Netflix Lines Up Kids’ Series Based on Beatles Music

LOS ANGELES: Netflix, Grace: A Storytelling Company, Thunderbird and Beyond Screen Production have unveiled details for Beat Bugs, a new animated series based on the music of The Beatles.

Beat Bugs features original characters in a world created by Josh Wakely, who will direct, write and produce the show following an agreement with Sony/ATV Music Publishing for the global rights to record covers of Beatles songs. The program centers on five friends exploring an overgrown backyard in the suburbs. It will feature such international music artists as Eddie Vedder, P!nk, James Bay and Sia, among others.

Beat Bugs will become available on Netflix this summer. Australian Netflix members will have access to the show soon after its debut on Seven Network. The series is represented worldwide by Beyond Distribution.

“Personally I’m very grateful to be part of Josh’s vision,” said Vedder. “A tremendous show for kids that combines beautiful animation with great stories and obviously some of the best songs ever written.”

“It’s a rare occasion to be presented with a truly one-of-a-kind children’s show that is so perfectly suited to Netflix,” noted Andy Yeatman, the director of original kids’ content at Netflix. “Josh and his team have not only developed a compelling children’s show filled with life lessons, but they’ve built a show that will transcend generations and have parents and grandparents enjoying right alongside their little ones.”

Wakely added: “Bringing Beat Bugs to life on Netflix and having a platform to reimagine this universally acclaimed music for families around the world is an exhilarating and rewarding experience. Our partners have been fantastic in making this concept a vivid reality, and this is a great example of the innovative and fresh storytelling at the heart of Grace’s ethos.”