German net nabs Nelly & Nora

A German network will broadcast the forthcoming Irish animated series Nelly & Nora, which is also due to air on BBC Worldwide’s (BBCWW) international CBeebies channel.

KiKa, owned and operated by public broadcasters ZDF and ARD in Germany, has come onboard as a coproduction partner on the series, which is distributed by BBCWW.

Sebastian Debertin, head of KiKa, has long been an admirer of the preschool series, describing it as a “must-have” after seeing it pitched at Cartoon Forum in 2013.

Produced by Dublin-based Geronimo Productions, the toon follows two young sisters who spend their holidays and weekends with their parents at the family’s mobile home by the sea.

It is due to debut on RTÉ Jr in Ireland next month before airing on CBeebies in the UK this May, followed by an international launch on the global CBeebies network, which covers territories such as the Nordic region, Poland, Africa, Australia, Asia and India, as well as the Latin American and US Hispanic markets.

Newcomers Emma Hogan and director Jamie Teehan have developed the series, while Ardal O’Hanlon (Father Ted) will voice the sister’s father.