Kids
CBBC commissions two science shows
MUMBAI: CBBC continues its commitment to educating and entertaining young minds with two new science series.
Space Hoppers is a new seven half an hour interplanetary adventure featuring physicist Professor Brian Cox and, following the success of the first season of Richard Hammond‘s Blast Lab, there will be a further 26 episode season of the science-based gameshow.
CBBC controller Anne Gilchrist, who commissioned both series says, “It‘s great for CBBC to have two such powerful science series. It is perfect inspirational material for an audience which is constantly curious about the world around them and how it works.”These programmes are part of CBBC‘s commitment to producing 550 hours of factual programming in 2009/10.
Space Hoppers will launch in 2010, the BBC‘s Year of Science, and is being made in conjunction with BBC Science‘s series Seven Wonders Of The Solar System, which will also be presented by Professor Cox.
In Space Hoppers, intrepid travelers Dan and Steve team up with Brian to investigate worlds beyond our planet and try to find out exactly what you would need to do to take a holiday in outer space
and do a bit of space hopping.
They will delve into the wonders of the Solar System, blending global adventures with explosive experiments, and quirky animation with state-of-the-art CGI.
In each episode, Dan, Steve and Brian will explore a holiday-related theme, from holidays in (or on) the Sun to volcano-spotting. Their search will take in extreme environments, wild weather and the best places in the Solar System to “enjoy” a bit of snow and ice.
Space Hoppers is a collaboration between the London Factual department and CBBC. It will be executive produced for CBBC by Peter Davies and for Factual by Andrew Cohen. The Series Producer is John Piper.
The first series of Richard Hammond‘s Blast Lab, broadcast earlier this year, was a success for CBBC, peaking with a 23.3 per cent share with 6 to 12-year-old viewers.
The series is set in a fictitious underground laboratory in the grounds of his supposed stately home. Richard invites two groups of three friends into his lab to take part in his crazy experiments and compete against each other to win prizes.
Each show focuses on a different scientific theme and experiments are designed to have true ‘take away‘ value, so children can seek to replicate these at home if they wish.
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.
