Astley Baker Davies

Astley Baker Davies is a British animation studio based in London, England. The company was established by animation creators Neville Astley, Mark Baker, and Phil Davies and became associated with a distinctive body of television work spanning children's comedy, fantasy, and preschool entertainment. Its best-known productions are The Big Knights, Peppa Pig, and Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom. The studio's most influential property is Peppa Pig, a preschool series centered on a young pig, her family, and the everyday experiences of a child growing up. The program developed into a major international children's entertainment franchise through television distribution, consumer products, live experiences, publishing, and feature-length or cinema presentation. Astley Baker Davies was also responsible for Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom, another preschool series combining short-form family storytelling with a fantastical setting, and for the earlier animated series The Big Knights. Astley Baker Davies's work has been distributed beyond the United Kingdom and has contributed to the international profile of British children's animation. The studio's output is characterized by recurring characters, compact stories, accessible humor, and settings designed for young audiences and family viewing. Although its best-known programs are commercial entertainment properties, the studio's importance also lies in the way its productions connected British animation talent with global broadcasters, licensing businesses, and entertainment companies. A major ownership change occurred in 2015, when Entertainment One acquired a 70 percent stake in Astley Baker Davies, making the studio a subsidiary while the original founder-directors remained closely associated with its creative identity. Entertainment One's ownership placed the studio within a larger international entertainment group and strengthened the corporate infrastructure supporting Peppa Pig and related properties. In March 2021, Entertainment One announced that Peppa Pig would be renewed through 2027. The announcement also stated that, after 19 years, the original creators and Astley Baker Davies would leave production of the series, with Karrot Animation taking over production. This marked an important transition between the studio's creator-led phase and a later production arrangement for its most prominent franchise. In 2023, Hasbro retained Entertainment One's stake in Astley Baker Davies when Hasbro reorganized the children's and family entertainment assets into Hasbro Entertainment. Entertainment One's non-children assets were subsequently sold to Lionsgate, while Astley Baker Davies remained aligned with Hasbro's entertainment operations. The studio therefore represents both an independent British animation origin and a later stage of ownership within a global toy, games, and entertainment company. Astley Baker Davies's catalogue remains principally associated with television animation and family-oriented intellectual property. Its film-related output includes Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots, Peppa Pig: My First Cinema Experience, and Peppa Pig: Festival of Fun. The company is best understood as a creator-founded animation studio whose properties expanded into international franchise entertainment and whose corporate position evolved through Entertainment One and then Hasbro.

Astley Baker Davies emerged from the collaboration of British animation creators Neville Astley, Mark Baker, and Phil Davies. The studio developed a body of animated work that included The Big Knights, a comedy-fantasy series, before becoming most strongly identified with preschool television. Its creator-led model combined writing, character design, direction, and production around original properties intended for recurring television storytelling. The studio's decisive breakthrough came with Peppa Pig. The series uses short, self-contained stories about Peppa, her family, friends, and familiar childhood activities. Its simple visual language and everyday subject matter made it suitable for young viewers while also giving the property strong repeat-viewing and merchandising potential. As distribution expanded, Peppa Pig became an internationally recognized British children's franchise rather than solely a domestic television program. Astley Baker Davies also produced Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom, which applied the studio's concise preschool storytelling approach to a fantasy setting populated by fairies, elves, and other characters. The series broadened the studio's catalogue and reinforced its position in British children's animation. The company's television work was complemented by cinema-oriented projects connected to Peppa Pig, including Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots, Peppa Pig: My First Cinema Experience, and Peppa Pig: Festival of Fun. In 2015, Entertainment One acquired a 70 percent interest in Astley Baker Davies. The transaction changed the studio's corporate context, bringing it into a larger entertainment group while preserving the importance of its established creative properties. Entertainment One's ownership also connected the studio to the broader commercial exploitation and international distribution of Peppa Pig and related children's content. A significant creative transition was announced on 16 March 2021. Entertainment One renewed Peppa Pig through 2027, but stated that the original creators and Astley Baker Davies would leave production after 19 years. Karrot Animation, known for Sarah & Duck, was designated to take over production. The decision separated the continuing life of the franchise from the original studio's direct production role and represented the end of a long creator-led phase. The ownership structure changed again in 2023. Hasbro retained eOne's stake in Astley Baker Davies as part of the transfer of children's entertainment assets into Hasbro Entertainment. This followed Hasbro's sale of eOne's non-children assets to Lionsgate. Astley Baker Davies consequently remained connected to Hasbro through the studio's children's entertainment portfolio. The studio's historical significance rests primarily on the international reach of its creator-originated animated properties. It helped establish Peppa Pig as a durable preschool brand while also producing other notable British animated series and family cinema projects. Its history illustrates the movement of successful independent animation companies into larger entertainment groups, together with the eventual handover of production responsibilities for a continuing franchise.

1. 2023Astley Baker Davies becomes aligned with Hasbro Entertainment

   Hasbro retained eOne's stake in the studio as children's entertainment assets moved into Hasbro Entertainment.

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2. 2021Peppa Pig production handover announced

   Entertainment One announced a renewal through 2027 and said Karrot Animation would take over production after the departure of the original creators and Astley Baker Davies.

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3. 2019Peppa Pig: Festival of Fun

   The franchise received another cinema-oriented presentation through Festival of Fun.

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4. 2017Peppa Pig: My First Cinema Experience

   A Peppa Pig cinema presentation was released as part of the franchise's expansion beyond regular television episodes.

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5. 2015Entertainment One acquires a majority stake

   Entertainment One took a 70 percent stake in Astley Baker Davies, making the studio a subsidiary.

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6. 2015Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots

   The Peppa Pig franchise expanded into a feature-length cinema project with The Golden Boots.

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7. 2012Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom receives a British Animation Award

   The series episode "Acorn Day" won the British Animation Award for Best Preschool Series.

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Creator-led British animation studio specializing in accessible, character-driven television and family entertainment, with particular strength in preschool franchises and internationally scalable intellectual property.

• The Big KnightsAnimated television series

  An animated comedy-fantasy television series produced by Astley Baker Davies. It belongs to the studio's earlier body of work and demonstrates its involvement in British television animation before the global preschool success of Peppa Pig.

• Peppa PigPreschool animated television franchise

  The studio's flagship property is a preschool series about Peppa, her family, friends, and everyday childhood experiences. Its short stories, recurring characters, and accessible humor supported extensive international distribution and expansion into cinema presentations and broader family entertainment.

• Ben & Holly's Little KingdomPreschool animated television series

  A preschool fantasy series produced by Astley Baker Davies. Set in a small magical kingdom, it follows fairy and elf characters through family, friendship, and everyday problem-solving stories. The series was recognized with a 2012 British Animation Award for Best Preschool Series for the episode "Acorn Day."

• Peppa Pig: The Golden BootsAnimated cinema project2015

  A Peppa Pig feature-length cinema project released in 2015, extending the television franchise into a larger theatrical or cinema-oriented presentation.

• Peppa Pig: My First Cinema ExperienceChildren's cinema presentation2017

  A 2017 cinema presentation built around Peppa Pig content and designed to bring the preschool property into a family moviegoing environment.

• Peppa Pig: Festival of FunChildren's cinema presentation2019

  A 2019 Peppa Pig cinema project that continued the franchise's presentation outside its regular television format.

• 2023Hasbro retains the studio during the eOne asset transitionM&A

  Hasbro reorganized children's entertainment activities while eOne's non-children assets were sold to Lionsgate.

  What changed. Hasbro kept eOne's stake in Astley Baker Davies and placed the studio within the Hasbro Entertainment structure.

  Aftermath. Astley Baker Davies remained part of Hasbro's children's and family entertainment portfolio rather than transferring with eOne's non-children assets.

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• 2021Production of Peppa Pig is handed to Karrot AnimationGeneration change

  Entertainment One renewed Peppa Pig through 2027 while announcing the departure of the original creators and Astley Baker Davies from production after 19 years.

  What changed. Karrot Animation was selected to take over production of the series.

  Aftermath. The franchise continued under a new production studio, marking the end of Astley Baker Davies's direct production role in its best-known series.

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• 2015Entertainment One takes a majority stakeM&A

  Astley Baker Davies had developed television properties with international franchise potential, particularly Peppa Pig.

  What changed. Entertainment One acquired 70 percent of the studio, making it a subsidiary.

  Aftermath. The studio became part of a larger entertainment group supporting the distribution and commercial development of its children's properties.

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• 2023Hasbro retains Astley Baker Davies in its entertainment reorganization

  Hasbro retained Entertainment One's stake in Astley Baker Davies when the children's entertainment assets were placed within the newly created Hasbro Entertainment division, while eOne's non-children assets were sold to Lionsgate.

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• 2021Entertainment One renews Peppa Pig and announces production transition

  Entertainment One announced that Peppa Pig would continue through 2027 and that, after 19 years, the original creators and Astley Baker Davies would leave production. Karrot Animation was announced as the studio taking over production.

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1. Astley Baker Davies