Leo’s World Makes International Debut

Rai Kids and Brand-Cross’s new animated series Leo’s World has been picked up around the world after debuting in Italy in 2022.

The series, following the adventures of a child with autism spectrum disorder, has already debuted in Latvia on LTV and in Switzerland on RSI. This month, it will premiere in South Korea on Samsung TV before bowing on MTVA in Hungary and beIN in the MENA region.

The series follows Leo and his friends, puppet Babù and dachshund Lola, as they tackle the challenges of everyday life: the first day of school, taking a bath, getting a haircut, putting up with the noise at a stadium, accepting the rules of a basketball game, meeting their new teacher and much more. Babù helps Leo cope with these challenges by taking him to fantasy worlds.

Leo’s World is directed and illustrated by Dario Piana, written by Nicola Brunialti and developed with the scientific advice from Professor Emeritus of General Psychology Dr. Paolo Moderato. The series won the 2023 Pulcinella Award for best preschool show and was nominated at MIPCOM 2023 in the representation and inclusion scripted category.

In Italy, the show scored a 20 percent audience share among 4- to 7-year-olds on Rai Yoyo. It has already reached a second season, and the series now has a total of 22 episode.

The series, which received a grant from the Italian Ministry of Culture for its high public-service value, is part of a multimedia project created by Eleonora Vittoni and Emanuela Cavazzini to involve children with autism in an immersive experience. In addition to the TV series, the project includes an illustrated book published by Il Battello a Vapore, an educational game app developed by Brand-Cross in collaboration with WhiteSock, a charity fundraising campaign with original artwork by NFT and the original song “Leo’s World.”

“Taking Leo’s World beyond Italy’s borders to such different countries makes us very proud because it shows that Leo’s everyday life can resonate with children all over the world,” said Cavazzini, board member and executive producer at Brand-Cross. “We wanted to create an animated series that could tell Leo’s life in an original and educational way, telling the adventures of a child with autism without focusing on the disease. That is why the stylistic and narrative codes we have used are designed for children with autism spectrum disorders, but they also appeal to other children and adults, following the perspective of inclusivity, which has always been our primary objective.”