TORONTO – TVO, marblemedia, City Saskatchewan, Knowledge Network and The Jim Henson Company are teaming up on a new preschool live-action series called Opie’s Home, a spin-off of the award-winning series Hi Opie!.
Opie's Home (39 x 7min) follows 4-year-old Opie as he plays, explores and discovers new things in and around his home. Viewers will meet Opie’s parents, grandmother, and neighbourhood friends, including next door neighbour Mr. Kabashio, played by Oscar-nominated Canadian actor Graham Greene (Dances with Wolves, Die Hard with a Vengeance).
Currently in production in Hamilton, ON, Opie's Home will premiere in 2017. The series will be complemented by an interactive web experience and mobile app, in development with marblemedia’s interactive team, which will be available in Canada on tvokids.com.
"Opie's Home will help kids learn the skills required to make a smooth transition from home to kindergarten," said Marney Malabar, TVO’s director of kids TV, in the news release. “Episodes will feature Opie’s day-to-day interactions at home, reading and playing with his family and neighbours, as well as his family routine before and after school, helping kids to be successful both inside and outside the classroom.”
Distribution360, a marblemedia company, will share the broadcast and digital distribution with The Jim Henson Company, who will also oversee format rights, as well as all merchandising and licensing rights worldwide.
In photo: Opie with his parents (actors Aisha Alfa and Jim Annan) in Opie’s Home
