Andy’s Adventures Continue

Mark Jones, executive producer for BBC Studios Natural History Unit, talks to TV Kids about Andy Day’s new series for CBeebies, Andy’s Dino Toybox.

The world of Andy’s Dino Toybox is billed as a magical place where toy dinosaurs come to life with fun facts, cool stories and funny voices.

“We had been working on the idea for Andy’s Dino Toybox for a while, but previously the timing with CBeebies didn’t quite work out,” explains Jones. “However, when lockdown happened, despite all of the challenges posed by filming restrictions, we realized we could make the show simply, quickly and safely.”

The process to bring these 15 episodes to screen wasn’t an easy one necessarily, as the COVID-19 pandemic uprooted production. Day and his partner Kat Woolfe filmed the entire series during lockdown from their home in Bristol, England, fitting in filming around the sleep schedule of their infant. Their home’s spare room became the studio for a month, with the bed pushed to one side, and just enough space made for the set, cameras and lighting. Producing and filming the series was a feat of imagination and perseverance, with the entire process taking place within a one-mile radius of the couple’s home and BBC Studios Natural History Unit.

“Kat is a producer/director, but her role took on so much more during filming. [She was] responsible for everything from lighting and sound through to directing and script run-throughs,” Jones explains. “We’d read through the scripts at lunch while their 2-year-old had a nap, and then Andy and Kat would shoot the episodes in the evening after their baby went to sleep. It was a tiring schedule, with Andy and Kat often not finishing filming until late into the evening.”

Behind the scenes, there was a lot of online document collaboration, Zoom calls and internet-based reviews, he adds. “The logistics required a lot of careful planning to ensure drives, props, models and cards were all with the right people at the right time, properly sanitized and with minimum travel.

“What I’ve learned is that you take a lot for granted when everything and everyone is in the same studio or production office. Thankfully, the stories all came together really well, which kept feedback pretty minimal and kept us on track with our very tight ten-week schedule.”

The idea for Andy’s Dino Toybox is relatively straight forward, Jones says. “We wanted to bring to life what kids would have in their toyboxes during lockdown in a simple and engaging way. Toy dinosaurs were the perfect tool, allowing us to tell fact-packed dino stories in silly and hilarious voices that kids could enjoy and join in with during lockdown. The series is fun and educational and answers questions like, What makes the Spinosaurus a great swimmer? and Can a T-Rex run fast?”

The show builds on the popular Andy’s Adventures brand, helping to keep the IP fresh and expands its growing audience across the world in markets such as Australia, China, Croatia, South Africa, Sweden, Poland and Thailand. A live tour in Australia last year, Andy’s Amazing Adventures,is testament to the popularity of the brand around the world, where it airs on CBeebies and ABC Australia.

“Andy’s Dino Toybox is perfect for our global CBeebies channels, where Andy’s Adventures are some of the most consistently popular programs on the schedules,” Jones says.

Preschool children have a fascination with animals and dinosaurs, and the popularity of Andy’s Adventures proves that, he notes. “This show is packed with cool dinosaur facts designed to inspire kids, but is also deliberately low-tech and easy to watch, with toy dinosaurs and Andy’s hilarious character voices. We really hope kids are inspired to learn and imagine more about the wild world out there, but also by Andy’s creative play and stories.”