Clifford the Big Red Dog is an eponymously titled American children's book series about a giant red dog named Clifford. It was first published in 1963 and was written by Norman Bridwell (1928â€"2014). The series helped establish Scholastic as a premier publishing company, and Clifford himself is Scholastic's official mascot.
Characters
- Clifford: a male red dog whose appearance, disposition, and behavior are based on a giant "all-around" dog. Clifford is shy, gentle, friendly, loyal, lovable, clumsy, well-meaning and helpful. He sometimes gets into trouble because of his size or is tempted into trouble by his friends and those he meets. His size, like giants in medieval legends, is inconsistentâ€"he is often shown as being about 25 feet tall from paws to head, but can appear far larger: For example, in one episode of the show, he removes the top of a lighthouse and swims out with it to guide a ferry through the fog to the dock. The character's name is based on the imaginary childhood friend of creator Norman Bridwell's wife. He originally wanted to name him "Tiny", but his wife persuaded him otherwise. His owner is Emily Elizabeth, to whom he is devoted. He has a mother, two brothers, and two sisters. His character was created when an editor at Harper & Row advised Bridwell to write a story to go along with one of his pictures. She picked out his sketch of a baby girl and a horse-sized bloodhound and casually said, "There might be a story in this," Bridwell remembers.
- Emily Elizabeth: Clifford's owner. A friendly, curious, and helpful eight-year-old girl. She is frequently portrayed riding on his bare back. She is the best skater on the island, and is also very good at soccer. She was named for creator Norman Bridwell's daughter and based on the imaginary adventures of Bridwell's wife. The TV series adaptation gives her a surname, Emily Elizabeth Howard, and changes the background, with her receiving Clifford as a surprise present on her 6th birthday instead of picking him out as a Christmas present.
List of books
Adaptations
Videos
In 1988, Scholastic Studios, Mendelson-Melendez Productions, Nelvana, Wang Film Productions, and Family Home Entertainment released "Clifford's Fun with...", a videotape series with the theme song by Phillip Namanworth and Benjamin Goldstein. These episodes include the following, The ABC Message Service, Clifford's Birthday Surprise, The Scavenger Hunt, The Rhyme Cat Rescue, Clifford Goes to Hollywood, and The Pet Show. Brent Titcomb voiced Clifford, and Emily Elizabeth was voiced by Alyson Court. Lorimar Productions released the video "Clifford's Sing Along Adventure" around the same time. Warner Home Video re-released it in the mid-1990s.
Television
Scholastic Studios produced a 65-episode television adaptation shown on PBS Kids, which aired from September 2000 to February 2003. Clifford was voiced by actor John Ritter, and Emily Elizabeth was voiced by Grey DeLisle. There was also a 39-episode prequel series that ran September 2003 to October 2004. During that time, a 76-minute film which served as the show's finale was released in February 2004.
Live-action film adaptation
In May 2012, it was reported that Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment would make a live-action/animated feature film based on the book. Matt Lopez had been hired to write the script, while Chris Meledandri and Deborah Forte would produce the film. In July 2013, it was reported that Illumination had dropped the project. Two months later, it was reported that the film was still in development at Universal Pictures and that David Bowers was in talks to direct the film. Like the 2011 film Hop, the titular dog character will be animated while the other characters will be live-action. On August 1, 2014, Universal Pictures scheduled the film for a release on April 8, 2016. In the beginning of 2015, the film's release date was taken over by another Universal film, The Boss. On June 30, 2016, it was reported by Deadline.com that Paramount Pictures has picked up the rights for the film. According to the report, "Forte decided to take the material in a new direction," and "Universal let the option lapse." It was further announced that Office Christmas Party writer Justin Malen was hired to write the screenplay. On September 25, 2017, it was announced that Walt Becker will direct the film, replacing Bowers.
Video games
Original series
- Clifford's Reading
- Clifford's Thinking Games
Modern series
- Clifford's Learning Activities
- Clifford's Musical Memory Games
- Clifford's Phonics
- Clifford's Big Puzzle Game (A Wendy's Kids' Meal DVD game, available for a limited time only)
See also
- Younger versions of cartoon characters
- Clifford's Puppy Days
- Clifford's Really Big Movie
References
^ Media and Culture, 5th ed., Richard Campbell, Christopher R. Martin and Bettina Fabos.
External links
- Official site of book series
- http://pbskids.org/clifford/index-brd-alt.html
- Clifford's creation