Nickelodeon Acquires Animated Kids' Show ‘Mr. Crocodile' From Joann Sfar's Magical Society & Mediawan
Nickelodeon has acquired kids' Series Mr. Crocodile about the friendship between an eight-year-old girl and a talking crocodile.
It is adapted from French author and director Joann Sfar's best-selling book Mister Crocodile is Very Hungry (Monsieur Crocodile a Beaucoup Faim), published by Gallimard in France.
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The series is produced by Sfar's Magical Society and distributed by Mediawan Kids & Family, with the participation of Nickelodeon and France Télévisions.
The series will air globally on Nick Jr. channels, and on France Télévisions in France.
Mr. Crocodile is the first animated series from Magical Society, the Paris-based company co-founded by Sfar with Aton Soumache, and backed by Mediawan. The company's previous credits include animated features such as The Rabbi's Cat and Little Vampire, which were also adapted from Sfar's best-selling illustrated books.
The 52×11 show follows the adventures of its toothy, loveable protagonist reptile and best friend Daisy, as he cheerfully navigates life with boundless enthusiasm and comical misunderstandings due to his instinctive crocodile logic.
New to a diverse and lively mobile home community, Mr. Crocodile lives with Daisy, and they split their time between her parents' separate homes. Every day is an adventure as they share an unconditional acceptance of each other 's approach to life.
'Nickelodeon is continuing the legacy of beloved kids' stories with the acquisition of Mr. Crocodile,' said Layla Lewis, Senior Vice President, Global Acquisitions and Content Partnerships, Nickelodeon.
'This delightful series brings the charm and adventure of Joann Sfar's original book to a new generation of viewers, emphasizing our commitment to delivering engaging and entertaining content for kids. We can't wait for audiences to join Mr. Crocodile and Daisy on their fun-filled adventures.'
The show is part of a growing slate of animation shows and features supported by Mediawan Kids & Family, the animation arm of European content group Mediawan.
'We are delighted to collaborate with Nickelodeon to introduce Mr. Crocodile to audiences around the globe,' said Mediawan Kids & Family President Julien Borde
'Joann Sfar's Magical Society has assembled an exceptional international team of passionate talent to bring to life this innovative story, conceived by one of France's most creative and prolific artists. We are confident that the show will captivate and inspire children everywhere.'
Magical Society co-founder and producer Soumache noted the significance of Mr. Crocodile for the company.
'Joann and I are thrilled to launch Mr. Crocodile, our first CGI series based on Joann's iconic book, through Magical Society, the studio we founded together,' he said.
'Our teams have done an incredible job adapting Joann's characters and universe into stunning 3D designs, while staying true to his whimsical and mischievous universe. It was deeply moving to see Mr. Crocodile, Daisy, and all their friends come to life for the very first time.'
Mr. Crocodile was developed by Simon Nicholson and Sfar, and is directed by Fabien Brandily. Rachel Lipman serves as Executive Producer alongside producers Soumache, Sfar, Lipman, and Cédric Pilot. Max Goodman and Lynsey O'Callaghan serve as the Executives in Charge for Nickelodeon.
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I'd knock on his door, 'Is there anything you want me to do in training to be able to get myself back in the team?'. I didn't understand. I was confused for so long. I remember just channelling my focus on training. Advertisement 'It wasn't until I was having lunch with some boys after training and Mourinho walks in. He was someone I had met when I was at Fulham, as his son (a goalkeeper, also named Jose) was there. He came over and said, 'DJ, I want to know why you've not been playing recently. The last game you were doing good. Are you not fit? What's the problem?'. And I told him, 'I honestly don't know.' 'Mourinho said, 'OK, now you're going to come train with us, and I'm gonna tell you the reason why I think you don't play.' I ended up training with them most of the time. He couldn't give me a reason why I wasn't playing. He said, 'If I could say one thing – never walk (when on the pitch)'.' 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Spells elsewhere in the Netherlands at Telstar and Emmen followed but his progress has been stymied by two surgeries in the past two years, the first for a broken kneecap, and the second for a knee meniscus injury sustained as London-born Buffonge was preparing to join up with Caribbean country Montserrat's national team. His energy at the moment is away from the pitch, working on creating a platform that he says is to 'coach young men on mindset, masculinity, purpose and motivation'. He adds: 'I'm teaching the lessons that go beyond sport — discipline, resilience; things I had to master during my time at Manchester United and beyond.' He is still in regular contact with former team-mates such as Sancho, another Londoner who went north to pursue his football dream. They met through Gomes when Sancho was at Manchester City's academy. Buffonge has watched the career arcs of Sancho and Rashford at United with interest and, while he prefers to speak in general terms, he believes players should be judged on their on-field performances. 'To bring a person's appearance, or the car they drive, into their performance, I don't think is fair,' he says. 'Players train the way they feel inside. If these players are not feeling appreciated or heard, or they're not allowed to do what they do best, they're going to feel a type of way. 'And I feel like coaches don't have the time nor the care to really figure out why a player may be training a certain way. They'll just start pointing at all these other things, kind of like a smokescreen. 'We've all seen what Marcus did at Aston Villa (on loan for the second half of last season). These players who can do amazing things have that talent living inside, but due to a lot of external factors, sometimes it can get blocked. These shots at a person's character are what can have a negative impact, which is part of the work that I'm doing now. 'People who've watched me go through what I've gone through and what it must take, on top of the fact they see what I do on the pitch, it equates to a trusted voice.'