BRUNO AND THE BANANA BUNCH, Cuppa Coffee's follow up to its successful interstitial series, BRUNO, will launch April 2, 2007, at 9:45 am on CBC in Canada. Bruno first debuted as the star of an interstitial series, which airs worldwide in more than 80 countries. Now Bruno reprises his role as an age-appropriate playmate for preschoolers in a new 26x11 minute series that focuses on early math and numeric skills.
"CBC creative head of children's programming Kim Wilson has championed the show from the beginning," explains Cuppa Coffee president and BRUNO originator Adam Shaheen. "We'll be promoting the show on air, online and at CBC Kids tour stops." The strong support from the CBC has led to several key international sales.
Shaheen has enlisted the help of industry veteran Julie Fox of AWOL animation in Paris (www.awolanimation.com) to distribute the new show. "BRUNO's outstanding graphic look and sense of style makes him unique amongst monkeys, instantly recognizable to preschoolers and parents," she said. "Coupled with his own very personal charm, he and the Banana Bunch have already become icons in this currently very monkey business!"
The Cuppa writing team, headed by Brendan Russell, has already begun working on another season of BRUNO AND THE BANANA BUNCH. Meanwhile, the merchandising and licensing potential was picked up on by Los Angeles-based The Sharpe Co., with several promising deals already being tabled.
Shaheen is thrilled with the runaway success of the series and brand, promising to celebrate the CBC launch with, "an early breakfast of banana splits and banana smoothies."
For more on the TV series go to www.bruno.tv.
Toronto-based Cuppa Coffee (www.cuppacoffee.com) is a full-service animation studio providing stop-motion and 2D animation for the television and commercial markets.
