Panel & Premiere: The McFire Family

Pierre Sissmann, chairman and CEO of Cyber Group Studios, and Coralie Boitrelle-Laigle, head of content for M6 Group’s kids’ channels in France, gave a behind-the-scenes look at the animated series The McFire Family at the TV Kids Festival today ahead of the premiere of the trailer for the show.

The session, which you can view here, was moderated by Anna Carugati, the group editorial director of TV Kids. Sissmann said the idea for The McFire Family emerged following a conversation with his grandson, then 6 years old, about “real-life superheroes.” Sissmann started writing the series, about a family of firefighters who use cool vehicles and high-tech gear to save the day, in January 2020. Ira Singerman, the VP of development at Cyber Group Studios USA, then started co-writing the show with Sissmann; and Jacqueline Moody, whose credits include Gigantosaurus, was tapped as head writer.

Sissmann and his team pitched the project to M6. Boitrelle-Laigle says she was struck by the “amazing designs, strong concept—it was love at first sight.” Boitrelle-Laigle then saw more of the pitch at Cartoon Forum and decided to sign on as a development partner.

What makes the show distinctive, Sissmann said, is that all characters are “humans—they didn’t come from the sky or another planet. The powers they have were given to them by the firemen tech. And it’s a real family. It’s a family story. It’s a fun comedy. And it’s the power of the next generation.”

Boitrelle-Laigle added, “For a children’s channel, a fireman program is a must-have, and now we have ours. We are so proud of it. We would like to have a good balance between The Incredibles and a sitcom, the comedy and the real adventures. A family of firemen is perfect for this.”

“It’s a rescuers show,” Sissmann added. “It’s caring about others—your family, friends, the environment, animals. Especially in these times, in this pandemic era, people worry about their loved ones, and the children are very sensitive to this. The McFire family is sensitive to all the issues that can affect their friends, their kin. They can rescue animals, save children, prevent accidents.”

Those qualities give the show international appeal, Sissmann added. “It has a lot of diversity. It’s a mixed family—different origins, so different instincts. But ultimately, they get together to do the same thing. And the kids are real kids. It’s a show that has a lot of comedy. Siblings arguing with each other, playing tricks on their parents. It’s all very friendly and very fun to watch.”

Comedy remains key for broadcasters and platforms, Boitrelle-Laigle said. “It’s very important for Gulli, as are positive values. Gulli is a free DTT channel in France, and we have a very large audience. It’s very important for Gulli to be involved in and committed to societal issues such as gender equality and the environment. Those values are in the show. The stories are strong and intense. It fits perfectly for Gulli.”

On the L&M plan for the property, Sissmann said publishing is a key category, along with video games. “We are tapping an incredible subject: rescuing and firefighting.” Discussions are underway in the U.S. for a master toy licensee and in France with two publishing companies. “We’re still finishing the development with Gulli; we still have a couple of months to go before we launch the series. We have massive interest from broadcasters around the world. We’ll sign licensing contracts once we go into production.”