Animated Series and Specials
In 1985, Atkinson Film-Arts of Ottawa, in association with the CTV Television Network, produced an animated special based on For Better or for Worse entitled The Bestest Present. In the United States, it was first broadcast on HBO, and in later years, on The Disney Channel. Lynn's own children, Aaron and Katie, provided the voices of Michael and Elizabeth, and Rod Johnston made a cameo appearance as the voice of a mailman.
Beginning in 1992, another Ottawa-based studio, Lacewood Productions, produced six more specials, also for CTV. In the United States, these were seen on The Disney Channel. According to Lynn Johnston, the set designs (for instance, for the Patterson's house) which these and subsequent TV programs required led her to develop a much more sophisticated background style in the comic strips, with the layouts of homes and even towns consistent from story to story.
The six specials produced by Lacewood were:
- The Last Camping Trip
- A Christmas Angel
- The Good-for-Nothing (Halloween)
- A Valentine from the Heart
- The Babe Magnet (a.k.a. The Sweet Deal)
- A Storm in April
In 2000, Ottawa's Funbag Animation produced a new animated series for cable TV network Teletoon. Featuring introductions by Lynn Johnston herself, the show looked at three related storylines from three different eras of the strip—the 1980s, the 1990s, and the 2000s.
The series consisted of two seasons with eight episodes each. On March 23, 2004, Koch Vision released the complete series on DVD.
The rights to the 1980s/1990s specials are currently held by Lynn Johnston Productions, who were able to acquire the rights in 2008. All 7 of them are now on DVD, available exclusively through the For Better or For Worse online store.
Read more about this topic: For Better Or For Worse
Famous quotes containing the words animated and/or series:
“Uncle Ben’s brass bullet-mould
And powder horn, and Major Bogan’s face
Above the fire, in the half-light, plainly said
There’s naught to kill but the animated dead;”
—Allen Tate (1899–1979)
“Through a series of gradual power losses, the modern parent is in danger of losing sight of her own child, as well as her own vision and style. It’s a very big price to pay emotionally. Too bad it’s often accompanied by an equally huge price financially.”
—Sonia Taitz (20th century)