ABC Family Teams with Build-A-Bear Workshop

BURBANK: ABC Family and Build-A-Bear Workshop have aligned to create Holly and Hal Moose: Our Uplifting Christmas Adventure, an hour-long animated feature for the network’s Countdown to 25 Days of Christmas programming event.

The special is based on a book and series of webisodes that introduced Holly and Hal Moose last year. The one-hour feature, which marks the first time in Build-A-Bear Workshop’s 12-year history that its plush animals are brought to life on TV, will premiere on ABC Family on November 24 at 7 p.m. To kick off the movie and holiday season, ABC Family and Build-A-Bear Workshop will host preview parties at several mall locations, offering guests the opportunity to view the movie early. Families who attend the preview parties will be asked to either purchase and make a plush at Build-A-Bear Workshop or bring a new, unwrapped gift to donate to Toys for Tots.

“Holly and Hal were our first characters to inspire a storybook, and now they’re the first to become movie stars,” said Maxine Clark, the founder and chief executive bear of Build-A-Bear Workshop. “The tale of this antlered-sibling duo is meant to inspire people to follow their dreams—no matter how big they seem. It’s a classic holiday adventure that offers families the opportunity to start a new tradition of watching it together each season.”

“We’re very excited about this first-time partnership with Build-A-Bear Workshop,” added Tom Zappala, the senior VP of Disney-ABC Television Group. “The story of Holly and Hal Moose is a perfect addition to our family holiday programming.”