DUBLIN: Shepherd Films has added ITV to the list of broadcasters who will air its new animation series,The Storykeepers, which will be completed in December.

Other broadcasters include Canal Plus in France, Belgium and Poland, Media set in Italy, RTE in Ireland, Canal 13 in Chile and ABS-CBN in the Philippines. U.S. distribution rights have been acquired by Zondervan, a subsidiary of Harper Collins.

The series, which sets classic bible stories in an adventure context, is being made in Dublin by a team of ex-Don Bluth artists under the direction of Jimmy Murakami (director of The Snowman and When the Wind Blows). The scripts are written by a team of writers supervised by David Weiss (writer of Bluth’s hit films All Dogs go to Heaven and Rock-a-Doodle). Music is by Sam Spence (Ben Hur, the animated film) and the series creator is Oxford academic Brian Brown, who has worked hard to ensure its authenticity, as well as entertainment values.