Jun 3, 2019

TV Roundup Mao Mao Junjo Hero, Tig and Seek, Deathstroke, Briko

A handful of animated series have been announced for development, production, and distribution.

Cartoon Network Studios and L.A.-based Titmouse will produce Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart, an action comedy created by Parker Simmons. Simmons was previously a storyboard artist and writer on Cartoon Network's OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes, animator on Motorcity and Superjail! and director on DC Super Friends.

Mao Mao follows Samurai Cat Sheriff Mao Mao as he defends peace and justice in the valley alongside his sidekicks Badgerclops and Adorabat. The first eight episodes of Maomao: Heroes of the Pure Heart will premiere digitally on June 28 on CN App and On Demand. The series will make its television premiere on July 1 at 6:10 p.m. ET/PT, and new episodes will be available throughout the summer.

Another series, Myke Chilian's Tig N' Seek (pictured above), revolves around eight-year-old detective Tiggy and his feline sidekick Gwee Seek. The duo's daily routine involves solving cases for the Lost and Found, an organization that helps citizens find their lost items. Early last year, Cartoon Network released the pilot (video above), which was written and directed by Chillian. Cillian has worked on a number of animation projects as a writer and board artist on Cartoon Network's Uncle Grumpa; Tig N' Seek is scheduled for release next year.

At a recent Upfront presentation in New York, The CW announced the development of an animated series based on the DC Comics character Deathstroke, which will premiere on the digital platform CW Seed. Deathstroke Knights & Dragons will follow the exploits of Slade Wilson, the assassin known as Deathstroke. This anti-hero must confront villains such as the Jackal and the criminal organization known as H.I.V.E. in order to protect his family.

The latest installment of this fan-favorite character appears in To the Movies, following last year's animated Teen Titans Go! Deathstroke has gained popularity on The CW's live-action series Arrow, in which Manu Bennett plays the role of the character. No other details about the show's production or key talent have been revealed, but it is being developed by Blue Ribbon Content, the digital arm of Warner Bros. Television Group.

Indian production company Toonz Media Group has joined forces with Turkish children's entertainment company Fauna Entertainment to produce a hybrid CG-animated and live-action series titled Briko. The upcoming show, targeted at toddlers ages 4 to 7, will follow the adventures of a curious and creative boy named Briko and his sidekick, an energetic rabbit named Hepi. Each episode will feature the two finding a mysterious box. Using the items they find there, Briko and Hepi use their imaginations to invent games, gadgets, and tools, and transform unused items into amazing toys. Alongside the animated sequences, "Briko" includes live-action tutorials that teach viewers how to physically create the projects seen in the series.

The series will consist of 52 two-and-a-half-minute animated segments and 52 10-minute live-action segments Toonz Media Group will produce the animation, while Fauna will handle script development and live-action content. Production of the series has already begun.

Toonz will have worldwide distribution rights for all platforms and territories except Turkey, which will be handled by Fauna; the first trailer for Briko will be released this month and the first episode will premiere at MIP Junior and MIPCOM later this year. Full delivery of the project is scheduled for late 2020.