By: Andrea Hernandez and Ryan Tuchow

Deals are closing fast and furious ahead of MIP Junior and MIPCOM, where kidcos will be busy with nonstop meetings and business networking next week. Here’s a rundown of the pre-market announcements so far.

Mondo TV 

Henan York Animation and iQIYI have locked down an international distributor for their CG-animated series The Tales of the Wonder Keepers, which will now be sold exclusively by Italy’s Mondo TV Group everywhere in the world except China and Chinese-speaking territories. Set in a fairytale world, the show for five to eights (52 x 13 minutes) follows a magical young girl who comes to the human world to live with new friends and fight threats like pirates and walking plants. It premiered in 2019 on Russian network Carousel.

KidsLoop 

South Korean edtech company KidsLoop has teamed up with China Bridge Content in New York to pitch a CG-animated series called My Friend Bada (52 x 11 minutes), based on a collection of educational music videos that have been successful on YouTube. The preschool show stars a small puppy-like creature who teaches kids about broad topics like food, music and art. KidsLoop’s Joey Lee and Ayoung Ra—who originally created the Badanamu YouTube shorts—are working on the series with China Bridge Content head Josh Selig (Wonder Pets).

Brain Power Studio

The Toronto-based company has picked up global distribution rights outside of the UK, Ireland, China and Sweden to stop-motion preschool series Tweedy and Fluff (40 x five minutes). This project was commissioned in July by Channel 5 Milkshake! in the UK, and it has also been presold to BBC ALBA (Scotland), TG4 (Ireland) and S4C (Wales). Featuring two yarn characters who form a tight-knit bond after meeting at a tweed mill, Tweedy and Fluff was created by children’s author Corrinne Averiss (My Pet Star), and the British Government’s Young Audiences Content Fund has contributed to its development.

Creation Entertainment Media

The California-based studio has teamed up with Magic Frame Animation in Cyprus to produce a new 2D-animated series called BuddyBots (26 x 11 minutes). Targeting kids ages five to eight, the show focuses on themes to do with learning, family and technology in episodes about a group of robot and teen adventurers. BuddyBots is currently in production.

Pictured, from top to bottom right going clockwise: BuddyBots, The Tales of the Wonder Keepers, Tweedy and Fluff.