Please wait...
Please wait...

Zodiak Kids revives Mumfie for France TV, Rai

Mumfie is from Zodiak Kids and Animoka

Broadcasters in France and Italy have greenlit a new animated series from Zodiak Kids based on 90-year-old children’s character Mumfie.

The new 78×7’ series is titled Mumfie and is a coproduction between Zodiak Kids Studio France and Italian animation studio Animoka, alongside commissioning broadcasters France Télévisions and Rai TV of Italy.

Production began this year with delivery due from spring 2021. The show is directed by Daniel Dubuis and will air on Okoo, France Télévisions’ kids’ platform which launched a year ago, as well as Italian TV channel Rai Yoyo.

Zodiak Kids, part of Banijay, holds international distribution rights.

The show follows optimistic young elephant Mumfie who embarks on whimsical adventures with his best friends Pinkey the flying pig and Jelly Bean the colour-changing jellyfish.

Other characters include a cheeky crocodile who thinks he’s a king and his mischievous cat confidant; a skateboarding zebra; a hermit crab mayor; and a giraffe who runs a hotel on an iceberg.

The toon is based on the preschool series Magic Adventures of Mumfie (79×10’), produced in the 1990s by Britt Allcroft, who also created Thomas the Tank Engine, later retitled Thomas & Friends.

Allcroft’s Mumfie series, itself based on literary characters created in the 1930s by author Katharine Tozer, aired on CITV in the UK, Fox Kids in the US and elsewhere.

Allcroft will be working with Zodiak Kids CEO Benoit di Sabatino, head of content development Gary Milne and others of Zodiak Kids and Animoka to bring the new series to life.

“Mumfie will join the Okoo community, France Télévisions’ youth offer, along with our great heroes such as Simon, Pyjamasques, Peppa Pig and many others. With their positive attitude, mischievousness and altruism, there is no doubt Mumfie and his friends will enhance our children’s curiosity,” said Pierre Siracusa, head of animation at France Télévisions.

“We are confident that the new series, for the kindness of its main character Mumfie and for the brilliant and imaginative universe created around it, will become a pivotal property for Rai Yoyo,” added Luca Milano, head of Rai Ragazzi.

RELATED ARTICLES

Please wait...