Production to begin on ‘Mr. Dressup’ documentary, Prime Video says

TORONTO – Prime Video is pulling a new documentary out of its tickle trunk.

The Amazon-owned streaming service says production begins this fall on the feature-length look at the legacy of Canadian children’s entertainer Ernie Coombs, better known as Mr. Dressup.

The as-yet-untitled project will trace the origins of “Mr. Dressup,” which saw Coombs draw on an endless array of costumes from his bottomless trunk over the course of the show’s 4,000-episode run on CBC.

The show was in production for 29 years, ending in 1996. Coombs died in 2001, at the age of 73.

Amazon says the film will include never-before-seen archival footage and interviews with series puppeteers and musicians, as well as recall Coombs’ friendship with Fred Rogers.

The project, which is being produced by Marblemedia, will be released exclusively on Prime Video in 2023.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 29, 2022.