The Gruffalo (series)

The Gruffalo was a series consisting primarily of two books and two films, and has been adapted into stage plays and an amusement park ride. Both films, and  — adapted from the books of the same name — premiered on BBC One, with the former premiering to an audience of ~9.8 million people. The former also aired immediately before the first part of The End of Time on Christmas Day 2009.

History
The original "The Gruffalo" book was written by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler, and was first published on 23 March 1999. It was based on a Chinese folk tale, known as "The Fox that Borrows the Terror of a Tiger" (狐假虎威). "The Gruffalo" was published by Macmillan in the United Kingdom, and Viking Children's Books in the United States.

The original book was later adapted for stage performances by Tall Stories theatre company. This adaptation premiered in 2001. This particular adaptation toured the West End theatre, Broadway theatre, and Sydney Opera House. It was also adapted for theatre by Dutch theatre company Meneer Monster.

A follow-up book, "The Gruffalo's Child", was again written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. It was first published on 3 September 2004, and was published by Macmillan. This book was adapted for theatre by Tall Stories theatre company in 2005.

The original "The Gruffalo" was later adapted into a CGI film in 2009. This was written by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, was directed by Max Lang and Jakob Schuh, had its theme music composed by René Aubry, was edited by Robin Sales, was produced by Martin Pope, Michael Rose, and the production companies Magic Light Pictures, Orange Eyes, and Studio Soi. Its cast also included several individuals who were also affiliated with the Doctor Who franchise, including John Hurt and James Corden. The film initially aired on BBC One on 25 December 2009.

A sequel film, based on the original "The Gruffalo's Child", premiered on 25 December 2011 on BBC One, and had largely the same crew, with the exception of the directors, Johannes Weiland and Uwe Heidschotter.

On 18 March 2017, a The Gruffalo dark water ride, entitled "The Gruffalo River Ride Adventure", was opened at Chessington World of Adventures Resort in Greater London, England. It replaced "Bubbleworks", and was designed by	Merlin Magic Making.

Crossovers with the DWU
The sole official crossover between The Gruffalo and Doctor Who was in the 2011 BBC Christmas ident Consider Yourself One Of Us..., where the Gruffalo made a brief appearance behind a window.

In-universe references
The series has also been referenced in the DWU on multiple occasions. In the Doctor Who series 5 episode The Hungry Earth, the original The Gruffalo appears as a children's book, where it is confirmed to contain the passage:


 * "But who is this creature with terrible claws,
 * Terrible teeth in his terrible jaws?"

The title character of the series is also mentioned in The Sarah Jane Adventures series 4 episode Lost in Time, where Clyde Langer compares it with the Shopkeeper's description of a monster.

Cast and crew connections
Several individuals affiliated with the Doctor Who franchise have also contributed to The Gruffalo-related media.

John Hurt, who portrayed the War Doctor in several DWU stories, including The Name of the Doctor, The Day of the Doctor, The Night of the Doctor, and several The War Doctor Big Finish audio dramas, portrayed Owl in the animated film adaptation of The Gruffalo.

James Corden, who portrayed Craig Owens in The Lodger, Closing Time, and Up All Night, portrayed Mouse in the animated film adaptation of The Gruffalo.

Rob Brydon, who portrayed a fictionalised version of himself in Summer Scene and It's Showtime, portrayed Snake in the animated film adaptation of The Gruffalo.

Shirley Henderson, who portrayed Ursula Blake in Love & Monsters, portrayed the Gruffalo's child in the animated film adaptation of The Gruffalo's Child.