WildBrain has secured worldwide distribution rights (excluding Ireland) for Season 1 of the new preschool animated series Ray of Sunshine (26 x 7’). Produced by Dublin-based animation studio Daily Madness, the series is currently available for delivery and will be showcased by WildBrain at Kidscreen Summit in February.
“We’re over the moon to sign this deal with WildBrain, a company with such a passion for kids’ content and to join their portfolio of incredible brands,” said series producer-director Lindsey Adams. “Ray of Sunshine is our love letter to Dublin, a city that is very much home to the creative team working behind the scenes on this show. With our new partners at WildBrain, we’re so excited to see our beloved Ray travel outside of Ireland and to audiences across the globe.”
Aimed at kids 3-6, Ray of Sunshine centers on Ray, a sunshine-y, seven-year-old boy who lives in the Sunshine Apartments smack-dab in the middle of Dublin. Ray is a very sociable, outgoing kid with the gift of gab, and he is always ready for a chat. Luckily for Ray, living in an apartment complex where pretty much everybody knows everybody, he can usually find someone to chat to.
The collective care and love of Ray’s neighbors reflects the show’s core theme of the importance of community: Ray hosts tea parties and invites his colorful neighbors into his very own garden patch in the middle of the apartment courtyard. Ray of Sunshine models inclusive, gender-neutral play while putting value on socialization, conversation, caring and sharing, and celebrates diversity of all kinds, including non-traditional parenting structures and amicable co-parenting.
“We’re thrilled to work with Daily Madness, a women-owned and-led animation studio, and we wholeheartedly believe in their mission to champion underrepresented voices in our industry,” said Caroline Tyre, VP Global Sales & Rights Strategy at WildBrain. “With Ray of Sunshine, Daily Madness has created a terrific new series filled with silliness, humor and heart. Featuring compelling character-driven stories rooted in gender-neutral play, friendship and community, this adorable series is the perfect addition to our preschool animation slate. We look forward to sharing it with audiences around the world.”
The principal voice actor in Ray of Sunshine is newcomer Evan Oglesby, playing Ray. The series is created by Lindsey Adams and Shannon George, with Kristina Yee as head writer. Art direction is by Adam Kavanagh with music by Jonathan Casey.
Ray of Sunshine was produced with the funding support of RTÉjr, Screen Ireland and the Section 481 tax credit.
