Kids' jury selects comedy adventure as Canada's top children's TV program
OTTAWA, Nov. 27, 2012 /CNW/ - An adventure comedy television show about a teenaged vampire who also happens to be a babysitter has taken a bite out of the competition, earning the most votes by children across the country to win the 2012 Shaw Rocket Prize as Canada's favourite kids' TV program.
Toronto-based production and development company Fresh TV was presented the $50,000 prize at a gala tonight for My Babysitter's A Vampire after receiving the most votes of five finalists.
A half-hour live-action show that goes heavy on humour and special effects, My Babysitter's A Vampire airs on Teletoon/Télétoon in Canada, as well as 26 other countries around the world.
Based on a previous full-length motion picture by the same name and in its second season on TV, the Canadian-made show follows the heroics of a group of three geeky, sci-fi loving friends, Ethan, Benny & Rory, and their vampire babysitter, Sarah, and her friend Erica as they defend their town against an avalanche of scary supernatural phenomena.
"Fresh TV is incredibly proud to be the winner of this year's Shaw Rocket Prize. We're especially psyched because Canadian kids chose us themselves." said Brian Irving, Executive Producer.
The 8th annual Shaw Rocket Prize honoured the best independently produced Canadian children's, youth or family programs, as well as accompanying websites, games and other online content. In addition to My Babysitter's a Vampire, the other four 2012 Shaw Rocket Prize finalists included: Justin Time by Guru Animation, Là est La Question! By Productions La Fête Inc., Stella and Sam by Radical Sheep Productions, and That's So Weird by DHX Media.
The awards gala was hosted by well-known and respected Global Television News personalities Susan Hay and Tom Clark. Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development Diane Finley presented the prize to the winning show.
"Canada produces some of the best programming for children and families in the world, so it's very important that we celebrate our success through initiatives such as the Shaw Rocket Prize," Minister Finley said. "We would like to congratulate all of the finalists for their commitment to providing us such fantastic stories that we can share together."
Shaw Communications Vice President, Julie Shaw, noted the exceptional quality of this year's finalist shows and commended them for producing exceptional, quality programming for children across Canada and around the world.
"At Shaw, we believe that quality and interactive family programming has a positive influence on our children by helping promote learning, imagination and creativity," Ms. Shaw said. "The Shaw Rocket Fund has done an outstanding job in supporting Shaw's objective of building a solid and respected Canadian television industry for years to come."
HOW THE WINNER WAS SELECTED:
An international jury of industry experts selected five finalists for the 2012 Shaw Rocket Prize. The international jury was comprised of Andrew Beecham, Senior Vice President Programming, Sprout, Julien Borde, General Secretary of Programmes, France 3, Jules Borkent, Senior Vice President Global Acquisitions and International Programming, Nickelodeon, VIMN, Layla Lewis, Director Programming Acquisitions and Development, Turner International Asia Pacific Limited, and Larry Schwarz, CEO, Larry Schwarz and His Band.
"My Babysitter's a Vampire is funny, smart, relevant and highly entertaining. A quality production that offers the audience equal doses of comedy, drama, tension, great characters and just a touch of gore!" said Layla Lewis, Turner.
Once narrowed to five finalists, a jury of kids from across Canada chose their favourite. They voted throughout October and November by viewing each finalist's television and digital media content online. Below are quotes from members of the kids' jury:
- This show is the best!!! I have seen ALL of the episodes and it is well-written, has good acting, is funny, and the theme is grabbing. A+! This show is my winner! Mariah, Quebec Kid Juror
- I really like Vampire shows and this one is really great. I like characters like Sarah and Erica. The acting is good and the idea around the show is really good. I think this could be one of my new favorite shows. I really think it deserves to win. It rocks!! Emily, Nova Scotia Kid Juror
The Shaw Rocket Fund is a forward-thinking, not-for-profit corporation that focuses on stimulating excellence in the Canadian children's production industry. We support Canadian children's programming, recognized worldwide for its creativity and commitment to quality. We are strong believers in the ability of quality programming to fuel the young, imaginative minds of our kids and enrich their lives through interaction with creative content on all platforms. To date the Shaw Rocket Fund has invested $135 million towards 560 television productions including digital content. Contributors to the Fund are Shaw Communications, Shaw Pay Per View Ltd., and Shaw Direct.
For more information about the Prize, visit the Shaw Rocket Prize website at http://rocketprize.ca/. For information about the Shaw Rocket Fund, visit www.rocketfund.ca.
SOURCE: Ensight Canada
For further information:
Jacquie LaRocque
ENsight Canada
(613) 614-6339
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