São Paulo – Brazilian animation series Fishtronaut should be watched by Arab children before the end of the year. TV PinGuim studios have sold the series to the Al-Jazeera TV channel, from Qatar, and to e-vision, from the United Arab Emirates, late last year. According to one of the partners of TV PinGuim, Ricardo Rozzino, Al-Jazeera will broadcast the Fishtronaut series – whose main character is a secret agent fish – in Arabic, whereas e-vision will show it in English. Rozzino believes that the episodes should start being aired in the second half this year.
Al-Jazeera will broadcast the series to the Emirate,s Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Sudan, Chad, Djibouti, Mauritania and Somalia. The e-vision network will show the series in the Emirate, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran. In the case of Al-Jazeera, which will broadcast the animation in Arabic, the channel itself will do the translation into the language. In the case of e-vision, no translation work will be required, as the series was originally made in English.
Fishtronaut the most viewed series on Discovery Kids Brazil and ranks among the first in other Latin American countries. It has 52 episodes lasting 11 minutes each, and tells the story of Fishtronaut and his two friends, Marina, an eight-year old girl, and Zeek, a monkey. Fishtronaut works as a secret agent for the Secret Environmental Agency and alongside his group of friends, he solves mysteries, most of which relate to sustainability.
The cartoon addresses several matters, ranging from environment preservation to teamwork and acceptance of differences. One episode, for instance, tells the story of an animal that is found in a park and causes discomfort among the local community. The whole story develops so that, in the end, the people who go to the park accept the animal. According to Rozzino, the series is 100% Brazilian, but was thought out with international features, so that it may be shown in other countries.
The project was conceived by architect and communications professional Celia Catunda, and architect Kiko Mistrorigo, both of whom have vast experience with animation, and, alongside Rozzino, partners of TV PinGuim. Peixonauta started being produced in March 2007, was concluded in March 2009, and started airing on Discovery Kids Latin America shortly thereafter. The production, by the way, was made by TV PinGuim in partnership with the children’s channel. The broadcasting contract is valid for five years, according to Rozzino.
The series was made in English and translated into Portuguese and Spanish. Presently, the studios are preparing the French version to be shown by a channel from Quebec, Canada. In addition to Latin American countries, Peixonauta is already shown by a Turkish television channel, and TV PinGuim is negotiating sales to Portugal, France, Belgium, the United States and Luxemburg. The series was sold to Arab channels by an agent of TV PinGuim in Canada. The studios themselves also operate in this field, and participates in at least four international events each year.
A second season of the Fishtronaut series will start being created in September, according to Rozzino. TV PinGuim is also preparing a feature film, which is now entering the production phase and should be ready by late 2012.
Contact:
TV PinGuim
Site: http://www.tvpinguim.com.br/english/
Telephone: (+55 11) 3884 1821
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
