PBS KIDS has joined forces with Boston-based pubcaster GBH Kids (Arthur) to co-produce a new interactive digital experience called Team Hamster! that encompasses five videos and three game titles about a group of fluffy critters who moonlight as secret engineers and fix broken things around them.
The concept’s games invite kids to help solve problems such as finishing paintings and repairing leaky pipes. And the videos introduce the characters and give kids a chance to become immersed in the adventures. Aimed at four- to eight-year-olds, the brand will also launch with four printable activities.
All of the content is available on PBSKIDS.org, and the PBS KIDS Games and Video apps. GBH senior digital producer Melissa Carlson (Molly of Denali) created the digital series and is producing it with senior video producer Marcy Gunther.
Team Hamster! emerged out of the pubcaster’s desire to explore a “game-first” production model, where the story, design and animation pipeline were tailored to build interactivity into the content, according to a release.
Interactivity has been an area of focus for both broadcasters recently. They previously teamed up to launch interactive game and video brand Scribbles and Ink, and iGBH hosted a live online event in October where Arthur fans could vote in real time on how an episode would play out.