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When you grow up watching Mr. Dress-Up and The Friendly Giant, and you spend your childhood dreaming of being a Casey, a Finnegan, a Jerome, or a Rusty, and then it comes true. Here we are on the set of a new season of Miss Persona - with the best cast and crew in the world. There's nowhere else I'd rather be ... 
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Last Wednesday, February 5, my newest fleet of teaching puppets enjoyed their maiden voyage in (on) the hands of the 2nd Year acting students at Humber College. I've had to excuse myself from teaching at Humber this semester because I'll be deep into shooting new episodes of Miss Persona full-time, but program facilitator Shawna Reiter had me in for a one-day crash course in “basic muppetry” for the stage. (We’ll save TV training for another session.) Canadian puppeteer Adam Proulx made these for me; there are 15 of them, all colours, all fuzzes, and all of the basics needed for starter muppet training. I’ve been struggling for a name for these puppets. It’s not right to call them “muppets” as that’s a specific trademark for a copyrighted family of known characters. So, in honour of Mr. Proulx’s company -- The Pucking Fuppet Company -- I’ve decided to name this fleet “The Fuppets.” Here they are in action …  TORONTO, January 30, 2020 – Corus Entertainment, a world-leading international producer and distributor of children’s animated and live action content, is excited to announce the Season 3 greenlight of its hit series, Miss Persona (60x7min). The enchanting third season will introduce new characters, music, and themes, and a returning cast featuring the legendary Fred Penner, Alyson Court (Big Comfy Couch), Joe Motiki (The Crawlspace), puppeteer Mike Petersen (Fraggle Rock, Toopy and Binoo) and former WWE wrestling champion Anthony Carelli (Santino Marella). New characters include an adorable puppy puppeteered by Ingrid Hansen (Helpsters) and more to be announced in the coming months. This season also features cameos by Emma Wiggle and Steve “Ed The Sock” Kerzner playing Ted The Sock. With episodes featuring 60 original songs set to premiere Fall 2020 on Treehouse, Miss Persona is back and bigger than ever.
Developed for children ages two to five, Miss Persona uses dress up and imagination to solve problems with her best friend, Brandon Bear, a shy teddy bear. Each episode will include a narrative short, original song and crafting segment. The storylines guide kids through the many ‘firsts’ of being a preschooler through the experiences of Brandon Bear, such as making his first friend, getting jealous for the first time, learning to share, and other early childhood milestones. Miss Persona helps kids grow emotional resilience and reduce any anxiety that comes along with new experiences – all while having musical fun along the way. “After charming audiences on YouTube and growing into a linear success story on Treehouse in Canada, Miss Persona has quickly become a shining star within Nelvana’s catalogue, inspiring broadcasters and preschoolers alike.” says Pam Westman, President, Nelvana. “Our team is excited to be working closely with Kimberly Persona to produce an innovative third season filled with even more imaginative play, exciting surprises and guest appearances.” Nominated for two Daytime Emmy® Awards, including Outstanding Preschool Series, and Winner of the 2019 Youth Media Alliance Award of Excellence for Best Digital First Content, Miss Persona was a top 20 series for preschoolers in Canada across all Kids specialty networks on TV last spring* and has earned millions of views on YouTube since its launch in September 2018. Most recently, Miss Persona has also been nominated for a Kidscreen Award for Best Original Web/App Series. “I’m so honoured to be working with Nelvana on my dream project. They provide unwavering support to produce a truly creator driven series, which means the show has a personal touch from my heart.” says Kimberly Persona, creator and star of Miss Persona. “There are so many diverse topics we explore this upcoming season and I’m proud to be telling stories that are fresh and authentic.” |
