Guru in the Works on New Series

TORONTO: Guru Studio has started production on Cookie Jar’s new live-action/animation hybrid series Mudpit, a TELETOON original scheduled for 2011.

The 26×30-minute series follows the lives of four teenage friends—Reese, Geneva, Liam and Mikey—as well as their online personas—Dodge, G, Lamb and Booch. They all sing and play their hearts out, battling other bands for dominance and avoiding the game’s ruler and MC, Slime.

"This is a great opportunity for Guru to step outside our preschool comfort zone and flex our production muscles on an ambitious show that has all the things we love: big action, smart humour and great musical performances," said Frank Falcone, the president and creative director at Guru. “It takes our experience on The Backyardigans to the next level!”

Guru Studio’s production manager, Lisa Brodie, joins the crew, with a strong background in both animation and video game production management. Falcone commented, “She is the perfect fit for an animated show taking place inside a video game world—she’s seen both—so she understands the aesthetic considerations.”

Jamie Waese, Cookie Jar’s head of current programming, added, “Guru has made a name for themselves in the animation world and we are excited to be working on this cutting edge project with them.”