Saturday, November 17, 2007

My contribution to Christmas


It is with no small amount of satisfaction that I write this.

I say this because, as a child, there was no greater joy than watching Christmas specials.

It was always an event. I would sit down in front of the television and wait for that "Special" teaser to swirl around the screen as the bumper music played, and shortly thereafter, the opening credits of whatever Christmas special I was waiting for would begin,...signifying thirty minutes, (or in some cases a whole HOUR), of yuletide bliss and enraptured joy.

Whether it was the soulful soothing jazz of Vince Gauraldi, (which enamors me to this very day), in the Charlie Brown Christmas, the balladeering warble of Burl Ives in Rankin/Bass's Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, or the thundering rumbling bass of the mighty Thurl Ravenscroft as he admonished, "You're a mean one,....Mister Grinch", (not to mention snow mizer and heat mizer), it was nothing but magic from Thanksgiving weekend until December 25th.

So being a part of something that maintains and adds to the tradition I hold so dear to my own heart is a great Christmas gift in itself,...quite possibly the greatest one I've ever been given.

So check your local times and listings with your local ABC affiliates on November 28th because my Christmas special will be on TV!

After a loooooong and sometimes weary road, and what seemed like an endless gauntlet of opinionated higher ups, my buddy Gary and I, (along with a staff un-matched in talent), were fortunate enough to complete the project Shrek the Halls for Dreamworks and ABC/Disney.

Gary Trousdale, (director of Beauty and the Beast and Hunchback of Notre Dame fame), directed this half hour special and I was head of story on this aka a sort of second in command.

Gary and I also wrote it and got "screenplay by" credit.

The special is about Shrek trying to craft a perfect first Christmas for his new family without letting them know he's never done it before. Everything goes smoothly until, in typical holiday fashion, Donkey shows up with the rest of the "family" to wreak havoc with Shrek's Christmas vision.

ABC has acquired the rights to air it for the next fifteen years and so, up there my work will sit, along with the other Christmas holiday greats like How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph and Frosty.

And while I may not feel worthy to sit among these classic giants, I certainly am honored to.

To think that some little kid may sit down this November 28th in that great anticipatory haze as he waits for a Christmas special that I helped craft fills me with almost as much warmth as watching those specials myself.

So Merry Christmas to all,...and to all, (as Shrek would say), a GROSS night!

10 Comments:

Blogger John Nunnemacher said...

CONGRATULATIONS, Mr. Man :)

4:29 PM  
Blogger Fighting Irish said...

Thank you, sir!

I do appreciate the kind words. How's things in your neck of the woods, John?

We miss you down here in "the Southland" ;)

6:54 PM  
Blogger Claudia said...

Awesome. Congratulations! I'll be looking for it!! definitely!

11:13 AM  
Blogger Fighting Irish said...

Well thank you, Claudia.
If you are successful in catching it, I do hope you enjoy it.

p.s. I think we have the same cat. :)

8:02 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I was looking for information for an Irish writing assignment I'm entering and your blog, which was a result on google, happened to catch my eye. I sat down to watch television with my mum earlier and we caught your production, Shrek The Halls; my mum hasn't cackled that profusely in a long time. I really enjoyed it, and I give you my utmost of respect and admiration for being in the animation business. It is something that strikes me as so facsinating, I've always thought that would be the epitome of what I like to call wicked awesome jobs. Just thought I'd share this with you. :]

7:33 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Congrats!!!! So all those lunche at Hooters did the trick I see!! *grin* MIss you tons!

11:55 AM  
Blogger SHANE PRIGMORE said...

Dude Congrats on the succes of the special. And that post below just made me shit my pants. I love you man!

11:26 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Um,....I was Thinkiiiiiinnnng.....meahhhh"

Hi BISHOP!
I just shoveled the driveway 3 times cause the snow blower broke, missed a meeting cause the car wouldn't start, and spent 2 hours trying to shoe a raccoon out of the toasty garage....

Christmas my ASS!

miss ya :)
E

5:17 PM  
Blogger Bill Burke said...

It's been a long time since you wrote this, but I just found you, so...
That scenario you wrote about - waiting for the special to start? That was OUR house for your show! We all got together in the living room to see the new Shrek Christmas special. We sat on the couch and had hot chocolate and loved it. And little did I know Sean Bishop was behind it! That blows my mind.
Awesome job, and every year for the next 15 years we'll be talking about Sean Bishop around our house. (Oh my God. My daughter will be 20 by then.) But I bet we'll still get together to watch Christmas specials...

6:09 AM  
Blogger Maikeli said...

Merry X-Mas in July.
:-D
I just found your special on Youtube, and I wanted to let you know how awesome it was! I can't wait to buy it on DVD and place it next to my Peanuts and Rudolph specials!!
You have added another classic to the cannon!!

5:51 PM  

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