With a cast of engaging animal toddlers and their families, Cornemuse is a live-action preschool series aimed at developing tolerance and self-esteem among preschoolers.

The episode nominated at Banff 2000 – Cornemuse II: ‘Tibor et Bagou Astronautes’ – examines themes of imagination and creative initiative as the toddlers build their very own spaceship out of boxes and an old ironing board.

Produced by Montreal’s Telefiction, Cornemuse is now in production on its third season (bringing the total to 195 half-hour episodes). The modest, 65-episode budget is $3.9 million.

‘What’s special about this series has been the consistency of quality after so many episodes,’ says co-writer and producer Carmen Bourassa. ‘Usually when there are so many, we’re talking about ‘fast food.’ ‘

Cornemuse is a dog/veterinarian played by Gemeaux-winning actor Danielle Proulx. The series encourages kids to sing, play and learn, and stars four pint-sized four-year-olds, each from a different animal (read racial) family. Characters include Tibor the shy tiger, Kounga the naughty kangaroo, Rafi the benevolent racoon and Bagou the teasing monkey.

Beyond their day-to-day family lives, the ‘kids’ sometimes visit Secret Island, a place where they can really express themselves. And there’s Zozo, a sympathetic little bird who lives in a cage at Cornemuse’s and sometimes transforms into an animated cartoon character.

Tele-Quebec introduced the series to its afternoon block in the winter of 1999. Bourassa says the show is rated number one among all French-language children’s programs, including animation series with kids aged two to six. The daily audience this spring is 300,000, a 69 share among the target demographic.

Music is an important part of the undertaking, and some 109 songs were penned by Marie Bernard for the show’s first season.

Telefiction Distribution and Marketing and its partners are now preparing an extensive merchandising rollout. Products include videos, playtime and pajama clothing lines, exercise books and a line of plush dolls. ‘We’ve never once gone to see a manufacturer,’ says Bourassa. ‘It’s always been them who have approached us.’ She says all the major retailers in this market have taken in Cornemuse products sight unseen.

If we had a dream

Bourassa says an English version of Cornemuse is in the works.

‘If we had a dream, that’s what it would be – so there’s more of an interaction between French and English production in Canada.’

Cornemuse beat out 13 other producer bids in a ‘public submission’ competition organized by Tele-Quebec in 1997. The formidable challenge at the time was to fill in for the hugely popular Passe-Partout series. The industry in Canada has already recognized Cornemuse’s special qualities. The series won an unprecedented five Prix Gemeaux awards in its first season, as well as a ’99 Alliance for Children and Television Award of Excellence.

As for Bourassa, a veteran of three decades of creating and producing children’s programming, she last fall received act’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Her producer credits include Passe-Partout, Pop-Citrouille, Court Circuit, and more recently, Pin-Pon, broadcast on Canal Famille.

Lucie Veillet is coproducing Cornemuse along with Bourassa. Claude Veillet and Jacques Bonin are the exec producers. Investors include Tele-Quebec, Telefilm Canada, the Canadian Television Fund, and the Quebec ministries of education, the family and social affairs.