Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Screen Australia and ABC announce four new children's programs

28/08/2024

28 08 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and ABC announce four new children's programs

Andy Lee at Richmond Primary School with his nephews Freddy Miles (left) and George Miles (right), and students, at front from left, Grace Miller, Manuela Valente, Theodore Ang and back Nikolas Daglis (left) and Cece Dragovic (right). Photo credit: Daniel Mahon.

Screen Australia and ABC in association with VicScreen, Screen NSW and the Australian Children s Television Foundation (ACTF) have announced four new children's titles at the Australian Children's Content Summit in Coffs Harbour.

The programs, three animations and one live action hybrid, are all original titles and will be highlights of the ABC's Children's content slate in 2025 and beyond.

DO NOT WATCH THIS SHOW is an animated adaptation of the successful children s book series DO NOT OPEN THIS BOOK, created by comedian and author Andy Lee and illustrated by Victorian illustrator Heath McKenzie.

The series, aimed at kids, will have 12 eleven-minute episodes and is set to appear on ABC Family and ABC iview in 2025.

Animated series Andrew the Big BIG Unicorn follows Andrew, a wide-eyed, joyful young rhino bursting with creativity as he navigates life as a big BIG unicorn in the ever-surprising world of Hornsby Downs.

The series is a Pirate Size Productions, Mainframe Studios and Infinite Studios production for the ABC, CBC and SRC. It was created by Dan Nixon and co-created by Alyssa Smedley, and will see 40 seven-minute episodes screen on ABC Kids and ABC iview from 2025.

Another animation series is Flower & Flour which takes a little girl with a big heart, sprinkles in some imagination, and just adds Flour. The series follows the everyday adventures of imaginative seven-year-old Flower and her best friend Flour - a purring bag of flour that acts like a cat. Flower's parents run Penny and Dirk s Dumpling House , a much-loved family restaurant at the heart of a vibrant inner-city community embracing the sights, sounds and tastes of many cultures.

Created by Dan Mansour, this pre-school series from Cheeky Little Media will have 39 seven-minute episodes screening on ABC Kids and ABC iview in 2026.

Knee High Spies is a live action hybrid preschool series combining live-action and puppetry, and comes from internationally successful writer and creator Tim Bain. The series is backed by the powerhouse kid's production team at Werner Film Productions and the Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF).

The series follows teddy bear Jeremy Buttons and his ragtag team of toy spies as they race the clock to save their human family from the mischievous schemes of Machiavellian pet guinea pig, Silver Paw. Featuring fast-paced action, epic missions, interactive problem-solving and cuddly, loveable toys, the series will captivate preschool children and their families. The series will have 20 eleven-minute episodes screening on ABC Kids and ABC iview in 2026.

Screen Australia COO Grainne Brunsdon said, It's vital that Australian kids can see their stories and experiences reflected on screen. Families across the country are in for a treat with these four new projects, spanning animation and live-action. Australian creatives consistently deliver high-quality, culturally rich children's content that resonates globally. I can't wait to see these shows captivate a new generation on the ABC.

ABC Head of Screen Content Jennifer Collins, who announced the new shows at the Australian Children's Content Summit, said, I can't wait to see this slate of incredible children's programs come to life. The ABC has long been the home of the very best creative and original children's programming and these imaginative and distinctive shows are testament to that. I would like to thank our production and funding partners who share our ambition to entertain and inspire the next generation of Australian children.

VicScreen CEO Caroline Pitcher said, Andy Lee's new animation series DO NOT WATCH THIS SHOW leads a terrific lineup of new children's TV shows supported by the Victorian Government that showcase our creativity and screen industry talent. We are proud to continue to back quality children's entertainment and support the Victorian screen industry to bring these wonderful new stories to our screens.

Head of Screen NSW Kyas Hepworth said, Screen NSW are thrilled to support the team at Cheeky Little Media create another engaging and heartwarming animation series for the young, and young at heart, to enjoy. Flower & Flour joins the exciting slate of original IP from Cheeky Little Media and is another great example of how our Slate Development Program enables NSW companies to move multiple projects into production, ensuring there is a pipeline of standout Australian content.

Production credits:

Andrew the Big BIG Unicorn is a Pirate Size Productions, Mainframe Studios and Infinite Studios Australian-Canadian-Singapore co-production for the ABC, CBC and SRC. Major production investment from ABC in association with Screen Australia. Financed with support from the Canada Media Fund (CMF) and Mainframe Studios. International distribution, licensing and merchandising led by Kartoon Studios. Developed with assistance from VicScreen. Created by Dan Nixon, Co-Created by Alyssa Smedley. Directed by Katrina Hadley. Producers: Michael Hefferon, Bryony McLachlan and Freddie Yeo. Executive Producers: Michael Hefferon, Tanya Green, Avrill Stark, Michael Wiluan. Co-Producer: Nick Colla.

DO NOT WATCH THIS SHOW is a Lee Bones Production for ABC. Major production investment from Screen Australia in association with ABC and VicScreen. Directed by Leo Baker. Series Producer Patrick Crawley. Written by Andy Lee, Jason Marion, Katie Westcott, Melanie Bracewell and Ray Matsen. Art Directed by Heath
LINK: https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/sa/media-centre/news/2024/08-28-fou...
See more stories from screenaustralia

Most recent headlines

09/11/2025

Dalet Unveils Agentic AI Media Workflows at IBC2025

Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...

06/10/2025

France Tlvisions Wins Prestigious 2025 EBU Technology & Innovation Award in Groundbreaking Collaboration with Dalet

France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...

15/09/2025

Get to Know This Fall's Filmmakers Through These 27 Sundance Institute-Supported Titles

Steve Zahn, Winona Ryder, Ethan Hawke, and Janeane Garofalo star in Ben Stiller&...

15/09/2025

aespa and Spotify Invite Fans to Unlock Their Inner Rich Man' With an Immersive MY VAULT Experience

Global K-Pop sensation aespa is redefining what it means to be rich with the r...

15/09/2025

Spotify's Free Experience Is Even Better-Here's How to Make the Most of It

Every day, millions of people around the world turn to Spotify to enjoy the audi...

15/09/2025

Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic Brakes (BSCCB) successfully expands production capacity by 50% in Germany and Italy to meet rising demand

After months of intensive planning and implementation, Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic...

15/09/2025

L3Harris Receives Multi-Year Javelin Solid Rocket Motor Contract

A U.S. Marine launches a Javelin shoulder-fired anti-tank missile during a training exercise. (Photo credit: U.S. Marine Corps)...

15/09/2025

TV Tech Unveils Best of Show Winners at IBC 2025

AMSTERDAM TV Tech has named its Best of Show Awards winners for IBC2025, which wraps up today. Entrants were judged by a panel of industry experts on the criter...

15/09/2025

SES SCORE Surpasses 600,000 of Transmission Hours, Delivering 900 Hours of Major Sports Content Daily

Unique sports content orchestration platform builds momentum among SES's cus...

15/09/2025

The Great Flood' Teaser Trailer Previews A Gripping Struggle for Survival

Back to All News The Great Flood' Teaser Trailer Previews A Gripping Struggle for Survival Entertainment 15 September 2025 GlobalSouth Korea Link copi...

15/09/2025

From Hardship to Hope: Typhoon Family' Presents a Tale of Youth, Crisis, and Resilience on October 11

Back to All News From Hardship to Hope: Typhoon Family' Presents a Tale of...

15/09/2025

Gloom Goes Global as Wednesday's' The Doom Tour Hits Five Continents for Season 2

Back to All News Gloom Goes Global as Wednesday's' The Doom Tour Hit...

15/09/2025

New study reveals overwhelming support for a more sustainable future

-- Opens door to growth in renewable energy New Delhi, India - 15th September -- Global business and industry leaders from around the world are joining technol...

14/09/2025

AMWA and EBU Form JT-DMF Joint Task Force on Dynamic Medi...

Partnership to address business and technical challenges of DMF adoption he Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU...

14/09/2025

Mantis' Trailer Previews High-Stakes Rivalries to Be No. 1 Contract Killer - Premieres September 26

Back to All News Mantis' Trailer Previews High-Stakes Rivalries to Be No. ...

13/09/2025

Cox Media Group's Misti Turnbull Inducted into the NATAS Silver Circle

ATLANTA Cox Media Group has announced that the company's vice president of news, Misty Turnbull has been inducted into the National Academy of Television Ar...

13/09/2025

Shotoku Debuts Swoop Cranes for Studio Robotics at IBC2025

AMSTERDAM Shotoku Broadcast Systems, a major developer of robotic systems, has announced plans to take studio robotics to the next level at IBC2025 by debuting ...

13/09/2025

Riedel Unveils Ultra-Light Bolero Mini Wireless Intercom...

At IBC2025 in Amsterdam, Riedel Communications unveiled Bolero Mini, the company's lightest and flattest wireless intercom beltpack to date. Designed to del...

13/09/2025

Shotoku Takes Studio Robotics to New Heights with IBC Deb...

Shotoku Broadcast Systems, the international developer of dependable, userfriendly robotic systems, is taking studio robotics to the next level at IBC 2025 with...

13/09/2025

The Bitmovin Video Developer Report 2025-26 Reveals Cost...

Bitmovin, a leading provider of video streaming solutions, today released the 9th annual Video Developer Report 2025/26, offering an in-depth look at the evolvi...

13/09/2025

Bitmovin and StreamShark Partner to Deliver High Quality...

Bitmovin, the leading provider of video streaming solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with StreamShark, the trusted video platform for enterprise...

13/09/2025

Ikegami Announces VFE-P711AD 7-inch OLED Multiformat On-C...

Ikegami has chosen IBC 2025 in Amsterdam as the launch venue for a major addition to its range of viewfinders. The new VFE-P711AD is a 7-inch high resolution OL...

13/09/2025

KitBash3D and Greyscalegorilla Announce Merger

Founder-led Merger to Fast Track R&D, Asset Library Upgrades, Tools and More; No Disruption to Pricing or Support for Users Today, KitBash3D, a pioneer in 3D a...

13/09/2025

Mavis Puts Itself at the Heart of Mobile Production

With NDI certification, Atomos integration, Grass Valley collaboration, and a new Monitor app, at this year's IBC, Mavis is showcasing a series of powerful...

13/09/2025

Creamsource Expands Vortex Family with Vortex24 Soft

Creamsource, maker of artisan LED lighting for film and television, has unveiled the Vortex24 Soft (V24S), a 1950W native soft light and the largest soft source...

13/09/2025

DAZN streams 2025 FIFA Club World Cup to billions of fans...

When international sports streaming service DAZN secured the global rights to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup football tournament, it set out to deliver an unmatch...

13/09/2025

Riedel Communications Acquires hi human interface

Riedel Communications today announced the acquisition of hi human interface from Broadcast Solutions, bringing a powerful, vendor-agnostic control system to it...

13/09/2025

RTW chooses Calrec as technology partner for its AI ready...

Building on its long-term relationship with audio metering specialist RTW, Calrec has integrated the company's brand new TMxCore metering platform across it...

13/09/2025

Calrec unveils 48 fader Argo M at IBC2025 and demonstrate...

Calrec is expanding its family of future-ready self-contained Argo M control surfaces at IBC2025, with the addition of a brand new powerful 48-fader console. Co...

13/09/2025

Reaching Across the Isles: UK-LLM Brings AI to UK Languages With NVIDIA Nemotron

Celtic languages - including Cornish, Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh - are the U.K.'s oldest living languages. To empower their speakers, the UK-LLM sover...

13/09/2025

SKY Perfect Modernizes Playout-to-Delivery with Harmonic

Harmonic's Software-Based XOS Advanced Media Processor Provides Unparalleled Efficiency and Unlocks New Business Models SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 13, 2025 -...

13/09/2025

September 11, 2025

Researchers find brain region that fuels compulsive drinking Study by Scripps Research scientists shows how the brain learns to seek alcohol for relief, not jus...

12/09/2025

College Football Kickoff 2025: Fox Sports Ups Look as Canon, Sony Power Shallow Focus Coverage

College Football Kickoff 2025: Fox Sports Ups Look as Canon, Sony Power Shallow ...

12/09/2025

ABC/ESPN Excited For WNBA Postseason Coverage In Revamped Format

ABC/ESPN Excited For WNBA Postseason Coverage In Revamped FormatThe Finals moves to a best-of-seven series in 2025By Mark J Burns, SVG Contributor Friday, Sep...

12/09/2025

Rabbit Trap Pulsates With Folklore Dread

(L-R) Jade Croot, Rosy McEwen, and Bryn Chainey attend the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Rabbit Trap at Eccles Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park ...

12/09/2025

Spotify's The Drop Weekly' Brings You the Week in New Releases, Straight From Our Editors

For fans, we know how important it is to stay plugged into music culture and dis...

12/09/2025

Agama and Consult Red announce RDK Accelerator integration

Link ping, Sweden and Shipley, United Kingdom, September 12, 2025 - Agama, the expert in video observability and analytics for service quality and customer expe...

12/09/2025

IBC2025 Opens for Business

IBC2025 began on Sept. 12, with exhibits and conferences running through Sept. 15 at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Center. Explore the full TV Tech coverage of t...

12/09/2025

The Best Fictional Bands (and the Artists Who Make Them Great)

The Best Fictional Bands (and the Artists Who Make Them Great) With Spinal Tap II: The End Continues hitting theaters and songs from KPop Demon Hunters ruling...

12/09/2025

Tom Baldassare Joins Advanced Systems Group

Industry veteran Tom Baldassare has joined Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, as a Se...

12/09/2025

Maxon Unveils a Brand New Look for its Growing Family of...

Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, and more, today announced a...

12/09/2025

PlayBox Neo US Partners with AI-Media to Deliver Scalable...

PlayBox Neo, a leading provider of media playout solutions, has partnered with AI-Media, pioneering developers of AI-powered captioning technology, to integrate...

12/09/2025

Dalet Unveils Agentic AI Media Workflows at IBC2025

Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...

12/09/2025

Keepit and Ingram Micro launch strategic sales agreement...

New alliance strengthens the IT channel in Germany and Switzerland in protecting business-critical SaaS data. Keepit, the world s only independent, cloud-nativ...

12/09/2025

Mediaset selects Fincons Group AllRights to evolve rights...

Fincons Group, an international IT business consultancy and systems integrator company with more than 40 years of experience in the market, is proud to announce...

12/09/2025

EVS Acquires XD motion

Following its acquisition of Telemetrics, EVS continues its push into robotics with an announcement at IBC2025 that it is acquiring XD motion....

12/09/2025

Televisa Executive Joins NABA Board

TORONTO The North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) has announced the appointment of Eduardo Ruiz Sanchez, deputy director, broadcast operations at Telev...

12/09/2025

Ed Miller, Former SBE President, Has Died

Ed Miller, a longtime broadcast engineer in Ohio and a former national president of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, has died....