Rating:
8.5/10 by 3 users
Old Bear Stories (1993)
Old Bear Stories was a BAFTA award winning stop frame animation television series for children based on the Old Bear and Friends books by Jane Hissey. Jane Hissey also created the television series, starting it on 24 September 1993, and creating 3 seasons, which ended on 24 December 1997 with a double-length Christmas special. In all, 41 episodes were made. The series was produced by Ealing Animation and was originally broadcast in the United Kingdom on ITV. Episodes have subsequently been repeated on Channel 5 in the UK, and are also broadcast in the United States and other countries worldwide. The show also aired for a short time on the CBC morning children's block in Canada. It also aired in the United States as part of Cartoon Network's Small World show. Episodes of the series were released on VHS by Carlton Video.
Writing:
- Jane Hissey
Release Date:
Sun, Oct 03, 1993
Country: GB
Language: En
Runtime: 10
Country: GB
Language: En
Runtime: 10
Season 3:
Rabbit finds some eggs in an old flowerpot while playing with Little Bear in the garden shed. When no bird returns to sit on them the toys decide to recruit Hoot for the job of hatching the eggs. Hoot is very demanding and the plan proves to be hard work for everyone. However, with the help of Old Bear’s book, Little Bear eventually discovers exactly what kind of eggs they are trying to hatch. Maybe Hoot won’t be needed after all.
Little Bear is sure it must be teatime but Old Bear isn’t so sure because the clock has stopped. While Old Bear looks for the key to wind up the clock, the other toys, convinced the clock must be broken, try to mend it. Unfortunately they just make things much worse until Old Bear arrives to try and put things right. They still haven’t found the key though, but now the clock does seem to be trying to tell them something...
While Little Bear and Duck are sorting through their farm set they find an old piece of castle wall. This gives them an idea and with the help of the other toys they create a new castle complete with a moat and drawbridge. Old Bear explains what sort of games you can play with a castle and they find a clever way to divide themselves into teams to play. With Little Bear firing paper cannon balls from the battlements, it looks as though it will be hard for Bramwell’s team to invade the castle but he has a very clever plan.
The toys are having a drawing competition and when it’s finished they want to play another game. Old Bear suggests they have a competition to find objects that match the colour of the pencil they have chosen. They all set off in search of coloured objects that match their pencils. Little Bear is disappointed that he picked brown for his colour because he can’t find many brown things but gets a double surprise as the colour chase comes to an end.
It’s winter and snow has covered everything in the garden. The toys have fun playing on a sledge and building a wonderful snowman. Little Bear is worried that the birds must be very hungry as their food is hidden under the snow. At lunchtime the toys all go inside to make bread snowmen to go with Old Bear’s delicious soup. While they are waiting for them to cook, they tell each other food stories and become more and more hungry. At last the bread is ready but Little Bear has not forgotten that the birds need feeding too and he has a really good idea.
Old Bear is busy redecorating the bathroom. Rabbit thinks decorating looks like fun and gets the other toys to come and lend a hand. The toys are very enthusiastic about painting but soon there is paint everywhere but on the walls. Old Bear thinks of a way that everyone can help without making a mess and in the end they are all delighted with the result!
Little Bear and Rabbit find Duck trying to improve his flying skills. They decide to try to help him but their various contraptions don’t seem to be too successful; even Little Bear ends up flying further than Duck. Duck is beginning to think that flying is not such a good idea when Sailor offers him two old sails from his boat. The triangles of cloth give Duck a good idea and when the toys all go out in the garden they do see a bit of flying after all.
Old Bear is reading Little Bear a very exciting book about a dragon. When Old Bear explains that there aren’t any real dragons, Little Bear decides to pretend to be a real dragon living in a cave, just like the one in the book. But it isn’t until the other toys arrive that he discovers how realistic his dragon mask is. It takes Old Bear to sort out the problem of just too many dragons.
Rabbit’s rather rude cousin turns up unexpectedly and decides to stay with the toys for a few days. After a large picnic tea, where she eats most of the food, the toys get ready for bed. She puts on her pyjamas and climbs into the bed, leaving no room for Rabbit. The next morning the toys decide having a guest is not as much fun as they thought and Old Bear thinks of a plan that might persuade her to go home.
It is a very cold day and all the toys are trying to think of ways to keep warm. They play various games that involve running, skipping and rowing but as soon as they stop they feel cold again. Zebra even suggests that they hibernate under a pile of leaves. Ruff thinks that a game of catch would be a better idea. However, it isn’t until they are in the middle of the game that they realise just why they have been feeling so cold all day.
When Little Bear accidentally breaks a wheel on Zebra’s cart, Old Bear finds a box of shiny, round lids to mend it. There are enough lids left over to make a lovely go-cart. When it is finished it turns out that Ruff is too big and needs a bigger cart of his own. But there are only two wheels left. Old Bear hunts in the cupboard under the stairs and finds a wheel that is much bigger than all the others. You can’t make a go-cart with only one wheel but what Old Bear does make is even more fun.
It is Little Bear’s birthday and the toys have given him a tent. He is so excited that he wants to sleep in it that night. Old Bear isn’t so sure but Rabbit volunteers to look after him, so they all go out in the garden to put up the tent. As it gets dark Little Bear and Rabbit discover that they are still rather hungry but they have forgotten to bring a torch to find the food. However a night-time visitor comes to their rescue and the birthday goes on getting better long into the night.
It is a lovely warm day and the toys are out in the garden. Duck is weeding, Bramwell is planting seeds and Jolly Tall is watering. The only ones who aren’t helping are Little Bear and Ruff who are much too busy playing. But Bramwell has an idea; he sends them on a treasure hunt which, to their surprise, ends up with them helping in the garden too!
It’s Christmas Eve and the toys have been busy decorating the Christmas tree. Everything is looking ready for Christmas but, sadly, there is no star on the top of the tree. Old Bear thinks it might be in the attic and Rabbit and Little Bear climb the tree to look. They find all sorts of things up there, but no star. After a wonderful Christmas party and Rabbit’s special magic show, they all get ready for bed. But in the night Little Bear wakes and remembers the Christmas star. He bravely decides to go and look for it. After a thrilling, snowy, night-time adventure will Little Bear get back in time for Father Christmas and will there be a star on the tree on Christmas Day?
