France Télévisions and RTÉ join BBC Children’s in MaeBee commission

MaeBee was created by Tim and Becca O’Sullivan

France Télévisions and Ireland’s RTÉ have jointly commissioned animated preschool series MaeBee with BBC Children’s and Education in the UK, which announced the show earlier this week

Developed in-house at UK animation studio Karrot Entertainment (Sarah & Duck) and coproduced with Ireland’s Kavaleer Productions (Pablo), MaeBee is a brand-new original IP created by Tim and Becca O’Sullivan.

The 52×7’ 2D series centres on a young gnome who dreams of being big. Unlike the other gnomes who are born in twins and triplets, Mae is an only child, so decides to recruit a bee as her foster brother.

Launching at MipJunior this weekend, MaeBee is being distributed by France TV Distribution in all non-English speaking territories, with Karrot retaining English language and global licensing rights. The first batch of episodes are slated to roll out in Q3 2026.

Kate Morton, senior head of commissioning for 0-6s at BBC Children’s and Education, said: “MaeBee is a beautifully imaginative and emotionally rich series that speaks directly to the heart of our audience. Tim and Becca’s world is whimsical, warm and full of surprises, exactly the kind of storytelling we champion at CBeebies.”

Suzanne Kelly, head of children’s and young people’s content at RTÉ, said: “I am constantly on the lookout for new animated content that will stand out, delight and engage audiences. The minute I clapped eyes on MaeBee, I knew! I fell in love with its character design, its colours, its comedy and fun.”