NATPE East Hot Pick: The Fuzz

Content Television & Digital has high hopes for The Fuzz, the latest addition to the young adult skewed puppet comedy genre.

Jonathan Ford, executive VP, digital acquisitions and distribution for the firm, says the show fits into the canon established by series such as MTV Europe’s 2008 series Fur TV and the more recent Mongrels on BBC Three in the UK.

The show is set on the streets of Puppet Town, a world in which humans and puppets live alongside each other. It follows a downbeat puppet cop and his hapless human partner, who work together to bring down an underworld jellybean dealer.

The show comes from digital prodco Vuguru and its writing team of Duncan Skilles, Chris Ford and Jon Watts are experienced comedy writers for both TV and online, which will help Content’s multi-platform distribution strategy.

“Vuguru packages its programmes to work on TV, as a feature and a web series; they’re made to work in different formats. We can offer all three and with lots of different windows to suit channels,” says Ford.

He predicts Eastern European channels will see it primarily as a TV product, as digital take-up is not yet a priority for them.

Content has received some early offers for the show but has held off on accepting ahead of NATPE, where it be will targeting young adult-skewed channels, pan-regionals and free-TV nets that have comedy programming blocks.

“It really will work for anyone who likes North American comedy,” says Ford.

Content’s VP, digital distribution, Mark Benmore will be on the ground in Budapest for NATPE.

The show: The Fuzz
The Producers: Vuguru, Greencard Pictures, 3 Arts Entertainment
The Distributor: Content Television & Digital
The Channel: Yahoo!
Concept: Live action comedy pairing a human with a puppet as a pair of cops battling to take down a jellybean distribution racket