Camilla Deakin and Ruth Fielding

Producers

The Pinky & Perky Show

Britain’s superstar twin pigs Pinky and Perky captured the hearts of many as puppets on a BBC kids’ series that ran through the ’60s. This week, the lovable duo are back in an all-new 52×13-minute series for CBBC, The Pinky & Perky Show, which has been given a 21st century makeover in CGI and packed with fast-paced fun for the 6-to-11 set. Behind this resurrection are Camilla Deakin and Ruth Fielding, the founders of Lupus Films, who have set out to bring the squeaky-voiced swine back to life to ham it up for a whole new generation of viewers.

"We’re a bit too young to be fans of the original series," explains Deakin. "We remember the songs, their squeaky voices and the fact that they were puppets, but that’s about all." However, this didn’t keep the pair from jumping at the idea of bringing the beloved piglets back to the small screen, says Fielding. "Lupus was approached by the rights holders, who are not children’s TV specialists, four years ago to develop the old characters and format into a brand-new series for kids today. We leapt at the chance, as Pinky and Perky are still household names in the U.K., so we knew the brand had value before we even started."

The next step in bringing the duo back was to secure the financing necessary to do so, resulting in the formation of Pinky & Perky Enterprises. "The company [was] set up along with the rights holders and other investors to make the series and exploit the rights," explains Fielding. "We raised the finance through presales to the BBC and France 3; CNC funding through our French co-producer, Method Films; further investment from our Indian co-producer, DQ Entertainment, and the U.K. producing houses, Lupus Films and the Picture Production Company (PPC); [as well as] a video advance from what was then Granada Ventures [now ITV Global Entertainment]."

Finding the perfect broadcaster was also a key piece in the puzzle, and Deakin says that she knew right from the start where the show should be placed. "We knew that Pinky & Perky‘s home in the U.K. was the BBC and so that’s the only place we pitched it and they really loved it, which was lucky! France 3 saw our presentation at Cartoon Forum and came onboard because of the humor and slick visual look of the series. These two broadcasters invest decent amounts of money in animated series for the 6-to-11 target age group if they can have editorial input, so we got off to a great start finance-wise."

As for the show’s new look, a total revamp was necessary to bring these characters, which were originally puppets, up to date with the technology of today. "Our references were successful 3-D CGI feature films, like Monsters Inc. and Shrek, which were around at the time we started development," Fielding notes. "CGI tends to translate better into L&M [licensing and merchandising] than 2-D with this older audience."

Deakin notes that the series was written so that its appeal would also extend to the parents of the kids watching the show. "The scripts and voices are funny, it’s very fast paced, the 3-D CGI looks great, and not like anything else on television. Plus it features celebrity guests and modern references, which family audiences will relate to."

Though the show just launched on CBBC this week, Deakin and Fielding are already looking ahead. The pair, who worked together at Channel 4 as the arts and animation commissioning team before setting up Lupus in early 2002, would love to make a second season. They are also thinking about a Pinky & Perky interactive game show as well as a feature film. As for finding a U.S. home, Fielding says that "either Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon would seem the obvious choice."

—By Kristin Brzoznowski