The production of ODD SQUAD UK, a new format of the original series and an official treaty co-production between Sinking Ship Entertainment and BBC Studios Kids & Family in association with CBBC, PBS KIDS, TVOKids, and SRC, was announced today. Fred Rogers Productions will distribute the series in the U.S. and SSE will take worldwide rights. The original hit multi-Emmy® Award-winning ODD SQUAD series, produced by Sinking Ship Entertainment and Fred Rogers Productions for PBS KIDS and TVOKids, launched in 2014. The brand has since grown to include more than 114 half-hour episodes, a feature film, digital games, two seasons of a digital shorts series, and a podcast as well as multiple publishing and merchandising partnerships as part of its expanding licensing program. Each season of the popular ODD SQUAD series features kid agents who use math to investigate strange occurrences, with episodes infused with comedy and fun.
ODD SQUAD UK, co-produced by BBC Studios Kids & Family and Sinking Ship Entertainment, features a brand-new world of oddness and group of agents with a predominantly British cast filmed exclusively in the UK. The format is a natural evolution of the brand, leveraging the popularity of the original series in the UK and consistently high ratings for CBBC. Twelve half-hour episodes of ODD SQUAD UK are currently in production and set for release in 2024.
“It’s been a pleasure co-producing this series of ODD SQUAD UK with Sinking Ship Entertainment,” said Cecilia Persson, Managing Director of BBC Studios Kids & Family. “It’s already a winning format, and this UK version has brought another sense of quirkiness and fun which has filtered through from script, to set, to screen.”
“We are thrilled to bring new agents and more oddness to our global fanbase,” said Blair Powers, Co-Founder and Partner at SSE. “The format takes what we love from the original series and finds its own voice thanks to the fantastic cast and capable hands of our co-production partners at BBC Studios Kids & Family.”
“We are excited to see how this new format of ODD SQUAD, the series that so many kids and families have loved since it first premiered nearly ten years ago, takes shape with Sinking Ship Entertainment and BBC Studios Kids & Family,” said Ellen Doherty, Chief Creative Officer for Fred Rogers Productions. “ODD SQUAD UK will take young audiences on delightfully ‘odd-some’ adventures, while helping to reinforce key math skills all along the way.”
The original ODD SQUAD, a live-action and CG hybrid series aimed at 4-8-year-old, known for its humor, engaging visual effects, and math-based entertainment was created by Tim McKeon (Helpsters, Adventure Time, Gravity Falls) and Adam Peltzman (Wonder Pets!, Peter Rabbit, Wallykazam!). The series has received a wide range of honors—from 17 Daytime Emmy Awards, including a 2019 win for Outstanding Children’s, Family Viewing Program, to five Parents’ Choice Gold Awards, and a 2019 BAFTA Children’s Award for International Live Action.
ODD SQUAD has been sold in more than 200 countries around the world and is currently available in over 25 languages. With 14 online games, 8 apps available across different territories, as well as the “Odd Squadcast” podcast, and “OddTube” YouTube series, the brand’s digital reach extends to millions of viewers and game players monthly.