There are few personalities that unite Canadians fairly like Mr. Dressup.
For 29 years, spanning a powerful 4,000 episodes, the beloved youngsters’s present host appeared on tv screens throughout the nation, inviting youngsters to discover his iconic Tickle Trunk alongside a legion of puppet sidekicks, together with the cherished duo of Casey and Finnegan.
And though many are accustomed to the character portrayed by Ernie Coombs, far fewer know the endearing story of how Mr. Dressup got here to be a mainstay on Canadian TV.
Now, a brand new documentary is about to discover that, taking a deep dive into the Mr. Dressup’s legacy in addition to his profound affect on youngsters’s programming.
‘Mr. Dressup: The Art of Make-Believe’ begins streaming on Prime Video Oct. 10.
Amazon Prime Video
“There’s not enough time to discuss the things that I learned (while making the documentary),” Rob McCallum, the director of Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe, instructed Global News.
“What really strikes me, if we want to get real for a second, was that as much as this was a kids’ show on the surface – made for kids to feel safe and feel loved by everybody – watching it with my kids it became much more about ‘Wow, I’m still learning from Mr. Dressup’. And, boy, I wish I was more patient like Ernie. I wish I was more in the moment and not distracted with everything that’s going on outside my home…how come we can’t be a little bit more like Mr. Dressup?”
Weaving collectively interviews from Canadian celebrities like Michael J. Fox, the Barenaked Ladies and Bif Naked, with archival footage from the present and tales from the late Coombs’ private life, Mr. Dressup: The World of Make-Believe takes a more in-depth look into the lifetime of a person recognized for his kindness, inclusiveness and creativity.
“Ernie’s programming, and the programming around that timeframe, really focused on creativity from its simplicity,” Jani Lauzon, a puppeteer on the present, instructed Global News. “You can really create something out of nothing, and that was the incredible beauty of the show. All you needed was a piece of paper and some scissors and some glue or tape and you could create something.”
Global News sat down with McCallum, Lauzon and fellow puppeteer Jim Parker to debate all issues Mr. Dressup, the documentary, and the endearing and lasting relationship Coombs maintained with fellow youngsters’s present host, Fred Rogers, of Mr. Rogers Neighbourhood fame. Watch the interview above.
Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe will probably be out there for streaming on Amazon Prime Video on Oct. 10.
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