The Return of Cosgrove Hall

CARTOON legends Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall were today (Friday) honoured by their alma mater Manchester Metropolitan University.

The Manchester animators and creators of Danger Mouse, Count Duckula and Chorlton and the Wheelies, received an Honorary Doctorate of Arts at the city’s Bridgewater Hall.

Brian and Mark, now in their seventies, graduated from Manchester School of Art to go on to make some of TV’s best-loved children’s programmes at the pioneering Cosgrove Hall studios in the city’s Chorlton district.

The duo won six BAFTAs, two International Emmys plus countless other awards and nominations before retiring a few years ago.

Made in Manchester

MMU Vice-Chancellor Professor John Brooks said: “We recognise Brian and Mark for their outstanding contribution to animation and to television. Cosgrove Hall has put Manchester firmly on the map in creative media.”

Brian and Mark received their honour at the graduation Ceremony of the Faculty of Art and Design on Friday, July 3.

Founded in 1976, Cosgrove Hall was the Pixar studios of its day, changing the style and tone of cartoon entertainment forever.

“Danger Mouse broke all the rules at that time and was quite anarchic,” says Brian.

“The thing with children’s TV programmes is that the ones you loved as a kid always stay with you in your mind as you get older,” he says.

BAFTAs

Hall and Cosgrove also gave the world a new perspective on ‘the North’ far removed from the stereotype of flat caps and factories, with some crediting the hippie-surrealism of ‘Chorlton and the Wheelies’ with helping to make Chorlton the bohemian place it is today.

The studios also revived classic children’s favourites Postman Pat, Bill and Ben, Noddy and Andy Pandy. while their feature film The Wind in the Willows, won a BAFTA and an Emmy.

The company was bought out in 2003 by ITV Granada – where the two started their careers - and Cosgrove Hall is still home to many talented animators, including graduates from MMU’s degree courses in Animation, Illustration, Interactive Arts, Contemporary Film and Video and others.

The pair now live in retirement in Northwich and Nantwich respectively.