Leo’s World, the Italian-produced 2D animated kids’ series featuring an autistic central character, is marking World Autism Awareness Day by launching its international broadcast rollout. Producer and IP owner Brand-Cross has also announced delivery of new episodes for the show, which imaginatively explores children’s everyday challenges.
The series premiered in Italy in 2022 through commissioning pubcaster RAI, airing on its linear preschool channel RAI Yoyo and its VOD platform RaiPlay. The first batch of 10 episodes was a success with young audiences (20% share of the kids target demo), leading to the commission of 12 new episodes released last February for an available package total of 22 x 12 min.
Today, April 2 (World Autism Awareness Day), Leo begins his global adventure as Leo’s World launches on LTV in Latvia and debuts its new episodes on RSI in Switzerland. Additional debuts are set for Samsung TV+ in Korea (May 5, Children’s Day in the country) as well as MTVA in Hungary and beIN throughout MENA regions.
Leo’s World follows the adventures of six-year-old Leo as he faces everyday challenges, together with his two friends: the funny dog Lola and his beloved puppet, Babù. In each episode, Babù comes to life to transport the three of them to a fantastic and highly imaginative version of our everyday world, where abstract concept are represented through engaging designs. Leo can thus discover the magic and fun hidden in the simple things he sometimes finds hard to deal with: Travelling to the World of First Times, he will learn how not to be scared to do something new; visiting the World of the Unexpected, he will see that unforeseen circumstances can turn into opportunities; in the World of Temptations he will understand how to show his willpower; and in the World of Unknown People, how to open his heart to new friends.
This approach provides the preschool audience with strong visuals of complex ideas they find difficult to understand. Through play, imagination and exploration, they will learn how to deal with the emotions and events of everyday life and how to manage them. Leo’s adventures are designed to be engaging and relatable for all preschool children, and are particularly helpful for kids on the autism spectrum, stimulating certain habitual behaviors that are not always as simple and obvious as they are for others. To help young viewers absorb the lessons, a narrator introduces the story at the beginning and summarizes it at the end.
Leo’s World is created by Eleonora Vittoni, a mother of autistic twins. Seeing her children struggle with the multiple sensory inputs of most cartoons, she hoped to create a more accessible and understanding animated show that could be enjoyed by both neurodivergent children and their neurotypical peers. The production, overseen by clinical lead Dr. Paolo Moderato, involved children with autism in every step of the process. Their help was especially helpful in the characters’ development, ensuring the final product would be effective and visually distinctive. For the second batch of episodes, an online contest invited kids to choose the names of some of the new characters. The winners have been mentioned in the end credits of the new episodes.
Awarded as Best Pre-School Show at the 2023 Pulcinella Awards of Cartoons on the Bay, Leo’s World was also the only animated production to be nominated at the Content Innovation Awards 2023 for The Representation and Inclusion Award – Scripted category.
Brand-Cross says it believes in the importance of creating inclusive content with a dual goal of helping neurodivergent kids feel represented, as well as fostering understanding and empathy in neurotypical children that will nurture autism acceptance. The studio also aims to create a variety of neurodiverse-friendly shows, offering a selection like neurotypical audiences enjoy.
The company’s next animated venture is A Name That Is Not Mine, a feature film about the Holocaust which transports young audiences between the modern day and one of the darkest chapters in human history with sensitivity and gravity. The producers intend to launch this title timed to International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2025 (January 27).
“I believe there are several topics that need more media attention; for example social inclusion, climate change, gender equality, minority rights, mental health. These are topics that deeply touch the lives of many and, unfortunately, do not always receive the attention they deserve,” notes Emanuela Cavazzini, CEO of Brand-Cross. “Broadcasting has a wide reach and can reach people from all walks of life. Through targeted projects, we can inform, inspire and hopefully evoke positive change. Moreover, the dynamic and interactive nature of broadcast media allows for a dialog with the audience, making the message more personal and engaging.
“Dealing with social issues can be complex. That is why we work with experts in the respective fields to be aware of different perspectives. But above all, it is important to start with genuine passion and commitment to an issue that is close to your heart. Get informed, connect with communities and experts. It is through dialog and collective participation that we can actually create positive change. And this is what we have tried to do with the two projects Leo’s World and A Name That Is Not Mine.”
Learn more at brand-cross.it.
