WildBrain, a kids’ and family entertainment company, has signed worldwide distribution rights, excluding Ireland, for season one of the new preschool animated series Ray of Sunshine. Produced by Dublin-based animation studio Daily Madness, the series is currently available for delivery and will be showcased by WildBrain at Kidscreen Summit in February.
Aimed at kids aged three to six, Ray of Sunshine centres around Ray, a sunshine-y, seven-year-old boy who lives in the Sunshine Apartments smack-dab in the middle of Dublin. Ray is a very sociable, outgoing kid with the gift of gab, and he is always ready for a chat. Luckily for Ray, living in an apartment complex where pretty much everybody knows everybody, he can usually find someone to chat to.
The collective care and love of Ray’s neighbours highlight the importance of community, a theme at the heart of this show. Surrounded by a colourful cast of characters, Ray hosts tea parties and invites his neighbours into his very own garden patch in the middle of the apartment courtyard. Ray’s love of these activities teaches young viewers to see all play as inclusive and gender-neutral while placing value on socialisation, conversation, caring and sharing. Ray of Sunshine celebrates the diversity of all kinds, including non-traditional parenting structures and amicable co-parenting.
WildBrain global sales and rights strategy VP Caroline Tyre said, “We’re thrilled to work with Daily Madness, a women-owned and-led animation studio, and we wholeheartedly believe in their mission to champion underrepresented voices in our industry. With Ray of Sunshine, Daily Madness has created a terrific new series filled with silliness, humour and heart. Featuring compelling character-driven stories rooted in gender-neutral play, friendship and community, this adorable series is the perfect addition to our preschool animation slate. We look forward to sharing it with audiences around the world.”
Ray of Sunshine producer and director Lindsey Adams said, “We’re over the moon to sign this deal with WildBrain, a company with such a passion for kids’ content and to join their portfolio of incredible brands. Ray of Sunshine is our love letter to Dublin, a city that is very much home to the creative team working behind the scenes on this show. With our new partners at WildBrain, we’re so excited to see our beloved Ray travel outside of Ireland and to audiences across the globe.”
The principal voice actor in Ray of Sunshine is newcomer Evan Oglesby, taking on the lead role of Ray. The series is created by Lindsey Adams and Shannon George, with head writing by Kristina Yee. Art direction is by Adam Kavanagh with music by Jonathan Casey. Ray of Sunshine was produced with the funding support of RTÉjr, Screen Ireland and Section 481 tax credit.
