Eye Present, Gigglebug & Nelvana Team for Best & Bester

Eye Present, Gigglebug Entertainment and Nelvana are partnering on Best & Bester, which has been prebought by Nickelodeon International.

Created by Joonas Utti and Anttu Harlin, the 52×11-minute series for kids 7 to 11 features siblings and best friends who are obsessed with comparing the best things of all time while enjoying the power to transform themselves into anything they want, once a day—if only they can figure out what the best thing to be actually is.

The show is currently in production and set for delivery in spring 2022.

Nelvana will be handling international distribution rights to the series, excluding the U.K. and the Nordics, which are retained by Eye Present and Gigglebug Entertainment, respectively. The latter has already secured a raft of national public broadcasters in the Nordics: YLE, DR and NRK were all early adopters of the project. The series will also air on a Corus Entertainment kids’ network in Canada.

“The world of Best & Bester, where anyone can be anything, gives our animators and composers endless opportunities and the creative freedom to let our imaginations soar,” said Athena Georgakalis, head of development at Nelvana. “This series is a welcome addition to our production slate and we know audiences around the world will resonate with this ragtag group of friends as their hilarious hijinks lead them to learn about self-discovery, empathy, and embracing each other’s differences.”

Genevieve Dexter, CEO of Eye Present, added: “It has been my pleasure to secure this deal which puts us in full production with delivery completing in autumn 2022. Eye Present is now seeking other broadcast partners for the U.K. in addition to Nickelodeon International to maximize the brand potential here. ”

Anttu Harlin, executive producer and co-founder of Gigglebug Entertainment, said: “We have the power to make the world a more joyful place place thorough storytelling, so we could not be more proud than to have Best & Bester headed for such a prestigious platforms and signed to leading global distribution partners. It’s yet another exciting development for us on our mission to spread laughter, fulfilling our ambitions as creators and producers. Now, as we expand into a brand-new studio, we are setting even bigger and bolder goals!”