New Zealand producers—and their international co-producers—have reason to celebrate today. Government body NZ On Air has committed roughly US$4 million to funding programming aimed at kids ages zero to 15, more than doubling its original allocation of US$1.7 million.

This is NZ ON Air’s second funding round of the year. In both rounds combined, 23% of the total funding for scripted and nonfiction programming went to content for children (compared to 58% for general audiences, 12% for people with disabilities and minorities, and 6% for promoting Māori language and culture).

Some of the kids allocation will go into a co-pro called Māui And Elvis (eight by 22 minutes) from New Zealand’s Whitebait Productions and Canada’s Mosaic Entertainment. Greenlit by TVNZ and indigenous broadcasters Whakaata Māori (New Zealand) and APTN (Canada), this live-action series is about a group of Kiwi kids investigating strange happenings in the ’70s. It’s based on a series of books by Wellington-based kids author Suzanne Main. APTN’s director of TV content and special events Adam Garnet Jones described the series to Kidscreen as “almost like an Indigenous Stranger Things… but not as scary.” NZ On Air previously committed up to US$1.1 million for this series in 2023.

The funding will also support fresh seasons of current events show Kea Kids News, educational preschool series Toi Time and Tralala, a 2D-animated preschool toon from Blue Ant Studios and New Zealand’s Stretchy that was greenlit by CBC Kids and Sky New Zealand.

NZ On Air also broke down the maximum amount that each of these projects will receive: US$1.2 million for Māui And Elvis; US$1.1 million for Tralala; US$895,000 for Kea Kids News; and US$688,000 for Toi Time.