TREE FU TOM
Graphic courtesy of BlueZoo.co.uk
On July 28, 2011 the BBC announced a new animated series for CBeebies called Tree Fu Tom.
The show is broadcast in HD and the animation is done by the BAFTA winning production company Blue Zoo Animation.
The show will be produced in partnership with Freemantle Media Services and will star the voice talents of David Tennant and Sophie Aldred.
On July 28, 2011 the BBC announced a new animated series for CBeebies called Tree Fu Tom.
The show is broadcast in HD and the animation is done by the BAFTA winning production company Blue Zoo Animation.
The show will be produced in partnership with Freemantle Media Services and will star the voice talents of David Tennant and Sophie Aldred.
Tom is also sometimes shown in live action portrayed by Adam Henderson.
The 13 episode programme began broadcasting on March 5, 2012 and each one is 20 minutes in length.
A total of 26 episodes were commissioned and the second set of 10 began broadcasting on September 3, 2012.
The final three episodes of Series One were broadcast on November 26th, 27th and 28th 2012.
The BBC has commissioned a second season but due to scheduling conflicts David's voice will not be heard in further adventures.
Tom is also sometimes shown in live action portrayed by Adam Henderson.
The 13 episode programme began broadcasting on March 5, 2012 and each one is 20 minutes in length.
A total of 26 episodes were commissioned and the second set of 10 began broadcasting on September 3, 2012.
The final three episodes of Series One were broadcast on November 26th, 27th and 28th 2012.
The BBC has commissioned a second season but due to scheduling conflicts David's voice will not be heard in further adventures.
Tree Fu Tom is a hit in the UK, becoming CBeebies’ No. 1 show of the year only one month after it's debut.
"The show, for kids ages 4-6, attracted 330,000 kids ages 6 and under for its first 11 episodes, with a 25 % audience share.
Tree Fu Tom is a hit in the UK, becoming CBeebies’ No. 1 show of the year only one month after it's debut.
"The show, for kids ages 4-6, attracted 330,000 kids ages 6 and under for its first 11 episodes, with a 25 % audience share.
It does even better with kids ages 4 and up, attracting 542,000 kids and an audience share of 30% for kids 4-6." - Animantion Mag. - April 2, 2012
It does even better with kids ages 4 and up, attracting 542,000 kids and an audience share of 30% for kids 4-6." - Animantion Mag. - April 2, 2012
Freemantle has negotiated deals for the show to be seen in France, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Eastern Europe, Korea, Brunei and Latin American.
Tree Fu Tom is due to premiere in Australia and New Zealand in September 2013 and will appear on Network Ten’s Toasted Jr time slot on Channel 11 in Australia and on MediaWorks’ TV FOUR in New Zealand.
"We are very excited to be associated with this magical tale of adventure, Tree Fu Tom. We believe it will deliver a unique experience to our young Australian audience as it joins the line-up of high-end animated series on our Toasted Junior block on Channel Eleven," said Cherrie Bottger, Network Ten’s head of children’s programming. - Rapidtvnews.com - Louise Duffy - June 20, 2013
Tree Fu Tom is due to premiere in Australia and New Zealand in September 2013 and will appear on Network Ten’s Toasted Jr time slot on Channel 11 in Australia and on MediaWorks’ TV FOUR in New Zealand.
"We are very excited to be associated with this magical tale of adventure, Tree Fu Tom. We believe it will deliver a unique experience to our young Australian audience as it joins the line-up of high-end animated series on our Toasted Junior block on Channel Eleven," said Cherrie Bottger, Network Ten’s head of children’s programming. - Rapidtvnews.com - Louise Duffy - June 20, 2013
David's character is called Twigs, a silly, energetic acorn Guardian sprite and Tom’s best friend.
Sophie voices Tom who is shrunken in each episode so that he can travel to Treetopolis, a tiny city in a tree at the bottom of his garden.
Doctor Who fans will be happy to see this second collaboration of Tenth Doctor and the Seventh Doctor Companion.
David and Sophie worked together before on the Big Finish Audio Colditz.
The CBeebies controller Kay Benbow said:
"We are delighted to have David on board as part of the team.
The physical energy in his performance works so well for animation and his sense of fun and cheeky humour will delight the older CBeebies audience."
David's character is called Twigs, a silly, energetic acorn Guardian sprite and Tom’s best friend.
Sophie voices Tom who is shrunken in each episode so that he can travel to Treetopolis, a tiny city in a tree at the bottom of his garden.
Doctor Who fans will be happy to see this second collaboration of Tenth Doctor and the Seventh Doctor Companion.
David and Sophie worked together before on the Big Finish Audio Colditz.
The CBeebies controller Kay Benbow said:
"We are delighted to have David on board as part of the team.
The physical energy in his performance works so well for animation and his sense of fun and cheeky humour will delight the older CBeebies audience."
COMING TO AMERICA
"With Tree Fu Tom being designed specifically for a preschool audience, Sprout will be the perfect home for this unique show that offers a learning and development experience unlike anything else on television," said Sander Schwartz, president at FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment. "We formed FremantleMedia Kids & Family Entertainment with the vision of making a difference in the lives of children around the world, and with shows like Tree Fu Tom we are very pleased to have made great strides in realising that vision." - Rapidtvnews.com - Michelle Clancy - April 17, 2013
The network has given the show it's own pages on their website with activities and short video clips, Click here to check it out.
The show is also available to cable subscribers to watch as an On Demand service on their TV's or home computers.
Synopsis: "Twigs and Tom are inseparable as they become embroiled in amazing, action-packed adventures, which always lead to trouble, impending disaster and catastrophe. When events run beyond their control it is only with help from the audience performing Tree Fu moves, that Tom can create spectacular Big World Magic and save the day!"
One of the storyboard artists working on the show posted this on the Toon Boom Animation Forum:
"I'm storyboarding a kids TV show here in the UK called Tree Fu Tom. I've jsut found out that David Tennant and Sophie Aldred of Doctor Who fame are doing some of the voices. My inner fanboy is feeling very warm and fuzzy!"
"He's playing a Scottish "pixie" type beastie. They've just sent me the soundtrack as an MP3 and I'm having great fun matching up the sound and the pictures. It's the first time I've put sound into Storyboard Pro and I can't believe I'm getting paid to do this stuff!"
One of the storyboard artists working on the show posted this on the Toon Boom Animation Forum:
"I'm storyboarding a kids TV show here in the UK called Tree Fu Tom. I've jsut found out that David Tennant and Sophie Aldred of Doctor Who fame are doing some of the voices. My inner fanboy is feeling very warm and fuzzy!"
"He's playing a Scottish "pixie" type beastie. They've just sent me the soundtrack as an MP3 and I'm having great fun matching up the sound and the pictures. It's the first time I've put sound into Storyboard Pro and I can't believe I'm getting paid to do this stuff!"
The other characters in the series are voiced by Samantha Dakin, who will be Ariela, a beautiful butterfly ranch owner, Sharon D Clarke, who will be Treetog, the embodiment of the tree’s spirit, and Tim Whitnall, who will voice Zigzoo, an eccentric tree frog inventor, Squirmtum, an odd-job woodlouse, and Rickety McGlum, an elderly spider.
You might recognise Tim's voice when you hear it, he was the Narrator on the Teletubbies.
You might recognise Tim's voice when you hear it, he was the Narrator on the Teletubbies.
You can read the rest the full press release here.
Here is a small clip of Sophie at the Chicago TARDIS convention doing he take on Twigs and talking about the show.
A BIG THANKS to pokerjackal1 for allowing me to use some of his You Tube video on this site, the clip does end mid sentence, that was all he had.
A BIG THANKS to pokerjackal1 for allowing me to use some of his You Tube video on this site, the clip does end mid sentence, that was all he had.
"The Tree Fu Magic moves have been developed from those used to help children who have movement disorders and difficulties such as Dyspraxia, and the spell sequences have been designed by movement specialists/therapists to assist and enhance the development of all children – regardless of whether they have any movement challenges – at a crucial time in their growth." - BBC
"The Tree Fu Magic moves have been developed from those used to help children who have movement disorders and difficulties such as Dyspraxia, and the spell sequences have been designed by movement specialists/therapists to assist and enhance the development of all children – regardless of whether they have any movement challenges – at a crucial time in their growth." - BBC
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS
Here are the Blue Zoo team, Oli Hyatt, Adam Shaw and Tom Box with the presenters of the award Jedward. (right)
The Tree Fu Tom inter-active game WON a BIMA (British Interactive Media Association) Award in the Best Multi-Platform category. The other nominees were Bank Job Head To Head Game, Dell festival tour and Olive the Ostrich, which is also a Blue Zoo Production. The awards were held on November 22, 2012 at the Bankside Vaults in London.
"The Tree Fu Tom interactive game accompanies the popular CBBC show and remains in the top ten most played games on their site. Helping children explore movement by using the latest in cutting edge webcam technology we are not only delighted to have received this award but proud of the positive impact the game is having on kids!" - plug-inmedia.net
The game was also nominated for a Broadcast Digital Award in the Best Game category along with Doctor Who The Gunpowder Plot, Home Sheep Home 2, Sweatshop, Littleloud, The Bank Job head to head game, The Cube and The Nightjar. The winner was The Bank Job head to head game. The awards were held on June 20, 2012 at the Lancaster London Hotel.
The show was nominated for a Kidscreen Award 2013 for Best Animated Series along with Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood (winner) and Guess How Much I Love You. The awards were given out in New York City on February 6, 2013.
The series was nominated for a Freesat Award for Best Children's TV Programme or Series. The other nominee's were: Get Well Soon - CBeebies, Octonauts - CBeebies, Wolfblood - CBBC, The Dumping Ground - CBBC (WINNER), My Life: Breaking Free - CBBC, Incredible Edibles: Gutbusters - CBBC, Milkshake Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom- Channel 5. The awards were given out on July 10, 2013 at One Mayfair in London.
MERCHANDISING
The first seven episodes are available on DVD in the UK, released on October 22, 2012 from Freemantle Media.
The episodes included were:
May The Best Berry Win
Squizzle Quest
Zigzoo the Zero
So Long Greenhorn
Hide & Squeak
Wishful Thinking
Zigzoo's Robot
NEW DVD RELEASES
The second DVD collection, Tree Fu Magic, was released on February 18, 2013 and came with a free sticker sheet inside.
Episodes:
With Friends Like These
Buzzworthy
Wingin It
Crystal Catastrophe
Fungus Among Us
The Big Ranch Rodeo
A third DVD collection, Time for Tree Fu, will be issued on September 2, 2013