marblemedia, Skatoony Creators to Develop Chugga Chugga Wow for Kids’ CBC

files/pictures/picture-35.jpgPress Release from marblemedia

Toronto, ON (February 2, 2011) — marblemedia and Skatoony creators, James Fox and Richard Brookes from UK-based Whole Hog Creations, today announced a partnership to develop Chugga Chugga Wow, an original live-action/animated hybrid television series (52 x 11 minutes) and website for preschoolers. The series is in development with Kids’ CBC.

“We’re really looking forward to developing Chugga Chugga Wow with the creators of Skatoony,” says Mark Bishop, Executive Producer/Partner, marblemedia. “Through our combined experience with children’s cross-platform properties, we feel this is a great opportunity for both companies to create something entertaining and educational for pre-schoolers.”

Chugga Chugga Wow is an educational adventure, where real kids board an animated train and embark on a journey through a cartoon world. At each stop, they interact with characters, and help them solve problems through fun, learning-based activities.

“Chugga Chugga Wow is a hugely exciting concept,” says James Fox, Co-Founder, Whole Hog Creations. “It’s the perfect mix of live-action kids and magical cartoon characters, plus it’s as funny as it is educational. We have developed a strong creative relationship with marblemedia; they are fantastically imaginative and great fun to work with. Chugga Chugga Wow is the perfect project on which to blend our expertise and enthusiasm."

The Chugga Chugga Wow experience transitions seamlessly online, where kids get to take the journey themselves. marblemedia is developing an interactive world where kids can meet and interact with their favourite characters as well as sing songs and play games from the television show.

Kim Wilson, Creative Head for Children’s & Youth Programming at CBC says, “We’re really excited to be working on this project. The idea of doing an age-appropriate game show for preschoolers is extremely appealing.”

International distribution and format sales for Chugga Chugga Wow will be handled by marblemedia’s distribution arm, Distribution360.

For more information, please visit:
www.marblemedia.com
www.wholehogcreations.co.uk

About marblemedia
Founded in 2001 by Mark Bishop and Matt Hornburg, Toronto-based marblemedia is a content creation company at the forefront of television and new media production, devoted to telling stories that entertain and engage audiences across all platforms. marblemedia was named Company of the Year by the Canadian New Media Awards in 2008, and was recognized by the Hollywood Reporter as a Next Generation Content Producer in 2009. Notable marblemedia projects include: the teen competition series The Adrenaline Project; the hit preschool series, This is Daniel Cook and This is Emily Yeung; the first television series and website in American Sign Language, deafplanet.com; the mobile short film anthology Shorts in Motion: The Art of Seduction; Taste Buds, a Gemini Award-winning kids cooking and food adventure series; The Dating Guy, a hooked-up animated comedy about the single life of twentysomethings in the city; and Skatoony, North America’s first animated/live-action quiz show adventure that pits tweens and toons against each other in four frantic, trivia-based rounds. marble’s newest project is Splatalot, a hilarious medieval-themed physical game show geared to the 8-12 year-old audience, which will air this year on YTV in Canada, BBC in the U.K. and ABC in Australia.

About Whole Hog Creations
Set up in 2010 Whole Hog Creations Ltd is a dynamic content creation company that specialises in producing innovative concepts that excite and engage children of all ages. Based in the UK, founders Richard Brookes and James Fox are building on over twenty years of experience working with broadcasters and agencies on award-winning TV and cross-platform productions. They received a BAFTA award for the Cartoon Network website as well as a BAFTA nomination for Skatoony, the groundbreaking animation/live action quiz-comedy that ran for three top-rated seasons on Cartoon Network.

About Kids’ CBC
Kids' CBC puts families first with a groundbreaking roster of commercial-free preschool programming created by Canadians for Canadians. We know we have a huge impact in a child's life, and as a result work tirelessly to create original, unforgettable programs that become part of the next generation's cultural landscape. Our shows are created to mirror a child's world, as well as to open a window to new worlds of discovery and imagination. Find Kids' CBC on CBC Television, weekday mornings from 7:00am to noon, and online at kidscbc.ca.