Jam sticks to Zig and Zag

MIPTV: The Irish prodco behind children’s comedy Roy, which airs on CBBC in the UK and RTÉ in Ireland, has come onboard the channels’ forthcoming animated re-boot of 1990s puppet characters Zig and Zag.

Rebooted: Zig and Zag

Jam Media will work with the two channels, as well as Belfast-based Flickerpix and fellow Dubliners Double Z Enterprises, on the sitcom, which was first revealed by C21 in 2011.

Aimed at 6-9s, Zig and Zag (26×11′) follows the alien duo as they set up home and adjust to human life after crash landing in humdrum suburbia.

The characters first arrived on TV screens in Ireland as puppets on RTÉ’s flagship children’s show The Den before heading to the UK to appear on Channel 4’s morning show Big Breakfast in the 1990s.

The coproduction is set to air in spring 2016 on CBBC and RTÉjr, the Irish pubcaster’s children’s channel.

It has been greenlit by the controller of CBBC, Cheryl Taylor, with executive producer Lucy Pryke. Sheila De Courcy of RTÉ has supported the project from its inception.

Both CBBC and RTÉ have helped fund the project alongside Northern Ireland Screen, The Irish Film Board and The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.

The series is produced by Ronan McCabe for Double Z, while Joel Simon for Flickerpix and John Rice for Jam Media are executive producers with Niall Mooney directing. Jam Media will also handle distribution of the series.