Raydar Media and Mackinnon & Saunders have partnered on the pre-school animated series.
Raydar Media and Mackinnon & Saunders have announced that they are teaming up to produce a new pre-school, stop frame animated TV series. The MixMups, developed with support from the BFI’s Young Audience Content Fund, sees Pockets, Giggle and Spin transported from their Helter-Skelter home, through a Magic Box Dress-Up portal, to embark upon costume-filled, problem-solving adventures which address the day-to-day life experiences of children living with and without disability.
The MixMups has been created by Rebecca Atkinson, founder of the #ToyLikeMe campaign, who felt that there was a need for more visibility of disability on screen. To date, the campaign has helped deliver inclusivity for 150m disabled children worldwide. Rebecca said: “In MixMups I wanted to create an innovative show and brand, bursting with fun, magic and play, which would bring disability representation into the mainstream in a way which has never been done before.”
Raydar Media’s Alison Rayson added: “Debbie Macdonald, who is also co-writer on MixMups, brought Raydar into the team and I feel very blessed that she did. Having a son with Down Syndrome, I know firsthand that MixMups is the opposite of a ‘tick box’ series. It is a character driven, funny show that everyone will be able to enjoy. We wanted to show that all children play differently and that this is something to embrace – MixMups encapsulates the joy of individuality and demonstrates that ‘there is always another way to play’.”
Mackinnon & Saunders, whose credits include work on global pre-school brands such as The Twirlywoos, Postman Pat SDS and Raa Raa the Noisy Lion, will produce the show from its Manchester based studio and workshop facilities.
“We fell in love with MixMups the moment we saw it and are delighted to be able to use our considerable experience in producing preschool programming to bring the show to life,” says studio co-founder, Peter Saunders. “MixMups is first and foremost a fun filled entertaining show about these three lovable, highly authentic and highly individual kids through who audiences around the world can experience all the comedy ups and downs of preschoolers at play but in this wonderful, magical world that Rebecca has created. It truly is a show for everyone.”
Licensing expert Valerie Fry is on board as part of the Raydar Media team, and will oversee the development of a global consumer products programme in tandem with the television rights team.
