Discovery Kids to cultivate Lilybuds

Discovery Kids Latin America will coproduce an original preschool series with Zodiak Kids Studios and France Télévisions.

Lilybuds is a 52x11mins series about the adventures of a playful community of tiny magical gardeners, who unite to tend to an extraordinary garden and care for the animals that live near by.

French pubcaster France Télévisions commissioned the series in February, with a still-unnamed Gallic 3D studio attached to produce the CGI. Lagardère recently picked up pay TV rights for its Tiji channel.

“This exciting co-production will allow us to continue to offer our audience the quality programming they have come to expect from Discovery Kids, highlighting positive messages such as loving and caring for nature,” said Discovery Kids Lat Am/ US Hispanic executive VP and chief content officer Carolina Lightcap.

Zodiak Kids, which is part of Banijay Group, has distribution and licensing rights, with Discovery Consumer Products taking licensing and merchandising rights in Latin America.

“This coproduction partnership gives us a great opportunity to create a very special series for younger children, in addition to our already strong pre-school portfolio,” said Jean-Philippe Randisi, CEO of Zodiak Kids.

“We’re excited to partner with Discovery Kids Latin America, FTV and Lagardère as we focus our creative energies to engage a broader range of children with the wonderful world of Lilybuds.”