Beat Bugs coming to Presto

The Beatles will finally get to be beatles -or at least their music will be set to a new animated kids series Beat Bugs, which will premiere in Australia on Presto later this year.

Beat Bugs which will feature some of The Beatles best-known songs woven into the narrative of each episode, including Help!, Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Magical Mystery Tour. They will be performed by acts including Eddie Vedder, P!nk, James Bay, Sia, The Shins, Of Monsters and Men, Chris Cornell, Regina Spektor, James Corden, Daniel Johns and Birdy.

The Beat Bugs are described as charming, funny, adventurous, and have a knack for getting themselves into mischief and mayhem. Each of the five friends (Jay, Kumi, Crick, Buzz, and Walter) has a distinctive personality, and they display the charm and energy of five knockabout, lovable kids. They are best friends who band together to explore and learn in an overgrown suburban backyard, which to them is their entire universe.

The series is the brainchild of Josh Wakely, who will direct, write and produce the series, produced by Grace and Vancouver-based Thunderbird Beyond Screen Productions.

Seven is an investor in the series, which will see it debut on Presto. In all other markets it will premiere on Netflix.

Seven CEO Tim Worner said, “We are very excited to be a part of such a terrific project. We loved the concept from the moment it was presented to us and we jumped in as the original investor and broadcast partner. We are making significant progress in building our presence in international markets with our two joint venture businesses – 7 Wonder and 7 Beyond – securing significant commissions in the United Kingdom and the United States. We are also seeing increasing demand for our owned and created content and concepts.”

“It’s a rare occasion to be presented with a truly one-of-a-kind children’s show that is so perfectly suited to Netflix,” said Andy Yeatman, director of original kid’s content at Netflix. “Josh and his team have not only developed a compelling children’s show filled with life lessons, but they’ve built a show that will transcend generations and have parents and grandparents enjoying right alongside their little ones.”

Josh Wakely says: “Bringing Beat Bugs to life on Netflix and having a platform to re-imagine this universally acclaimed music for families around the world is an exhilarating and rewarding experience. Our partners have been fantastic in making this concept a vivid reality, and this is a great example of the innovative and fresh storytelling at the heart of Grace’s ethos.”

Josh Wakley’s Grace is based in both Australia and the US.