'Clifford The Big Red Dog' Is Returning To TV In 2019

Here's a piece of good news for people of a certain age, who for whatever reason still want to watch shows that they originally saw when they were young children. Brace yourselves, millennials: Clifford the Big Red Dog is coming back to TV.

Yes, the huge canine character will return in 2019 for a series on PBS Kids and Amazon Prime Video. Scholastic Entertainment will be producing the show and confirmed the news earlier this week.

The original series, based on the books by Norman Bridwell, ran in the early 2000s and went on for three years. It was massively successful and aired in more than 100 countries.

It even earned a few nominations for the Daytime Emmy awards, which is not bad going for a dog whose only character trait is that he's bigger than a house.

In a statement, the show's executive producer Iole Lucchese said: "There is something enduring in Clifford's gentle, loyal spirit that touches fans even after they become adults.

"We see it in tributes on social media and in fan art, and of course, in every parent who grew up with Clifford and now shares their love of him with their pre-schoolers."

Clifford first came to live as the brainchild of the aforementioned Norman Bridwell, who was an artist living in New York. He created Clifford as part of a portfolio to try to get work as an illustrator. A friend suggested that he create a story around him and try to use that.

Interestingly, Bridwell was originally going to call the huge dog Tiny, but his wife Norma thought that name was too boring and suggested Clifford. There you have it.

via GIPHY

In the stories, Clifford lives with a girl called Emily Elizabeth, who is named after Bridwell's daughter, and some other dog friends called Cleo and T-Bone. The group live on Birdwell Island.

The new show will feature original songs, new and old characters, and will - of course - focus on teaching young children about literacy and the like. The new series is currently scheduled to go on for 39 episodes.

One person who will sadly be unable to return to the show is John Ritter. He was the original voice of Clifford but sadly died in 2003.

He was posthumously nominated for an Emmy in 2004 for his performance.

Featured Image Credit: BBC

Topics: Entertainment, TV and Film, amazon prime, US

Tom Wood

Tom Wood is a freelance journalist and LADbible contributor. He graduated from University of London with a BA in Philosophy before studying for a Masters in Journalism at the University of Salford. He has previously written for the M.E.N Group as well as working for several top professional sports clubs. Contact him on [email protected]

@TPWagwim