Ivor The Engine
The Quintet launch will feature Ivor The Engine return
Quintet Pictures – a cross-platform production company focused on the development of family-based film and TV content – has launched today and established a live-action version of children’s animated animation. Ivor The Engine as his first project.
The UK-based enterprise was founded by writer, illustrator and producer Daniel Postgate; writer, producer and columnist Justin Pollard and music industry veterans Jessica Gerry and Alex Kennedy.
Postgate has authored over 50 children’s books and is the son of original Ivor creator Oliver Postgate. He began his career as a cartoonist for the UK’s national newspaper The Sunday Times followed by expansion into TV production and scriptwriting, including work on children’s series The Clangers.
Pollard is a TV and film producer with feature credits included Elizabeth, Atonement and The boy in the striped pajamas, while his TV work includes producer-producer roles on it Time team and Vikings, and a historical consultation on the four quarters of The Tudors. He also consults on it Mushrooms and has written for 16 seasons of QI for the BBC.
Gerry Brissett founded Music in 2011, while Kennedy’s mixed career includes beginning work and senior corporate positions. He co-created the TV series Sky Art Sessions during his time at Sky TV.
Quinet is also developing content in partnership with Smallfilms, the production company founded by UK animation veterans Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin, creators of Ivor The Engine, The Clangers, Noggin The Nog and Bagpuss.
In addition to the film Ivor the Engine, other upcoming Quintet projects include children’s music TV series Fantastical animals, Burnt Norton 18th – century country house drama, radio project I don’t like cricket, a WWI children’s drama project and Dark Ages collaboration project with Kevin Crossley-Holland.
In addition to the Ivor animation feature, Quintet is also launching with a collection of IP-based audio stories, titled Ivor The Engine And Friends, with proceeds from the sales going to LATCH, a charity that support for children and their families receiving treatment at the oncology unit of the Children ‘s Hospital for Wales.
Visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/IvorTheEngineChristmasStories to donate to LATCH.
Eric Berger
A sensitive children’s short form climber was named
The common Sense Media affiliate network, Common Sense Network, has announced the launch of Sensical 2021, a new free streaming platform that offers short format content for 2-12-year-olds.
With Eric Berger, CEO of Common Sense Networks, Sensical aims to “meet the critical need of parents for age-appropriate entertainment content, which nurtures the special emotional, social and mental needs of their children”.
The hand-painted content library is divided into three distinct categories – preschoolers (ages 2-4); small children (ages 5-7) and large children (ages 8-12) and including performances such as Breast patrol, Mother Goose Club, StacyPlays and Song Super Simple.
“Sensical’s mission is to ignite children’s interests, fuel curiosity, build bridges between children and their parents and make everyone a part of the learning journey,” Berger said.
Launching in early 2021, the service will be available on streaming devices, smart TV and mobile devices (iOS and Android) as well as a brand-supported free app and live streaming channels on high-end OTT platforms.
Teletubbies
Wildbrain launches children’s channels through Samsung TV Plus
Children’s entertainment company WildBrain has partnered with Samsung to launch several new children’s channels with a range of series from its content library on Samsung TV Plus ’AVOD service.
The first new serial channels are now launching and launching Caillou And his friends in Spain and France and Teletubbies And friends in Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. They will be followed in the spring and summer of 2021 before Degrassi channels for teens in the US and Canada, as well as additional children’s channels across European regions appear Strawberry Short Tree, Bob the builder and others.
“All indications are that connected TV is the new option for home viewing and that families are increasingly turning to supported video services on this platform as a source for quality entertainment, ”said Deirdre Brennan, EVP, content partnerships at WildBrain.