Wildseed Studios, the Bristol-based firm that promotes and invests in new film-making talent, has teamed up with a North American studio to produce a new kids’ animated TV comedy series.
Production on Counterfeit Cat, which is targeted at six-12 year olds, has started at Wildseed’s newly launched Bristol studio, which will also handle pre-production.
Wildseed, launched in 2013 by former Aardman Animations head of broadcast Miles Bullough and ex-BBC head of children’s co-production and acquisition Jesse Cleverly, is working with Toronto and California-based Tricon Kids & Family on the series, which will be made as 26 half-year shows, 52 11-minute programmes and 11 two-minute shorts to be screened on Disney EMEA and Teletoon.
Tricon Kids & Family is a boutique division of Tricon Films & Television, one of North America’s strongest independent production and distribution companies dedicated to producing ground-breaking television.
Wildseed’s creative head Jesse Cleverly said: “We’re proud to be working in partnership with Tricon on this entertaining and comical new animation which will capture hearts, minds and funny bones of all ages around the globe. Counterfeit Cat draws on some fantastic production talent around the world and demonstrates our dedication to providing audiences with fresh, original content.”
Tricon Kids Family & Animation executive vice president Frank Saperstein added: “Tricon is thrilled to be in partnership with Wildseed Studios on our first original animated co-production for Disney EMEA and Teletoon.
“The creative team that has been assembled is top notch. Counterfeit Cat is an outrageously funny and witty character driven comedy that is sure to appeal to global audiences of all ages, for many years to come.”
Counterfeit Cat is the story of Gark, a naive nine-year-old alien with uncontrollable superpowers and destined to save the universe, and Max, an anxious but vain housecat who would prefer to save himself.
Sent for training off-world, Gark mistakes Max for a tiger who can teach him to be a hero so he can fulfil the ancient prophecy and save the universe.
The problem is Max doesn’t know much about being brave: he knows about watching TV, knitting and coughing up fur balls. But Gark’s adventurous instincts force Max, albeit reluctantly, to act like the tiger Gark believes him to be.
Counterfeit Cat stars Marc Wootton, the English character comedian who provides the voice for Max, and Kayvan Novak, the British–Iranian actor and comedian best known for co-creating and starring in the comedy series Fonejacker, who provides the voice for Betty.
Wildseed was set up to help bring creative projects to life through nurturing, developing and financing talent. It is dedicated to providing audiences with fresh, original content from the next-generation of creators.
The show’s executive producers are Miles Bullough and Jesse Cleverly for Wildseed Studios, and Andrea Gorfolova, Jon Rutherford and Frank Saperstein for Tricon.
Creative producers are Sarah Mattingley (Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja) and Ashley Rite with Heidi Madsen and Christine Davis line producing for Wildseed and Tricon. The series is story edited by Reid Harrison (The Simpson’s), storyboard supervised by Celine Gobinet (The Amazing World of Gumball) and directed by Ben Marsaud (The Amazing World of Gumball).
Pictured: Max and Gark in Counterfeit Cat
