Blue Zoo Animation Studio
British animation studio
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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.
 Logo used since 2012 | |
| Industry | Animation Television production Advertising |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2000[1] |
| Founders | Oli Hyatt Adam Shaw Tom Box |
| Headquarters | |
| Subsidiaries |
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| Website | www |
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. Blue Zoo later opened a new studio in Brighton called Brighton Zoo in 2022, in the partnership with Plug-In Media, and is 'dedicated to episodic 2D animation'.[2][3]
In 2021, the company became the first major animation studio in the world to achieve B Corp certification.[4]
History
In December 2009, Blue Zoo Animation Studio entered the video platform service by partnering with young animator Junior Jesman and distributor Cake Entertainment to develop and produce an animated web series entitled If I Was... for French streaming network Dailymotion with Blue Zoo providing and developing animation services and Cake Entertainment distributing the series online.[5]
In 2014, Blue Zoo and a Dutch company Mercis BV collaborated on the production of Miffy animated CGI series, which was released one year later.[6]
In July 2019, Blue Zoo strengthen its position as a world-class production company with the expansion into the rights management and 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.[7]
In 2022, Blue Zoo and Brighton-based producer Plug-In Media established a joint-venture regional animation production and interactive studio called Brighton Zoo, based in Brighton, South England. Their first animated collaboration and production was Supertato.[8][9] In the same year Blue Zoo expanded into the French production business by partnering with Paris-based animation production studio Samka Productions to launch an animation studio and post-production company called Kazoo Animation.[10]
List of long form productions
Television
| Title | Years | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Story Makers | 2002–2004 | CBeebies | Animation services for Blue Cow segments only, produced by BBC Children's Production |
| Tikkabilla | 2002–2007 | Animation services for animated segments and Sami's World only, produced by BBC 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 Children's Production |
| Stitich Up Showdown | 2009 | Nickelodeon UK | |
| Alphablocks | 2010–present | CBeebies | co-production with Alphablocks LTD |
| Olive the Ostrich[11] | 2011–2014 | Nick Jr. UK | |
| Tree Fu Tom[12] | 2012–2016 | CBeebies | Animation services only, produced by BBC Children's Production and FremantleMedia Kids & Family, owned by Boat Rocker Studios since 2018 |
| Q Pootle 5 | 2013–2014 | co-production with Snapper Productions and ZDF Studios | |
| Miffy's Adventures Big and Small[6] | 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 Production |
| 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 |
| Untitled Doctor Who spin-off | 2027–2029 | CBeebies | [27][28][29] |
Television shorts
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[30] | Nominated |