UK’s Wheel in Motion and USA’s The Co-Production Company have partnered with Singapore’s August Media Group to launch Syrena’s Mermaid Show, a pre-school live-action/animated hybrid series. The show is set to debut at MIPCOM and is being developed in both English and Mandarin.
The project stars Syrena, Singapore’s well known professional mermaid, who recently gained international recognition in the Netflix docu-series Merpeople. With 52 episodes of 11 minutes each, the show is targeted at preschoolers aged three to five and features an underwater world where Syrena leads viewers on magical adventures. Each episode is filled with music, creativity, and learning as Syrena and her animated sea creature friends explore the ocean, sing catchy songs, and teach fun activities that inspire kids to embrace their imagination and self-confidence.
Syrena, the show’s lead has performed at various events and locations such as Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands and the Zoological Gardens. In 2015, she founded the Singapore Mermaid School offering a mermaid learning experience. Her school teaches physicality, mermaid culture, and theory to both children and adults.
The series was created by showrunner Lexie Kahanovitz, known for her work on Frog and Toad (Apple TV+) and City Island (PBS Kids). The music supervision is by Ego Plum, whose past projects include The Patrick Star Show and SpongeBob SquarePants. Singaporean composer Ricky Ho will produce original Chinese language songs, bringing a cultural dimension to the series.
The series was filmed on location in Singapore. The Mandarin songs will be adapted by Jimmy Ha.
August Media Group executive producer Jyotirmoy Saha shared, “Syrena is a unique talent – a home bred Singaporean star and we are thrilled to bring her to a global audience. With this talented team in London and the US and supported by other top talent from South East Asia behind the production, we’re confident that the show will captivate children and families across the world.”
Wheel in Motion executive director and producer Alexi Wheeler expressed, “With Syrena, we wanted to create a captivating world that speaks to the imagination of preschoolers. The mermaids and their underwater realm provide a magical backdrop that immediately draws young children’s attention, inviting them to explore, dream, and learn through adventures filled with kindness.”
The Co-Production Company executive producer Doug Schwalbe stated, “Working with Moy and his team has been a wonderful collaboration. Their expertise in creating authentic Chinese programming, combined with the magical music of Ricky Ho, makes this project truly special.”
Wheel in Motion and The Co-Production Company are part of the Superprod Group, a media production company with studios in Paris, Angoulême, Milan, and Luxembourg, and offices in London, Los Angeles and New York. The company produces content for US and international markets. The group recently founded a new UK-based production company, Wheel in Motion with Netflix Kids former head Alexi Wheeler and acquired The Co-Production company in 2022.