The Phantoms, based on N.B. van crash, wins $25K Shaw Rocket Prize
The Phantoms, the TV movie inspired by a New Brunswick high school's basketball triumph after a tragic 2008 crash killed some of its players, has won the $25,000 Shaw Rocket Prize celebrating television for young viewers.
Dream Street Productions in Halifax won in the Youth/Family (ages 13-17) category for The Phantoms, which was based on the real-life incident and aired on CBC.
In January 2008, seven members of the Bathurst High School boys' varsity basketball team and the coach's wife died when the 15-passenger van they were travelling in (after a game in a nearby town) crashed. The following season, one of the young survivors — Bradd Arseneau — led a rebuilt team through difficulty to a provincial title.
Filmed in Bathurst by New Brunswick producers, The Phantoms sparked controversy when parents of some of the crash victims criticized the production as exploitative. Meanwhile, others in the community (including parents of other crash victims) backed the film.
With its focus on the newly formed team and the difficult road facing the players after the devastating crash, The Phantoms was a way for the struggling community to heal through an inspirational tale about triumph over adversity, producers said.
The other Shaw Rocket Prize recipients this year, who each also receive $25,000, are:
- Preschool category (ages 0-5): Daniel Tiger's Neighbourhood, an animated educational series about a shy, four-year-old tiger. Airing on CBC in Canada, it features animation by Toronto's 9 Story Entertainment and was created in partnership with the Fred Rogers Company and Out of the Blue Enterprises.
- Children (ages 6-12): The Next Step, a tween drama that follows the lives of a group of young competitive dancers. Created by Toronto's Temple Street Productions, it airs in Canada on Family Channel.
"The overwhelming quality of all the entries we received this year is a true testament to both the high level at which these production teams function and the strength of the Canadian television industry as a whole," Annabel Slaight, chair of the Shaw Rocket Fund, said in a statement.
Finalists for each category were selected by an international jury of industry experts. After that, a jury of children from across Canada voted online for their favourites.
All three winners were celebrated at a gala in Ottawa Wednesday evening.
Awarded annually, the Shaw Rocket Prize celebrates independently produced Canadian children's, youth and family-oriented TV programming and associated digital content.
