EXCLUSIVE: Veteran producer Christina Jennings has begun a mission to save the Canadian kids’ TV business.
Today at the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF), the Shaftesbury founder issued an “urgent call to action,” as she announced a significant package “designed to support Canadian kids’ content.”
She is putting her money where her mouth by committing C$200,000 ($141,000) to the Rocket Fund Canada and $1M to greenlight up to five projects for production as a combination of Shaftesbury cash and money it received from the Canadian Media Fund Distribution Fund Envelope, which allows producers to access production funds without a broadcaster attached.
Two shows have immediately been greenlit. These are 60-part preschool animation series Whatever You Do, Don’t Laugh, which is from Canada’s Sinking Ship Entertainment and the UK’s King Banana, and a second season of live-action series Hôtel Beyrouth, which comes from Ontario’s Kavalo Productions and Quebec’s Productions Ocho.
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Murdoch Mysteries maker Shaftesbury has roots in kids TV through shows such as the Emmy-winning Dark Oracle and Life with Derek. Company Chairman and President Jennings, who is among the highest-profile independent Canadian producers, today took to the stage at OIAF with Rocket Fund Canada President & CEO Agnes Augustin to launch a blistering attack on the children’s entertainment sector.
“There was a time when children’s television was the Canadian industry’s most successful export, but the industry has collapsed,” said Jennings. “Our announcement today to support both Rocket Fund Canada and helping to greenlight several kids’ projects, is an urgent call to action.”
She said the With “the collapse of the private broadcasters from the kid’s space,” had “significantly reduced the amount of kids content being made by Canadian creators,” adding: “It is up to the government to make kids’ content a priority.”
Canada isn’t the only country to have found commercial TV spend on kids’ TV to have dropped significantly over the years, with similar noises to Jennings have been voiced in likes of the UK and France in recent years.
Shaftesbury ’s investment intervention is being made as a symbolic “urgent call to action for both public and private sectors to rebuild a sustainable kids’ content business in Canada,” the company said.
Rocked Fund Canada boss Augustin alson shared her concerns, while praising Jennings’ position. “Shaftesbury is demonstrating the kind of leadership our sector needs through its support for children’s programming through its CMF Distributor Envelope and its generous contribution to Rocket Fund’s operations,” she said.
“As support for kids content continues to decline at a rapid pace, the future of Canadian children’s media will depend on new approaches, stronger partnerships and a shared recognition of how vital it is to ensure Canadian stories remain available to our children. Shaftesbury shows that it truly takes a village.”
“Canada’s history of consolidation of children’s broadcast channels and subsequent collapse of traditional subscription revenue have resulted in weakened domestic infrastructure,” continued Jennings. “In other jurisdictions, public broadcasters have had larger remits and budgets for children’s programming.
“If we want a vibrant domestic industry, it starts with our kids and making sure that their stories and their shows can be commissioned. Shaftesbury views today’s announcement as an urgent call to action for both public and private sectors to rebuild a sustainable kids’ content business in Canada.”
From the two new shows going into production, comedy series Whatever You Do, Don’t Laugh follows Mr. B’Tom, a very serious presenter who sets out to teach simple lessons about basic concepts like shapes, numbers and colours, only to find his rather dry lessons getting a much needed injection of humour when his well-meaning assistants try to help end up doing quite the opposite.
“Sinking Ship Entertainment and King Banana are thrilled that this project has been selected by Shaftesbury as one the recipients of this funding,” said Carla de Jong, Whatever You Do, Don’t Laugh executive producer. “Continuing to be able to attract brilliant shows and co-production opportunities for Canada from around the world is key to the success of our industry and this funding will be instrumental in achieving that.”
Hôtel Beyrouth is set in Ottawa in 1992 and follows a Lebanese immigrant family three years after arriving in Canada, with the story shifts toward belonging, identity and becoming Canadian. Season 2 will air first on TFO, and subsequently on Radio-Canada and NatyfTV.
