By: Ryan Tuchow & Sadhana Bharanidharan 

Drama Queen – 6 to 9 (pictured above)
Producer: Squeeze Animation Studios (Canada)
Format: 52 x seven minutes
Style: CG animation
Budget: US$9 million
Status: Visual research, a series bible and a first script are completed, along with several episode synopses. Squeeze is now focused on financing and distribution.
Delivery: Q2 2027

Living as royalty in a video-game fantasy world, Cherry-Lou is a spoiled brat who expects everything to be handed to her. But when she presses the restart button on her life, she ends up with nothing and must learn how to do things for herself and form actual friendships. In one episode, tired of waiting in a border checkpoint line, Cherry-Lou reverts to type and looks for a way to cheat her way closer to the front. But later, when a clumsy warrior appears, rather than do battle, she opts to wait for rain to weigh down his heavy armor so she can defeat him more easily—showing that she’s learned the value of patience. Drama Queen‘s animation team has built up an abundance of experience on Squeeze’s flagship original series Cracké, which has aired in more than 210 countries and territories.

Battalor – 6 to 10

Co-producers: Jellyfish Originals (UK), Toikido (UK)
Format: 10 x 22 minutes (working format)
Style: CG animation
Budget: US$7.5 million
Status: A bible and pilot script are ready, and the team is looking for commissioning broadcasters and distributors, with Jellyfish managing global rights for now.
Delivery: 18 months after greenlight

Futuristic settings, unlikely heroes and a toyetic foundation are just a few of the ingredients setting up Battalor to stand out in the market. Emmy-nominated writer Jordan Gershowitz (Hot Wheels Let’s Race) is attached to this action-packed concept about ancient, high-powered devices (a.k.a. Battalors) that channel powers from mythical animal beasts. A group of kids must learn to unlock and master these powers after their city is invaded by an evil force determined to reassemble the legendary Black Battalor and unleash its dark powers. Toikido—which heads up global licensing and gaming development for the IP—is planning a 2026 Battalor toy launch.

The Hare of High Park – Preschool

Producer: Little Engine Moving Pictures (Canada)
Format: 52 x 5.5 minutes or 26 x 11 minutes
Budget: US$2.5 million
Style: Mixed media, with CG-animated animal characters and real human characters and backgrounds.
Status: A bible and several animatics are available. Little Engine is talking to potential broadcasters and co-producers.
Delivery: Q2 2026

Little Engine’s Maria Kennedy and Ben Mazzotta optioned this cozy, wind-down series from creators Tarun Padmakumar (an animator at Ubisoft) and Joanna Fishbein (a designer at BioWare). The show’s concept—featuring a hare with a talent for finding lost items and returning them to their owners—was inspired by quiet walks through Toronto’s High Park that lifted the pair out of their loneliness during the pandemic. The concept won last year’s PITCH This! competition at the Ottawa International Animation Festival, where a jury of kids media executives praised its peaceful and calming vibe.

Duncan’s Flying Tugboat – Preschool

Co-producers: CUDO (US) and Relish Studios (Canada)
Format: 26 x five minutes
Style: CG animation
Budget: US$2 million
Status: Both studios are hunting for broadcasters, distributors and financial support.
Delivery: Q2 2026

In this adventure-comedy short series, a crew of eggs goes on rescue missions in a magical flying tugboat. Storylines see them pulling a broken-down rocket over the finish line to win a race, or in a different sort of rescue, turning the tugboat into a bakery to save a birthday party that has run out of snacks. Penning the scripts is PAW Patrol writer Scott Albert, who’s aiming to find the right balance between the exciting action of rescue shows and the humbling emotion of helping people in need. Singer Jason Paige (Pokémon) and TikTok musician Sunglasses Kid (286,000 followers) are working on a theme song, and Relish (Barbie’s Dreamworld, Polly Pocket & Friends) will handle the animation.

Ru at Red River – Preschool

Co-producers: Big Bad Boo (Canada) and GAPC (Canada)
Format: 26 x 11 minutes
Style: 2D animation
Budget: US$3.8 million
Status: Currently in development with CBC Kids, with two scripts and a pitch bible available. Next up on Big Bad Boo’s to-do list is attracting international broadcasters, producers, distributors and investors.
Delivery: Q3 2026

In the friendly community of Red River, a duck named Fergus and several young woodland creatures with visible and invisible disabilities learn to navigate the world, helping each other along the way. The cast includes Ru (a raccoon with anxiety), Silas (a turtle with mobility issues) and Mika (a visually impaired bunny). In one episode, the critters are excited to go to Red River’s new bake shop, which has stairs that are a challenge for Silas. So they decide to make a ramp so they can all go in for cupcakes. This fun take on representing disabilities is the brainchild of Celeste Koon, who has written for Sesame Workshop, TVOKids and CBC Kids.

Triple Travis – 6 to 10

Producer: Cosmic Animation (Costa Rica)
Format: 52 x five minutes
Style: 2D animation
Budget: US$1.5 million to US$2 million
Status: A 30-second teaser, pilot script and short bible are available.
Delivery: 12 to 18 months after greenlight

What if all the facets of your personality turned into actual people who look just like you? That’s the chaotic set-up for this comedy-driven sci-fi concept from New York Times bestselling book illustrator and animator Leo Trinidad, whose kids TV credits include Ivick Von Salza and Kip Van Creepy. A shy young genius named Travis creates a machine that spits out two “clone” brothers he starts calling on to sub in for him in overwhelming situations. But what seems like a quick fix inevitably leads to mayhem. In one ep, Travis is too tired to do track laps at school, so he gets his more athletic duplicate to run in his place—but when the clone sprints a little too fast, he accidentally creates a demonic tornado that wreaks havoc on the school. No matter what arises, every episode ends with Travis learning to face his fears and find a solution (which, in this instance, is to run in the opposite direction to reverse the tornado).

Cat the Cat Tries That! – Preschool

Producer: Hidden Pigeon Company (US)
Style: 2D animation with CG elements
Format: 39 x seven minutes
Budget: US$300,000 to US$400,000 per half hour
Status: A bible, one-sheet, three scripts and concept art are available. Hidden Pigeon is looking for a broadcast partner.
Delivery: Q3/Q4 2027

Building from Mo Willems’ New York Times bestselling Cat the Cat book series (which spans eight titles), Hidden Pigeon’s latest series revolves around a preschool-aged cat who loves to try new things. And even when she dislikes something, she finds a way to make discovering this with her friends a fun experience. Each episode includes two three-minute stories and a one-minute musical interstitial that juxtaposes familiar animal sounds (like a duck quacking) with fantastical ones (like a cheetah chirping). Expect a good-time take on encouraging kids to get out of their comfort zone and embrace the thrill of discovery.

This story originally appeared in Kidscreen‘s Q1 2025 magazine issue.