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 1988, based on characters from Kenneth Grahame's classic 1908 novel The Wind in the Willows and following the 1983 feature-length pilot film.
The series continued from where the film left off, and original voice cast members David Jason, Richard Pearson and Michael Hordern returned. However, Ian Carmichael who had previously voiced Rat in the film, was now cast as the narrator, and Rat's voice was replaced 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, and a fifth season of 13 episodes was shown in 1990 under the title Oh, Mr. Toad in some countries, whilst retaining the title The Wind in the Willows in others.

Cast

Main characters
Recurring characters
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 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 Wily 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.

Episode list

Series 1 (1984)

Series 2 (1985/1986)

Series 3 (1986/1987)

Series 4 (1987/1988)

International showings

VHS/DVD (Region 2)

VHS
DVD
1. Classic Willows Tales - 1. The Yuletide Entertainment, 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.
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.