"Teletubbies" (1997) TV series 1997-2001

Creator:

Andrew Davenport
(more)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

6 April 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Fantasy | Musical

Tagline:

Based on a true story.

Plot:

In this television show for babies, the four colourful Teletubbies coo and play in idyllic Teletubbyland...

Plot Keywords:

Baby | Telephone | Sun | Pinwheel | Meadow

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Jessica Smith	...	Sun Baby (333 episodes, 1997-2001)
John Simmit	...	Dipsy (226 episodes, 1997-2001)
Nikky Smedley	...	Laa-Laa (226 episodes, 1997-2001)
Pui Fan Lee	...	Po (226 episodes, 1997-2001)
Tim Whitnall	...	Narrator / ... (226 episodes, 1997-2001)
Eric Sykes	...	Additional Voice / ... (226 episodes, 1997-2001)
Toyah Willcox	...	Additional Voices (226 episodes, 1997-2001)
Mark Heenehan	...	Tinky-Winky / ... (186 episodes, 1997-2001)

Series Directed by
Paul Gawith		(6 episodes, 1998-2001)
Vic Finch		(3 episodes, 1999-2000)
Andrew Davenport		(2 episodes, 1999-2000)
David Hiller		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Andrew Davenport		(12 episodes, 1998-2001)
Anne Wood		(12 episodes, 1998-2001)

Series Produced by
Mary Pyke	....	line producer (9 episodes, 1998-2001)
Anne Wood	....	producer (9 episodes, 1998-2001)
Andrew Davenport	....	co-executive producer (unknown episodes, 1999-2000)
Sue James	....	supervising producer (unknown episodes, 1999-2000)

Series Original Music by
Andrew McCrorie-Shand		(7 episodes, 1999-2001)

Series Film Editing by
Lee Phillips		(330 episodes, 1997-2001)
David Barry		(320 episodes, 1997-2001)
Simon Cruse		(6 episodes, 1999-2000)
Gordon Burton		(5 episodes, 1998-2000)
Jonathan Birkett		(5 episodes, 1999-2001)
John Cryer		(3 episodes, 1998-2000)
Michael Holliday		(2 episodes, 2000-2001)

Series Production Design by
Julian Fullalove		(335 episodes, 1997-2001)
Robert Berk		(10 episodes, 1998-2001)

Series Art Direction by
John McHugh		(20 episodes, 1997)

Series Costume Design by
Niki Lyons		(8 episodes, 1998-2000)

Series Production Management
Edwin Wyatt	....	post-production manager / production manager (214 episodes, 1997-2000)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Siobhan O'Donnell	....	assistant director (5 episodes, 1999-2001)
Alan Conley	....	assistant director (3 episodes, 1999-2001)

Series Art Department
John West	....	scenic artist (1 episode, 1997)

Series Sound Department
Sandy Buchanan	....	adr recordist (330 episodes, 1997-2001)
Chris Downes	....	sound dubbing mixer (330 episodes, 1997-2001)
Timothy Vine	....	dubbing mixer (13 episodes, 1998-2001)
Nicolas Le Messurier	....	dubbing mixer (10 episodes, 1998-2001)
Brendan Nicholson	....	dubbing mixer (4 episodes, 1999-2000)
Richard Pilcher	....	additional sound (2 episodes, 1997)

Series Stunts
Tom Delmar	....	stunt coordinator (unknown episodes)

Series Camera and Electrical Department
Ian Nelson	....	camera operator (335 episodes, 1997-2001)
Rob Carter	....	camera operator (34 episodes, 2000-2001)
Joe Finan	....	assistant camera (unknown episodes)

Series Animation Department
Craig Zerouni	....	animator (1 episode, 1999)
Sheila Dunn	....	animator (1 episode, 2000)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Beth Ferdinando	....	wardrobe supervisor (13 episodes, 1998-2001)

Series Editorial Department
Steven Hollis	....	first assistant editor (214 episodes, 1997-1998)
Ros Cook	....	post-production coordinator (7 episodes, 1999-2001)
Lynne Hawkins	....	post-production coordinator (6 episodes, 1999-2001)
Annette Cunningham	....	post-production coordinator (3 episodes, 1998-2000)

Series Music Department
Andrew McCrorie-Shand	....	musical director (3 episodes, 1998-1999)

Series Other crew
Sue James	....	head of production (9 episodes, 1999-2001)
Elke-Louise Crump	....	script supervisor (6 episodes, 1999-2000)
Nicky Hinkley	....	choreographer (4 episodes, 1999-2000)
Sue Pethybridge	....	script supervisor (2 episodes, 1998-1999)
Wendy Hardie	....	location director (2 episodes, 1999-2000)
Lesley Hutchison	....	location director (2 episodes, 1999-2000)

Production Companies

• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
• Ragdoll Productions

Distributors

• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1998) (USA) (all media)
• Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) (1999) (Australia) (TV)
• Best Film (2004) (Poland) (DVD)
• Bontonfilm (2004) (Czech Republic) (DVD)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (1997-) (UK) (TV)
• Buena Vista Home Entertainment (2003-2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Buena Vista Home Video (1999-2005) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Canal+ (2000) (France) (TV)
• Canal+ (1999) (Poland) (TV)
• DNC Entertainment (2003) (Italy) (DVD)
• Evangelische Omroep (EO) (1998-????) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Jetix (1999) (Spain) (TV)
• Manga Films (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• Nordisk Film Biografdistribution (2004) (Denmark) (DVD)
• Nordisk Film (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• Nordisk Film (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• PBS Home Video (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• PBS Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Pictures (2003) (Portugal) (DVD)
• Paramount Pictures (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• PlayArte Home Vídeo (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Rede Globo de Televisão (1999) (Brazil) (TV)
• Roadshow Entertainment (2002) (Australia) (DVD)
• SF Norge A/S (2003) (Norway) (DVD)
• TV2 Norge (1998) (Norway) (TV)
• Teleac/NOT (1998-????) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Televisie Radio Omroep Stichting (TROS) (1998-????) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Tiglon (200?) (Turkey) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures France (UPF) (2001) (France) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2001) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• International Stunt Company, The  stunt services and rentals

Also Known As:

Runtime:

28 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Welsh

Color:

Color

Certification:

Brazil:Livre | Norway:A | Denmark:A | Mexico:AA | Netherlands:AL | Argentina:Atp | Sweden:Btl | Germany:o.Al. | Finland:S | France:U | UK:Uc | Australia:G | Canada:G | USA:TV-Y

Filming Locations:

Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

When production finished, the BBC had commissioned a total of 367 episodes - enough for every day of the year. It was decided that, as the target audience changes so quickly, more episodes were not needed

Quotes:

Additional Voices:I'm the bear, I'm the bear, with brown fuzzy hair. I'm hiding from the lion, but he doesn't know where!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Drawn Together: Wooldoor Sockbat's Giggle-Wiggle Funny Tickle Non-Traditional Progressive Multicultural Roundtable! (#3.2)" (2006)

Freakish!

This is simply the WEIRDEST kiddie show I have ever seen...just looky at all those phone-poles that pop up from everywhere. Reminds me of my old humidifier that sat on my dresser when I was a toddler. It looked just like a little UFO in the dark and it scared the living daylights out of me even at such a young age. The same thing goes for "Noo-Noo", that bizarre-looking vacuum-cleaner with wriggling light-up eyes and a long sucking trunk. That thing would frighten the poor little tots half to death!

The aliens themselves are curiously portrayed as parentless kitten-faced infants with hare lips and monkey ears that bodily fell from the outer space and forever lost in a rustic paradise with all the hopping bunnies and plastic flowers. They squeak, wriggle, and hug each other for all eternity to come...they certainly act like they don't have any brains in their skulls. And the baby sun...such BRIGHT blue eyes...would giggle and look around as if it doesn't have anything better to do. The big pink pinwheel spins, sprinkling shiny pink stars to stupefy the pot-bellied creatures into delirious submission.

The worse thing of all is how the clippings of tykes doing everyday stuff are forever repeated in the aliens' fat tummies as if the watchers don't know any better...whether they just got off their mother's breasts or not.