Award-winning writer-led creator studio Turnip + Duck is ramping up its activity ahead of Cartoon Forum and MIPCOM, launching brand new animated series Maddie + Triggs (39 x 7’) and expanding its operations with the appointment of Rob Doherty as Head of Content and Laura Canavan-Hayes as Development Executive.
Turnip + Duck’s Managing Director Colm Tobin and Creative Director Aidan O’Donovan will pitch the company’s new 2D animated series to a global audience of buyers in Toulouse at Cartoon Forum on Wednesday, September 21 at 11 a.m. (Purple Room). They will also be actively looking for co-production and distribution partners for the show at MIPCOM.
Aimed at children aged five to seven, Maddie + Triggs began life as a 15-episode podcast series on RTÉjr Radio and follows the adventures of seven-year-old Maddie, who happens to have a vision impairment, and her doggy best friend, Triggs. Although Maddie cannot see the world around her so well, she is a really brilliant listener. Triggs is an adorable labradoodle retriever cross who loves music, mischief and doggy biscuits.
The TV series has been developed with support from the NCBI, Ireland’s blind charity, Irish pubcaster RTÉjr and Screen Ireland. Turnip + Duck aims to create a truly inclusive show whereby if two kids, one sighted and one vision impaired, sit down side by side to ‘watch’ it, neither will have a lesser experience.
The studio’s award-winning mixed-media series Critters TV has recently been picked up by Sky Kids in the U.K. and its preschool chemistry primer Atom Town is set to air on RTÉjr in late 2022. The company is looking to further expand its slate of in-house and third-party original IP, overseen by the expanded creative team, and working with both established and emerging writers and creative talent.
As Head of Content, Doherty will bring a wealth of experience in development and multi-territory co-productions including Angry Birds: Summer Madness (Netflix), Mama K’s Team 4 (Netflix) and Space Chickens in Space (Disney). He will be working on a consultancy basis with the creators to expand Turnip + Duck’s network of broadcast and co-production partners, bringing the company’s already impressive development slate to market on a bigger scale.
Doherty will also be tasked with seeking new co-production opportunities where Turnip + Duck can bring their experience in showrunning and production to bear on third-party projects, with access to Ireland’s tax breaks.
With a background in scripting, development and finance, Canavan-Hayes joins Turnip + Duck as Development Executive, responsible for driving and growing the company’s slate of originals and further developing the company’s existing network of writing room talent.
“As a writer-led studio, we believe that kids’ comedy is a serious business and we’re delighted to be joined by Rob and Laura for the next chapter of our story, expanding our network of international partners to bring even more great ideas to the world,” said Colm Tobin, Managing Director and co-founder (with fellow writer-producer Aidan O’Donovan) of Turnip + Duck.
