The Raccoons

Production on the special began in 1979 and was completed the following year, and the special was broadcast on 17 December 1980 on CBC Television.

In 1981, US television networks CBS, NBC and ABC approached Sheldon Wiseman about producing a 13-episode "Raccoons" television series.

In 1984, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the Disney Channel began funding on the television series, which cost about $4.5 million to make.

In the U.S., the show was run on The Disney Channel from 4 July 1985 until 28 August 1992.

The Raccoons franchise was originally conceived by Canadian TV personality Kevin Gillis in the 1970s, while appearing in shows like Celebrity Cooks and Yes You Can.

Wiseman, who saw a potential in Gillis' idea and put together a large group of animators, musicians and writers to create the first special to star the characters known as The Christmas Raccoons.