Prime Video is dipping into the tickle trunk for a Canadian Amazon original documentary on the legacy of the late children’s entertainer Ernie Coombs, otherwise known as Mr. Dressup.

Amazon’s streaming service announced on Thursday (Sept. 29) that filming will begin this fall on the untitled feature-length doc, produced by Toronto’s marblemedia in association with CBC, Hawkeye Pictures and Pyre Productions.

The film will look into the life and career of Coombs as well as the origins of his long-running CBC children’s series, Mr. Dressup, which also featured puppet pals Casey and Finnegan. It is financed with the participation of the Shaw Rocket Fund, the Rogers Documentary Fund, and Ontario Creates.

Mark Bishop and Aeschylus Poulos are the doc’s producers and also serve as executive producers alongside Matt Hornburg, Justin Schoenrock, and Rob McCallum. Donna Luke is the co-executive producer.

It is directed by McCallum (Power of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Missing Mom) and written by him and Jordan Morris. Toronto’s Distribution360 handles international sales.

The doc is set for release in 2023 exclusively on Prime Video in 240 countries and territories worldwide, followed by a broadcast on CBC.

Mr. Dressup aired for 29 years on CBC, with 4,000 episodes under its belt. The doc will use never-before-seen archival footage and interviews with series musicians and puppeteers, Coombs’ family, and other notable Canadians. It will highlight the series’ impact as well as Coombs’ work ethic and relationships with other performers, including Fred Rogers.

Bishop, executive producer and co-founder of marblemedia, said in a statement that “this is one of the most iconic Canadian stories to tell as producers in Canada,” adding that it “resonates positive values, an archetype that has changed the future of kids and family entertainment for generations, and shaped countless careers, including my own.”

Nav Saini, head of content for Prime Video Canada, added that the documentary will “serve as a reminder of the power of creativity, the need for compassion, and the importance of playtime, from one of our most important entertainment icons.”

The doc joins Amazon Prime Video’s slate of Canadian original titles including Blue Ant Studios’ The Kids in the Hall: Comedy Punks, Amaze’s scripted comedy The Lake, and Amazon Studios and Muse Entertainment’s The Unsolved Murder of Beverly Lynn Smith, among others.

Image courtesy of Prime Video. Photo credit: CBC Still Photo Collection/Paul Smith