
Clifford the Big Red Dog (2019 TV series)

Clifford the Big Red Dog is an American-Canadian flash-animated children's television series which is a reboot to the book series of the same name written by Norman Bridwell, the 2000 original series created by Deborah Forte and produced by Mike Young Productions, and is the third series in the franchise after the prequel spin-off "Clifford's Puppy Days" also produced by Mike Young Productions.
In addition to being a reboot, it is also a sequel, because PBS lists it as being the third season.
It was released on December 6, 2019 on Amazon Prime Video, and premiered a day later on PBS Kids. It is the first series to be produced in 16:9 widescreen. However, unlike the original TV series, the reboot has not yet aired in the UK, and it is unknown whether or not it will be dubbed for the British audiences if it ever premieres in the UK. The second part of season 1 was released on February 7, 2020. The executive producers of the show include Jennifer Oxley, best known for co-creating "Peg + Cat", and Vince Commisso of 9 Story Media Group.
The series revolves around Emily Elizabeth Howard, a young girl who owns Clifford, a big red dog who can speak to her for the first time since the late 1980s-early 1990s direct-to-video series. Together the two friends explore their island home, Birdwell Island, and embark on adventures.
Production.
A reboot of "Clifford the Big Red Dog" was announced on May 16, 2018 by Scholastic, and released in late 2019. Scholastic and 100 Chickens Productions in the United States, and 9 Story Media Group in Canada produce the series.
On November 22, 2019, the theme song and a sneak peek clip of an episode were released.
In preparing for the role of the voice of Clifford, Adam Sanders stated that he watched episodes of the 2000s television series and studied John Ritter's performance as Clifford, stating that Ritter portrayed the character as very optimistic, and very youthful, full of compassion.
Episodes.
The first season of the series is slated to have 39 22-minute episodes.
Reception.
"Clifford the Big Red Dog" received generally mixed reviews from critics, with parents praising it for its fun songs, lessons, and creativity; but older fans of the original disagreed, responding with negative reviews. Reasons for criticism included the removal of all the previous characters, switch of format and the inclusion of the LGBT parenting, among other reasons. IMDb currently holds a score of 5.8 out of 10, based on 65 ratings and 11 user reviews.
Broadcast.
The first seven episodes of "Clifford the Big Red Dog" were released on Amazon Prime Video on December 6, 2019 while PBS Kids began airing the series the next day.