First Commission for Cartoonito EMEA

LONDON: In the run up to Cartoonito launching across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Turner Broadcasting has commissioned a brand-new preschool series, The Ha! Ha! Hairies from Welsh indie Adastra.

The 52×12-minute show is set to debut on Cartoonito across EMEA in 2012. It joins a lineup that already includes Bananas in Pyjamas from Endemol, Jelly Jam from Vodka Capital and Baby Looney Tunes from Warner Bros. Animation.

The Ha! Ha! Hairies will be produced in English and in Welsh. The show has received investment funding from Finance Wales and support from the Welsh Assembly. S4C is the commissioning broadcaster in the Welsh language. The series is from Adastra, the makers of Grandpa in My Pocket. Turner also picked up all licensing and merchandising rights for the show.

Michael Carrington, the chief content officer for EMEA at Turner Broadcasting, said: “The Ha! Ha! Hairies is a wonderfully unique premise which captures the physical language of laughter and comedy. Cartoonito sets itself apart as a destination for preschoolers with its sense of quirkiness and vibrancy, and The Ha! Ha! Hairies is in every sense a show which chimes with the channel’s quirky brand values.”

Mellie Buse, creator and producer for Adastra, added: We’re thrilled to be working with Cartoonito and S4C on this hugely ambitious project. This visual comedy is like a cartoon brought to life, and has universal appeal for pre-schoolers the world over."

Sian Eirian, the head of children’s services at S4C, commented: “We are pleased and proud to be a partner in this co-production which will bring to the children of Wales and S4C’s viewers the very best of animation, live action and comedy. The Ha! Ha! Hairies or Bla Bla! Blewog as they will be known in Welsh is being produced in Cardiff, which is further proof of the strength and talent of the production sector here in Wales.”