Banijay label replaces Jellyfish to co-produce Stan & Gran with Jollywise and Xentrix Studios

Stan&Gran

Stan & Gran

Tiger Aspect Kids & Family is to join Jollywise and Xentrix Studios as the co-producer of a Milkshake! series whose future has been hanging in the balance.

52 x 11-minute Stan & Gran was set to be produced by Brighton-based Jollywise and Indian animation company Xentrix, alongside Jellyfish Originals, the content division of animation & VFX studio Jellyfish Pictures, which came on board as co-producer last year.

However, it emerged in March Jellyfish Pictures had halted operations amid financial challenges.

Tiger Aspect Kids & Family has now boarded the project, with former Jellyfish Pictures managing director of originals Natalie Adams (formerly Llewellyn), to exec produce the series for the Banijay Kids & Family label.

The show’s creator and Jollywise managing director Jon Mason will also serve as executive producer when production begins this month.

Mason said: “We are thrilled that Stan & Gran has found a new home. We get to continue our journey.

“We couldn’t be in safer hands. It’s such a magical, important and funny show, we just can’t wait for kids and families to be able to enjoy it.”

Chief executive of Banijay Kids & Family Benoît Di Sabatino said: “It’s a challenging time for the animation industry, so it’s a privilege to come onboard to ensure brilliant shows like this continue to be made.

“Stan & Gran is a project we’re deeply passionate about and with the combined strengths of the highly experienced teams of Tiger Aspect Kids & Family and our co-production partners, we know it will be a hit.”

Managing director of Tiger Aspect Kids & Family Tom Beattie added: “I’ve known Jon at Jollywise for a long time and saw the charming Stan & Gran in its infancy, so it’s a pleasure to join this beautifully crafted show alongside Natalie, whose tenacity has been instrumental in bringing it to life.

“We’re eager to begin production with Natalie, Jollywise and Xentrix Studios, to deliver an exceptional series to the partners around the world.”

The show, which was commissioned by 5’s Milkshake! in 2023, is set to follow seven-year-old Stan and his 71-year-old Gran as they investigate mysterious events in the fictional British coastal town of Porthole.

Banijay Kids & Family Distribution secured global distribution rights last year and has confirmed pre-sales with Nickelodeon UK, ABC Australia, RTE Ireland, SVT Sweden, BBC Alba, and S4C Wales.

Tiger Aspect Kids & Family has just launched the second half of its adventure series Super Happy Magic Forest (BBC, Rai, Canal+, ZDF, ABC) and are in production of series four of Mr Bean, which launched this month on Boomerang and ITVX.

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