The Ottawa Citizen from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • 69

D8 THE OTTAWA CITIZEN MONDAY, APRIL 18, 1988 GflGVyflGUQDini UnW. nr- 'i a ir Mrfln)Slfi)S SPlf tfP Ambitious educational-adventure project tickles fancy of New York distributors, CBC takes look Television Tony Atherton Citizen staff Earlier this year, Atkinson Film Arts became Crawleys Animation, disappearing completely within the ample folds of Ottawa's largest TV and film producer. But the Atkinson name, which over the last decade has become synonymous with quality animation, continues to be a force in the local industry. Tucked in the basement of a contracting firm on the southern reaches of Bank Street, Kathi, Lee and Vic Atkinson are still doing the kind of work that made Atkinson Film Arts a success in the late 70s. For KLA Visual Productions, it's mostly small-scale commercial work these days, animated training films, TV ads and snippets for educational TV.

It's a far cry from half-hour specials which first brought Atkinson Film Arts wide-scale international recognition, shows such as The Little Brown Burro, The Trolls and the Christmas Express, and the first. of Kevin Gillis's Raccoon projects, The Christmas Raccoons. However, an ambitious new project to them with a unique proposition. Her husband had always wanted to make an animated version of his own story about the donkey that carried Mary to Bethlehem. If she raised the capital, could they pull it off? She did, and they did, and The Little Brown Burro launched Atkinson Film Arts in a whole new direction.

At first, however, commercial animation work continued to provide the bread and butter for Atkinson Film Arts. The audio-visual department was run by Vic's son, Lee. On staff was Lee's wife, Kathi. Stevens was excited by the prospects of large-scale entertainment animation, but the business was changing too fast for Vic Atkinson. His role was becoming less creative and more administrative, so he bowed out of the business in 1981.

Stevens went on to take over Crawley Films from Budge Crawley and merged it with Atkinson Films Arts, though the animation house retained its old name until this year. By that time, Lee and Kathi had left Atkinson Film Arts to start KLA Visual Productions, bringing a number of their old clients with them. Vic joined their firm two years ago. With Rooster's Hamlet, the Atkinsons hope to combine both aspects of their previous animation experience entertainment and education. "What we wanted to do with this series was to cross-pollinate the two," says Lee.

Rooster's Hamlets is home to a variety of eccentric characters who happen to be experts in fields like math, science, history and grammar. There's also a group of inquisitive kids who call themselves The Roosters. The kids go on elaborate adventures shrinking down to go spinning on a proton with Professor Labyrinth, or learning how to navigate by the stars with astronomer Won Chan. The project is conceived as 10-min-ute segments which can be either strung together to form a half-hour or used on their own within other children's programs. The producers of Captain Kangaroo have expressed in terest.

But the Atkinsons says they don't want the series if it means major expansion. KLA is not a studio but a creative house, hiring out much of its ac tual animation to Hinton Animation Studios, the company that produces -The Raccoons. They would have to be picked up by a patient broadcaster. Lee estimates it would take the tiny company two years to produce 13 episodes of three segments each. Ideally, says Vic, the series will take off and give KLA an excuse to repatri-' ate another member of the Atkinson animation clan.

Barry Atkinson, Lee's younger brother, is a background artist for ex-Disney animator Don BluthV Ireland-based company and has worked on such features as An American Tail. One of Barry's original backgrounds from the Steven Spielberg production hangs on a panelled wall in the basement office. Vic thinks it would be nice to have Barry back in the fold, but as Kathi says, "We can't afford Barry yet." may find the Atkinsons back on network television in Canada and the U.S. Roosters Hamlet, an educational adventure series, has tickled the fancy of several of several New York distributors, and is also being looked at by CBC. It's full circle for Vic Atkinson, 57, who started his career doing diagra-matic work for film-maker Budge Crawley on various educational films.

Atkinson went on to found Atkinson Film Arts with another Crawley alumnus, Bill Stevens. The new studio was making a name with educational productions when the widow of the man who had been their chief client came Shriver takes thoughtful look at women in jail CBC to introduce two shows developed for young people By Joan Hanauer United Press International TV preview Women Behind Bars Channel 8R Tuesday at 10 p.m. The Canadian Press Dricfs needs you and the world goes on without you." That became reality for Shriver, who spent a week at the prison, then left and returned. "The first time I was there for a week, then left and came back again. What really struck me was the thought that it has been three weeks that I had been gone, and how much I had done in my own life.

Yet there they were, still in this same, confined area, still doing the same things. Nothing had changed. It really made me think." The statistics are enough to make anyone think. Shriver said women make up less than five per cent of the U.S.'s total prison population, but the number of female inmates has tripled in the last 10 years. The majority are single mothers with at least two children and even the smallest of those children are frisked when they come to visit their mothers.

An estimated 30 per cent of the inmates were victims of incest." One in five of these women are murderers, many of them battered wives. The physical circumstances of prison are not harsh "You do time here, it is mental time," one inmate said but neither does prison life contribute to making it on the outside. Life in a woman's prison, Shriver points out, encourages dependency because dependent women are easier to control. But that won't help them fend for themselves in a society, particularly one that has few jobs for the ill-educated and unskilled. They leave prison with new clothes and $100 and possibly they have been pre-cleared for welfare but not for jobs.

"Doing the interviews," Shriver said, "it was fascinating to learn each woman's story. But you had to remember that these women left victims outside, too. NEW YORK Maria Shriver went to an Illinois women's prison to learn about Women Behind Bars and came away with a thoughtful documentary about the fastest-growing segment of the U.S.'s prison population. The NBC News Report ont America: Women Behind airs Tuesday at 10 p.m. The scene is the Dwight Correctional Institution, which houses 600 inmates from check-bouncers to murderers in what looks like a college campus.

But make -no mistake, this really is a school of hard knocks. Shriver interviews the women, their warden and others, following them from their admission, early in isolation and eventual placement in the prison community. "I wanted to make sure we were not going off and doing an hour about drugs, sex and rock- TORONTO CBC-TV is introducing two new shows for young people one a traditional nature series but the other an unusual consumer-oriented special. Ourselves and Other Animals, beginning Sunday afternoon and continuing weekly to July 17, features the husband-and-wife naturalist team of Gerald and Lee Durrell looking at ways human beings interact with the animal kingdom. Moneypenny, to appear May 3 in an after-school time period, is billed by the network as "the first television consumer program in North America for young people." CBC looks west TORONTO Continuing its push for more regional drama, CBC-TV has officially opened a new program development office and-roll in women's prisons," Shriver said in an interview.

"This takes it's time, it isn't fast and glitzy." The show does discuss sensational topics like homosexuality in a women's prison, but not in an exploitive way. Instead it provides insight into a less lurid aspect of an incarcerated woman's search for affection the mock families the inmates form, with mother, father and children, in order to create the warmth they so badly need. The intense loneliness of prison especially for the majority of inmates who are single mothers was highlighted in a line from a poem written by one of the women. It read: "Prison is a place where you learn nobody in Vancouver. The English language network hopes to nourish more ideas and talent outside the usual centres in Central Canada, and is aiming to increase regional content on the network to 40 per cent from the current level of about 26 per cent.

Station fights back TORONTO Hamilton's CHCH-TV, the largest independent TV station in Canada, has announced a large-scale purchase of U.S. programs aimed at revitalizing its place in the lucrative but highly competitive market in southern Ontario. The station says the two-year, $50-million package includes hits like L. A. Law, Alt, Knots Landing and Perfect Strangers.

UEiaft's on taigEifi News 6.30 p.m. (6) SDortsline PRIME TIME AT A GLANCE News (7) (10R) CBS Landon, Melissa Gilbert. 8.00 p.m. (6) Probe Austin tries to thwart a killer who uses virus strains to murder specific people. myORKate Allie (12) (13) (13R) 12CF) L'Art et I'artiste 18) Discoveries Un- CC) 8R) NBC News (CC) (10) (40) Charivari (12CF) Flash Varicella 13R) ABC News (CC) (16, 33) Question Period (24) Sharon, Lois Bram's Elephant Show (28) SportsDesk (30-Q) Cinema "La Foret explosive" (30) Teleservice 34, 38) Queen's Park (49) La Maison De- schenes 7.00 p.m.

(4) Country Mary Groda-Lewis, who overcame dyslexia and a troubled adolescence to achieve her dream of becoming a doctor. R) 12.55 a.m. (11) Movie "Spittin' Image" (1983) Sunshine Parker, Trudi Cooper. A yeung girl becomes separated from her family while on a trip. 1.00 a.m.

(10R) Bizarre (12) Movie "Northstar" (1986) Greg Evigan, Deborah Wakeham. A solar in space gives an astronaut superhuman powers that are put to use in tracking down his fellow astronaut's killer. (13R) News Moral Majority; Floyd Robertson (Flaherty) and Earl Camembert (Levy) examine flying carpets. (13R) Carol Burnett And Friends (18) Movie "As You Like It" (1936) Elisabeth Berg-ner, Laurence Olivier. Based on Shakespeare's play.

(24) Question Period Provincial (CC) (28) Thoroughbred Digest 49) Le Retour du Saint 11.35 p.m. (10) lei Montreal (CC) (40) Nouvelles 11.45 p.m. (10) (40) Nouvelles du sport (30-Q) Cinema "Qana canvano" i-iepon (5) (11)ALF (6) (7) (10R) Wheel Of Fortune (CC) p.m. (11) Star 6M) People First 8R) M.A.S.H 9) La Cour en direct 10) (40) Dynastie '12 (131 Entertainment 11.55 Trek I 7:00 I 7:30 I 8:00 I 8:30 I 9:00 I 9:30 I 10:00 I 10:30 (4) Country Report Hockey: Stanley Cup Playoffs, Division Final Game One. Montreal Canadiens vs.

Boston Bruins National QT) ALF Hockey: Stanley Cup Playoffs, Division Final Game One. Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins National Wheel Fortune Jackpot Probe Sledge Hammer Air Farce Live People First Hockey: Stanley Cup Playoffs, Division Final Game One. Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins National (T) Wheel Fortune Cosby Show Kate Allie Design.

Women Newhart Eisen. Lutz M'A'S'H M'A'S'H ALF Valerie's Family Movie: "When The Bough Breaks" (T) Cour Hockey: Stanley Cup Playoffs, Division Final Game One. Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins Le Supplement (jjj) Dynastie L'Or du temps Ad lib (TO) Wheel Fortune Jeopardy! Kate Allie Design. Women Newhart Cagney Lacey (TJ) ALF Hockey: Stanley Cup Playoffs, Division Final Game One.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins National QD Ent. Tonight Live It Up MacGyver Jake And The Fatman (Tj) CF L'Atome social Mosaique L'Art et I'artiste Ray Bradbury Federate Feminin pluriel (f3) Ent. Tonight Live It Up MacGyver And The Fatman (T3) Win Lose Draw H'wood Squares MacGyver Movie: "The Man Who Loved Women" QD Business Rpt. Streamside Discoveries Underwater Japan Out Of The Back Room 2)0 Page '88: Monday Edition Cont'd Straight Talk rime Out Money Line (22) Page '88: Monday Edition Cont'd Straight Talk Time Out Money Line Nature Profiles Educ.

Week Vista Presents Hello, Actors' Studio Dancemakers Big Ice Teleservice 5 pour 1 Sur les pas du dieu pluie Le Magazine Pour tous Homme (4(j) Dynastie L'Or du temps Ad lib (49) Content Cinema: "Le Destin des Ingalls" Grand Journal Jasmin centre-ville Journey World Survival Africa Movie: "Murder My Sweet" CNN Moneyline Crossfire PrimeNews Larry King Live News CNNII Headline News Headline News Headline News Headline News FC Movie Cont'd Movie: "Moonlight Flight" Movie: "Weekend Warriors" Movie FFC "La Foret explosive" Cont'd Cinema: "Et la femme crea parfait" Cinema: "Le Courage de Lassie" MM VJ: Erica Ehm Cont'd Soft And Romantic VJ: Steve Anthony Supertramp Spotlight TLC American Gov't Accounting New Literacy Write Course Amer. English Bridge Basics News GED TNN Crook Chase VideoCountry Nashville Now New Country Crook Chase VideoCountry TSN Jimy Williams Greg Norman Rodeo: National Finals It's Your Call midnight (4) (6M) Maude (5) Benny Hill 6) Hit Squad 10) (40) Cinema "L'Hopital" (1971) George C. Scott, Diana tonight Interview: actor James Woods. (12CF) L'Atome social (13R) Win, Lose Or Draw (18) Nightly Business Report (24) Profiles Of Nature Featured: the coot, a (10R) Hart To Hart (12) Forgotten Children Of The Eighties duck like bird. (12CF) Periode de 8) Jimy Williams And he Blue Jays S8- oerwater This look at warships and what can be learned about their builders examines the Mary Rose, the Wasa and the Monitor.

(Part 5 of 8) (CC) (22o) (22s) Straight Talk (Live Pnone-ln) (24) vista Presents A profile of adventurer and anthropologist Sha-hira Fawzy, who in 1975 discovered a nomadic tribe thought to be extinct. (28) Rodeo National Finals. (R) (30-Q) Cinema "Et la femme crea I'homme parfait" (30) Sur les pas du dieu pluie 8.30 p.m. (7) (10R) Designing Women (8R) Valerie's Family (34, 38) Queen's Park 9.00 p.m. (6) Sledge Hammer (7) (10R) Newhart Stephanie and Michael feel their relationship has become stagnant.

Part 1 of 2) (R) (CC) (8R) Movie "When The Bough Breaks" (1986) Ted Danson, Richard Masur. (10) (40) L'Or du temps (12) (13) Jake And The Fatman (12CF) Le Monde fan-tastique de Ray Bradbury (13R) Movie "The Man Who Loved Women" (1983) Burt Reynolds, Julie Andrews. (18) Japan Explores Japan's ability to absorb outside influences while maintaining its native culture, focusing on the nation's transformation into a world military power lust 50 years. (Part 3 of (49) Comptant content Channel log (4) Cable 8 (5) Cable 6 (6) Cable 3 (6M) Cable 20 Ottawa; 35 Skyline (7) Antenna only (BR) Cable 9 (9) Cable 11 (10) Cable 32 Ottawa; 39 Skyline (10R) Cable 13 (11) Cable 35 Ottawa; 34 Skyline (12) Cable 16 Ottawa; 20 Skyline (12CF) La chair ran-CftiS (13) Cable 7 (13ft) Cable 19 (18) Cable 4 (22o) Ottawa commum-ty programming 4 i (22s) Skyline communi-ty programming (24) Cable 2 (30)Caote37 (40) Cable 10 (49) Cable 5 Cable 26 CNN Cable 25 CNN II Cable 31 Ottawa only FC Cable 29 FFC Cable 30Q MM 27 TLC Cable 32 SkyRna only TNN CabJe 24 TSN Cable 28 Arts Entertainment, CNN: Cable News Network, CNN II: Cable News Headlines (Ottawa only), FC: First ChoiceSuperchannet, FFC: First Choice (French), MM: MuchMusic, TLC: The Learning Channel (Skyline only), TNN: The Nashville Network, TSN: The Sports Network TONIGHT'S BEST BETS MOVIES questions reaerai (13R) Nightline (CC) (28) Wrestling (R) 12.05 a.m. (13) Movie "The Day The Loving Stopped" (1981) Dennis Weaver, Valerie Harper.

A young woman, on the eve of her marriage, recalls with her younger sister the shattering experience of her once-loving parents' separa-tion and bitter divorce. 12.30 a.m. (4) (6M) Rumpole Of The Bailey Rumpole confronts the old Boy network when he defends a couple accused of blackmail and operating a brothel. (5) Blueprint For Sue-coss (6) (8R) Late Night With David Letterman From May 1987. Indiana University basketball coach Bobby Knight, Kns Knstofferson.

(R) (13R) $100,000 Pyramid (24) Question Period Federal (CC) (29) Movie "The True Nature Of Bernadette" 12.40 a.m. (7) Movie "Vi "Love. Mary" (1985) Kristy McNichcJ, Matt Clark. A fact-based account of events in the life of VAF1IETY Entertainment Tonight Features an interview with actor James Woods. (12, 13 at 7 p.m.) MUSIC Rockschool: Future of rock is explored with the Police, Gang of Four, Siouxie and the Banshees.

(24 at 11 p.m.) 7.15 p.m. (30) indice 7.30 p.m. (4) (5) (6M) (9) (11) Stanley Cup Playoffs Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins. Division Final Game One.

Jackpot 7) Cosby Show 8m M.A.S.H 10R) Jeopardy! (CC) 12) (13) Live It Up Jutterily hunting; the latest cola on the market; country pop group Blue Rodeo (R) (CC) (12CF) Mosaique (13R) Hollywood Squares (18) Rod And Reel Streamside (24) Education Week Special A look at teaching strategies and resources for AIDS education in grades 7 and 8 (28) Year Of The Shark: Greg Norman Golf Special (Possibility of Stanley Cup Hockey. Starting time tentative). (29) Movie "Moonlight Flight" (30) 5 pour 1 (34. 38) Queen's Park (49) Cinema "Le Destin des In-galls" (1983) Michael The Day The Loving Stopped: Starring Dennis Weaver and Valerie Harper. (13 at 12.05 a.m.) p.m.

(9) Le 10.20 Point 9.30 p.m. (7) Eisenhower Lutz (12CF) LEchiquier federate 10.30 p.m. (4) (5) (6M) 10.55 p.m. (4) (5) (6M) Journal (9) Au jour le jour (R) 11.00 p.m. (6) (7) (8R) (10R)(11)(13R) News (TO) (40) Les Nouvelles 4) (CC) ni) National too) 22o) (22s) Time Out (24) Big Ice: Views Of 34, 38) Queen's Park '49) Le Grand Journal 10.00 p.m.

(6) Air Farce Live 11.25 p.m. (10) (40) Franc Parler 11.30 p.m. (4) (5) News (6) Sportsline (6M) (7) Hunter (8R) Best Of Carson Host: Johnny Carson. (SfJR) WKRP In Cincinnati (11)SCTV Sketches: Guy Caballe-ro (Flaherty) meets the The future of rock is explored, featuring the innovative music of the Police, the Gang of Four, and Siouxie and the Banshees. (Part 8 of 8) (28) SportsDesk (30) L'lndice (R) (49) Sports plus 11.15 p.m.

(30) Teleservice (R) 11.20 p.m. (12) (13) News (22o) (22s) Money Line (Live Phone-in) (24) Dancemakers The choreography of Ginette Laurin is examined, including her work "Full House and an excerpt from "Crash Landing (Part 4 ol 6) (28) It's Your Call (30-Q) Cinema "Le Courage de Lassie" (30) Justice pour tous (49) Jasmin centre-ville iz) (U) oiv wews CC) 12CF) Periode de J7) (10R) Cagney LBC ay marcuca (29) Movie J'A "The Bedroom Window" (30) L'Homme et la terre (34, 38) Queen's Park 10.35 p.m. (9) Le (Hnone-in) (24) Hello, Actors" Studio Advanced workshops and the Actors' Studio "method'' are examined (Part 2 of 3) (29) Movie i "Weekend Warriors" (30) Le Magazine Ad lib (10) (40) questions provincial Radio listings, page C13 pluriel (12CF) I (18) Out ut me Back (18) Editors (22o) Page '88: Monday Edition (24) Rockschool Room: Small Business And Hazardous Waste.