Animated version of 'Clown' coming to C4 at Christmas
Friday 9th October 2020
Oscar nominee and BAFTA-winning actor Helena Bonham Carter is to narrate a new animation based on Quentin's much-loved picture book Clown, set to be broadcast on Channel 4 at 7.40pm on Christmas Day.
Created with traditional hand-drawn animation techniques to capture the unique style of Quentin Blake’s artwork, the programme will be part of a long and established tradition of Channel 4’s animated Christmas specials such as The Snowman, The Tiger Who Came to Tea, and We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.
Produced by Eagle Eye Drama, the production company recently launched by the team behind non-English-language drama brand Walter Presents, Quentin Blake’s Clown is a half-hour animation, bringing to life the adventures of a little toy clown, thrown away with a load of old discarded toys, who goes on a journey to find a new loving home for himself and his friends. The book was awarded the Bologna Ragazzi Prize in 1996.
Production of the programme was funded with a grant from the BFI’s Young Audiences Content Fund, which supports the creation of high-quality content for children. The programme will be directed by Luigi Berio and exec produced by Massimo Fenati, with Eagle Eye Drama founders Jo McGrath and Walter Iuzzolino acting as joint creative directors.
Accompanying the programme will be a short 'making-of' feature with contributions from Quentin, Helena Bonham Carter and the key animators and executives, giving insight into the creative process.
Quentin said: “Clown has always been one of my favourite characters, and it’s wonderful now to see him off the page and running about on his own.”