Chorion launches The Octonauts

Kids producer and distributor Chorion is launching a preschool animated series The Octonauts and has pre-sold it to a raft of international broadcasters.

The 50x11mins series has been picked up by Cbeebies, the digital kids channel operated by the British public broadcaster, French commercial network TF1 and Australian public broadcaster ABC.

It is based on a range of books from design company Meomi and follows a team of animals who dive into action whenever there is trouble under the sea. The characters include Captain Barnacles Bear, Lieutenant Kwazii Kitten and Medic Peso Penguin.

The show was executive produced by Stephanie Simpson, a writer on the Emmy-winning PBS series Arthur. Irish animation studio Brown Bag Films, which has worked on Chorion series Olivia and Noddy in Toyland, is animating the show.