Kids
BBC Worldwide sells ‘3rd & Bird!’ to Canada’s Treehouse channel
| MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide has sold the UK animated pre-school series 3rd & Bird! to Canada‘s Treehouse channel. Targeted at children between 3 and 5 years, Treehouse will premiere the series on 7 September at 6.25 pm. It will subsequently air weekdays at 6.25 pm, Saturdays at 8.30 am and Sundays at 5 pm. 3rd & Bird! is 50 x 10 episodes with one double episode -a 20 minute Christmas special. The deal was brokered by BBC Worldwide Canada VP programme sales Linda Steele, BBC Worldwide Americas children‘s and children‘s business development Susanna Pollack and Corus Entertainment Treehouse and Discovery director of programming Brenda Nietupski. Created in photo-puppetry animation, each episode of the series that includes music and songs revolves around the lives of ‘Samuel‘ and ‘Muffin Lovebird‘ and their friend ‘Rudy‘, who live, learn and play on the branches of a beautiful old tree. Currently, Fisher-Price is the master toy licensee for 3rd & Bird!. Under the multi-year master toy license, Fischer-Price has global rights excluding Asia to develop pre-school, infant and toddler toys. |
Kids
Mukta Arts and Green Gold ink MOU to animate iconic film IPs
Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan to spawn animated shows plus features.
MUMBAI: When classic hindi movie meets animation, the result is a fresh reel of nostalgia with a cartoon twist. Mukta Arts Ltd. and Green Gold Animation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on animated shows and feature films drawn from Mukta Arts’ four-decade treasure trove of iconic IPs. The partnership taps Mukta’s SGM Animation Studio launched in 2025 as its dedicated animation and games arm and Green Gold’s proven track record in building scalable, homegrown franchises. Creative teams from both sides have already kicked off discussions, with the first project currently in development.
The slate will draw inspiration from landmark Mukta films including Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak, Saudagar and Iqbal, plus character-led spin-offs from those universes. The aim is to reimagine these stories for today’s young, global audiences while preserving their emotional core.
Green Gold Animation (home of Chhota Bheem) founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka said, “This partnership with SGM Studios allows us to apply our experience in building long-lasting animation IPs to a truly iconic film catalogue. Together, we aim to create animated worlds that are rooted in these legendary stories, yet designed to connect with today’s young, global audiences.”
Mukta Arts Ltd. filmmaker and founder Subhash Ghai added, “Mukta Arts has always believed in creating stories with lasting emotional value. Through animation, we are extending our IP into a new medium for the next generation.”
In an industry where timeless tales never go out of fashion, this collaboration promises to bring beloved characters back to life with a modern, animated glow proving that some stories are too good to stay in live-action. Stay tuned for the first animated frame to drop.
