Four decades after a gang of anthropomorphic woodland creatures took hockey — and television networks around the world — by storm, a beloved Canadian animated series is getting a new lease on life. On the 40th anniversary of “The Raccoons on Ice” — the number one syndicated special in the U.S. in 1981 — Toronto’s Kevin Gillis is leading the charge in bringing popular ’80s and ’90s series “The Raccoons” up to today’s technological standards. “The Christmas Raccoons” debuted the characters in 1980, followed by three more specials — “The Raccoons on Ice” (1981), “The Raccoons and the Lost Star” (1983) and “The Raccoons: Let’s Dance!” (1984) — and, starting in 1985, “The Raccoons” TV series. The show, which ran in 180 countries worldwide — including on CBC in Canada and the Disney Channel in the U.S. — follows a group of animal friends who try to save the Evergreen Forest from millionaire industrialist Cyril Sneer. “Parents are very cognizant about what they were watching and they want to make those values available to their kids.”

Source: thestar January 13, 2022 03:00 UTC