CBeebies, Zodiak execs launch kids prodco

Jon Hancock and David Hallam have created a new Manchester-
based kids indie, Three Arrows Media.

Former CBeebies producer Hancock and Zodiak Kids head of development Hallam have the new business up and running with a development deal with CBeebies, and project for Discovery Kids Asia. They also co-own a new format that is being made for S4C in Wales.

The CBeebies deal is to develop an as-yet-unnamed mixed media factual series. Three Arrows is also developing a talent-led fact-ent show for Discovery Kids Asia.

The S4C show is space-themed preschool series Asra, which is about to go into production.

Hancock and Hallam’s expertise is largely in live-action, but the new company will develop propjects across different mediums and for different platforms. “We’d been talking about doing this for year and a half,” Hallam told TBI. “We wanted to do something new and fresh, and everything we conceive will be a brand with international potential.”

The new indie does not have a distribution deal in place and will, initially, work with and choose distributor partners on an ad hoc basis.

During his 15 years with Children’s BBC, Hallam developed and produced shows including Mr Bloom’s Nursery, Let’s Celebrate! and physical gameshow Swashbuckle.

Hallam was at Zodiak’s kids arm The Foundation as head of development before setting up Three Arrows. Prior to that he ran development of kids shows at Endemol Shine prodco Initial. His programming credits include Fort Boyard, Floogals and Mister Maker’s Arty Party.