Toonhound - Engie Benjy (2003-2005)

   "Engie Benjy - engine man,
    Engie Benjy - Jollop and Dan...."

   Engie Benjy is a mechanical whizz-kid who "makes things better". As the title
   song says, if you're an astronaut or a pilot, bus driver, farmer, fisherman or
   motorbike rider, he can make your engine go. Which is a very useful skill to
   have, when your good friends include Astronaut Al and Spaceship, Pilot Pete
   and Plane, Driver Dottie and Bus, Farmer Fred and Tractor, Fisherman Fin
   and Boat, and Messenger Mo and Bike.

   Engie's big on teamwork. His own little team includes his faithful dog Jollop, and
   Dan the Van, a red rig who sports a big helping hand on a boom. And then
   there's us, the viewers. During tricky times, Engie has to call on our help to make
   things better. We're part of the team too.

   All the machines in Engie's world sport big friendly faces and personalities,
   much like those in a certain builders yard. But Engie's is a big bright fantasy
   world where the fields are full of ice lollies, balloons and egg and cress sandwiches,
   and it sometimes rains doughnuts (yum!). Apparently, Farmer Fred's fields got all
   mixed up with the help of Fruity Fizz. But that's not all, because both he and
   Fisherman Fin are tongue-tied stars who gabble in a kind of "Yokelese"
   gobbledygook....



   Engie is voiced by Declan Donnelly, otherwise known as the latter half of Britain's
   top telly duo "Ant & Dec". For the first two series "Ant" - Anthony McPartlin - was
   reduced to gruffs and growls as the voice of Jollop, but from series three, he's
   also been voicing Engie's roving cousin Trucker Troy, who trundles around
   the countryside in Big Rig. If you screw your eyes up a bit, you can see
   some resemblance between Engie and Troy and their human counterparts.

   The series was created by Bridget Appleby at Cosgrove Hall Films, and brought
   to life through a combination of stop-motion and CGI. Originally Bridget and the
   Cosgrove Hall team conceived a series starring a garage owner and his mechanical
   minded daughter, and indeed "Porter and Daughter" was commissioned by ITV.
   But the mechanics of licensing and positioning were brought in to play and young
   Rusty Porter became blue-haired Benjy. The redesign obviously worked,
   because 52 episodes on the show are now in circulation, and Engie's certainly
   made the ratings "go" at CiTV, where he's been a big bright hit...

   » The series first aired on CiTV on 4th September 2002.

   » The vehicles were made by John Wright, in Bristol. John also made Wallace and
      Gromit's motorbike and sidecar in A Close Shave.

» Engie's catchy theme tune was written Clint Boom. He was a founding member
of The Inspiral Carpets, one of Mad-chester's finest indie bands.

    Engie's Problem Song

    "There's a problem here, without a doubt,
     Let's look around and check it out....
     Spin the screws... Hear the hum....
     Check the temperature... Hmmm..."

     Episode titles

     Series 1                              Series 2
     Jollop to the Rescue               Buses need Holidays too
     Sleep Walking                        Nightlight
     Panic at Sea                         Bad Hand Day
     Lift Off Day                          Check Up Day
     Painting Spaceship                 Pete's New Plane
     Plane Come Home                  Blooming Balloons
     The Spot                              Ice Fishing
     Dirty Windows                       Gobstoppers
     Jollop Mixtures                       Silly Bus Mood
     Message for Bike                    Who's Been Landing on my Mountain?
     Job Swap                              Boat takes a Trip
     Jollop Alone                           Astronaut Jollop
     New Shoes for Spaceship         Snow Fun

     Series 3                               Series 4
     The Big Sleep                         Share and Share Alike
     Skyball                                  Hide and See-Saw
     Flying High                             The Sea Sneezes
     Bus for a Day                         The Great Race
     Spaceship Blues                      Splish Splosh Bus
     Harvest Helpers                       Jollop in the Driving Seat
     Traffic Trouble                        Night of the Sherbet Stars
     Boat's Fishy Friend                   Big Rig's Big Mess
     A Horn for Spaceship               The Big Kite Flight
     Cupcake Catchers                   The Night Flight
     The Doughnut Downpour           Lost Horizon
     Double Trouble                        Dan Day
     Boisterous Bike                        Snow Daze

       Engie Benjy on DVD



      Engie Benjy: Fun and Adventures
      Complete Series 4 / R2 / Granada / October 2005

      Engie Benjy: Fun with Friends
     Complete Series 3 / R2 / Granada / February 2005

    Engie Benjy: Help is at Hand
      Series 2 / R2 / Granada / September 2004

      Engie Benjy: Friends to the Rescue
      Series 2 / R2 / Granada / June 2004

      Engie Benjy: Let's go Team
    Series 1 / R2 / Granada / March 2004

      Engie Benjy: Makes Things Better!
      Series 1 / R2 / Granada / Sept 2003

       a Cosgrove Hall Films Ltd production

      creator and art director
        Bridget Appleby

      director:         Chris Taylor, Lyndon Evans
      producers:      Bridget Apppleby, Debbie Peers
      exec prod:      Josh Selig
      scripts:           Sascha Paladino (head writer)
                           Melinda Richards (script co-ord)
      writers:          Sascha Paladino, Nathan Cockerill,
                           Jonathan Davis & Christian Donlan,
                           Robin Kingsland, Marc Seal,
                           Gillian Corderoy, Anthony Hatfield,
                           Colin Davies
      st'boards:       Karen Heywood, Dave King
      title music:     Clint Boon
      incidental
        music:            Rowland Lee
      sound
        recordist:       Alex Russell
      puppets:         Mackinnon & Saunders
      vehicles:         John Wright Model Making
      set & prop
        maintenance:       Ben Cook
        costumes:       Andrea Lord
        prop makers:   Plenderleith & Scantlebury
        prod man:       Laura Duncalf
        prod asst:       Hilary Downs
        animators:      Anthony Darlington, Leo Nicholson,
                            Kristien Vanden Bussche, Gareth Love
      snr animator:   Steve Boot
      studio asst:     Rob Evans
      lighting camera:     Juston Noe
      lighting camera
          assistant:              Richard Cockerill
        video post-prod:    Flix Facilities
      audio post-prod:    Hullabaloo Studios
      dig animation
          & compositing:     Cosgrove Hall Digital
      voices:          Declan Donnelly (Engie Benjy)
                           Anthony McPartlin (Jollop / Trucker Troy)
                          Les Dennis (Astronaut Al)
                            Teresa Gallagher (Driver Dottie)
                            David Holt (Fisherman Fin / Messenger Mo)

	cartoons, animation, comic strips and puppets in the UK
HOME THE HOUND british toon news & chatter MOVIE TOONS animated films & shorts TV TOONS animated series TOON MAKERS animation studios & people IT'S A PUPPET! string, hand & finger puppets COMICS characters, strips & comic books TOON GODS British animators & illustrators RESOURCES FLEETWAY ST. GENTLEMAN BRIGGS BUNTY'S BOOTY CRACKING COLLECTIBLES _______________ ABOUT ME CONTACT ME DISCLAIMER _______________
			Engie Benjy (2003-2005) producers: Cosgrove Hall Films for CiTV animation: stop-motion animation episodes: 52 x 10mins
		"Engie Benjy - engine man, Engie Benjy - Jollop and Dan...." Engie Benjy is a mechanical whizz-kid who "makes things better". As the title song says, if you're an astronaut or a pilot, bus driver, farmer, fisherman or motorbike rider, he can make your engine go. Which is a very useful skill to have, when your good friends include Astronaut Al and Spaceship, Pilot Pete and Plane, Driver Dottie and Bus, Farmer Fred and Tractor, Fisherman Fin and Boat, and Messenger Mo and Bike. Engie's big on teamwork. His own little team includes his faithful dog Jollop, and Dan the Van, a red rig who sports a big helping hand on a boom. And then there's us, the viewers. During tricky times, Engie has to call on our help to make things better. We're part of the team too. All the machines in Engie's world sport big friendly faces and personalities, much like those in a certain builders yard. But Engie's is a big bright fantasy world where the fields are full of ice lollies, balloons and egg and cress sandwiches, and it sometimes rains doughnuts (yum!). Apparently, Farmer Fred's fields got all mixed up with the help of Fruity Fizz. But that's not all, because both he and Fisherman Fin are tongue-tied stars who gabble in a kind of "Yokelese" gobbledygook.... Engie is voiced by Declan Donnelly, otherwise known as the latter half of Britain's top telly duo "Ant & Dec". For the first two series "Ant" - Anthony McPartlin - was reduced to gruffs and growls as the voice of Jollop, but from series three, he's also been voicing Engie's roving cousin Trucker Troy, who trundles around the countryside in Big Rig. If you screw your eyes up a bit, you can see some resemblance between Engie and Troy and their human counterparts. The series was created by Bridget Appleby at Cosgrove Hall Films, and brought to life through a combination of stop-motion and CGI. Originally Bridget and the Cosgrove Hall team conceived a series starring a garage owner and his mechanical minded daughter, and indeed "Porter and Daughter" was commissioned by ITV. But the mechanics of licensing and positioning were brought in to play and young Rusty Porter became blue-haired Benjy. The redesign obviously worked, because 52 episodes on the show are now in circulation, and Engie's certainly made the ratings "go" at CiTV, where he's been a big bright hit... » The series first aired on CiTV on 4th September 2002. » The vehicles were made by John Wright, in Bristol. John also made Wallace and Gromit's motorbike and sidecar in A Close Shave. » Engie's catchy theme tune was written Clint Boom. He was a founding member of The Inspiral Carpets, one of Mad-chester's finest indie bands. Engie's Problem Song "There's a problem here, without a doubt, Let's look around and check it out.... Spin the screws... Hear the hum.... Check the temperature... Hmmm..." Episode titles Series 1 Series 2 Jollop to the Rescue Buses need Holidays too Sleep Walking Nightlight Panic at Sea Bad Hand Day Lift Off Day Check Up Day Painting Spaceship Pete's New Plane Plane Come Home Blooming Balloons The Spot Ice Fishing Dirty Windows Gobstoppers Jollop Mixtures Silly Bus Mood Message for Bike Who's Been Landing on my Mountain? Job Swap Boat takes a Trip Jollop Alone Astronaut Jollop New Shoes for Spaceship Snow Fun Series 3 Series 4 The Big Sleep Share and Share Alike Skyball Hide and See-Saw Flying High The Sea Sneezes Bus for a Day The Great Race Spaceship Blues Splish Splosh Bus Harvest Helpers Jollop in the Driving Seat Traffic Trouble Night of the Sherbet Stars Boat's Fishy Friend Big Rig's Big Mess A Horn for Spaceship The Big Kite Flight Cupcake Catchers The Night Flight The Doughnut Downpour Lost Horizon Double Trouble Dan Day Boisterous Bike Snow Daze Engie Benjy on DVD Engie Benjy: Fun and Adventures Complete Series 4 / R2 / Granada / October 2005 Engie Benjy: Fun with Friends Complete Series 3 / R2 / Granada / February 2005 Engie Benjy: Help is at Hand Series 2 / R2 / Granada / September 2004 Engie Benjy: Friends to the Rescue Series 2 / R2 / Granada / June 2004 Engie Benjy: Let's go Team Series 1 / R2 / Granada / March 2004 Engie Benjy: Makes Things Better! Series 1 / R2 / Granada / Sept 2003 a Cosgrove Hall Films Ltd production creator and art director Bridget Appleby director: Chris Taylor, Lyndon Evans producers: Bridget Apppleby, Debbie Peers exec prod: Josh Selig scripts: Sascha Paladino (head writer) Melinda Richards (script co-ord) writers: Sascha Paladino, Nathan Cockerill, Jonathan Davis & Christian Donlan, Robin Kingsland, Marc Seal, Gillian Corderoy, Anthony Hatfield, Colin Davies st'boards: Karen Heywood, Dave King title music: Clint Boon incidental music: Rowland Lee sound recordist: Alex Russell puppets: Mackinnon & Saunders vehicles: John Wright Model Making set & prop maintenance: Ben Cook costumes: Andrea Lord prop makers: Plenderleith & Scantlebury prod man: Laura Duncalf prod asst: Hilary Downs animators: Anthony Darlington, Leo Nicholson, Kristien Vanden Bussche, Gareth Love snr animator: Steve Boot studio asst: Rob Evans lighting camera: Juston Noe lighting camera assistant: Richard Cockerill video post-prod: Flix Facilities audio post-prod: Hullabaloo Studios dig animation & compositing: Cosgrove Hall Digital voices: Declan Donnelly (Engie Benjy) Anthony McPartlin (Jollop / Trucker Troy) Les Dennis (Astronaut Al) Teresa Gallagher (Driver Dottie) David Holt (Fisherman Fin / Messenger Mo) On the web Engie Benjy Engie and the gang are here... Mackinnon & Saunders The team behind the puppets.... index » previous » next »
© Cosgrove-Hall Films / F2007