Vancouver-based Bardel Entertainment seems to be doing exceptionally well with holiday programming. Bardel's big Leo Award-winning production, THE CHRISTMAS ORANGE, has recently been sold to SVT Sweden and is in final negotiations with TV2 Denmark and CBBC London. This family holiday classic has aired on ABC Family in the U.S., TELETOON in Canada, TV12 in Singapore, Asia TV in Hong Kong and Teletoon in France, charming audiences with its thoughtful message and unique 2D and Flash-animatied style.
"TELETOON was looking for a title that would preserve the true meaning of Christmas while bringing the viewer into a new era of classic holiday specials," according to Carole Bonneau, vp of programming at Canadas animation station. "The excellent ratings of THE CHRISTMAS ORANGE prove that this title is about to become a holiday classic Following the success of this venture together. TELETOON is very much looking forward to the other Bardel property to be launched this fall on the Canadian specialty network entitled SILVERWING."
Bardel has also struck a deal with the CBC to produce a live-action dramatization of THE CHRISTMAS ORANGE. The CBC has packaged this 11-minute dramatization with other Christmas-oriented programs for the 2003 holiday season. Every region in Canada has submitted a show to produce 4 1/2 hours of programs with varied lengths (two shows per half-hour slot).
The author Don Gillmor will perform the narration for THE CHRISTMAS ORANGE. The main adult roles (Santa, Wiley Studpustle and Judge Oldengrey) will all be performed by Al Simmons (www.alsimmons.com), a well-known Canadian children's performer. The role of Anton, the main child character from the book, has been set as a 7-year-old girl named Holly, portrayed by Hailey Glor. Filmed in Gimli, Manitoba, the CBC shot the show for the first time in 16:9 HD.
Fitzhenry and Whiteside, the book publisher of the original story written by Gillmor and illustrated by Marie-Louise Gay, is re-releasing the THE CHRISTMAS ORANGE in paperback for Christmas 2003.
Brenda Wooding of B. Wooding Media is the international distributor for THE CHRISTMAS ORANGE. For more information contact her via e-mail at bwoodingmedia@prodigy.net or go to www.christmasorange.com.
