The fantastic work of Brazilian animation studio TV PinGuim is no secret to anyone who has followed the global animation scene over the past two decades. First founded in 1989 by Kiko Mistrorigo and Célia Catunda, the São Paulo-based studio is best known for its hugely popular shows Fishtronaut and the scientifically-themed Earth to Luna! We had the chance to catch up with the talented and highly prolific duo at MIPCOM this past week.
“We are very pleased with how much Earth to Luna! has grown and attracted new fans all over the world,” says Catunda. “For the third season of the show, Luna and her brother Jupiter and their pet Clyde will travel around the world with their family and will learn about the different cultures. So we are mixing geography with sociology and global cultural awareness as well. For example, they will learn about the Aurora Borealis and learn about the Eskimos’ legends as they visit each location.”
The Emmy-nominated series airs on Discovery Kids in Brazil and Sprout in the US. The preschool 52 x 11’ package has been sold to PTS in Taiwan, Discovery Family in the US, RTP in Portugal, VOD service iQiyi in China and Discovery MENA as well.
Catunda and Mistrorigo are also quite excited about their new preschool project in development, a 52 x 11’ series titled The Charlie Show. The brightly colored, simple animation features a funny talk show hosted by a dynamic green sheep (who looks like an odd ball of yarn) called Charlie, who interviews everyday objects such as a snowman or disco ball to inform and entertain younger viewers. The guests also tend to sing and dance in each episode.
Mistrorigo is also pleased to tell us about with the studio’s new music-themed series called Ping & Pong, which teaches kids about different styles of music from around the world. “As more schools cut back on music education programs, our show likes to keep children educated about music and inspire their passion for different genres of music as they go through school.”
The show, which debuted at MIPCOM last year, centers on two inseparable friends—Ping loves melody and Pong loves Rythym—who find musical inspirations everywhere. Discovery Kids in Latin America, TVO, TFO, Tele Quebec and Knowledge Network in Canada have all prebought the show. The first episode will be delivered by September 2018.
The TV PinGuim team is also launching a feature version of Fishtronaut at next month’s American Film Market in Santa Monica. “The movie finds Fishtronaut and his friends leaving their park and going to a polluted city,” says Catunda. “It will offer important messages about keeping our planet clean and what kids can do to fight pollution and industrial waste.”
For more info, visit www.tvpinguim.com.
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