BACKGROUND TO THE CONCEPT AND THE FUTURE OF It's Grim Up North.

GET YER LAUGHIN’ TACKLE ROUND THIS!

Welcome to IT’S GRIM UP NORTH, an animated comedy geared to make you chuckle. Cleverly constructed to jog the memory, educate and bloomin’ well entertain! It’s a celebration of a time gone by that fires the imagination and explores the past raising a smile of recognition that can fuel a fun filled debate. For this is the original Memory Lane where you will meet the residents as we eaves drop on their lives at work, rest and play, dished up in the best traditions of Andy Capp, Corrie, The Larkins & the Carry on’s with a nod in style to Lowry, Giles and the British Seaside Postcard. IT’S GRIM UP NORTH comes served up as a family treat; a cartoon inspired concept of such wit and detail . . . it’s hard to believe two lads from the North are behind it!

WHEN RADIO WAS ON THE WIRELESS!

Think back to the days of two up, two downs, outside lavs and rickets! Belfast sinks, tin baths and chamber pots, tripe and onions, Ma’s teeth in a glass and Pa’s belt and braces. Pigeon lofts, Ferret racing and Rats for neighbours.
A time of catapults, castor oil and nutty slack, in a world of terraced streets, factory chimneys and smog. Corner shops, Sunday school and wireless entertainment, the Saturday dance, the picture show, the PUB! All lived out on a shoe string . . . if you were lucky enough to own a shoe! For that was the age of grimace and grime, hardship and hard-luck. When life was basic and simple and they often said . . .IT’S GRIM UP NORTH!

THE OLD ONE’S ARE THE BEST!

IT’S GRIM UP NORTH is that ‘Remember When’ moment, the one that raises a smile and a chuckle as we recall how things were ‘back then! The setting is Grim Leigh. A Northern industrial town at a time of pounds,shillings and pence. The inhabitants, a burlesque range of characters that come to life in their own environments, specifically chosen to illustrate how basic living and working conditions really were!
The idea is to exploit these situations within comic scenes pieced together to form a sketch show. There are no central characters although Stan and Margie Shufflebottom do spring out as potential leads. A couple in their mid-forties who live in their ‘castle’. A two up, two down terrace. Along with Scruffy. A fat over fed mutt who is either over pampered or caught up in the crossfire! The fact that we get to know what Scruffy thinks adds to the comedy! Stan is a miner who works down the Brad Pit. He likes his ale, his pigeons and a flutter on the Gee Gees (or do the pigeons have a flutter on the Gee Gees - we can't remember)! Margie is a housewife with a part time job down Potters Pickle Factory for pin money. This gives a flavour of just two of the characters from the world of IGUN. 

SO WHAT’S GOIN’ ON THEN?

The sketches and storylines are built around the funny side of life. Outside lavatories, torn up newspaper on a string and two flushes for anything solid, ducking and diving behind the sofa when the rent man calls, getting by until pay day as Joe Muggins the corner shop offers endless tick, all set against a backdrop of oddly familiar names and places.

Down Quality Street is the The Fractured Arms pub , Hair Today hairdressers and Gone Tomorrow funeral directors. There’s Mick Arthur Park, Father Down of St Darn the Church of the Holy Sock and Nat King the Coal Merchant! Also, keep an eye out for Winkers Crisps, Scrooge’s Humbugs, Elbow Grease and Brill Cream! The visual humour is a vital ingredient to the Grim story providing great depth and a wave of familiarity all carefully researched, crafted and detailed to ensure repeated viewing.

For IT’S GRIM UP NORTH is a homage to a bygone period and a timely reminder that if we think we have it tough today, well think again! By 'eck, it should become a British Institution!

WHAT’S THAT ON THE PICTURE BOX?

IT’S GRIM UP NORTH is filmed in ‘Glorious Techni- Collar’ by Smokey Town Productions, using a simple ‘Cut-Out’ animation style,based on the wickedly funny cartoons and humour of Paul Wilde and Dave Worthington. The concept is brought to life in a simple and entertaining format using cut-out drawings and backgrounds to evoke the pre-decimal period it’s set in. It is family entertainment that works on several levels, to make it both educational and thought provoking, reminding us of our origins and bridging generations, raising a smile of recognition and supplying a tonic in our troubled times. Whatever the language IGUN translates and is universal.

Now put the kettle on before reading the next bit . . !

ARE YOU INTERESTED?

SMOKEY TOWN PRODUCTIONS is developing the concept for all media formats. There is an opportunity for a sponsorship agreement and the brand licence for merchandise is now available. STP also seek a co-producer under a partnering agreement. The concept is family viewing, 2D animation ‘cut-out’ in-house style. If you are interested we can be contacted via this website.