BBC Children’s and Education has today announced three projects that will be taken forward from Ignite, the first-of-its-kind initiative to find the U.K.’s next animation hit.
The projects chosen are Duck and Frog created by Sam Shaw, a slapstick comedy with a modern British setting and an energetic, anarchic sense of humor; The Underglow, a 2D preschool series created by Tanya Scott and Sam Morrison full of little creatures and characters that come out to play when the sun goes down; and Captain Onion’s Buoyant Academy for Wayward Youth, a comedy created by Matthew Bradley at Alt Animation that follows Marvin and his friends on their boat-based boarding school, the Unsinkable II.
The projects were pitched to the BBC and were selected to undergo an 18-month development process. The BBC worked with the creators to attract key talent including writers, designers, script editors, consultants and development production partners to bring the ideas to life. The ambition is to broadcast all three on the BBC in the future, once additional investment from third parties is secured alongside the BBC’s contribution.
“Ignite called for ideas from across the U.K., the response was overwhelming and it has not been easy to decide which projects to take forward,” says Patricia Hidalgo, BBC Director Children’s & Education. “The reason we chose these three is because they all have a clear sense of the audience they are trying to target and a strong creative vision. The ideas, stories and characters felt truly British and very original but they hold a sense of the familiar which is what usually makes a show successful amongst kids.”
Ignite was launched in 2021 as an unprecedented initiative to uncover U.K. animation talent to develop the next hit. The BBC called on talent from both established independent production companies, BBC in-house production and talented individuals looking for their first break and received over 1,000 ideas.
Meet the projects:
Duck and Frog
Created by Sam Shaw
50 x 7′ | Kids 7-12 | Production Co.: Sun & Moon
Duck and Frog is a dialog-free slapstick comedy with a modern British setting and an energetic anarchic sense of humor. Duck is just trying to make rent and accepts a new job each episode but his dreams of keeping a job for longer than a day inevitably crumble before him thanks to over-bearing Frog’s ‘help’ and interventions.
“Everything about the Ignite process has been incredible. From how easy it was for everyone to apply, right down to the huge amount of support and guidance given at every stage,” says Shaw. ”It’s been a rollercoaster, but every stage of development has felt like a real collaboration. Any changes to the initial idea and designs have only helped strengthen the concepts and characters. It’s been so nice to work with people who just want to make this as fun and silly as it can be and not forcing the idea or characters down routes that feel safer. “
Captain Onion’s Buoyant Academy for Wayward Youth
Created by Matthew Bradley
50 x 11′ | Kids 7-12 | Alt Animation
Transferred to Britain’s most fearsome boat-based boarding school, Marvin is a fish out of water who quickly learns that aboard the ominously named Unsinkable II all school dilemmas are better faced with friends — from classmates baring their teeth to strange adults forgotten by time.
“The strength of the scheme for me was the sustained co-development. It was great to be able to develop our idea alongside the BBC rather than in isolation. It felt much more like a creative partnership. Having the BBC involved from very early on in the project has removed a lot of the mystery of what a broadcaster is after in a series,” Bradley observes. “We believed in this idea’s potential, but when it’s an open call from the biggest broadcaster in the country the odds aren’t exactly in your favor. To be on the other side, having made these connections with the BBC is incredible. We hope that when people see Captain Onion’s Buoyant Academy For Wayward Youth they’re as excited about it as we are.”
The Underglow
Created by Sam Morrison & Tanya Scott
50 x 7′ | Preschool
A 2D preschool series within an inclusive and diverse community of characters, who seek to reinvent seemingly forgotten objects they encounter. This is no ordinary place — it’s somewhere that wakes up when the sun goes down as little creatures come out to play, explore and find themselves in the world.
“I’m incredibly excited. Several years back I saw a beautiful image Tanya had created, and we started a conversation where we found we shared a bunch of inspirations — and ideas about how we could develop them into something new, and something that would resonate with both children and parents,” says Morrison. “The Underglow‘s heart is really about valuing the component parts of our world, from the environment to the artefacts to the people. We want it to be timeless but also timely in terms of what it represents. I hope we get to bring it to the screen.”
Scott adds, “Being part of Ignite was an incredibly educational and enjoyable process. From the beginning, it was clear that the BBC were keen to help us develop our vision for The Underglow and they provided us with all we needed to achieve this. It was wonderful to work directly with them and receive invaluable feedback directly from producers and commissioners. The Ignite process was always project-specific, which meant The Underglow got the attention it needed at any given stage. Being respected and encouraged as a creative throughout development meant the show always reflected our original vision and retained its unique authenticity.”
