travel is measured in light years, but what's a light year anyway? - MyStatesman.com - February 23rd, 2017 [February 23rd, 2017]
- TRAPPIST-1: How Long Would It Take to Fly to 7-Planet System? - Space.com - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- NASA Looking for Bright Ideas to Help With Space Travel - Tech.Co - February 24th, 2017 [February 24th, 2017]
- The history of space travel encapsulated - Fairfaxtimes.com - February 25th, 2017 [February 25th, 2017]
- SpaceX's reusable rockets make space travel much cheaper - The ... - CMU The Tartan Online - February 27th, 2017 [February 27th, 2017]
- Stars align for space travel at memorable Oscars ceremony - Siliconrepublic.com - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- FSU researcher to lead US-Russia project on health, space travel - Florida State News - February 28th, 2017 [February 28th, 2017]
- Crowding the cosmos: space travel turns private - The Student - March 1st, 2017 [March 1st, 2017]
- Forget SpaceX: 10 companies that will change space travel in 2017 & 2018 - Geektime - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- Safe space travel: Protecting alien worlds from earthlings - and vice versa - Deutsche Welle - March 2nd, 2017 [March 2nd, 2017]
- Watch: 'Black Holes' A Satirical Comedy About Space Travel From Sundance 2017 - Konbini US - March 3rd, 2017 [March 3rd, 2017]
- Doctor Launches Vision Quest To Help Astronauts' Eyeballs - NPR - March 4th, 2017 [March 4th, 2017]
- Beyond Earth talking about space travel - Alaska Public Radio Network - March 4th, 2017 [March 4th, 2017]
- Would You Book A Flight To The Moon? - The Alternative Daily (blog) - March 6th, 2017 [March 6th, 2017]
- Colorado Likely To Benefit From Privatized Space Travel - CBS Local - March 6th, 2017 [March 6th, 2017]
- NEC develops reliable FPGAs for space travel - Electronics Weekly - Electronics Weekly - March 8th, 2017 [March 8th, 2017]
- 4 Entrepreneurs Changing the Way We Think About Space Travel - Tech.Co - March 9th, 2017 [March 9th, 2017]
- Why Space Travel Can Be Absolutely Disgusting - Live Science - March 9th, 2017 [March 9th, 2017]
- EDITORIAL: Exploring private space travel - Indiana Daily Student - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- Harvard Scientists Theorize That Fast Radio Bursts Come From Alien Space Travel - Popular Mechanics - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- Space Exploration: US congress approves $19.5 billion for NASA to get humans to Mars by 2033 - NTA News - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- MIT Conference To Focus On Space Travel For The Public - CBS Boston / WBZ - March 11th, 2017 [March 11th, 2017]
- Reusing rockets is best way to advance space travel, SpaceX officer tells symposium attendees - Colorado Springs Gazette - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- How space travel leads to cognitive shifts in awareness | Life and ... - The Guardian - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Cheap space travel, electric cars and a whirlwind love life love life... the billionaire genius inventing our future - Mirror.co.uk - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Reusable rockets key for space travel industry - Alamogordo Daily News - April 8th, 2017 [April 8th, 2017]
- Is this massive airplane the future of space travel? One billionaire thinks so. - SOFREP (press release) (subscription) - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- spotlight - NYCAviation - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- BBC commissions documentary about commercial space travel fronted by Brian Cox - Radio Times - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- The Physics of Interstellar Travel : Explorations in ... - June 6th, 2017 [June 6th, 2017]
- Mars rover scientist, SpaceX engineer join NASA astronaut corps - Reuters - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- How SpaceX Launched a Chinese Experiment Into Space, Despite US Ban - Foreign Policy (blog) - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- 'Blast Camp' gives students lessons on space travel - Fremont News Messenger - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- IKEA looks to space travel for new micro-living furniture collection - Dezeen - June 7th, 2017 [June 7th, 2017]
- HPE's next frontier: Space travel & memory-driven computing - IT Brief Australia - June 8th, 2017 [June 8th, 2017]
- 20 Out-Of-This-World Companies Working On Space Travel Technologies - Interesting Engineering - June 12th, 2017 [June 12th, 2017]
- Here's how space travel is helping keep you healthy - Eyewitness News - June 12th, 2017 [June 12th, 2017]