Jane Hissey's Old Bear


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Jane Hissey's Little Bear
Old Bear Wikipedia

  Old Bear Stories by Jane Hissey

    Old Bear Stories TV theme song
    written and performed by Paul Castle


    
           pause : play 'Old Bear Stories' (TV theme song) by Paul Castle

    Download now from Paul Castle - Hold Out for Summer - EP - Old Bear Stories TV Theme Song/ Amazon.com / Amazon.co.uk

    Paul Castle's theme song to the award-winning children's
    TV series of Jane Hissey's Old Bear Stories, featuring Paul
    on lead vocals, acoustic guitar and keyboards, with Mat Fox
    (ex Barely Works) on hammered dulcimer and Alison Goldfrapp
    (of Goldfrapp) on harmony vocals (see full line-up/links below)

    Old Bear Stories - 39 x 10 minute episodes + an extended
    Christmas Special, originally for Carlton Television (UK) /
    ITV Network and since broadcast in over 70 countries. The
    series has recently been
repeated in the UK on Channel Five's
    'Milkshake'.


    TV Series Director: Kevin Griffiths (animation workshops)
    Produced by Richard Randolph for Ealing Animation and
    Peter Gillbe for Optomen Television
   
    Narrated by Anton Rodgers

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    Old Bear Appreciation Society
    Bring Back Old Bear Stories!!
    Old Bear



    Awards

    BAFTA - Best Children's Television Programme 1993
    Royal Television Society - Best Children's Series 1994
    New York Film Festival - Gold Medal 1993
    Chicago Film Festival - Silver Plaque 1993
    Prix Jeunesse - 2nd Prize, Best Children's 1994
    Awards of Excellence (Home Video)
    Winner 1993 - 'Old Bear and Friends'
    Winner 1995 - 'Ruff' Royal Television Society 1995
    Nomination - Best Children's Entertainment -
    British Animation Awards 1996
    Nomination - Best Children's Series
    Chicago International Children's Film Festival 1995 -
    Outstanding Achievement


Jane Hissey's Old Bear

Paul Castle with Little Bear, the BAFTA and Old Bear
Old Bear theme songwriter
Paul Castle, with Little Bear,
Old Bear and the 1993 'Best
Children's Programme' BAFTA

Listen
broadband / dial-up


Theme song musicians
Paul Castle
vocals, acoustic guitar & keyboards
Mat Fox - hammered dulcimer
Bob Winquist - viola
Ian Pressland - cello
Barbara Bolte - oboe
Alison Goldfrapp - vocals


Paul Castle CD - Hold out for summer (PDC Music)

"Hold out for summer"
(A 6 track CD EP including
'Old Bear Stories Theme Song')

CD now available from
PDC Music

or download from
Paul Castle - Hold Out for Summer - EP
Amazon.com / Amazon.co.uk
    Reviews

    "It may not have had the hype of Middlemarch or
    Martin Chuzzlewit, nor been discussed at length on
    arts programmes and in the columns of Sunday
    supplements, but the series of Jane Hissey's Old Bear
    Stories have soared since they were televised. There is
    something about television that makes us want to read
    the book, however old or young we are... Far from
    preventing children from reading, therefore, it often
    encourages them. They want to revisit a programme
    that they have enjoyed."
    Dr. Bethan Marshall, The Times (12/94)

    "Carlton also had its first Number One in the kids' chart,
     Old Bear (Christmas Special)."
     Broadcast (1/94)


    "As is so often the case with this kind of British series,
    the translation is perfect, right down to the last worn
    thread of fur....From the opening bars of its hummable
    theme, "Old Bear and Friends" carries the viewer away
    downstream, with gentle characters and stories, and the
    warm, cossetting tones of Anton Rodgers' narration.
    Little wonder the series picked up a BAFTA and
    animation awards around the globe."
    Toonhound
    see full review @ www.toonhound.com/oldbear.htm

    "World-weary sophisticates of 14 or so are quite capable
    of coming over all soppy at the sound of the Old Bear
    signature tune.."
    The Daily Mail (8/95)

    "Pick of the Day....no wonder the series has won
    innumerable awards."
    Daily Telegraph (12/97)

    "Has deservedly chalked up Bafta and RTS awards...
    the secret is its simple charm..."
    Mail on Sunday (12/97)

     "...magical animation.."
    Radio Times (12/97)
    
    "Delightful tales...requested again and again...very true to
    the books."
    Parents (12/93)

    "Youngsters will be captivated by the enchanting
    value-packed Old Bear & Friends video."
    Woman & Home (11/93)

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