Calon (TV production company)

Calon (Welsh for 'heart') is the trading name of Mount Stuart Media Ltd., a British animation television production company based in Cardiff, the capital of Wales, which primarily produced Welsh animated series for S4C. The company was formerly known as Siriol Animation and Siriol Productions.

Calon was set up following the management buy-out from Entertainment Rights of Siriol Productions, when Entertainment Rights moved its head office to London. Most members of staff stayed in Wales to help re-establish Siriol as an independent production company. The deal included all rights to current productions and a few older titles, but the rights to most of the older series are now held by Entertainment Rights.

The company eventually employed over 40 people and was a developer of talent in the Welsh animation industry for more than 30 years. Calon continued working on animation production, but expanded into live-action content for both the UK and international markets, and to co-produce with major networks outside the UK.

In March 2009, the company re-acquired its animation catalogue from S4C International.

In July 2010, the company filed for voluntary liquidation when hoped-for investment to expand the company failed to materialise. Shortly afterwards it was Incorporated into Mount Stuart Media Ltd.

Two series of Hana's Helpline were produced for Channel 5's Milkshake block for preschool children in co-production with S4C and German broadcaster ZDF. One series of Igam Ogam was made for S4C, Channel 5, ZDF Enterprises and the Gaelic Media Service on BBC Alba, and also a puppet series called The Zoo Factor for CBBC. Calon's live action drama credits included Help! I'm a Teenage Outlaw for ITV and Nickelodeon. In 2011, ITV asked Calon to create a new sitcom for the channel, and Calon worked with The Osmonds on develop a film based around the wild west.

Hana's Helpline is a stop-motion animation series for pre-school children, about Hana, a duck who runs a telephone helpline for animals with problems. The principal voices are provided by Arabella Weir, Jonathan Kydd, Joanna Ruiz, Boyd Clack and Caroline Harker with most of the other voices being provided by children.

There are 52 episodes, each 10 minutes long. Its first broadcast was in Wales under the Welsh title Holi Hana, on 2 April 2007. Its first English broadcast was on Five on 12 June 2007. It has also been broadcast in a selection of other countries - for example it began broadcasting on TVB Pearl, starting 10 May 2007. Books are available from Random House Children's Books from January 2008. A line of character toys was also developed by Golden Bear Toys along with the first DVD of the show which was released in November 2007. A second compilation was released in Spring 2008.