Jérôme Alby: “We love distributing content that breaks stereotypes”

Thanks to its in-house studios (Ellipse Animation, Belvision, Dargaud Media, Dupuis Audiovisuel, Storimages), third party producers and other major anime partners, Mediatoon Distribution’s catalogue consists of over 4,000 hours worth of entertainment. Jérôme Alby, CEO, and Solène Crepin, Sales and Business Affairs at the French company, talked about “The Fox-Badger Family,” one of the highlights of Mediatoon’s catalogue, which recently debuted its second season.

▸ What is "The Fox-Badger Family" global distribution potential?

“Season one was awarded with the Best Export Award in 2020 (Unifrance) and was sold to more than 150 territories worldwide. This testifies to the excellent international outlook of ‘The Fox-Badger Family’ universe and the very promising distribution prospects for the new season, already sold to Télé-Quebec in Canada, RTS in Switzerland, and WDR in Germany.

▸ Why would the show appeal to audiences around the world?

"‘The Fox-Badger Family’ is a joyful preschool show, beautifully written and animated, promoting tolerance, friendship and family values. It is a great program for teaching children the importance of diversity through the eyes of animals, tackling the theme of blended families. This only strenghens the universality of this show. In addition, we are very proud to present international audiences with such a visually rich program, with fascinating characters and a poetic touch.”

▸ How the original children’s book by Brigitte Luciani and Eve Tharlet helps the distribution of the show?

“The fact that the series is based on such a popular children’s book, already released in more than 15 languages worldwide, only confirms the international potential of these characters and universe. At the same time, the mix of 2D/3D techniques makes it possible to keep the strength of illustrations from the original book while offering all the advantages of 3D animation.”

▸ Do you believe that kids' content that features family values is a new trend in the industry?

“There is a trend of building stories that include diverse family models. To some extent, it is not surprising, as that is the way our society is positively evolving. Here at Mediatoon, we love distributing content that breaks stereotypes. Take for instance “The Fox-Badger- Family”, the story of a blended family, which is becoming more accepted today. It is important to continue portraying stories of authentic family models. This year, we are also launching ‘Living With Dad’ (52x12’), a modern sitcom that also breaks family stereotypes, centering around a single father who lives with his four daughters (all from different mothers). What allows society to evolve better than programs that help children to accept differences and promote tolerance?”

By Diego Alfagemez & Federico Marzullo