Nickelodeon UK commissions first interactive digital series with stellar cast
Nickelodeon UK and Ireland has partnered with creative agency Ralph for an interactive digital series ‘Tinkershrimp & Dutch’. It marks the first Nickelodeon UK original series commissioned specifically for digital platforms, and is supported by a stellar cast of Disney and independent film actors, with music by Franz Ferdinand musician Nick McCarthy.
The series will span over five episodes, each five minutes in length, and will premiere across Nickelodeon’s websites from the 15 January. Behind the scenes videos will premiere today (5 January).
The characters will be voiced by John Boyega (Star Wars: The Force Awakens), Sam Riley (Maleficient), Darren Evans (Submarine) and Alex Lowe (My Week with Marilyn).
It is worth noting that the children’s network has chosen to work with a creative agency to create the digital series, which would usually be the job of production houses. This is telling of the changing face of media, with television networks increasingly exploring new platforms to reach digital audiences.
Suzie Adams, digital director Nickelodeon UK and Ireland said: “We want to delight and surprise our audience and are committed to providing great content across all platforms. Tinkershrimp & Dutch is an example of our investment in high-quality entertainment for the digital space.”
The series follows Tinkershrimp (Evans), a langoustine and Dutch (Boyega) a slow loris who are best friends and “time-travelling bodyguards” for the “eccentric” monarch of New Great Great Britain, King Hunnybun III (Lowe). The team lives and travels around the country in a castle on wheels, named the Royal Double Decker. The nemesis of the series is Michael The Fowl (Riley) a fun-hating headless chicken.
The series will be accompanied by a theme and score written and performed by Nick McCarthy (Franz Ferdinand, FFS). The primary character animation was executed at Mummu.
Viewers who access the series on the network’s websites will have the opportunity to take part in interactive activities related to the plots and characters of the series, whereas on Nick Play the episodes will play solely as a linear narrative.
The series has been created by Gregor Stevenson and Chris Stack.