The Futurum team presented a preview at MIPCOM of the new show of the creators of Jakers! and Emmy winners
Premiered at MIPJunior, Paddles is a hot new CGI show for four-to-seven-year-olds and also the exciting first offering from Futurum, a state-of-the art animation and media company that is set to be a major new force in children’s media.
The Futurum business model will involve producing, distributing, licensing and globally exploiting current and future intellectual property owned by Futurum and third parties – and it has assembled a group of major industry figures that prove it means business.
With founding principals that include members of the team behind the seven-time Emmy-award-winning children’s series Jakers!, as well as senior figures from HIT Entertainment and its global franchises Bob the Builder, Barney and Thomas and Friends, along with principal creative Tim Harper, whose work includes the multi-award-winning Lily’s Driftwood Bay, this is a specialist producer of children’s and family media content whose track record gives it a fully justified ambition of serving the global TV market.
Futurum has a number of projects already under way to underline the strength of its offering – in particular its flagship TV series for kids from pre-school age upwards, Paddles.
Paddles tells the story of a polar bear cub accidentally delivered by the Stork to a frozen River Shannon in Ireland – and brought up by a pack of Irish wolfhounds. This show, which premiered at the MIPJunior, was visible on both days in the event’s screening booth. The show, now in production in both London and Dublin, with a delivery date of June 2020, has already secured a slot on a major pre-school children’s television channel in the UK, whose identity has been revealed – along with other recently concluded Futurum offerings – to the MIPJunior
This is a charming, exciting and very witty 52 x 11 series that, through the adventures of its funny and lovable star, shows its young audience that being different is something to be celebrated and enjoyed. It also boasts all the invention, endearing characters and high production values that made Jakers! a hit across multiple regions, as well as a very successful licensed property. With a talented team behind it that includes not only Tim Harper but respected animator Somu Mohapatra and award-winning writers Hickey & McCoy from the US and Danny Stack from the UK, this is a show that looks set for ratings success.
At both MIPJunior and MIPCOM Futurum offered broadcast and licensing partners the opportunity to participate at ground level in the plans of this world-class company. It was also be discussing a business model that includes both production of original series and the purchase of intellectual property in the kids’ TV space.
Brendan Kelly, Head of Sales at Futurum, says: “The demand for quality children’s programming is growing at a fast pace, driven by new channels and platforms. Futurum intends to make and purchase superior-quality children’s television shows which will appeal to global audiences and offer the ability to generate multiple revenue streams. We were happy to discuss these plans and excited to see a preview of Paddles, our very first children’s show, at MIPJunior.”
