Monster Entertainment is delighted to announce that, following the launch of Daily Madness’ brand new series, Pins and Nettie at this year’s Mip Jr., a raft of sales have already been made across the globe, with deals recently being signed with RTÉ in Ireland, Showmax in South Africa, YLE in Finland and with multi-territory SVOD apps Minno and Hopster.
The 26×5 minute series is aimed at a two to five-year-old audience and explores the very real issues of shyness and anxiety in pre-schoolers. The series was first pitched at Cartoon Forum 2019 in Toulouse, France, and quickly moved into production earlier this year. Production has just been completed.
Pins and Nettie was first introduced directly to audiences in April 2020 as Daily Madness’s response to the covid-19 crisis. Utilising YouTube as a platform to reach audiences quickly and efficiently, Pins and Nettie became one of the first animated properties to address pre-schoolers about the
global pandemic.
On 17 April the online series launched with a special episode called Together and Safe. Together and Safe was specifically created to acknowledge and identify feelings of anxiety (sadness, anger and fear) caused by the current covid-19 crisis, in a way that is suitable for the youngest of audiences. It also stepped through a very simple mindfulness exercise designed to help empower children in moments of anxiety, which has also been a key aspect in the development of the main Pins and Nettie series.
Hedgehog best friends, Pins and Nettie, alongside their friend the narrator, explore the sometimes difficult feelings associated with shyness and anxiety. In the early days of the show’s development, co-creators Lindsey Adams and Shannon George teamed up with research expert and educational consultant Karen Leavitt to design a bespoke Shyness
Curriculum that ensured that the series would hit the right note with its young audience. As a result, this series will empower the youngest of audiences by teaching them to recognise their feelings of shyness, and supplying them with all the tools they need to build both their
self-esteem and their social skills.
“Pins and Nettie redefines what it means to be shy. Being a shy person does not mean you are an unhappy person. We are challenging the stigma or negativity of this subject because we believe that shyness is not a character flaw, it is simply another way to be. No child should ever think they are alone in their feelings of shyness or consider themselves less than
anyone else for being shy. And with the lessons learned in Pins and Nettie, we are reassuring both children and parents that shyness doesn’t mean missing out… there is always a way to feel comfortable and join in the fun,” said co-creator and producer, director Lindsey Adams.
Pins and Nettie is written by Shannon George and produced/directed by Lindsey Adams, with art direction by Adam Kavanagh and music by Jonathan Casey. It is Daily Madness’ first own IP series.
“Pins and Nettie are two little creative, and brave and shy adventurers. Their shy moments are their superpower. They take a once negative moment and turn it into something empowering,” said co-creator and writer George.
Earlier this year, Daily Madness also launched a mini-series spin-off of Pins and Nettie on YouTube as the company’s response to the covid-19 crisis. The pilot episode, Together and Safe, alongside a further 12 animated shorts were launched free-to-view and were very well received, with the channel reaching two million views to date.