Premium cable channel Starz has acquired Eloise, an animated series based on the best-selling children’s book series authored by Kay Thompson and illustrated by Hilary Knight. Featuring the voices of Lynn Redgrave, Tim Curry, Matthew Lillard, Curtis Armstrong and Mary Matilyn Mouser, the show will debut on Starz Kids & Family Sunday, Oct. 8, at 6 p.m.
Eloise will consist of 13 22-minute episodes and several one-hour specials starring the six year-old force of nature who fancies herself the princess of New York City’s Plaza Hotel. Residing with her British nanny and her pets, Weenie the pug and Skipperdee the turtle, Eloise keeps busy roaming the floors of the hotel, plaguing the hotel staff and guests with her mischief.
The series is produced by Film Roman, which became part of the Starz family with the acquisition of IDT Ent., in association with Handmade Films. The episodes are directed by Wes Archer (The Simpsons, King of the Hill), who used Knight’s iconic drawings as the foundation for the look and feel of the animation.
First published by Simon and Schuster in 1955, Eloise was an instant hit that spawned the best-selling sequels Eloise in Paris, Eloise at Christmastime and Eloise in Moscow. A fifth installment, Eloise Takes a Bawth, was published 40 years later in 2002. Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing will release Eloise in Hollywood on Oct. 24, 2006.
The first television series to have its world premiere on Starz Kids & Family, Eloise will air with new episodes every Sunday at 6 p.m. (ET/PT) through November. The show will also be available on Starz On Demand and on the new Vongo download service. For more information on the series, go to www.starzkidsfamily.com.
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