TVO is a commercial free, educational public broadcaster focused on lifelong learning for all ages. TVOkids programming is aimed at children ages two- to eight-years-old, and broadcasts 13 hours a day on linear in Ontario, and 24/7 on digital channels across Canada.
TVOkids is looking for pitches that reflect the diverse faces of its young Canadian audience and should appeal to all genders, says Marney Malabar, TVOkids’ director of kids TV. She welcomes targeted pitches aimed at kids two to four, four to six and/or six to eight, for all genres and styles, including animation, live action, scripted and informational for co-productions, acquisitions and pre-buys. The broadcaster is flexible on durations, but prefers formats that are 11 minutes or less.
The channel’s catalogue includes Canadian-made animated series such as Spin Master’s PAW Patrol, 9 Story’s Let’s Go Luna!, and Big Bad Boo’s 16 Hudson. Shows with animals and vehicles will fit into the channel’s programming alongside London-based Acamar Film’s animated series Bing; Cyber Group Studios’ Zou and Breakthrough Entertainment’s Zerby Derby.
The broadcaster also pads out its content with live-action edutainment series featuring kids, like mixed-media series Can You Imagine That? which looks at kids thinking about what they want to be when they grow up, and live-action series I Love revolving around what kids love about their lives, families and communities.
The broadcaster is particularly interested in pitches for live-action preschooler-skewing content, as well as shows that use comedy to drive storytelling and learning which is linked to Ontario’s primary grade curriculum, says Malabar. Numeracy, science, and problem-solving and critical thinking is of particular interest, as is content that includes movement, healthy lifestyles, music, art, development of values, including empathy, coping skills and self-expression.
The kidcaster’s slate is a 50/50 split between pickups of completed projects and commissions for new shows, such as marblemedia’s sports competition series All-Round Champion, or Toronto-based prodco Bristow Global Media’s Backyard Beats. At this time, TVOkids co-produces more shows than it acquires to the size of the funds it received from Canada Media Fund, and it has more than 20 series in production, and five in development, says Malabar.
TVOkids has been making a push for live-action content in the last year and inked an agreement with ABC Commercial to bring Australian kids shows Create, What’s For Dinner? and Pet Superstars to the channel. It also picked up live-action series Big Top Academy from Apartment 11 Productions, and Air Bud Entertainment’s Pup Academy.
TVOkids licenses all content for all of its branded channels, including broadcast, YouTube (126,000 subscribers) and website tvokids.com.
Team
Marney Malabar Director of Kids TV
Demographic
Kids two to eight
Format
2D Animation
3D Animation
CG Animation
Live Action
Mixed Media
Scripted
Unscripted
How to Pitch
Producers interested in pitching to TVO should email Malabar at mmalabar@tvo.org with a pitch document that includes the proposed educational outcomes and details on how the producer plans to get the show financed. As for digital and consumer product rights, TVO’s approach varies by project and is handled on a case-by-case basis.
Contact
Producers interested in pitching to TVO should email Malabar at mmalabar@tvo.org
