Serious Kids Scores Sales for The Sound Collector

Serious Kids has sold Eagle Vs Bat’s The Sound Collector to 12 more platforms in the three months since delivery.

The show, a stop-motion animation about a tiny being who has a passion for sound despite being hard of hearing, has been picked up by Knowledge Network (Canada), CBeebies (Africa and Poland), Kidstream (U.S.), BeiN (MENA), Česká televize (Czech Republic), HRT (Croatia), ERR/ETV (Estonia), HTV (Croatia), LTV (Latvia), Channel 1 (Slovakia) and RTVS (Slovenia).

This is in addition to ITVBe, ITVX and Rai Yoyo, where the series premiered last year. The series for 4- to 7-year-olds is narrated by Keira Knightley. Its ambassador and adviser is deaf percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie.

The Sound Collector is co-produced between Eagle Vs Bat and the Italian company Enanimation, with support from the Young Audiences Content Fund, which is financed by the U.K. government and managed through the BFI, and the support of Italian Selective Funds, financed by the Italian government. It is directed by Chris Tichborne, with Lisa Arioli co-directing. Episodic direction comes from Barry Purves and Andy Burns.

The series has been nominated/won 27 awards and is a finalist in the Prix Jeunesse, taking place in May 2024. It has also been nominated for two British Animation Awards, best children’s series and best use of sound.

“We’re really proud that The Sound Collector forms part of ITVX Kids’ offering; it’s a special show that captures the magic of discovery and curiosity in a unique way,” said Darren Nartey at ITV. “Upon its release in 2023, the show was the third best-performing preschool series and in the top ten kids’ programs for all ages on ITVX, beating some much bigger franchises.”

A Rai Kids representative commented, “The series, launched in November ’23 in Italy, has had an excellent result in terms of ratings and is particularly appreciated for the high quality of the project, both in terms of production and content and with an original narrative that delicately conveys the theme of disability and inclusion, in the full spirit of public-service broadcasting.”

“As a viewer and a parent, The Sound Collector is a welcome relief for me,” Knightley said. “It’s a real hit with my own family—something three generations can sit down and enjoy together. I love the space it allows—every time we watch an episode, we feel soothed.”

Glennie added, “Whenever I watch The Sound Collector, I feel the world really is an orchestra where we can be the composers and the performers. There is no end to the bridges that can be created when we observe even the minutest detail. It is wonderful to be able to enter his gentle and fascinating world that ignites so many emotions. We can all learn so much from him (and, of course, Mole too)!”