The Wind in the Willows (TV series)
The Wind in the Willows is a British stop motion animated television series that was originally broadcast between 1984 and 1987, based on characters from Kenneth Grahame's 1908 novel "The Wind in the Willows" and following the 1983 feature-length pilot film. The series continues from where the film left off, and original voice cast members David Jason, Richard Pearson and Michael Hordern return. However, Ian Carmichael who had previously voiced Rat in the film, has now been cast as the narrator, and Rat is now played by Peter Sallis. The series  was made by Manchester-based animation company Cosgrove Hall for Thames Television and shown on the ITV network. An hour-long feature, "A Tale of Two Toads", was broadcast in 1989. It ran for 5 seasons with the final season airing in 1990 under the title "Oh, Mr. Toad", with a different theme song. In some countries, the original title is retained in the fifth season and all seasons were packaged together as "The Wind in the Willows" on DVD. Cast. The series stars David Jason as Toad and the Chief Weasel, Michael Hordern as Badger, Peter Sallis as Rat  (replacing Ian Carmichael who voiced Rat in the original 1983 film, though Carmichael remained in the series, having been re-cast as the narrator), and Richard Pearson as Mole. The Chief Weasel was almost always accompanied by his bumbling henchman, who was referred to in two separate episodes,"The Rescue" and "The Paperchase", as Bert. Characters. Main characters Background. The series is sometimes misidentified as being filmed in claymation. The method used by Cosgrove Hall is a stop-motion animation process using scale model sets and posable character figurines. The figurines are composed of an articulate metal skeleton (armature) covered in  latex rubber, providing the flexibility and the detail which distinguishes the series. The series is set at "The Riverbank", a mythical location somewhere in Berkshire. The Riverbank is where Ratty, Mole and Toad live. Nearby is the Wild Wood, where Badger and the Weasels live. Each episode has a unique story line, although there are some common themes running throughout the series. In series 4, the humans start building a new railway that is planned to be built through the area where the animals live. The show teaches children about the destruction of forests and animals' natural habits. The railway  gets closer and closer to the animals' homes, yet in the episode "Happy New Year" it turns out that the railway would be travelling under unsuitable land, and therefore the route is diverted from the Riverbank & Wild Wood areas. Music. The popular theme song is based on the instrumental theme to the original film, which had been composed by Keith Hopwood and Malcolm Rowe and arranged by Brian Ibbetson. For the series, the song was adapted by the same composers and arranger and was sung by British singer-songwriter Ralph McTell. The Stone Roses guitarist John Squire also worked on  this series, but as a prop maker, not a musician. Home releases. VHS/DVD (Region 2). VHS VHS Compilations DVD 1. Classic Willows Tales – 1. The Yuletide Entertainment (cut version), 2. Caught in a Maze, 3. Grand Annual Show, 4. Badger's Remedy. 2. Typical Toad – 1. Mercury of the Motor bicycle, 2. Burglary at Toad Hall, 3. Fire at Toad Hall, 4. Patient: Toad. 3. Ratty and Mole:Chums For Life – 1. The Ghost at Mole End, 2. The Great Steamer, 3. The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, 4. The Storm. 4. Champion of the Willows – 1. Paper  Chase, 2. The Great Golfing Gamble, 3. Champion of the Green Baize, 4. Winter Sports. 5. Those Wily Weasels – 1. The Weasels' Trap, 2. The Rescue, 3. Unlikely Allies, 4. Fancy-Dress. 6. Wise Old Badger – 1. Buried Treasure, 2. Harvest, 3. School Days, 4. A Producer's Lot. These DVDs are now out of print and are very rare to find but can be found on eBay every so often. DVD (Region 1). In North America, home media distribution of both the show and the movie were handled by A&E Home Entertainment, under license from Thames, talkbackTHAMES, FremantleMedia International  and FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment. Previously the film had already been made available on VHS from HBO Video under license from Thames.