Blue Zoo Animation Studio
 Logo used since 2012 | |
| Industry | Animation Television production Advertising |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2000[1] |
| Founders | Oli Hyatt Adam Shaw Tom Box |
| Headquarters | |
| Website | www |
Blue Zoo Animation Studio is a British animation studio known for producing children's television series, commercials and short films. Founded in 2000 by Oli Hyatt, Adam Shaw, and Tom Box from Bournemouth University,[1] the studio has gone on to win numerous BAFTAs and in 2021 won two Daytime Emmy awards. They have also previously won the Best Places to Work in TV survey by Broadcast and Best Companies Group.
Some of the more well-known children's shows the studio has produced are Alphablocks, Numberblocks, Digby Dragon, Miffy's Adventures Big and Small, The Adventures of Paddington, Tree Fu Tom, and It's Pony.
The company operates from a studio in Fitzrovia, London, where they have a team of over 200 artists. It later expanded to a second studio, adjacent to its main studio, that's 'dedicated to episodic 2D animation.'[2] In August 2021, it was announced that they would be opening a new hub in Brighton, initially partnering with Plug-In Media on a new 2D pre-school action comedy series.[3]
In 2021, the company became the first major animation studio in the world to achieve B Corp certification.[4]
History
[edit]In August 2021, Blue Zoo Animation Studios announced a partnership with Brighton-based producer Plug-In Media to establish a joint-venture regional animation production and interactive studio based in Brighton, South England that will handle animation production and interactive services for both production companies as Plug-In Media founders Dom Minns and Juliet Tzabar heading the new studio; the name for the Brighton-based animation studio was revealed to be Brighton Zoo one year later on October 2022 with their first animation production called Supertato.[5][6]
List of long form productions
[edit]Television
[edit]| Title | Years | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Story Makers | 2002–2004 | CBeebies | Animation servies for Blue Cow segments only produced by BBC In-House Children's Production |
| Tikkabilla | 2002–2007 | Animation services for animated segments and Sami's World only produced by BBC In-House Children's Production | |
| Those Scurvy Rascals | 2005–2006 | Nickelodeon UK | co-production with Entara |
| Doodle Do | 2006 | CBeebies | Animation for Sandworm segments only produced by BBC In-House Children's Production |
| Kerwhizz[7] | 2008–2011 | co-production with BBC In-House Children's Production and Studio 100 | |
| Stitich Up Showdown | 2009 | Nickelodeon UK | |
| Alphablocks | 2010–present | CBeebies | co-production with Alphablocks LTD |
| Olive the Ostrich[8] | 2011–2014 | Nick Jr. UK | |
| Tree Fu Tom[9] | 2012–2016 | CBeebies | Animation services only produced by BBC In-House Children's Production and FremantleMedia Kids & Family Owned by Boat Rocker Media since 2018. |
| Q Pootle 5 | 2013–2014 | co-production with Snapper Productions and ZDF Enterprises | |
| Miffy's Adventures Big and Small[10] | 2015–2017 | Tiny Pop[11] KRO-NCRV (Netherlands) | co-production with Mercis BV and Telescreen |
| Go Jetters[12] | 2015–2020 | CBeebies | Animation services from season 2 to season 3 co-production with BBC Studios and BBC Children's Productions |
| Digby Dragon[13] | 2016–2018 | Nick Jr. UK & Channel 5 | co-production with Aardman Animations |
| Mac & Izzy[14] | 2016 | YouTube | co-production with WGBH Boston and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Owned by HarperCollins since 2021. |
| Numberblocks[15][16] | 2017–present | CBeebies | co-production with Alphablocks LTD |
| The Adventures of Paddington | 2019–2025 | Nick Jr. UK Gulli, M6 & Piwi+ (France) Nickelodeon (international) | co-production with StudioCanal, Heyday Films and Superprod Animation |
| It's Pony[17][18] | 2020–2022 | Nickelodeon UK Nickelodeon/Nicktoons (United States) | co-production with Nickelodeon Animation Studio |
| Pip and Posy[19][20] | 2021–present | Sky Kids, 5 & Nick Jr. UK | co-production with Magic Light Pictures |
| Millie & Lou | 2022 | YouTube | |
| Big Tree City[21] | 2022–present | Netflix | |
| Supertato | 2022–present | CBeebies Tencent Video (China) | under Brighton Zoo co-production with BBC Studios Kids & Family |
| Lego City: No Limits[22][23] | 2023–present | ITVX YouTube | co-production with The Lego Group |
| Mojo Swoptops[24] | 2024–present | CBeebies | co-production with Tararaboom |
| Wonderblocks | 2025–present | CBeebies | co-production with Alphablocks LTD |
Television shorts
[edit]| Title | Release date | Broadcaster | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superworm | December 25, 2021 | BBC One | co-production with Magic Light Pictures |
| The Smeds and the Smoos | 2022 |
List of awards and accolades
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Children's BAFTA | Animation | Those Scurvy Rascals | Nominated | |
| 2008 | Children's BAFTA | Short Form | Stitch Up Showdown | Nominated | |
| 2009 | Children's BAFTA | Short Form | My Favourite Bedtime Story | Nominated | |
| 2009 | Children's BAFTA | Breakthrough Talent | Adam Shaw | Won | |
| 2010 | Children's BAFTA | Learning - Primary | Alphablocks | Nominated | |
| 2010 | Children's BAFTA | Short Form | My Favourite Bedtime Story | Won | |
| 2012 | Children's BAFTA | Pre-School Animation | Tree Fu Tom | Nominated | |
| 2012 | Children's BAFTA | Independent Production Company | Blue Zoo Animation Studio | Won | |
| 2014 | Children's BAFTA | Short Form | Gumball Song | Nominated | |
| 2014 | Children's BAFTA | Independent Production Company | Blue Zoo Animation Studio | Nominated | |
| 2016 | Children's BAFTA | Independent Production Company | Blue Zoo Animation Studio | Nominated | |
| 2017 | Children's BAFTA | Learning | Numberblocks | Nominated | |
| 2017 | Children's BAFTA | Independent Production Company | Blue Zoo Animation Studio | Won | |
| 2018 | BAFTA Films | Short Film | Mamoon | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Children's BAFTA | Pre-School Animation | Digby Dragon | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Children's BAFTA | Pre-School Animation | Numberblocks | Won | |
| 2020 | Annies | Best TV/Media - Preschool | The Adventures of Paddington | Won | |
| 2020 | Annies | Best Voice Acting - TV/Media | It's Pony | Nominated | |
| 2020 | Annies | Best Production Design - TV/Media | The Adventures of Paddington | Nominated | |
| 2016 | PromaxBDA UK | Best Direct Response Promo | Bitesize | Won | |
| 2015 | PromaxBDA UK | Best Channel Identity | Nick Jr Rebrand | Won | |
| 2015 | PromaxBDA UK | Best Sponsorship Package | LEGO Star Wars Rebels | Won | |
| 2021 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Pre-School Children's Animated Series | The Adventures of Paddington | Won | |
| 2021 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Writing for a Pre-School Animated Program | The Adventures of Paddington | Won | |
| 2021 | Emmy Award | Outstanding Directing for a Pre-School Animated Program | The Adventures of Paddington | Nominated | |
| 2024 | British Animation Awards | Children's Choice | Lego City: No Limits[25] | Nominated |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Growth capital: Blue Zoo are a trio who got animated about a venture into cartoons". Evening Standard. 13 May 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
- ^ Wolfe, Jennifer (2018-12-19). "'Blue Zoo Opens New 2D Animation Studio in London". Animation World Network. Retrieved 2018-12-25.
- ^ "Blue Zoo and Plug-In Media partner on new studio". Retrieved 2021-09-30.
- ^ televisual.com (2021-09-29). "Blue Zoo gets B Corp status". Televisual. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
- ^ Miligan, Mercedes (August 16, 2021). "Blue Zoo & Plug-In Media Join Forces as Regional Creative Powerhouse". Animation Magazine.
- ^ Miligan, Mercedes (October 24, 2022). "Blue Zoo & Plug-In Media Launch Regional Studio Brighton Zoo". Animation Magazine.
- ^ Castlemann, Lana (April 14, 2009). "Studio 100 snags another CBeebies deal". Kidscreen.
- ^ Goldman Getzler, Wendy (February 10, 2011). "UK students tapped to illustrate new TV series". Kidscreen.
- ^ "CBeebies Commissions 'Tree Fu Tom' Series". Animation Magazine. April 4, 2011.
- ^ "Miffy gets CGI reboot". C21Media. April 4, 2014.
- ^ Franks, Nico (August 20, 2015). "UK network adds Miffy toon". C21Media.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (June 9, 2015). "CBeebies Commissions 'Go Jetters'". Animation Magazine.
- ^ Goldman Getzler, Wendy (October 8, 2013). "UK creatives give life to Digby Dragon". Kidscreen.
- ^ Whyte, Alexandra (November 18, 2016). "YouTube Kids bows HMH original". Kidscreen.
- ^ "CBeebies Grown-Ups 🎉 (@CBeebiesHQ) on X". X (formerly Twitter). Archived from the original on 2024-12-02. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
- ^ White, Alexandra (January 20, 2017). "CBeebies bows new Numberblocks series". Kidscreen.
- ^ "Nickelodeon Greenlights Original Animated Comedy Series Pony" (Press release). Nickelodeon. March 6, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2020 – via The Futon Critic.
- ^ Mercedes Milligan (March 6, 2018). "Nick Upfront 2018: Original Pony, Loud House Spin-Off, Blue's Clues Remake Coming Soon". Animation Magazine. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
- ^ "ViacomCBS and Sky take up Magic Light Pictures' pre-school animated series, 'Pip and Posy". Animation Xpress. 19 March 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Alexandra Whyte,Whyte, Alexander (25 February 2019). "Magic Light goes long with Pip & Posy". Kidscreen. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
- ^ Foster, Elizabeth (October 1, 2021). "Netflix orders four new preschool series". Kidscreen.
- ^ "New Lego City – No Limits animated series officially revealed". Brick Fanatics. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
- ^ "LEGO City Animation | Longform & IP | Blue Zoo".
- ^ "Home grown talent, animations and culturally relevant co-productions lead the way as BBC Children's announce new commissions". BBC. October 16, 2023.
- ^ "Children's Choice".