The internationally successful television series, The WotWots from Pukeko Pictures will soon begin broadcasting on CCTV 11’s programming block, Happy Playhouse. The pre-school series is currently broadcast in over 100 countries and has been very well received by both children and parents in China for its high quality animation and strong educational value.
The broadcast will go to air in early 2013 and will consist of 78 episodes, 26 of which have been co-produced with Pukeko Pictures’ Chinese partner, Grand Entertainment Ltd (GZ). Renowned Chinese painter, Mr. Mi Jinming contributed to the specially co-produced episodes by adding classic Chinese Ink Painting elements to give the series a local and cultural touch-point.
Mr. Li Chumbo, Deputy Director of the Program Department of CCTV11, and Director/Council Member of the Chinese Dramatist Association and Chinese Calligraphy Association sees the program as a unique cultural and artistic integration of New Zealand state of the art animation and Chinese drama and calligraphy.
“The WotWots was introduced in China on the CCTV broadcast platform in 2011. Since then, the popularity for DottyWot and SpottyWot has continued to grow and we are thrilled they will now be seen on the very popular Happy Playhouse programming line-up on CCTV 11. The integration of Mr. Mi Jinming’s Chinese Ink Painting elements will give the series a local relevance while still maintaining its universal themes” said Andrew Smith, Chief Executive, Pukeko Pictures.
The viewing audience of CCTV 11 enjoys close to 1/10th of the population in China and continues to grow significantly since the channel launched 10 years ago. Happy Playhouse has become a popular programme block for children, drawing in preschool, primary and middle school students as well as their parents nationwide based on its fun and educational focus.
This broadcast deal follows on from the recent partnership between Pukeko Pictures and Grand Entertainment Ltd (GZ) with the Animation School of the Beijing Film Academy to establish the “International Animation Technology Joint Research Centre” to actively promote the development of animated projects and open up the expanding international, Chinese and film and television markets.
Formed to promote film and television cultural exchange between China and New Zealand, and develop animation technology in the synergy of enterprise, academia and institutional research, the deal between the three parties will also provide a platform for collaboration in the film and television fields between Chinese entities and international enterprises.
Pukeko Pictures
Pukeko Pictures is an independent entertainment production company, focused on the development and production of excellent quality, multi-platform entertainment for a global audience. Pukeko Pictures was founded in 2008 by Sir Richard Taylor, Tania Rodger and Martin Baynton, and is located in Wellington, New Zealand. With a connection to the world-famous Weta Workshop (Avatar, King Kong, Lord of the Rings), Pukeko Pictures is uniquely positioned in the creation of world-leading entertainment, harnessing the best in global talent and world-class production processes.