TV Kids In-Demand Recap

In time for the inaugural TV Kids Festival (which is now available on-demand), we released another round of our popular TV Kids In-Demand reports spotlighting children’s properties available for buyers worldwide.

Across the three reports, TV Kids In-Demand showcased a diverse mix of preschool and kids’ shows, some based on existing IP, many brand-new concepts, all positioned to meet the needs of channels and platforms that are catering to young ones who are still spending a lot of time at home amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the preschool front, PBS International is offering up Elinor Wonders Why, a PBS KIDS commission from SHOE Ink that encourages children to follow their curiosity, ask questions, figure out the answers and learn about the natural world around them using their science inquiry skills. The show, aimed at the 2-to-6 set, has 74×11-minute episodes and a 1×55-minute special available. From Guru Studio, Pikwik Pack has 52×11-minute episodes available catering to kids 3 to 5. Following Suki the hedgehog and her team of animals as they deliver magical packages to the kind citizens of Pikwik, the series has rolled out on Disney Junior in the U.S. and Treehouse in Canada and is now preparing for its international launch on Super RTL in Germany, Canal Panda in Portugal, Hop! in Israel, MiniMini+ in Poland, YLE in Finland and Okto in Singapore. Boat Rocker Studios’ Dino Ranch is also a Disney Junior commission, this one with CBC Kids and SRC on board. It follows the action-packed adventures of the Cassidy family as they tackle life in a “pre-westoric” setting where dinosaurs still roam. Planeta Junior is lining up partners on Milo, which was produced by Fourth Wall for Milkshake! with the support of the BFI’s Young Audiences Content Fund. The show is headlined by an adventurous 5-year-old cat called Milo who loves to use role-play to explore the wide world of jobs and vocations. Cyber Group Studios is pitching the 52×7-minute Orange Moo Cow, produced by Cyber Soyuz Junior, the French and Russian joint label created by Cyber Group Studios and Soyuzmultfilm. It is an animated comedy series about family, friendship and love. Lacey Entertainment is showcasing Kavaleer Productions’ Kiva Can Do!, which is airing on Nick Jr. (worldwide excluding the U.S.), Gulli, Discovery Italy and RTÉ. From Superights comes Anna & Friends, an upper preschool series commissioned by France Télévisions and produced by Superprod, Digital Graphics and Atmosphere. The 78×7-minute show is based on a comic book series published in seven languages, with a CG animation technique that simulates a hand-modeled clay look. Also aimed at the upper preschool set is Mondo TV Group’s MeteoHeroes, an adventure comedy series about six extraordinary kids who use their superpowers to protect the planet from pollution and extreme weather events. Season one, of 52×7-minute episodes, is available, with a second season in the works. 

The TV Kids In-Demand properties aimed at kids aged 6 to 10 include ZDF Enterprises’ Zoom—The White Dolphin, a 104×12-minute series produced by Media Valley and Marzipan Films. In it, Zoom, a remarkably intelligent white dolphin, takes Yann, an intrepid 15-year-old, and his friends on exciting adventures. Brand new from Mondo TV is the RTVE commission Annie & Carola, in which nerdy Carola builds Annie—a robot clone—as a friend. Mondo TV aligned with Toon2Tango on Agent 203, recently commissioned by Super RTL. The 26×22-minute show is billed as “spy-fi for girls,” with a strong and independent female lead on a quest to save the universe, find her father and have a normal teenage life.

Skewing slightly older, for kids 7 to 12, is WildBrain’s The Brilliant World of Tom Gates. Produced by Black Camel, Wild Child Animation and TG Entertainment for Sky Kids, the 20×11-minute show is based on the best-selling book series and features author and illustrator Liz Pichon. Deirdre Brennan, executive VP of content partnerships at WildBrain, notes, “The Tom Gates book series has been a runaway success all over the world, capturing the imaginations of families through its authentic storytelling, humor and unique graphic style. As the books prepare to make the highly anticipated jump from the page to the screen, we’re confident the series will delight both new and existing Tom Gates fans internationally.”