Hey Buster! We’re in Iqaluit now…

Arthur’s pal, Buster the Bunny, heads north next month

By JANE GEORGE

Buster, the bunny pal of Arthur, the “world’s most famous aardvark,” is planning to a visit to Iqaluit.

And if you don’t know who Arthur is, that’s because you haven’t seen the popular animated star of the cartoon series carried on educational networks in the U.S. and Canada for the past eight years.

Now, the public television station in Boston, WGBH, is creating a spin-off series for Buster the Bunny, who will travel around North America with his father, a pilot.

The programs will feature a mix of animation and live action — and in every episode, Buster will go through various experiences and learn something of interest.

“We want to do a story in Canada because this is not just about the United States, but about North America. We thought it would be great to do it in Iqaluit. We’re hoping to be able to film some of the Toonik Tyme in April,” said Ann Kim, a producer with the public television station WGBH in Boston. “We want to be able to show traditional aspects of Inuit culture, but we also want to be able to balance that with the more modern lifestyle.”

A field producer from WGBH will be in Iqaluit until next Wednesday to prepare for the shoot. Ellie Lee plans to meet with kids and organizations around the city.

At the same time, she’ll put together a videotape that will show the team back in Boston what to expect when they come in April.

“We want to find kids that have a good camera presence as well as some kind of story,” Kim said.

Because Buster’s show is for public television, participants won’t get paid, Kim explained — but it sounds like a lot of fun.

“Kids will actually be talking to the camera as if they’re talking to Buster, so we cut in between animation with Buster to live action,” Kim said. “It’s story-driven, so it’s a not pure documentary.”

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