Disney Junior captures Claude

Claude is being made by Sixteen South

Disney Junior EMEA has picked up the latest animated preschool series from Sixteen South, the Belfast-based studio behind Lily’s Driftwood Bay.

The Mouse House will air Claude (52×11′) on its preschool channel in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, as well as Australia and New Zealand.

The 2D animated series, based on the books of the same name by Alex T Smith, has just gone into production and is due to air in 2017.

Aimed at children at the upper end of the preschool age range, it follows the humorous adventures of beret-wearing dog Claude and his faithful sidekick Sir Bobblysock.

The books have been published by the Hachette Children’s Group and are available in 16 languages across five continents.

The series is being distributed by American Greetings Properties, the IP division of card manufacturer American Greetings Corporation that recruited Karen Vermeulen last year.

Claude was developed for television by Sixteen South’s Colin Williams and Michelle Forde, after the company signed a development deal with Smith in 2013.

The series is Sixteen South’s sixth major children’s television project, joining Pajanimals, Big & Small, Sesame Tree, Big City Park and Lily’s Driftwood Bay, which has sold around the world.