Brian Cosgrove

Brian Cosgrove
Born	Brian Joseph Cosgrove 1934 (age 80-81) England, U.K.
Nationality	English
Alma mater	Manchester College of Art and Design
Occupation	Animator, director, producer, designer, sculptor
Years active	1966–present
Notable work	Danger Mouse The Wind in the Willows Count Duckula The BFG

Brian Joseph Cosgrove (born 1934) is an English BAFTA Award winning director, producer, animator, designer and sculptor best known as the creator of the animated children shows Danger Mouse and Count Duckula.

Early life

Cosgrove studied at Manchester College of Art and Design, there he met his future work partner Mark Hall.

Career

Cosgrove started career by producing television graphics at Granada Television. He later on joined Stop Frame Productions, which Mark Hall founded, there he worked on many public service films, commercials for companies like TVTimes and directing and produced animated shows such as The Magic Ball and Sally And Jake.

After Stop Frame Productions was shut down both Cosgrove and Hall founded Cosgrove Hall Films there they produced some of the most well known animated children's shows and films in Britain such as Danger Mouse, Count Duckula, The Wind in the Willows, which would later become a 52-episode TV series, Noddy's Toyland Adventures, Bill and Ben and Fifi and the Flowertots until 2009.

In 1989, Cosgrove directed and produced the animated feature film The BFG, based on the Roald Dahl novel of the same name. According to Cosgrove, this is one the only adaptations, based on one of Roald Daul's novels, that Dahl himself actually liked.

When we finished, we ran a screening in Soho, and Dahl and his family came along. They were sitting at the back, and when the film finished they stood up and applauded. He could be quite vocal, Dahl, if he didn't like something. He didn't like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory at all, the 1971 Gene Wilder one. So it was a real relief that he liked our film.'

Since 2011, Cosgrove has been the creator and executive producer of Cosgrove Hall Fitzpatrick Entertainment.

Personal life

Cosgrove is good friends with actor and comedian David Jason, who has been a loyal collaborator with most of his projects.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Director	Producer	Animation/Art Department	Notes
1989	The BFG	Yes	Yes	Yes	Key animator, designer and background artist

Television

Year	Title	Director	Producer	Animation/Art Department	Notes
1966	Picture Box	Yes			Episodes: "A Calm Country River in Holland" "The Seaside Holiday"
1971-1972	The Magic Ball	Yes	Yes	Yes
1972	Captain Noah and His Floating Zoo	Yes	Yes		TV movie
	Rainbow			Yes	Episodes: "Shapes" "Farm Animals"
1975	Noddy	Yes	Yes
1976-1979	Chorlton and the Wheelies		Yes
	Jamie and the Magic Torch		Yes
1978	Captain Kremmen		Yes
	The Talking Parcel	Yes	Yes		TV movie
1979	Cinderella		Yes		TV movie
1980-1986	Cockleshell Bay		Yes
1981-1992	Danger Mouse	Yes	Yes	Yes	Animator
1981	The Pied Piper of Hamelin		Yes		TV short
1983	The Wind in the Willows		Yes	Yes	TV movie Model character/sculpture designer
1984-1990	The Wind in the Willows		Yes	Yes	Model character/sculpture designer
1988-1993	Count Duckula		Yes
1989-1990	Oh, Mr. Toad		Yes	Yes	Model character/sculpture designer
1991-1992	Victor and Hugo	Yes	Yes
1992	Noddy's Toyland Adventures		Yes		Executive producer
	On Christmas Eve	Yes	Yes		TV movie
	Truckers		Yes		Executive producer
1995	Fantomcat	Yes	Yes
1995	Oakie Doke		Yes
1996	Sooty's Amazing Adventures		Yes	Yes	Executive producer Designer
1997	Captain Star			Yes	Animation producer
1999	Lavender Castle		Yes		Executive producer
2014-2015	Pip Ahoy!		Yes

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Title	Result
1983	BAFTA Award	Best Children's Programme (Entertainment/Drama)	Danger Mouse	Nominated
1984				Nominated
		Best Animated Film	The Wind in the Willows	Nominated
			Danger Mouse	Nominated
		Best Children's Programme (Entertainment/Drama)	The Wind in the Willows	Won
1985			The Wind in the Willows	Nominated
		Best Animated Film		Nominated
			Danger Mouse	Nominated
	CableACE Award	Children's Programming Series	Danger Mouse	Nominated
1986	BAFTA Award	Best Children's Programme (Entertainment/Drama)	The Wind in the Willows	Nominated
			Danger Mouse	Nominated
		Best Short Animated Film	Alias the Jester	Won
			The Wind in the Willows	Nominated
			Danger Mouse	Nominated
1987		Best Animated Film	The Wind in the Willows	Nominated
			Danger Mouse	Nominated
1988		Best Short Animated Film	The Wind in the Willows	Nominated
	CableACE Award	Children's Entertainment Special or Series - 8 and Younger		Nominated
1989				Nominated
1990	BAFTA Award	Best Children's Programme (Entertainment/Drama)	The BFG	Nominated

External links

• Brian Cosgrove at the Internet Movie Database