After a 30-year hiatus, everyone’s favorite stop-motion boy-and-dog team is returning to the small screen with an all-new holiday special titled Davey and Goliath’s Snowboard Christmas. The one-hour program, presented by Faith & Values Media. will premiere Sunday, Dec. 19. at 12 noon (ET/PT) and 11 a.m. (Central) on Hallmark Channel. An encore broadcast will air on Dec. 26.
In Davey and Goliath’s Snowboard Christmas, Davey is jealous of the snowboarding skills of his two new friends–Sam, who celebrates Hanukkah, and Yasmeen, who celebrates Ramadan. Determined to show them up, Davey challenges his pals to a race down a roped-off portion of the mountain. When the three children get into trouble, it’s up to Goliath to save the day.
A property of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), Davey and Goliath has been entertaining young viewers with faith-based stories since the 1960s. "We believe that the special’s themes of love, understanding and forgiveness are more important than ever, so we are delighted to give this gift to children this holiday season," says the Rev. Eric C. Shafer, director of ELCA’s Department for Communication.
Like the original series, the new special was produced by Premavision Inc. (formerly Clokey Prods.) in Los Osos, Calif. Producer Joe Clokey is the son of Art and Ruth Clokey, who were the original producers of Davey and Goliath and Gumby. To ensure that the charm of the classic series carries over into the new adventure, some of the original animators and production crewmembers were brought back.
The holiday special is part of a comprehensive re-launch of the Davey and Goliath brand. New initiatives, spearheaded by Animation Content LLC, working closely with the ELCA, include the release of several new children’s book titles to be published by Scholastic in the spring and fall of 2005. Additional ELCA licensing plans include a home video release of the classic series, as well as the production of new episodes, toys, games and merchandise.
More information on Davey and Goliath can be found at www.daveyandgoliath.org.
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