Priding itself on being a true independent with writers and children at its heart,
The Children’s Company’s aim has always been to originate its own projects with a commitment to attracting established adult writers to write for children
Its managing director, Robert Howes, originated the BBC’s highly acclaimed annual A Song for Christmas, formerly the BBC Carol Competition, which ran for many years. Following this success Robert founded The Children’s Company and shortly after it gained its first television commission for ITV. This first production was The Rottentrolls, written by the award-winning writer, Tim Firth, (Calendar Girls, Preston Front, Kinky Boots, Our House, My Family), narrated by Martin Clunes and featuring the voices of John Thomson, Ronni Ancona and Phil Cornwell was awarded a BAFTA. The three subsequent series also gained BAFTA, RTS and Broadcast nominations
Combat Sheep, a spin-off from The Rottentrolls, written by Tim Firth, is the heartwarming story of four ex-army mascots jettisoned into the real world, who form a sheep version of the ‘A Team’! First produced as a BBC2 Christmas Special. Combat Sheep wasco-produced with friends at Baby Cow Productions, Henry Normal and Steve Coogan
CHILD, a documentary which compared the lives of young people, affected by Aid and HIV in the UK & Rwanda, was commissioned by BBC Factual and Learning. And was runner up in the prestigious Japan prize
CC’s great interest in early years programming was realised with the commissioning by ITV of Ripley and Scuff, which saw Ripley, Scuff and their sister, Strid, along with their pet doggy-monster, Bargie, visiting schools and communities throughout the UK, championing music and the arts, whilst messing about! Ripley and Scuff was awarded a British Academy Award for Best Pre-School Live Action
Having gained a reputation for originality, CC Ltd has acted as consultant to companies including EMI, Mars, Kingfisher, Unilever, Aljazeera & Time/Life Warner, for whom it produced the definitive 100 Songs for Children. Leading artists who’ve collaborated in Children’s Company’s productions include Dame Judi Dench, Lenny Henry, Stephen Fry, Steeve Coogan, Dr Patrick Moore, Martin Clunes, John Thomson, Philip Schofield, Tony Robinson, Ulrika Johnnson, Phil Cornwell, Ronni Ancona, Rebecca Front, Alastair McGowan
Comedy and music are also central to The Childrens Company and CC Ltd produced the cult comedy student series Dare To Believe the puppet led late night chat show Dan and Dusty, both for ITV
Besides creating an extensive audio catalogue originally commissioned by EMI, ranging from Learn To Count and My First ABC with Dame Judi Dench to Learning Your Tables In A Week with Stephen Fry, Childrens Company has for the last three years been involved in Crazy Composers, a major Primary School Music Initiative in the West Midlands and Derbyshire
The project brings the joy & the power of music to children in undernourished communities, it is a unique collaboration between one of the worlds leading Baroque Orchestras, The Arts Council, Regional Music Hubs, and The Coop.
After several years committed to the improvement of music provision in primary schools in challenging areas, Childrens Company return to television with our new family series, The Roger’s and The Rottentrolls, sees the original team coming back together to once again try to provide youngsters with a series full of engaging, thought provoking and hilariously funny dramatic adventures, seen through the eyes of three foot high characters.