Famous N.S. talking Christmas tree’s fresh face gets nod from Fallon
It's been less than one week since the big reveal – re-introducing Woody the Talking Christmas Tree to a legion of fans – old and new.
“I’m very happy I’m back at Mic Mac Mall too,” Woody told one visitor to his snowy corner of the mall Wednesday.
Joe Voudrau, 46, spent a few nostalgic moments talking to the towering tree.
“I remember I was here, must have been 2001, it was a long time ago,” he recalls.
Anne Shea brought her young granddaughter Isla out for her very first outing at a mall – and to see Woody for the first time as well.
“I think it's fantastic,” said Shea. “Lots of memories from our childhood and from our children's childhood.”
Emily Shea says one is never too old for the experience.
“I’m 22 and I love Woody,” she exclaims.
Young Kinsley Rhodenhizer needed her dad’s help to reach the microphone to talk to Woody.
When asked what she thought of the talking tree, she said, “I never saw one before, and I never talked to one before.”
Seeing Woody back again has brought forth a flurry of social media posts, tributes, and memes.
Some call the tree “creepy," while others reflect on fond memories of seeing Woody when they were children back in the 1980s. It’s been 15 years since Woody was at the mall, after he made a departure from public appearances in 2006.
Tuesday night, the conversational conifer reached the peak of popularity - with a mention from late-night talk show host, Jimmy Fallon.
“Some people think it's pretty cute, while others think it's pretty creepy, check it out,” said Fallon.
In an exclusive interview with CTV News, Woody said he was “excited” to see himself on TV and said he had sent Jimmy a “thank you note.”
“I'm an iconic Christmas tree, and there's something floating around on the internet that shows he's an iconic Christmas tree too, so I’d like him to come talk to me,” said Woody. "Maybe we can have a dance-off."
The chatter about Woody's re-appearance has some folks remembering what he used to look like back in the day.
It turns out when Woody decided to make his comeback - he wanted to do it in style.
“It was pretty cool to be able to work on a project like this,” says Mohammed Issa, founder of a 3-D printing and laser engraving “workshop” called Eurekatec in Lower Sackville, N.S.
“We wanted to make sure that a lot of people from when they remember old Woody from the past, they get to see a new fresh face,” says Issa.
The refresh took a team of six three weeks to complete, with workers often hand-applying finishes with the finest attention to detail.
Catlyn Smith is one of the people who worked on Woody’s makeover.
“I remember Woody from when I was a teenager, so I was really excited when we heard he was coming back,” Smith says.
Their favorite part of Woody's new look?
“Definitely the eyes, those lashes are really, really nice,” laughs team member Adrian Georgescu.
“We've had some pretty tough years,” says Issa, “and (now) we’ve put a lot of smiles on a lot of faces on a lot of people.”
“Kids were a little creeped out,” he laughs. “But that’s part of Woody.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.