BBC Three Greenlights Eurovision-Theme Hybrid Series ‘Galaxy Dance’

U.K. network BBC Three has greenlit its first animation project in over 20 years, giving the not to Galaxy Dust: a sci-fi hybrid project set amidst a Eurovision contest of the future. The project, combining animation and live-action elements, is created by Ultan Courtney and developed through an IBC and Epic Games accelerator program. The show will also stream on BBC’s iPlayer.

Galaxy Dance takes place during Eurovision 2989 as myriad alien groups and humans from Earth compete in an interstellar dance competition for a prize so huge it could save our planet from extinction. The only problem? Earth is on a notorious losing streak. It’s up to a new squad of misfits from the blue planet to pull of an against-the-odds win in the Milky Way’s fiercest competition.

The one-off show is set to star Liam Bixby (Wreck), Lisa Dwyer Hogg (Dance First) and Mukamajulé Michelo (The Lovers). Courtney is creator and director, Paula Crickard is producer and commissioning editor for the BBC is Gillian Burke. The project is developed with Unreal Engine and is being produced by HaZimation (Max Beyond, Moontopia), with the support of Northern Ireland Screen.

Galaxy Dance is expected to air timed to the real-life Eurovision.

Courtney is a graduate of the National College of Art & Design in Dublin who has worked in motion graphics, broadcast design and visual effects, including on the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse at Sony Pictures Imageworks, as well as co-leading the team behind Unreal Fellowship/EBU Accelerator project Smart Remote Production for Real-Time Animation, a virtual production pipeline for broadcast.

BBC Three’s last original animated project to air was Monkey Dust (2003-2005), an adult satirical sketch comedy with a quite dark edge created by late TV producer/writer and author Harry Thompson (Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Da Ali G Show) and his longtime comedy partner Shaun Pye (The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, There She Goes).

[Source: Deadline]