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Award-winning RTÉjr animation series THE DAY HENRY MET featuring Oliver Callan launches

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RTÉjr 

Award-winning RTÉjr animation series THE DAY HENRY MET featuring Oliver Callan launches

Watch The Day Henry Met video here

A brand new Irish animated series, The Day Henry Met, featuring the many voices of RTÉ star Oliver Callan has its international premiere on RTÉjr this Monday (13 July).

Created and produced by Dublin-based animation company Wiggleywoo, The Day Henry Met is a fun new series aimed at encouraging children to use their imagination and discover the world around them through play and adventure.

Callan and his Callan’s Kicks co-star Lisa Garvey feature in the voice-over for the series while Henry himself is voiced by ten-year-old Darragh Malone from Clonsilla in Dublin 15.

The show, which is Wiggleywoo’s first pre-school series, has been pre-sold to key territories around the world including Nick Jr. as well as broadcasters in Canada, Finland, Sweden and, most recently, Australia. Earlier this year, it won Best European Work at the prestigious Cartoons on the Bay Pulcinella Awards in Italy.

Commenting, RTÉ executive producer Pauline Macnamara said: “The Day Henry Met is a delightful series that stands out for its visual style. Every episode explores the fun new stuff pre-schoolers meet in any day and I know that creator Gilly’s unique design combined with Henry’s infectious optimism and boundless curiosity will enthral RTÉjr audiences all summer and beyond”.

Oliver Callan said: ‘This is the first time I’ve been involved in an animation project and it was bundles of fun. The Day Henry Met is a playful way of educating children about some of the weird and wonderful places and things on our planet. Parents watching might recognise moons, mountains and animals sounding vaguely familiar to some of the real life characters I perform on Callan’s kicks.’

The Day Henry Met is produced by Wiggleywoo Ltd, an animation company co-founded in 2012 by creative director Gilly and producer Susan Broe. “After working on Henry for over two years we’re delighted little audiences finally get to meet him. I’m sure pre-schoolers and their parents will be charmed and delighted by this inquisitive little boy and his adventures,” said Gilly, the show’s writer and director.

The launch of The Day Henry Met is part of a range of new and exciting programming reflecting RTÉjr’s commitment to supporting animation. Also premiering on 13 July are 26 new episodes of Wildernuts, the popular series from Dublin-based Kavaleer Productions which follows the Wildernuts as they navigate the skies on The Cloudhopper, visiting new locations and exploring the environment to learn about animals, plants and insects.

Fans of the beautiful, weather-themed animation series Nelly & Nora following the day-to-day exploits of two young sisters at their mobile home park by the sea in Co Wicklow, can look forward to 26 great new episodes.

Next year will bring the ever popular Zig and Zag back to Irish television with a 26-episode animated series from producers Double Z, Flickerpix and Jam Media. Airing in late 2016, Zig & Zag is set to capture the fun and mayhem of Ireland’s favourite aliens for a whole new audience. Also in production is the second series of Puffin Rock from Cartoon Saloon, the two time Oscar-nominated production company behind Song of the Sea and The Secret of Kells.

 

ENDS

For more information contact:

Gareth Naughton, RTÉ Television Press and Publicity Officer, T: 01-208-2667 M: 087-979-2822, E: gareth.naughton@rte.ie

Notes to Editor:

Images available on the Press Pack

About RTÉJr

RTÉjr is a dedicated Irish children’s channel on TV, radio, online and mobile. Launched two years ago, this channel is part of public service broadcaster RTÉ’s strategy in the development of services for young people. Completely advertisement-free, the channel is specifically for children aged 0-7, allowing viewers to watch, listen and play with brand new channels on television and digital radio from around 7am to 7pm daily. RTÉjr also offers online and mobile services which allow children to access original, entertaining and educational content that reflects their lives and is made exclusively for them.

RTÉjr is RTÉs award-winning service designed specifically for youngsters aged under-7 and their older friends and family.

RTÉjr is available on 4 platforms – TV, where it’s RTÉs third channel; Digital Radio; Online and Mobile. RTÉjr offers up to 34 hours of programmes for youngsters every day.

RTÉjr is an entirely commercial-free service and offers a mixed schedule of original and acquired programming.

RTÉjr aims to explore and reflect the world in which youngsters in Ireland are growing up and to bring them entertaining, educational and relevant content wherever they are.

RTÉjr tells a wide range of stories about what it’s like to be a child through the eyes of the child.

‘Education by Stealth’ one of our mottos – every programme introduces an idea, a character or an issue to youngsters in ways which are age appropriate and which they will engage with.

RTÉjr content can be used to develop watching, listening and motor skills, develop new language skills, learn about the environment, nature, community and diversity within our island, explore places and lifestyles different to one’s own. There are opportunities for youngsters to interact with RTÉjr through our website and mobile App, and for their parents, guardians and teachers to engage with RTÉjr through the RTÉjr facebook page and @RTEjr on Twitter.