Numberblocks indies wins competitive pitch for pre-school spin-off

Blue Zoo, the animation studio behind CBeebies’ Numberblock and Alphablocks, has won a competitive pitch process to produce a Doctor Who animation for the channel.

BBC Children’s and Education invited UK producers to pitch for two series in June, marking the first time the ‘Whoniverse’ will appeal to pre-school audiences.

Blue Zoo will make 52 x11’ episodes in total, beginning production in 2026. The BBC declined to set out the value of the tender.

Co-founder of Blue Zoo Adam Shaw said: “This year, we celebrated 25 years of Blue Zoo so it’s an extra special honour to be given the chance to bring such a much-loved classic and a true British icon to a whole new generation of young viewers.

“Doctor Who means so much to so many people, and we don’t take that lightly at all. Reimagining something this legendary for a preschool audience is a brilliant creative challenge, and one we’re incredibly excited to dive into.”

Director of BBC Children’s & Education Patricia Hidalgo said: “This new series further strengthens our commitment to the British animation industry by championing homegrown productions with the potential to travel the world and, perhaps even through time and space.

“The bidding process for this project was exceptionally competitive, and we would like to commend all the shortlisted producers for the outstanding quality and depth of their proposals.”

BBC Studios will distribute the show.

Blue Zoo is also behind CBeebies’ Mojo Swoptops as well as Nickelodeon’s The Adventures of Paddington. This month, the indie received a Bafta Special Award in recognition of its social and cultural impact.

The commission comes the day after founder and co-managing director of Blue Zoo Oli Hyatt appeared before the Culture, Media and Sport committee to urge the government to fund children’s programming proportionally across age groups.

In October, Disney called time on its Doctor Who partnership with the BBC, which kicked off in 2022 with the aim of growing the iconic live-action drama internationally.

This article was originally posted on www.broadcastnow.co.uk.