Spanish producer Zinkia will unveil its new production, Yanco, Dina and the Dinosaurs at Kidscreen Summit in Miami (July 18-21). The property is the company’s first original project in 15 years and will target audiences aged 6-8 through a combination of comedy and action. The animated TV series will be augmented by specific content for YouTube and handheld devices.
Yanco, Dina and the Dinosaurs (Yanco, Dina y los Dinosaurios) brings a fun spin to traditional pirate stories, replacing treasure with dinosaur eggs. The protagonists, Yanco, a yeti thespian with a penchant for stand-up comedy, and a young girl named Dina, who holds a deep secret, will face the evil Cuddy: a brilliant and charismatic millionaire obsessed with dinosaurs. In each episode, Yanco and Dina will travel to a new corner of the world to retrieve dinosaur eggs and take them to a safe place before they hatch and become a problem for humans … or rather, the other way around.
The project’s creative team boasts over 20 years of expertise in the animation industry, having worked on series like Pocoyo, Cleo y Cuquin, Jelly Jamm, Bugsted, Shuriken School and PINY Pinypon Institute.
“Yanco, Dina and the Dinosaurs seeks to bring a new look to the extensive and popular theme of dinosaurs,” explains Victor M. Lopez, General Manager of Zinkia. “The dinosaur cubs born from the colorful eggs retrieved by young Dina and Yanco, a yeti who loves omelettes, will star in a series that will unfold through digital and interactive content.”
The launch of Yanco, Dina and the Dinosaurs at Kidscreen is preceded by its backing by RTVE, through its 2022 tender for animation series; the Spanish public television corporation has opted to broadcast the series through its kids channel, Clan.
The tender, which sought attractive formats aimed at children aged 0 to 14, received 26 proposals and focused on those with charismatic characters, highlighting emotions and featuring innocent and simple humor for the youngest kids, as well as references to popular culture for the older ones. Other values that were also taken into account include themes of critical thinking, equality, respect, healthy habits and the environment.
