NEW YORK, March 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Toonz Media Group, the global animation powerhouse, and Driver Studios, a leader in kids and family entertainment, have joined forces to co-produce “The Blahs.” This new, original 3D animated series is designed to delight and engage 3-8 year-olds watching on YouTube, where 86% of US kids watch entertainment. “The Blahs” was created by visionary storytellers Rob Kurtz and Dan Markowitz, the team behind Driver Studios’ award-winning Cool School YouTube channel, where “The Blahs” will launch on March 31, 2024. The 30-episode series will also be promoted on Toonz’ ChotoonzTV YouTube Channel, reaching 11.1 million subscribers.
The series is centered around original characters known as “The Blahs;” their rulers King Gray and Lord Blue; and their neighbor Joy who spreads light everywhere she goes. Each hilarious and upbeat episode delivers high-quality kids and family entertainment with fun antics and giggle-worthy mayhem that empowers and encourages a child’s imagination and curiosity. In addition to the animated series, these delightful characters and their world will be a source of merchandising and licensing opportunities in 2024.
“The Blahs” was created with a platform-led mindset, specifically aimed at YouTube-viewing audiences. Using Driver Studios’ proprietary data tool, show creators can evaluate engagement to determine the themes that attract viewers, ultimately informing plots for future episodes.
“YouTube today is the leading platform where kids ages 2-12 discover content. In fact, streaming platforms look to YouTube for content acquisition and licensing opportunities,” said Scott Weitz, founder & CEO, Driver Studios. “At Driver Studios, we’ve been ahead of this trend, developing high-quality kids and family entertainment designed specifically for this platform. Our in-house team created this original content and built it for where data tells us our viewers are watching. When you lead with human vision and support it with technology and data insights, the outcome is the ability to create and produce captivating content that scales. It’s an inspiring journey, and we’re thrilled to partner with the visionary Toonz team because they share our passion for creativity and driving innovation.”
“Leveraging the insights from deep viewership data with award-winning creative talent to drive storylines for animation places this partnership at the leading edge of the industry. Combining Toonz expertise in 3D animation and Driver Studios’ pioneering approach to content creation, programming is now built intentionally to meet viewers where they are,” said P Jayakumar, Chief Executive Officer of Toonz Media Group. “The possibilities are endless, and we’re delighted to collaborate with Scott, Rob, and the Driver Studios team.”
The executive producers are P. Jayakumar, Bruno Zarka of Toonz Media Group, and Driver Studios’ Scott Weitz, Diana Horowitz, and Ross Venokur, the award-winning writer and director of Rally Road Racers (from the producer of Shrek). Gigi Meroni, the Emmy Award-winning composer of projects such as What’s New Scooby Doo?, Norm of the North 2-3, and Lala Oopsies, composed the music for the series.
This partnership brings together two leading companies at the forefront of the new media and entertainment landscape for kids. For this collaboration, Toonz led the 3D animation while Driver Studios developed the original characters, concept art and visualization, and scripts. As a global animation powerhouse, Toonz produces more than 10,000 minutes of 2D and 3D animated content annually for leading brands including Walt Disney, Turner, Nickelodeon, Discovery and more. Driver Studios creates award-winning original and branded entertainment on YouTube for the world’s leading brands, including Mattel, Hasbro, Lego and more.
About Toonz Media Group
Toonz is a 360-degree media powerhouse with over two decades of unparalleled experience and one of the world’s most active animation production studios (over 10,000 minutes of 2D and CGI kids and family content per year). Toonz has to its credit several animations and live-action series, as well as feature films including Wolverine and The X-men with Marvel, Speedracer Next Generation with Lionsgate, Mostly Ghostly with Universal, Gummy Bear and Friends, and more. Toonz has also ventured into emerging technologies like AR, VR, XR and Gaming. www.toonz.co
About Driver Studios
Driver Studios is a dynamic 360° media and technology company dedicated to creative excellence and driving innovation. Specializing in the development of award-winning commercials, branded entertainment, original content, and data-driven advertising solutions, Driver Studios seamlessly connects audiences across screens and devices. As a trusted partner to the world’s leading brands, Driver Studios’ mission is to develop enriched advertising and audience experiences through compelling and diverse media activations, at the intersection of creativity, technology, and brand engagement. www.driver-studios.com
