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New
roles for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ programme heads
Claire
Mundell, Head of CÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Scotland, is to take an attachment as Showrunner
and Executive Producer of Shoebox Zoo, an ambitious Scottish-Canadian
co-production to be produced by ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Scotland and LA-based Blueprint
Entertainment.
This
kids, live-action/CGI (computer generated imagery) animation series
of 26 programmes (25 minutes each) will air on CÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, CBC and ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
Kids Canada from autumn 2004 onwards.
For
the period of Claire's attachment Donalda MacKinnon, Head of Gaelic,
will take over responsibility as Head of CÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Scotland, with immediate
effect.
Donalda
will retain her substantive post as Head of Gaelic, providing continuing
strategic direction for the department which will be led on a day-to-day
basis by an Executive Editor, who will be appointed shortly.
She
will also develop a plan, in partnership with Moira Scott, Editor
of Education, which will enable ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Scotland to exploit the synergies
that exist between the Children's, Gaelic and Education departments.
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½
Scotland Controller John McCormick welcomed the moves:
"This
is a marvellous opportunity for Claire to lead a team producing
an innovative international show and is a tribute to what she has
achieved thus far as Head of CÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Scotland. We all wish her well.
"I'm
also delighted that Donalda has agreed to take on these wider responsibilities
for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Scotland building on the great success of the Gaelic services
under her leadership."
Shoebox
Zoo fuses classic drama with state of the art CGI animation by taking
viewers on a magical adventure in search of a great Wizard's Book
of Forbidden Knowledge, lost a millennium ago in the borders of
Scotland.
Shoebox
will visit the historic streets of Edinburgh, the Borders of Scotland
and also heads across the Atlantic to the mountains of Alberta,
Canada, where magic from Scotland's past collides with an urban
continent and the spiritual tradition of the Native Indians.
It's
the story of 11-year-old Leanne McBride, a young Canadian girl touched
by the dark and irresistible magic of the Great Michael Scott and
changed forever by four strange Celtic animal carvings - The Shoebox
Zoo - which come to life to take her on a huge quest.
The
series, which has been developed by CÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Scotland and Scottish writer,
Brian Ward, will have 13 episodes shot this year in Scotland and
a further 13 in Banff and Calgary, Canada next year.
The
series is being distributed by ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Worldwide which could result
in extensive international TV sales, merchandising and publishing
spin-offs.
It
will air in the UK and Canada in Autumn 2004.
A full
length feature version of Shoebox Zoo is also in development.
All the
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s digital services are now available on ,
the new free-to-view digital terrestrial television service, as well
as on satellite and cable.
Freeview
offers the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s eight television channels, interactive services
from ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½i, as well as 11 ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ radio networks.
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