At a time when producers of both Australian scripted content and kids shows are especially feeling the squeeze, WTFN has announced Larry the Wonderpup, its Melbourne-produced, fully scripted series for kids, co-produced with Chocolate Liberation Front, is back for an extended, second 20 x 30 run.
Commissioned by Seven for its 7TWO channel and with additional funding support from Film Victoria and Fred Media, WTFN’s international distribution arm, Larry the Wonderpup gets its premiere at 7am on 30th November.
A mix of live action and animated adventures, Larry the Wonderpup sees rescue pup Larry and his best pal, 11-year-old Sasha, tackle themes like friendship, community and the importance of being yourself, while getting into all manner of crazy, madcap and sometimes subversive situations.
For this new season, WTFN created a writers’ room featuring a number of talented young female writers. This included Lorin Clarke (daughter of respected comedian John Clarke), who also created the award-winning ABC RN fiction podcast The Fitzroy Diaries, and Nicolette Minster, a writer on Erinsborough High. Nicolette is also an actor, playing Mrs Crotchetby in the Larry series, and she is also known for her various characters in Kinne Tonight, and for appearing in Neighbours. Joining Lorin and Nicolette in the writers’ room was Neighbours and Erinsborough High writer Libby Butler, who has just written and produced her own Screen Australia funded web series, Love in Captivity, as well as comedian, performer and writer Vidya Rajan – recently signed to comedy agency Token, and Mel Sano.
Timothy Powell, WTFN producer, said: “We are often told that working with children and animals is a recipe for disaster but producing Larry the Wonderpup is a genuine joy. We have a talented young cast, a Larry (who’s actually a female dog called Trinnie) with perfect timing and enviable acting skills and an ingenious team of young female writers who have made this new series funnier than ever. WTFN is thrilled to be supporting emerging Australian writers in this way and proud to now showcase their extraordinary creative talents, not just to viewers at home but also in the international market.”
Season one (18 x 30) of Larry the Wonderpup was a hit overseas, with Fred Media licensing the show to the US (NBCUniversal), Russia and CIS (1HDTV), the Middle East (beIn Neo/Al Jazeera) and across Asia (ABC International). It also had a second window at home on ABC iview and ABCME.