Serious Kids Picks Up Taste Buddies

Serious Kids has acquired the worldwide content distribution and merchandising rights, excluding Spain, Finland and Ireland, to Pikkukala, Dibulitoon and Ink and Light’s Taste Buddies.

The series follows 6-year-old Leo, who spends a lot of quality time in the kitchen with his parents and grandmother. Leo lives up to the family’s motto of “eat the rainbow” with the help of five Taste Buddies.

Taste Buddies has been commissioned by RTVE, 3Cat, RTEJr, and Yle and is being produced in Spain, Finland and Ireland, benefiting from additional funding from ICEC, Konstsafundet, MEDIA and Screen Ireland.

The scripts are story edited by Lena Byrne (Jessy and Nessy, Becca’s Bunch) and written by Jo Clegg (Hey Duggee, Pip and Posy), Amy Stephenson, Shane Langan (Dorg van Dango, Silly Sundays), Beatriz Iso, Amaia Ruiz (Spirit of the Forest, Superthings), Marta Armengol Royo (Royals Next Door, Elvis Riboldi) and Emma Hogan (Maddie + Triggs, Nelly & Nora).

“We are delighted to announce both the start of production and the appointment of Serious Kids,” said Veronica Lassenius, creator and director of Taste Buddies. “Taste Buddies is a great way for kids to explore all the tastes of the rainbow and how they work together. This is not a cooking show nor a nutritional guide but a mission to explore.”

“We have big plans for supporting products, including books (one has already been published in South Korea and Finland) as well as games, kitchen tableware and educational material,” added Tamsin Lyons from Ink & Light.

Ricardo Ramón and Jone Landaluze, producers at Dibulitoon Studio, commented, “The series combines 2D and 3D animation with mixed-media sequences, as well as original music and voice performances by children. We are confident that these elements will make the series a truly special project.”

“This is such a fun show, rooted in family life but also action-packed with a CG and 2D blend that bounces off the screen with color and texture,” noted Genevieve Dexter, founder and CEO of Serious Kids. “The series will complete production on the first 26 episodes by the end of this year and the following 26 in June 2027. We can’t wait to share this with everyone at MIFA.”

“Teaching children to eat well is all about helping them to enjoy their food,” added Yago Fandiño Lousa, director of children’s content at Clan RTVE. “Taste Buddies focuses on giving children the tools to ‘play with their food’ in the best possible way. And in the process, have fun and enjoy eating better.”

“Taste links the experience of food with a pleasant experience in a family setting that is, at the same time, exciting and full of adventure,” said Xavier Romero, head of animation co-productions at 3Cat. “These rewarding and well-narrated emotions are what ultimately give value to the social and healthy habit of eating properly, which is the underlying theme of the series”.

“I love this concept of introducing the notions of sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami to young children in a fun way,” Eimear O’Mahoney of RTÉjr commented. “The pairing of food comedy and music sounds like a winning one to me.”