BBC, Canal+, Nick, Turner back UK Cartoon Forum projects

The major broadcasters behind the raft of UK originated cartoons at this year’s Cartoon Forum include BBC, Canal+, Nickelodeon, RTE and Turner. The UK will put in an extremely strong showing at this year’s event, which takes place in Sopot, Poland, in September and TBIvision can reveal the broadcasters backing the 14 UK-originated projects that will be on show.

To qualify for Cartoon Forum projects must have a letter of interest, generally from a broadcaster. This is not a binding agreement but indicates where the show might be first aired and gives a clue as to commissioning and funding broadcaster. Cartoon Forum traditionally unearths animated series that go on to become established hits.

CBeebies is backing Boj & Buddies, Pesky Production’s 2D animated series. Meanwhile, UK public broadcaster the BBC’s other digital kids channel, CBBC, is behind Flickerpix Animations Ltd and Double Z Enterprises’ 2D series Zig & Zag.

French broadcaster Canal+ is backing Silver Fox Animation, Evergreen Entertainment and Cine Cartoon-produced CGI series Crazy Cavemen.

Nickelodeon is behind four series: Hoho Entertainment, Telegael Media Group and Computer Graphics’ Jeff the Chef; Random House Children’s Screen Entertainment’s Princess Poppy; Factory Transmedia’s Ribbit Rabbit Robot; and Hit Entertainment’s Super School.

Turner’s Boomerang is backing Cube Interactive and Little Lamb Media’s Mr. Pipp and the Little Adventurers. Free-to-air Welsh broadcaster S4C is behind Calon’s Lettice.

Irish free-to-air broadcaster RTE has backed UK-Ireland-Poland copro The Overcoat, from A Man & Ink, Once Were Farmers and GS Animation. Dutch public broadcaster KRO is behind UK-Netherlands-Portugal copro Princess Arabella and the Little Royals from Spunky Productions, Spaghetti Film, Sparkle Animation and Zeppelin Filmes.

The UK has double the number of entries at this year’s Cartoon Forum as in 2010 and is second only to France in terms of overall number of projects on show.