Michael Emlyn Young (born 16 October 1945) is a Welsh Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning producer. He is the founder of two animation companies in both the UK and the US. His company in 2015 changed its name from Mike Young Productions to Splash Entertainment, which also is a majority owner of Popular AVOD network Kabillion.
Young was born in Cwm, Ebbw Vale, Gwent. In the flat above a fish and chip shop owned by the family of actor Victor Spinetti, who would later go on to provide the voice of Mike's character, Texas Pete. He trained as a television producer, and while working as an advertisingcopywriter he met his wife Liz Young. After the pair married in the 1970s, Young's stepson Richard Finn (later head of post-production at MYP), was having trouble falling asleep. Young invented stories about a teddy bear and Finn told his school friends the stories, which resulted in the SuperTed books, co-produced with Young.[1]
In 1981, Young, along with his wife, animator Dave Edwards and producer Robin Lyons, founded Siriol Productions. They approached the newly formed Welsh TV channel S4C and secured a commission to produce an animated series of SuperTed. Due to the success of the initial series, it was re-dubbed in English. A special edition was made for the Welsh Office which instructed children on the "dos" and "don'ts" of road safety.[2] The series sold well in the UK, and was followed by the more ambitious Fantastic Max (with Hanna-Barbera) and Little Dracula (with Steven Hahn Productions).[3]
Young is married to partner, president and the other co-founder of Mike Young Productions, Liz Young. A football fanatic, he is a lifelong supporter of Cardiff City F.C., and runs a junior soccer league in California.[5] Young was awarded the Chancellor's Medal at the 2007 graduation ceremony of the University of Glamorgan.[6]
