Blue Zoo Animation Studio

"Blue-Zoo" redirects here. For the New Wave band, see Blue Zoo. For the American restaurant, see BlueZoo. For the Australian children's television show, see Blue Zoo (TV show).

Blue Zoo Animation Studio

Logo used since 2012
Industry	Animation Television production Advertising
Founded	2000 [1]
Founders	Oli Hyatt Adam Shaw Tom Box
Headquarters	London, England
Subsidiaries	Brighton Zoo Kazoo Animation
Website	www.blue-zoo.co.uk

Blue Zoo Animation Studio is a British animation studio known for producing children's television series, commercials and short films. Founded in 2000 by Oli Hyatt, Adam Shaw, and Tom Box from Bournemouth University, ^[1] the studio has gone on to win numerous BAFTAs and in 2021 won two Daytime Emmy awards. They have also previously won the Best Places to Work in TV survey by Broadcast and Best Companies Group.

Some of the more well-known children's shows the studio has produced are Alphablocks , Numberblocks , Digby Dragon, Miffy's Adventures Big and Small, The Adventures of Paddington, Tree Fu Tom, and It's Pony.

The company operates from a studio in Fitzrovia, London, where they have a team of over 200 artists. It later expanded to a second studio, adjacent to its main studio, that's 'dedicated to episodic 2D animation.' ^[2] In August 2021, it was announced that they would be opening a new hub in Brighton, initially partnering with Plug-In Media on a new 2D pre-school action comedy series. ^[3]

In 2021, the company became the first major animation studio in the world to achieve B Corp certification. ^[4]

History

In July 2019, Blue Zoo Animation Studio strengthen its position as a world-class production company with the expansion into the rights management & distribution activities by launching its rights division dedicated to its own and third-party IP named Blue Zoo Rights with Alison Warner heading the new rights division. ^[5]

In August 2021, Blue Zoo Animation Studios announced a partnership with Brighton-based producer Plug-In Media to establish a joint-venture regional animation production and interactive studio based in Brighton, South England that will handle animation production and interactive services for both production companies as Plug-In Media founders Dom Minns and Juliet Tzabar heading the new studio; the name for the Brighton-based animation studio was revealed to be Brighton Zoo one year later on October 2022 with their first animation production called Supertato. ^{[6] [7]}

In 2022, Blue Zoo Animation Studio expanded into the French production business by partnering with Paris-based French animation production studio Samka Productions to launch a French animation studio & post-production company called Kazoo Animation. ^[8]

List of long form productions

Television

Title	Years	Network	Notes
The Story Makers	2002–2004	CBeebies	Animation servies for Blue Cow segments only produced by BBC In-House Children's Production
Tikkabilla	2002–2007		Animation services for animated segments and Sami's World only produced by BBC In-House Children's Production
Those Scurvy Rascals	2005–2006	Nickelodeon UK	co-production with Entara
Doodle Do	2006	CBeebies	Animation for Sandworm segments only produced by BBC In-House Children's Production
Kerwhizz [9]	2008–2011		co-production with BBC In-House Children's Production and Studio 100
Stitich Up Showdown	2009	Nickelodeon UK
Alphablocks	2010–present	CBeebies	co-production with Alphablocks LTD
Olive the Ostrich [10]	2011–2014	Nick Jr. UK
Tree Fu Tom [11]	2012–2016	CBeebies	Animation services only produced by BBC In-House Children's Production and FremantleMedia Kids & Family Owned by Boat Rocker Media since 2018.
Q Pootle 5	2013–2014		co-production with Snapper Productions and ZDF Enterprises
Miffy's Adventures Big and Small [12]	2015–2017	Tiny Pop [13] KRO-NCRV (Netherlands)	co-production with Mercis BV and Telescreen
Go Jetters [14]	2015–2020	CBeebies	Animation services from season 2 to season 3 co-production with BBC Studios and BBC Children's Productions
Digby Dragon [15]	2016–2018	Nick Jr. UK & Channel 5	co-production with Aardman Animations
Mac & Izzy [16]	2016	YouTube	co-production with WGBH Boston and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Owned by HarperCollins since 2021.
Numberblocks [17] [18]	2017–present	CBeebies	co-production with Alphablocks LTD
The Adventures of Paddington	2019–2025	Nick Jr. UK Gulli, M6 & Piwi+ (France) Nickelodeon (international)	co-production with StudioCanal, Heyday Films and Superprod Animation
It's Pony [19] [20]	2020–2022	Nickelodeon UK Nickelodeon/Nicktoons (United States)	co-production with Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Pip and Posy [21] [22]	2021–present	Sky Kids, 5 & Nick Jr. UK	co-production with Magic Light Pictures
Millie & Lou	2022	YouTube
Big Tree City [23]	2022	Netflix
Supertato	2022–present	CBeebies Tencent Video (China)	under Brighton Zoo co-production with BBC Studios Kids & Family
Lego City: No Limits [24] [25]	2023–present	ITVX YouTube	co-production with The Lego Group
Mojo Swoptops [26]	2024–present	CBeebies	co-production with Tararaboom
Wonderblocks	2025–present	CBeebies	co-production with Alphablocks LTD

Television shorts

Title	Release date	Broadcaster	Notes
Superworm	December 25, 2021	BBC One	co-production with Magic Light Pictures
The Smeds and the Smoos	2022

List of awards and accolades

Year	Award	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
2006	Children's BAFTA	Animation	Those Scurvy Rascals	Nominated
2008	Children's BAFTA	Short Form	Stitch Up Showdown	Nominated
2009	Children's BAFTA	Short Form	My Favourite Bedtime Story	Nominated
2009	Children's BAFTA	Breakthrough Talent	Adam Shaw	Won
2010	Children's BAFTA	Learning - Primary	Alphablocks	Nominated
2010	Children's BAFTA	Short Form	My Favourite Bedtime Story	Won
2012	Children's BAFTA	Pre-School Animation	Tree Fu Tom	Nominated
2012	Children's BAFTA	Independent Production Company	Blue Zoo Animation Studio	Won
2014	Children's BAFTA	Short Form	Gumball Song	Nominated
2014	Children's BAFTA	Independent Production Company	Blue Zoo Animation Studio	Nominated
2016	Children's BAFTA	Independent Production Company	Blue Zoo Animation Studio	Nominated
2017	Children's BAFTA	Learning	Numberblocks	Nominated
2017	Children's BAFTA	Independent Production Company	Blue Zoo Animation Studio	Won
2018	BAFTA Films	Short Film	Mamoon	Nominated
2019	Children's BAFTA	Pre-School Animation	Digby Dragon	Nominated
2019	Children's BAFTA	Pre-School Animation	Numberblocks	Won
2020	Annies	Best TV/Media - Preschool	The Adventures of Paddington	Won
2020	Annies	Best Voice Acting - TV/Media	It's Pony	Nominated
2020	Annies	Best Production Design - TV/Media	The Adventures of Paddington	Nominated
2016	PromaxBDA UK	Best Direct Response Promo	Bitesize	Won
2015	PromaxBDA UK	Best Channel Identity	Nick Jr Rebrand	Won
2015	PromaxBDA UK	Best Sponsorship Package	LEGO Star Wars Rebels	Won
2021	Emmy Award	Outstanding Pre-School Children's Animated Series	The Adventures of Paddington	Won
2021	Emmy Award	Outstanding Writing for a Pre-School Animated Program	The Adventures of Paddington	Won
2021	Emmy Award	Outstanding Directing for a Pre-School Animated Program	The Adventures of Paddington	Nominated
2024	British Animation Awards	Children's Choice	Lego City: No Limits [27]	Nominated

References

1. "Growth capital: Blue Zoo are a trio who got animated about a venture into cartoons". Evening Standard . 13 May 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
2. Wolfe, Jennifer (2018-12-19). "'Blue Zoo Opens New 2D Animation Studio in London". Animation World Network . Retrieved 2018-12-25.
3. "Blue Zoo and Plug-In Media partner on new studio" . Retrieved 2021-09-30.
4. televisual.com (2021-09-29). "Blue Zoo gets B Corp status". Televisual. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
5. "Blue Zoo launches new brand rights company with Alison Warner at the helm". UK Screen Alliance. July 2, 2019.
6. Miligan, Mercedes (August 16, 2021). "Blue Zoo & Plug-In Media Join Forces as Regional Creative Powerhouse". Animation Magazine.
7. Miligan, Mercedes (October 24, 2022). "Blue Zoo & Plug-In Media Launch Regional Studio Brighton Zoo". Animation Magazine.
8. "Kazoo Animation".
9. Castlemann, Lana (April 14, 2009). "Studio 100 snags another CBeebies deal". Kidscreen.
10. Goldman Getzler, Wendy (February 10, 2011). "UK students tapped to illustrate new TV series". Kidscreen.
11. "CBeebies Commissions 'Tree Fu Tom' Series". Animation Magazine. April 4, 2011.
12. "Miffy gets CGI reboot". C21Media. April 4, 2014.
13. Franks, Nico (August 20, 2015). "UK network adds Miffy toon". C21Media.
14. Milligan, Mercedes (June 9, 2015). "CBeebies Commissions 'Go Jetters'". Animation Magazine.
15. Goldman Getzler, Wendy (October 8, 2013). "UK creatives give life to Digby Dragon". Kidscreen.
16. Whyte, Alexandra (November 18, 2016). "YouTube Kids bows HMH original". Kidscreen.
17. "CBeebies Grown-Ups 🎉 (@CBeebiesHQ) on X". X (formerly Twitter). Archived from the original on 2024-12-02. Retrieved 2024-12-27.
18. White, Alexandra (January 20, 2017). "CBeebies bows new Numberblocks series". Kidscreen.
19. "Nickelodeon Greenlights Original Animated Comedy Series Pony" (Press release). Nickelodeon. March 6, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2020– via The Futon Critic.
20. Mercedes Milligan (March 6, 2018). "Nick Upfront 2018: Original Pony, Loud House Spin-Off, Blue's Clues Remake Coming Soon". Animation Magazine . Retrieved March 6, 2018.
21. "ViacomCBS and Sky take up Magic Light Pictures' pre-school animated series, 'Pip and Posy". Animation Xpress. 19 March 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
22. Alexandra Whyte,Whyte, Alexander (25 February 2019). "Magic Light goes long with Pip & Posy". Kidscreen. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
23. Foster, Elizabeth (October 1, 2021). "Netflix orders four new preschool series". Kidscreen.
24. "New Lego City – No Limits animated series officially revealed". Brick Fanatics. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
25. "LEGO City Animation | Longform & IP | Blue Zoo".
26. "Home grown talent, animations and culturally relevant co-productions lead the way as BBC Children's announce new commissions". BBC. October 16, 2023.
27. "Children's Choice".

External links

• Blue-Zoo's website
• Blue-Zoo's Vimeo page