Summerton Mill

Infobox Television
bgcolour = #D6D6FF
show_name = Summerton Mill


caption =
genre = Children's television, animation
camera = stop motion
picture_format =
audio_format =
runtime = 5 minutes per episode approximately
creator = Pete Bryden Ed Cookson
developer =
executive_producer =
starring =
country = UK
network = CBeebies
first_run =
first_aired = September 5, 2005
last_aired = present
num_seasons = 1
num_episodes = 14
list_episodes =
website = http://www.summertonmill.com
imdb_id = 0939443
tv_com_id =

"Summerton Mill" is a British children's television series created by Pete Bryden and Ed Cookson. It was first shown on the CBeebies channel in 2005 as a segment of the BBC's "Tikkabilla". It has subsequently been repeated both within "Tikkabilla" and as a standalone show on CBeebies and BBC2. [ [http://www.summertonmill.co.uk/summertonmill_tr_dates.htm Transmission dates] , Summerton Mill website. Retrieved October 23 2007.]

It is a stop-motion animated series featuring the characters Dan, his companion Fluffa, Dr and Mrs Naybhur who live up on the hill, Francoise the cow, Mousey-Tongue the cat, two "yellow-spinner" chickens and the "millfreaks", tiny creatures which appear to resemble small, furry hedgehogs. [ [http://www.toonhound.com/summerton.htm Summerton Mill summary] , Toonhound.com. Retrieved October 23 2007]

In all, thirteen episodes (and a pilot episode) have been produced, and the show has been broadcast in several European and Middle Eastern countries, including Iceland, Finland, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Iran. [ [http://www.vgient.com Summerton Mills TV and Sales section] , VGI Entertainment Limited website. Retrieved October 23 2007.] A second series is currently in production. [ [http://www.summertonmill.co.uk/summertonmill_news.htm News section] , Summerton Mill website. Retrieved October 23 2007.]

Additional information

The series is voiced by Silas Hawkins, whose father (Peter Hawkins) provided the voices of Bill and Ben, Captain Pugwash, the Daleks and the The Woodentops.

Although the series is made very much in the style of Oliver Postgate's Smallfilms, much of the background humour is in a similar vein to that of Aardman Animation's Creature Comforts.

Summerton Mill was inspired by Somerton Mill, a riverside property owned by Pete Bryden.

The iTeddy children's media player, featured on the British TV series Dragons' Den, is now being distributed throughout the United Kingdom via the Argos chain of stores and comes loaded with an episode of Summerton Mill, with others available from the iTeddy website. [http://www.iteddy.com ITeddy website. Retrieved November 5 2007.]

Episodes

*Pilot episode "(Extended Introduction)"
*The Hole
*Kite Flying
*The Sock Thing
*Wing Nuts
*Hiding
*Dr Naybhur's Song
*Cheering Up
*The Baby Millfreak
*Lost and Found
*Mrs Naybhur's Vegetables "(Rework of the pilot episode)"
*Chinese Whispers
*The Picnic
*Mrs Naybhur's Poem

Notes

External links

* [http://www.summertonmill.co.uk Summerton Mill Studio site]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/tikkabilla/games/mill.shtml Summerton Mill on bbc.co.uk]
* [http://www.summertonmill.com The official Summerton Mill Interactive site]
* [http://www.toonhound.com/summerton.htm Summerton Mill on toonhound.com]
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2004/08/31/bvchild31.xml Telegraph.co.uk article on the creation of Summerton Mill]