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]
| Kiddets | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Children's television series Comedy |
| Created by | Martin Baynton Richard Taylor |
| Written by | Terri Baynton Peter Salmon Roxane Gaiadhar Sacha Cotter Sarah Harpur Lauren Jackson |
| Directed by | Matthew Darragh Dries Naude |
| Voices of | Ian Harcourt Richard Saade Debbie Fish Liz Mullane Jacob Rajan Simon Leary Emma Draper |
| Narrated by | Martin Baynton |
| Theme music composer | David Long |
| Composer | David Long |
| Country of origin | New Zealand |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 52 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Martin Baynton Richard Taylor Clive Spink Jianfeng Wen Bing Wang Lisa Chatfield |
| Producers | Angela Littlejohn Jan Haynes Jane Robertson |
| Production locations | New Zealand China |
| Editor | Owen Ferrier-Kerr |
| Running time | 11 minutes (television series) |
| Production companies | Pukeko Pictures Hengxin Shambala Kids Cultural Industry Development Co., Ltd. |
| Original release | |
| Network | TVNZ Australian Broadcasting Corporation |
| Release | 3 September 2018 – present |
| Related | |
| The WotWots | |
Plot edit
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 edit
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 edit
| 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 edit
- ^ "The WotWots to get sister series". Retrieved 18 October 2018.
- ^ "Pukeko's 'Kiddets' Take Off in Australia & New Zealand". www.animationmagazine.net. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
- ^ "Cake partners with Pukkeko Pictures to launch Kiddets – Toy & Hobby Retailer". Retrieved 18 October 2018.
- ^ "Pukeko Signs Co-Production Deal for 'Kiddets'". Animation World Network. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
- ^ "Weta Workshop | Weta Workshop – The WotWots". www.wetanz.com. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
- ^ "Kiddets extends WotWots brand on ABC KIDS" TV Tonight, 7 February 2018.
- ^ "Pukeko & Hengxin Shambala's 'Kiddets' Touch Down in China Animation Magazine, 5 December 2018