Top 10 Greatest British Animations

Kenneth Grahame’s children’s classic has proven subject for multiple adaptations, with Cosgrove Hall’s 1983 stop motion effort inspiring a 52-episode ITV series. But we’ve singled out the sequel to Dave Unwin’s 1996 version, “The Willows in Winter”. As Alan Bennet, Michael Palin, Rik Mayall and Michael Gambon reprise their riverside roles, the film focusses on Mole’s disappearance and Toad’s new-found fondness for aeroplanes. Needless to say, the four friends cause all manner of chaos in an otherwise peaceful rural setting.

Long before Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster version in 2016, this Roald Dahl classic was a straight-to-TV feature, from Cosgrove Hall once again. David Jason lends his voice for the eponymous Big Friendly Giant, in an adaptation which sticks close to its source material. A movie which might’ve been plucked from Dream Country itself, even Roald Dahl is said to have liked it – and he was famously tough to please. But the highlight has to be Sophie’s first sip of Frobscottle – it’s a real whizzpopper.

Raymond Briggs will forever be a staple of Christmas viewing schedules, with “The Snowman” reducing us all to tears with each passing year. But 2016 saw the BBC break from Briggs’ typically festive tale, showing instead the animated version of his 1998 work, “Ethel & Ernest”. An autobiographical piece about Brigg’s parents, it immediately struck a tone with audiences of all ages. A story shaped by some of the twentieth century’s most significant moments, you’re hooked from start to finish.

Another Roald Dahl adaptation, and another seared into many a childhood memory, “James and the Giant Peach” made fruit fun for thousands of ‘90s kids. A British-American production directed by Henry Selick, it gets pretty dark at times and opens with a killer rhino in the sky, but the core of the story is sweet enough. That being said, the walking, talking, singing, dancing giant insects are enough to keep anyone up at night. Especially Susan Sarandon’s Miss Spider!

William Shakespeare, Elton John and garden gnomes. Yep, the Britishness flows freely here. “Gnomeo and Juliet” didn’t dazzle critics, but what it lacked in plaudits it made up for with puns. An underrated gem with James McAvoy and Emily Blunt voicing the lead roles, the plot riffs on Shakespeare’s famous romance, for a “Toy Story”-style adventure, but in the back garden. It’s red against blue, Montagues versus Capulets, but is there tragedy ahead? Patrick Stewart’s Shakespearian statue would like to think so, but Gnomeo has other ideas.

Based on the revered novel by Richard Adams, “Watership Down” is one of the oldest animations to feature today, and it’s still one of the UK’s best-loved films. With the vocal talents of John Hurt and Richard Briers, and a famous Art Garfunkel soundtrack, it’s an against-all-odds story centring on the plight of some renegade rabbits. A seminal tear-jerker, it scored high praise at the time of its release. Today, it’s a classic in British cinema.

As the first British animated feature-length to be released in cinemas, “Animal Farm” proved a pivotal point for UK film. Disney was already making waves across the pond, but Halas and Batchelor took the reins for this one, a close adaptation of George Orwell’s original novella. Maurice Denham voiced every character for the famous satire, with events on Manor Farm mirroring significant moments in twentieth century Russian history. From revolution to dictatorship, this film brings to life Orwell’s ominous take on humanity.

Nick Park is probably Britain’s best-known animator, famous for his work on the likes of “Creature Comforts” and “Wallace and Gromit”. Here we have a stand-alone stop motion classic, bringing life-or-death drama to a Yorkshire poultry farm. With loose links to “The Great Escape”, “Chicken Run” sees a band of birds attempt to flee their coop, dodging the dastardly Mrs Tweedy who plans to make pies of them all. Led by Julia Sawalha’s Ginger and Mel Gibson’s Rocky, if they don’t break free then they’re destined for the dinner plate.

Having signed a three-film contract with United Artists in the ‘60s, and having received mixed reviews for the first two, “Yellow Submarine” might’ve been a burden for The Beatles. But it proved a massive hit with a wide range of audiences, and is now considered a crucial moment for British animation in general. Showcasing the endless possibilities that animation affords, the movie sees John, Paul, George and Ringo travel through various fantastical worlds, striving to defeat the Blue Meanies. And the soundtrack’s pretty good, too.

To Nick Park’s most famous creations, and an unassuming pillar of popular culture. Sandwiched between “A Grand Day Out” and “A Close Shave”, this 30-minute short first hit screens on Boxing Day, 1993. It sees our heroes, Wallace and Gromit, become embroiled in an elaborate diamond heist, fronted by a penguin dressed as a chicken and posing as a lodger. The vital component for the villainous plan? Wallace’s futuristic, ultra-convenient robot wearables. So, stock up on cheese and dig out the DVD. It’s cracking.