BBC Children’s and Education has announced its intention to greenlight three 2D-animated projects from its inaugural Ignite program. Initiated two years ago with a callout in the UK for animated kids projects, the accelerator’s goal is to provide development funding and talent to projects from indie producers and BBC’s in-house production talent. 

The BBC plans to commission and broadcast all three selected series once they have secured additional investment from third parties to top up the BBC funding.

First up is Duck and Frog (pictured, featured image), a slapstick comedy from Bristol-based Sun & Moon and creator Sam Shaw. Targeting tweens, this 50 x seven-minute series follows along as its namesake stars get hired and fired from a variety of jobs.

Captain Onion’s Buoyant Academy for Wayward Youth from Alt Animation in Belfast is about a young boy who joins a boat-based boarding school. This 50 x 11-minuter is for seven to 12s and is based on an original concept from Alt producer Matthew Bradley.

The third project to make the cut is a whimsical preschool toon (50 x seven minutes) called The Underglow, from creators Sam Morrison and Tanya Scott. It centers around a group of tiny, colorful creatures who seek to reinvent forgotten objects they stumble upon. 

Ignite generated more than 1,000 pitches, and these three concepts made the shortlist after an 18-month development process. 

They stood out to the BBC because they blend British sensibilities with original storytelling and a touch of familiarity, said BBC Children’s director of children’s and education Patricia Hidalgo in a release. “The ideas, stories and characters felt truly British and very original, but they hold a sense of the familiar, which is what usually makes a show successful amongst kids.”

Captain Onion’s Buoyant Academy for Wayward Youth

The Underglow