Feb 22, 2018

New Series Roundup: Netflix, Comedy Central, Disney

The following is a summary of some of the animated series projects currently in development or in production.

In an effort to replicate the success of "Bojack Horseman," Netflix is once again commissioning Michael Eisner's The Tornante Company to produce a new series, "Tuca & Bertie."

The comedy follows the friendship of two 30-year-old bird women who live in the same apartment: Tuca, a sassy and rambunctious toucan, and Bertie, a concerned and fanciful songbird.

Bojack production designer Lisa Hanawalt created the series. She is the voice of Bojack creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Noel Bright (Bojack Horseman, Friends), Steven A. Cohen (Bojack Horseman, Jack & Bobby), and Tuca He serves as executive producer along with Tiffany Haddish.

The show has a 10-episode order and will be produced at Shadowmachine, which also produces "Bojack."

Comedy Central has a script commitment to develop an animated series based on the popular Instagram meme account Betches. Production company Bunim/Murray and Access Entertainment's All Screen Productions are overseeing development.

Rachel Koller will write the script and serve as executive producer along with actress Emma Roberts, who will voice the character. Other executive producers include Betches co-founders Jordana Abraham, Aline Kuperman, and Samantha Fishbein; Gil Goldshine and Keshira Childers of Bunim/Murray; and John Chen of All Screen. Carli Haney will serve as producer.

The series is described by the Hollywood Reporter as "an irreverent show about three millennial women navigating their 20s in New York City, cursing what they see and daring to say what everyone already thinks."

UK-based children's producer Cake, Mexican animation producer Ánima, and Australian animation producer Studio Moshi have teamed up to produce a new children's series, Space Chickens in Space which will begin production on the new children's series, Space Chickens in Space. The commissioning broadcasters are Disney EMEA (Europe/Middle East/Africa) and Australia's Channel 9.

The "2d tradigital" co-production will also include the newly formed Dublin-based Gingerbread Animation.

Fifty-two 11-minute episodes have been ordered. Latin America is being handled by Anima, while Australia is being handled by Studio Moshi under contract with Channel 9 and Disney Australia.

Aimed at ages 6-11, "Space Chicks" tells the story of three chicken brothers, Finley, Chuck, and Starry, who are accidentally taken from their home and enrolled in an elite military academy in the galaxy.

The show creators are Jose C. Garcia de Letona and Rita Street. The series is directed by twin brothers Tommy and Markus Vad Flatten (aka Twin Trash), with Jordan Gosher as showrunner and story editing by Alan Keen (Gumball) and Shane Perez (Oddbots).

Disney's Marvel TV is developing a series based on the recent comic "Moon Girl and the Demon Dinosaur," about the adventures of 9-year-old super-genius girl Lunella Lafayette and her dinosaur.

The series will be produced by Marvel Animation and Cinema Gypsy Productions, headed by Laurence Fishburne and Helen Sagland. Visual and animation development is being handled by Titmouse. The series is being developed for Disney Channels Worldwide.