Sinking Ship & WildBrain Align for YouTube Original Lockdown

Sinking Ship Entertainment has secured a second-window license with WildBrain Television in Canada for its new tween series Lockdown.

Created by J.J. Johnson and produced in partnership with YouTube Originals, Lockdown follows a group of bored teens who team up online to solve a mystery involving one of their neighbors. The series unfolds as they work together remotely to solve the mystery, while also exploring their anxieties and frustrations about life during a pandemic. The ten-episode first season of Lockdown launched on WildBrain Television’s Family Channel in Canada on July 3. The series is available free-to-stream on the YouTube Originals for Kids & Family channel.

Lockdown stars Arista Arhin (Odd Squad, Star Trek Discovery), Saara Chaudrey (Dino Dana, Holly Hobbie, Max & Shred), Amanda Cheung, Dorian Giordano, Edison Grant (Endlings) and Tomaso Sanelli (Star Falls, Titans, Detention Adventure). The series won the Special Achievement Prize at the Prix Jeunesse, a new prize created this year to celebrate kids’ media that addresses life during COVID-19.

Katie Wilson, VP of channels and curation at WildBrain Television, said: “We’re excited to introduce Family Channel’s audience to this highly relevant new series from Sinking Ship and YouTube Originals. With its thrilling neighborhood mystery and innovative shooting style on webcam and smartphone, Lockdown will be instantly relatable for young people, as it explores the resourcefulness and creativity of a group of sleuthing teens during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Nadine Zylstra, head of learning and family entertainment at YouTube Originals, added: “As one of the few scripted shows to address these unprecedented times for a young audience, Lockdown is designed to help kids make sense of current events, while also telling a story about young people coming together to support each other and their communities. We’re delighted that the partnership with Family Channel enables us to amplify these messages of collaboration and resilience and share them with a broader Canadian audience.”