Hulu has picked up a full-length series version of the popular web show “Childish Deano,” Variety has learned.
The eight-episode, half-hour comedy — now simply titled “Deano” — hails from creators Dean Thomas and David Ferrier. Both serve as writers on the series with Thomas providing the voice of Deano. Joe Brumm, the creator of the smash hit animated kids show “Bluey,” will also executive produce in what will be his first adult animated series producing credit.
Hooligan Animation will produce the show at its studios in Brisbane, Australia, with support from the Australian Federal government’s Producer Offset along with a PDV grant from the State of Queensland. Hooligan’s Greg Basser, Tracey Robertson, Ross Shuman, Nathan Mayfield, and Tracey Vieira are all executive producers on the show along with Adam Bailey for BBC Studios. BBC Studios, 20th Television Animation, and Hooligan Animation will all co-produce. BBC Studios will be the lead studio with Hulu distributing the show worldwide.
“We’re so excited to bring our spicy child and his sidekick to a global audience with two of the world’s biggest story megaphones in Disney and the BBC,” Thomas and Ferrier said. “It’s so unreal we’re half expecting someone to tell us it’s a prank.”
The show will premiere on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers in the U.S. and on Disney+ internationally. In the UK, the series will premiere first on BBC iPlayer and BBC One, and then also stream on Disney+.
The official description of the show states:
“Deano is a spirited cheeky charmer of a boy, whose tough exterior coats a real heart of gold. He is the most endearing feisty kid you will ever meet and is growing up in a ruthlessly tough neighborhood in a house that should be condemned. He has no concept that the chips are stacked against him and embraces everyone equally, from the local teenage dropouts to the town police chief. At the heart of the series is Deano’s friendship with Kit, his timid best mate from the wealthy side of town. Kit is blind to Deano’s circumstances and is drawn to his friend’s energy and fearless worldview. Together, they walk face-first into an unfiltered world that’s leaking empathy by the hour; yet somehow, Deano still shines as a beacon of irreverent optimism, a reminder of how good life can feel.”
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“’Deano’ is smart, character-driven, and wickedly irreverent — the kind of series that stays with you long after the credits roll,” said Zai Bennett, CEO and chief creative officer of BBC Studios Global Content. “As our first venture into adult animation, the project and the partnerships behind it reflect BBC Studios’ commitment to innovation and creative boldness. Alongside Hooligan and the BBC, Disney is an ideal collaborator, sharing our ambition to deliver conversation-starting storytelling worldwide.”
From Variety US