Northern Ireland kids’ independent production studio, Sixteen South, has secured the third-party distribution rights for the hugely popular preschool animated series Mixmups (52×10’).  It is Sixteen South’s first third party series for distribution deal.

Commissioned by 5’s Milkshake, where it is a consistently high performer, the award winning, Mixmups is produced by Mackinnon & Saunders (Pinocchio, Moon & Me, Fantastic Mr Fox, BooSnoo) and created and written by Rebecca Atkinson, a leading innovator in kids’ industries, specialising in original child-centred storytelling, play theory and inclusion by design. The series has also been a ratings success in Canada, where it is screened on TVO and Knowledge, RTÉ in Ireland and in Australia, where it launched on ABC.

A magical, joyous fusion of British-made stop-motion, CGI and 2D animation, Mixmups follows the fun adventures of three pre-school friends, neat and tidy Pockets, creative and inventive Giggle, and boisterous and physical Spin, who live in a Helter-Skelter home in Mixington Valley alongside their companions, Roller Guinea and Yapette the guide dog. With the help of their trunky-beaked guardian, the Lucky Loover Bird, each episode sees the friends ‘Mix up the Magic’ of play and imagination with their magical wooden spoon and mixing box, transporting themselves to a host of charming and comical adventures.

Created by experts in early years play theory, world leading animation studio, Mackinnon and Saunders and a panel of child consultants, this stand-out-series celebrates pre-schoolers’ love of mixing and combining items to build play journeys whilst comically exploring themes of teamwork, friendship and flexible thinking, as well as skilfully and authentically including the lived experience of childhood disability and innovative inclusion by design.

Mixmups also features ten pioneering Ultra Access episodes, launched in March and available on the [channel5.com/mixmups]Milkshake! website, offering advance interactive accessibility features, including options to reduce background sound, simplify visuals, add Makaton signs and view storyline synopsises before viewing.

Sixteen South’s Creative Director Colin Williams said: “We’re so very proud to have been trusted with the opportunity to introduce Mixmups to more international audiences, and it fits perfectly with our own catalogue of meaningful shows. It’s a joyful, imaginative series that puts inclusion right at the heart of storytelling and celebrates difference in a way that feels fresh and meaningful for young viewers and their families.”

Rebecca Atkinson, Mixmups creator and writer, said: “In Mixmups, I wanted to create a show which would burst from screens like a candy store of stop-motion creativity. Bright, sweet, funny and capturing the magic of play and the limitless ability of young children to transcend reality and disappear into their own imaginations. I am delighted to be partnering with Sixteen South to bring the unique magic of Mixmups to the global pre-school audience and their families.”

Produced by Manchester-based Mackinnon and Saunders, Mixmups was developed and produced with support from the UK Government funded Young Audiences Content Fund (YACF), which is managed by the BFI and in collaboration with Raydar Media.

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Categories: Press Releases

Tags: ABC, Ireland, kids, milkshake, RTE