Mike Young Prods. has a busy slate of animated shows with many new 3D entries to present at MIPCOM. The busy producer has jumped headfirst into distribution, launching a new distribution arm in March 2003, headed by veteran TV sales exec Regis Brown. The U.S. studio, founded by Welsh animator Mike Young, is bringing its captivating 3D series for young children, JAKERS! THE ADVENTURES OF PIGGLEY WINKS, which debuted September 7, 2003 on PBS Kids in the U.S.
This original 40x22 series, produced by MYP and Entara Ltd. for children 4-7, follows the adventures of Piggley, a spunky eight-year-old pig, and his friends Dannan the Duck and Ferny the Bull on Raloo Farm in Ireland. While the intrepid trio enjoys their escapades, American transplant Wiley the Sheep (voiced by Mel Brooks) is busy offering wild and woolly advice to his all-too-sheepish flock. The stop-motion style series has a storybook quality, accomplished entirely in CGI, blending photographic and textured elements with a good deal of 2D design elements transformed into 3D.
MYP has another CGI series (52x11), DIVE OLLY DIVE!, for preschool kids featuring fantasy and bath time fun. MYP takes viewers underwater with Olly the Submarine, and his friends, for an ocean of magical deep-sea adventure and learning. For older kids, 6-11, there’s PET ALIEN, a 26x22 series featuring Goofy aliens from another dimension that take up unwanted residence in 10-year-old Tommy’s home. MYP describes the production style as Tex Avery meets SPONGEBOB in 3D.
Some of the company’s 2D offerings include: the new adventures (39x22) of HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE and TEEN COUNSELORS. Created by Kelly Ward, Cliff MacGillivray and David Feiss for MTV, TEEN COUNSELORS is an animated 26x22 sitcom for ages 12-17 described as, “BREAKFAST CLUB meets CLUELESS.”
One of the most prolific independent animation studios in the U.S., MYP produces two other PBS Kids series, including Scholastic’s Emmy-nominated CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG and the recently announced Scholastic spinoff, CLIFFORD’S PUPPY DAYS. Other recent credits include Nickelodeon’s BUTT-UGLY MARTIANS while its HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE airs on Cartoon Network.
Mike Young Prods. will be exhibiting at booth R34.14. Executives in attendance include:
Mike Young, partner/producer
Liz Young, partner/producer
Bill Schultz, partner/producer
Regis Brown, vp, int’l distribution
