While it's uncertain when this upcoming television special will make it to Canadian air waves, one can only hope it reaches our shores sometime this year. Yup, BBC1 is airing a half-hour Christmas special based on Julia Donaldson's book The Gruffalo which is one of this household's all time favourite books (our excitement around the sequel "The Gruffalo's Child" rivalled "New Moon" which is kinda sad but at least we are all reading).
Robbie Coltrane will be the voice of The Gruffalo which sounds like perfect casting, the mouse will be brought to life by James Corden (um... yeah... the guy from Lesbian Vampire Killers -- tho' I hope doubt know my daughter will not make that association), and while I'm not sure who is who, Helena Bonham Carter and John Hurt also lend their pipes to the show (snake? fox? owl? who knows, who cares? They're awesome).
I'm not sure who's more excited to see this, me or Gemma but if I see no signs of this showing up on CBC post haste, I will feel completely justified finding pirated copies. Not that I've ever done anything like that before but I heard you can do that kind of thing on this here internet thingy. But yeah, I wouldn't really know about that kind of thing, not at all.
I don't know about other Gruffalo fans, but Gemma demands this one often and the rhyming often forces me into this impromptu rap which I'm sure is both atrocious and embarrassing but that's never stopped me before. I feel it's my parental duty to learn the finer points of humiliation.
First! Of all time!
Can't wait for this to appear on the idiot box.
Posted by: SB | 11/23/2009 at 07:41 AM
I tend to read it more as a country-music stomper than a rap, but that's neither here nor there... in any case, I'm right there with ya in demanding that the powers that be drag this production over to North America.
Posted by: TwoBusy | 11/23/2009 at 09:14 AM