The Children’s Media Foundation (CMF)

Theresa Plummer Andrews

September 5, 2021 , 3

Anna Home, Chair of the Children's Media Foundation, remembers Theresa Plummer Andrews.

Theresa Plummer Andrews (known as Trees or Plum) who sadly died aged 77 on 31st August was one of the greats of the children's animation world.

She was a relatively late-comer to children's TV. I first met her in 1981 in the  London offices of TVS International (Television South was then the ITV franchise holder for the South and South East of England) I was  heading TVS's embryonic Children's department.
Trees had previously worked in a theatrical agency, whose clients included Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, and on the live action TV series 'Elephant Boy', but had no particular interest in kids' programming.
However I asked her to look at a few scripts we were assessing and she became intrigued.
From then on she quickly became more involved in animation, and when I returned to the BBC in 1986 I asked her to join our  aquisitions team. She steadily built up the team,and in partnership with BBC Worldwide managed to considerably increase our investment in original animation.
As both Producer and Executive Producer her numerous credits reflect some of the best and most loved animation of the time...
'Noddy', 'Fireman Sam', 'Bob the Builder', 'Postman Pat', 'Pingu' etc. She was particularly proud of 'The Animals of Farthing Wood' a  big  and complicated pan-European co-production.
After retiring from the BBC, Trees set up a consultancy and remained involved with the industry, also spending time visiting and partying with her numerous friends all over the world.
Trees was often outspoken, tenacious about her projects, fiercely loyal to her friends and colleagues, generous, much respected and enormous fun.
The world will be much quieter without her.
There have been many tributes to her from colleagues and friends. Nigel Pickard writes "such sad news that one of the true legends of the kids' business is no longer with us. She was wonderfully outspoken, but her undoubted passion, creativity and humour were her defining qualities, and she had a brilliant grasp of what would work for the audience. Theresa we will hugely miss you."
We all echo that thought.

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