Kiddets

Kiddets
GenreChildren's television series
Comedy
Created byMartin Baynton
Richard Taylor
Written byTerri Baynton
Peter Salmon
Roxane Gaiadhar
Sacha Cotter
Sarah Harpur
Lauren Jackson
Directed byMatthew Darragh
Dries Naude
Voices ofIan Harcourt
Richard Saade
Debbie Fish
Liz Mullane
Jacob Rajan
Simon Leary
Emma Draper
Narrated byMartin Baynton
Theme music composerDavid Long
ComposerDavid Long
Country of originNew Zealand
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes52
Production
Executive producersMartin Baynton
Richard Taylor
Clive Spink
Jianfeng Wen
Bing Wang
Lisa Chatfield
ProducersAngela Littlejohn
Jan Haynes
Jane Robertson
Production locationsNew Zealand
China
EditorOwen Ferrier-Kerr
Running time11 minutes (television series)
Production companiesPukeko Pictures
Hengxin Shambala Kids Cultural Industry Development Co., Ltd.
Original release
NetworkTVNZ
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Release3 September 2018 (2018-09-03) –
present
Related
The WotWots

Kiddets is a New Zealand-based children's television show which debuted in 2018 and sister series to The WotWots.[1] Created by Martin Baynton and Richard Taylor, the series uses computer animation mixed with live-action clips to follow five alien friends as they learn about life in their playroom. It currently consists of one season and a total of 52 eleven-minute episodes.[2]

Plot

The show follows five young alien friends called "Kiddets" each with an area of interest and learning; Patches (health, wealth, and safety), Dapper (arts and culture), Bounce (mechanics), Stripes (leadership) and Luna (science). They are space cadets, explorers-in-training at a space academy on planet WotWot. They learn through play in their playroom that overlooks a space port floating above their planet and occasionally reach out for help from SpottyWot and DottyWot on planet Earth.[3]

Production

Kiddets was created and developed by children's author Martin Baynton in partnership with filmmaker Richard Taylor. Kiddets is co-produced by Pukeko Pictures and Hengxin Shambala Kids Cultural Industry Development Co., Ltd. (formerly Guangdong Huawen Century Animation Company) and is the first official children's television co-production between New Zealand and China.[4]

The Kiddets characters and their space station are animated with occasional clips from The WotWots over live-action footage by the Weta Workshop,[5] the visual effects company founded by Taylor and Rodger, known for its work on the Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

Broadcast details

Country Broadcaster Screen date
New Zealand TVNZ 2, TVNZ On-Demand, TVNZ HeiHei 17 September 2018
Australia ABC1, ABC2, ABC Kids 3 April 2018.[6]
China China Central Television December 2018 [7]

References

  1. ^ "The WotWots to get sister series". Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  2. ^ "Pukeko's 'Kiddets' Take Off in Australia & New Zealand". www.animationmagazine.net. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  3. ^ "Cake partners with Pukkeko Pictures to launch Kiddets – Toy & Hobby Retailer". Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  4. ^ "Pukeko Signs Co-Production Deal for 'Kiddets'". Animation World Network. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  5. ^ "Weta Workshop | Weta Workshop – The WotWots". www.wetanz.com. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  6. ^ "Kiddets extends WotWots brand on ABC KIDS" TV Tonight, 7 February 2018.
  7. ^ "Pukeko & Hengxin Shambala's 'Kiddets' Touch Down in China Animation Magazine, 5 December 2018