RTÉ picks up Futurum’s Paddles

Paddles focuses on a polar bear who finds himself in Ireland

Irish pubcaster RTÉ has picked up CGI animated kids’ show Paddles, which is produced by Spanish animation house FuturumKids.

Aimed at four- to seven-year-olds, the 52×11’ series will air on free-to-air channel RTÉ Jr and tells the story of Paddles, a polar bear who is accidentally sent to live in Ireland.

This is the second recent acquisition of the programme, after WarnerMedia kids’ channel Cartoonito picked it up in the UK last year.

Following that deal, Ireland-based Monster Entertainment picked up international distribution rights to the show outside South Korea, where Neon handles sales.

Brendan Kelly, head of sales at Futurum, said: “Although the setting will be familiar to many young Irish viewers, the tale of a young child trying to fit in in an unusual environment is a universal one and we are confident this funny and charming show will quickly gain fans both in Ireland and in many other markets worldwide.”