Big Top Academy

Summary

Big Top Academy is a musical children's TV show, that aired on TVO Kids throughout 2018 and 2019. The show stars a lengthy children's ensemble, including Drew Davis, Cameron Andres, Ava Ro, Liam Patenaude, Madison Brydges, Ellowyn Stanton, Riley O'Donnell, Samson Boldizar, Ana Elizaga Tecuapetla and Carson MacCormac.

Big Top Academy
Big Top Academy title screen
Created byLeila Basen
Lisa Hunter
Written by
  • Leila Basen
  • Lisa Hunter
Directed by
  • Guillaume Lonergan
  • Francois Gingras
Starring
  • Drew Davis
  • Cameron Andres
  • Ava Ro
  • Liam Patenaude
  • Madison Brydges
  • Ellowyn Stanton
  • Riley O'Donnell
  • Samson Boldizar
ComposersGuy Dubuc
Marc Lessard
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes52
Production
Executive producers
  • Leila Basen
  • Johnathan Frinkelstein
  • Sébastian Ouimet
  • Carina Schulze
Cinematography
  • Jean-Sébastien Desrosiers
  • Jean-Philippe Parizeau
  • Jonathan Decostes
  • Michel St-Martin
Editors
  • Sylvain Laliberté
  • Martin Chenier
Production companiesApartment 11 Productions
Cirque Du Soleil Images
Original release
NetworkTVO Kids
ReleaseFebruary 16, 2018 (2018-02-16) –
2019 (2019)

The 52 episodes of the show started airing on June 10, 2018[1] on TVO Kids, and has also aired on Pop. The show can also be streamed on Hulu in the United States and Pop Player in the United Kingdom.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Big Top Academy: School's Out Edition started production, filming from the cast's houses. This 26 episodes of the reboot aired on TVO Kids and Pop Player, in 2020.[2]

Plot edit

In a circus arts boarding school, an extraordinary group of young acrobats who dream of becoming professional circus artists, perform stunts, tricks and performances, but no one could imagine the crazy mysteries they'll find on the way, whether it is secret rooms and books, amulets or spies.[3][4]

Cast edit

  • Drew Davis as Nicholas
  • Cameron Andres as Maxwell
  • Ava Ro as Ella
  • Liam Patenaude as Chase
  • Madison Brydges as April
  • Ellowyn Stanton as Phoenix
  • Riley O'Donnell as Celeste
  • Samson Boldizar as Axel
  • Marc Trottier as Sir Rayne
  • Krin Haglund as Ms. Martel
  • Michael Barbuto as Nicky Zolta
  • Michelle Argyris as Miss G.
  • Ana Elizaga Tecuapetla as Rosa

Release edit

TVO Kids released the first episode of Big Top Academy on June 10, 2018, along with the 52 episodes airing throughout the year, into 2019. In 2019, Pop, a free-to-air British television channel in the UK, received distribution rights to the show and started airing it in the United Kingdom. All episodes of the show are also available to stream on Hulu. The show airs in Pakistan on Pop as well.

In 2020, Apartment 11 Productions started production on a reboot filmed in the homes of the cast and surrounding areas, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which aired on Pop Player (then called Pop Fun) and TVO Kids.[5]

Reception edit

The show received multiple awards and nominations for the cast, and the show itself was nominated at the Canadian Screen Award in 2020 for Best Children’s or Youth Fiction Program or Series,[6] and was also nominated at the Youth Media Alliance Award of Excellence in 2019 for the Best Live Action Scripted Ages 6-9.

References edit

  1. ^ "Discovery Kids brings Big Top Academy back for Season 2 Read more: Discovery Kids brings Big Top Academy back for Season 2". RapidTVNews. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  2. ^ "TVOKids spin off Big Top Academy". KidScreen.
  3. ^ "Big Top Academy". Apartment 11 Productions.
  4. ^ "Big Top Academy". TVO Kids.
  5. ^ "Big Top Academy to begin shooting spin-off". C21Media. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  6. ^ "Big Top Academy". Canadian Screen Award.

External links edit

  • Big Top Academy at IMDb