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Television

Never Chicken Out

We missed this one earlier this year, but it’s worth mentioning: For a few years now Disney has been distributing Animasia Studio’s 2D animated series Chuck Chicken on their channels in Southeast Asia. Now Animation Magazine has announced that Animasia have teamed up with Zero One Animation in China to create Chuck Chicken — The Movie. Animasia’s official web site lays it out pretty clear: “Chuck Chicken takes place on an island called Rocky Perch, a land filled with chaos, mayhem and birds…… lots and lots of birds. Welcome to Golden Egg Securities, the number one security service on Rocky Perch. Chuck, who runs the company with his two friends, Flick and Wing. They provide Kung Fu style security to the citizens of Rocky Perch and their valuables, as they travel across the island. Chuck also inherited a very special talisman in the shape of a golden egg, an object that bestows amazing powers on whomever possesses it, and turns Chuck into Kung Fu Chicken. Unfortunately for Chuck, the talisman doesn’t come with any instructions, so he doesn’t know how to properly control his new abilities.” Got all that? Given the interest that many Chinese animation studios have shown in creating product intended for American markets, there’s a good chance we may have an English version of Chuck Chicken waiting in the wings.

image c. 2016 Animasia Studios

Theropods, Assemble!

We can kind of see how the pitch for this series probably went… “Okay, kids love dinosaurs, and kids love superheroes.  How about… a show that has both??” That’s the basic idea behind Supersaurus 7, a new CGI animated series from Misery Bear creator Chris Hayward (helped along by designer and illustrator Henry Coate). According to Animation World Network, the show is “…set on a reimagined planet Earth, on the prehistoric sprawling continent of Pangea, long before human existence. Supersaurus 7 follows the comedic adventures of a group of young dinosaurs who chance upon a mysterious blue lava flowing from the very core of the Earth, whose energy transforms them into superhero dinosaurs. Each is armed with a super power that amplifies their dinosaur traits, and when they work together they can be an indomitable force, that is if they can learn to use their new powers correctly! Fending off rampaging T-Rex’s, rescuing distressed dinos from erupting volcanoes, and zapping incoming asteroids, these hot-headed, heroic and technologically advanced young dinosaurs strive to save the day. They also have to confront the rise of a new threat, the mammals, led by a despotic Gerbil with short rodent syndrome.” Like many of the shows we’ve discussed, it’s looking for distribution now.

image c. 2016 Technicolor

Have You Heard About the Bird?

And on to Italy for Pio Rocks, a new show inspired by a popular YouTube series called Pulchino Pio. According to the review from Animation Magazine,Pio Rocks! – The Series revolves around Pio’s life at school at Highnote High, a school like any other, except every class is about music! With plenty of challenges, betrayals, friendships forged forever and ex-friends you swear you’ll never speak to again… Pio Rocks! is a comedy about friendship, growing up, achieving goals and acceptance. Being a kid, in other words.” Produced by Planeta Junior, the series is set to hit the air in Europe this January.

image c. 2016 Planeta Junior

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A Cat On Wheels

Now back to France for Paprika, an animated series about a rambunctious pair of cats. “Olivia and Stan are about as close as a brother and sister can get because…they’re twins! They share pretty much everything and though they’re totally different, they balance out to perfection! Stan is a brave little daredevil who puts faith in his instinct and his motorized wheelchair. Olivia is creative, efficient and brainy. But when it comes to having a ton of fun they’re both world champions!” Paprika is unusual among TV shows for kids in that it features a lead character who is wheelchair-bound. Currently the show has been airing around the Mediterranean, but Xilam Animation is looking to break it out internationally.

image c. 2016 Xilam Animation

Birds From Turkey

Limon and Oli is a CGI animated TV series for young children, created by Salih Memecan. It’s based on a long-running newspaper strip in Turkey, Sizinkiler (“Your Kind of Family”). The cartoon show follows that adventures of two young birds who are best friends — both of them teaming with curiosity about the world. Since 2015 the show has been airing on Disney Junior in Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East. Now thanks to a deal with Netflix the two little birds are set to make their premier in North America and beyond.

image c. 2016 Mart Agency

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They are Small, But He is Mighty

Grizzy and the Lemmings is the perfectly descriptive title of a new CGI animated TV series created by Antoine Rodelet and Josseline Charlier. “He is big as a bear, strong as a bear, smart… as a bear. Naturally, no other animal dares to contest his ‘bear’s privilege’. That is no other animal except one: A tribe that belongs to the most inoffensive, stupid, and ridiculous mammal family that exists – the lemmings. Even for a bear who weighs 500 pounds and stands seven feet tall, it’s not that easy to get rid of these unrefined balls of fur who have the I.Q. of a pea. For the balls of fur in question are quite numerous. And they really know how to work as a team!” The idea of the show is to bring the art of slapstick back to TV animation for young viewers — hence why the show is created without dialogue, to be shown in any part of the world. Studio Hari has a page dedicated to Grizzy and his friends (?) that includes a video trailer.

image c. 2016 Studio Hari

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Dog-Eared Pages

Komixx Media Group have a new 2D animated TV series called Dog Loves Books, based on the best-selling books for young readers by Louise Yates. “Dog runs a bookshop and he loves books. Whenever he or his best friend Pug have a problem or a question, Dog knows the answer will lie in one of his books. When Dog opens the book and begins to read, he and Pug are swept away into a world of adventure and imagination where anything is possible. Dog and Pug often get completely lost in the books they read… but they are always back in time for tea and biscuits.” The show is slowly making its way into international markets.

image c. 2016 Komixx Media Group

One Little Scaly Boy

Another recent article from Animation Magazine, this time discussing some of their favorite new animated projects they’ve seen shown off at MIPCOM this year. And lo and behold, the majority of them are anthropomorphic! So we’ll be discussing the most interesting ones ourselves for the next few days. First up is Caiman, created by Rebecca Warner-Perry and Sue Tong, and produced by Illuminated Films from the UK. “Meet Caiman, a five-year-old crocodile who loves exploring – and who wouldn’t!?…when the village of Trickle End, a buzzing and bubbling community, is right outside his front door! Caiman lives at home with his Mum, Dad and older sister in a little wooden house, situated right on the edge of the exotic mangroves where the river meets the sea. All his friends and neighbours live, work and play nearby. There’s always someone to have fun with or somebody to lend a helping hand in Trickle End.” Animation has a link to IF’s show-reel, which includes more about Caiman and their other projects.

image c. 2016 Illuminated Films

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Oo, How Enchanting!

Earlier this year Animation World Network ran an article about Mattel Creations’ new line-up of 2017 CGI specials and animated series, which they are presenting at MIPCOM. Besides all the expected Barbie tie-ins and Thomas the Tank Engine, there’s a new show called Enchantimals. “At first glance you may think that the Enchantimals are just a regular group of girls. But on closer inspection you’ll see that this unique band live somewhere between human and animal. The Enchantimals are at one with nature, and as keepers of their forest home, they strive to maintain balance, peace and harmony, with unwavering compassion towards all living things. Each Enchantimal gets some much needed help from their very own animal bestie. Like the best of friends, they share an unbreakable bond, as well as extraordinary animal abilities. But why does their forest home need such a special group to help look after it? Because this is no ordinary forest – it’s enchanted!” Thanks for letting us know! We’ll let you know if and when and where Enchantimals gets picked up for broadcast.

image c. 2016 Mattel Creations

image c. 2016 Mattel Creations