Wish Films
{{Short description|UK animation and live-action studio, established by Will Brenton and Iain Lauchlan in 1994}}
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{{notability|Companies|date=May 2019}}
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Wish Films is an animation and live-action studio, established by Will Brenton and Iain Lauchlan in 2006. It is the successor to Tell-Tale Productions, which was formed in 1994, first producing live shows, and later went on to produce TV shows.
Most of Wish's catalogue when it was known as Tell-Tale Productions is currently owned by NBCUniversal (via DreamWorks Animation), with the exception of Tweenies, which is owned by BBC Studios. The rights to Boo! have been owned by NBCUniversal since 2003, followed by the most of their shows in 2016.
History
=As Tell-Tale Productions=
On 14 September 2001, Tell-Tale signed a deal with Gullane Entertainment for the production on two new shows, Ella, and Sprogs, with the latter company distributing the series. {{Cite web|url=https://www.c21media.net/news/two-new-toons-from-gullane-and-tell-tale/feed/|title = Two new toons from Gullane and Tell-Tale}}
On 26 July 2002, the BBC picked up the UK broadcasting rights to Boo! for broadcast in September 2003.{{Cite web|url=https://www.c21media.net/news/tell-tale-says-boo-to-bbc/|title = Tell-Tale says Boo! To BBC}} On September 1 that year, it was announced that Universal Pictures had acquired worldwide distribution rights to the series.{{Cite web|url=https://kidscreen.com/2002/09/01/forum-20020901/|title=Forum's co-pro conundrum}}
On 18 September 2002, Tell-Tale announced the production of a hybrid 2D/3D series titled WARP. On the same day, it was confirmed that the distribution rights to Ella and Sprogs reverted to Tell-Tale after the deal with Gullane fell through due to HIT Entertainment's acquisition of Gullane, alongside the production on two 60-minute direct-to-video Tweenies specials.{{Cite web|url=https://www.c21media.net/news/tell-tale-launches-warped-new-animation/|title = Tell-Tale launches Warped new animation}}
On 1 February 2003, the company signed a property management deal with LMI for Sprogs, alongside a deal with BBC Music to allow music production for the series, which would air in early 2004.{{Cite web|url=https://kidscreen.com/2003/02/01/telltale-20030201/|title=Tell-Tale springs into property management with Sprogs}}
On 27 January 2004, Carlton International acquired distribution rights to Sprogs. The company purchased the home video rights in all regions except for the US and French-speaking territories, and worldwide TV rights excluding the UK, the US, and French and German-speaking territories. It was also confirmed that CBBC had acquired the UK broadcast rights to the series for a late 2004 broadcast date.{{Cite web|url=https://www.c21media.net/news/carlton-bags-new-uk-toon/|title = Carlton bags new UK toon}}
On 13 September 2004, Entertainment Rights announced they would acquire Tell-Tale for £3.1 million. The buyout would include the rights to Sprogs, which had, by then been renamed BB3B (previously handled by Carlton) and would be broadcast on CBBC in late 2005, alongside the rights to a new reboot of Fun Song Factory to air on CITV. The Tweenies property was retained by BBC Worldwide although Entertainment Rights would gain royalty income for the property, alongside rights to a planned feature-length film adaptation of the series. {{Cite web|url=https://www.c21media.net/news/postman-pat-buys-tweenies-prodco/|title=Postman Pat buys Tweenies prodco}} The purchase was completed on 1 October 2004.{{Cite web|url=https://kidscreen.com/2004/10/01/quick-20041001/|title=Quick Hits}}
On 20 December 2005, ITV acquired the broadcast rights to Jim Jam and Sunny for broadcast on the then-new CITV Channel, and that production would start in 2006, being the largest broadcast deal made by ITV for a children's series.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/dec/20/broadcasting.ITV|title = Jim Jam joins CiTV launch|website = TheGuardian.com|date = 20 December 2005}}
=Wish Films=
In 2006, Will Brenton and Iain Lauchlan bought back Tell-Tale (excluding most of its catalogue) and rebranded it as Wish Films.{{Cite web|url=https://www.wishfilms.com/who-we-are|title=Who We Are}} Wish Films took over production of Jim Jam and Sunny, which premiered on CITV later that year.
In 2008, Wish produced their first international co-production, a TV adaptation of Wibbly Pig, based on the children's book of the same name by Mick Inkpen, with Canadian-based 9 Story Entertainment, with the latter holding distribution rights in the Americas, and BBC Worldwide holding distribution rights in all other regions.{{Cite web|url=https://www.c21media.net/news/wibbly-pig-picks-up-canadian-partners/feed/|title = Wibbly Pig picks up Canadian partners}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/bbcworldwide/worldwidestories/pressreleases/2010/02_february/wibbly_pig.shtml|title=BBC - Press Office - Wibbly Pig goes to market around the world}}
On 6 May 2010, CBeebies commissioned a new show from Wish to air on the channel's summer schedule called Mighty-Mites, presented by Sarah-Jane Honeywell.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2010/05_may/06/cbeebies.shtml|title = BBC - Press Office - CBeebies celebrates the great outdoors this summer}}
Other shows produced by Wish around these time frames include Florrie's Dragons, a co-production with Studio 100 and Clockwork Zoo, and Melody, a co-production with LAAH Entertainment.
Filmography
=As Tell-Tale Productions=
- 1998: Fun Song Factory
- 1999: Wow! That's What I Call Nursery Rhymes/Christmas!
- 1999: Tweenies
- 2003: WARP (CGI/2D animated pilot)
- 2003: Jim Jam (animated pilot of Jim Jam and Sunny)
- 2003: Boo!
- 2003: Tweenies - Night-Time Magic (direct-to-video special)
- 2004: Tweenies - Jungle Adventure (direct-to-video special)
- 2004: Fun Song Factory (Reboot)
- 2005: BB3B (originally called "Sprogs" in 2003 pilot)
=As Wish Films=
- 2006: Jim Jam and Sunny
- 2009: Wibbly Pig
- 2010: Mighty Mites
- 2010: Florrie's Dragons
- 2013: Melody
Live Shows
- Fun Song Factory (1994-1997)
- CBeebies Live (2005)
- Thomas & Friends: The Big Live Tour/The All Aboard Live Tour (2002-2006)
- Tweenies Live (2000-2001)
- Tweenies Live: The Christmas Present (2001-2002, 2003)
- Tweenies Live 2: The Fab-a-Rooney Tour (2002)
- Tweenies Live: No Sleep 'till Bedtime (2005)