Since 2016, the animated children's series Grizzy and the Lemmings has toured the world, both on TV screens and through the adventures of its characters. Josselin Charier, co-creator of the series and co-founder of HARI, tells us how the idea for this spinoff entitled Baby Lemmings, a gentle, caring slapstick comedy featuring the lemmings characters in a whole new way, came about. Distribution director Sophie 'Kido' Prigent explains how this new creation has all the elements necessary to appeal to broadcasters and young children alike.
Unifrance: Baby Lemmings is the spinoff of Grizzy and the Lemmings, a worldwide success! What gave rise to the Grizzy and the Lemmings characters? How did the series come about?
Josselin Charier: For Antoine [Rodelet] and me, the opening credits of the famous Warner Bros series Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies were, in our younger years, the starting signal for a moment of pure, unmissable entertainment.
These cartoon classics, discovered on television, forged our imaginations, our sense of humor, and ultimately made us want to enter this profession! It was with the crazy desire to be as popular as they were that we set about producing Grizzy and the Lemmings.
Obviously, our aim was not to copy our illustrious references, nor to embark on an in “the style of" exercise. Instead, we wanted to invent worthy descendants for these heroes, in the tradition of animated, non-dialogue physical comedy. New heroes and a new universe, too, but with writing that plays on (and thwarts) the viewer's expectations, a masterful sense of rhythm and timing, wild ideas, all within the framework of a nonetheless implacable narrative logic.
We knew right from the start that we wanted to portray a conflicted duo. And just as we were beginning to work on the concept for the series, we came across a 1958 Walt Disney documentary about lemmings. It's in this film that we see the famous scene where hundreds of lemmings throw themselves en masse, without thinking (and without knowing how to dive!) from the top of a huge cliff. Impressed by the stupiditý and recklessnesś of these little mammals, we immediately realized that they had great potential as cartoon heroes. But it seemed difficult to team them up as a duo since these rodents live exclusively in groups...
So why not, finally, if – instead of individualizing lemmings – we considered a group of lemmings as a single character, both single and plural? In that case, the animal most antagonistic to the lemmings' profile would unquestionably be the grizzly bear. They're small, he's big; they're numerous, he's alone. They're fast, he's strong. It's a perfect antagonistic pair!
Where did the idea for a spin-off come from?
JC: Slapstick series aren't suitable for preschoolers – because the humor is partly based on unbridled conflict, where the characters always up the ante.
With Antoine, however, we knew that the non-dialogue aspect of the “cartoon” style of storytelling was totally suited to young audiences. The sequences of pure physical comedy in the Disney classics (the one with Bambi on the ice, for example!) have left a lasting impression. We therefore wanted to produce a series that could be a form of introduction to cartoon physical comedy for younger audiences, without featuring behavior that would be problematic.
We explored a number of avenues – first excluding lemmings, whose behavior seemed too crazy, too excessive, and too dangerous for younger children. Then, on reflection, we realized that lemmings' DNA makes the world a playground – since they turn everything (including a conflict with Grizzy) into a game!
By imagining a world before the encounter with Grizzy, with much younger and totally kawaii lemmings – "Baby Lemmings" – we could build a narrative based on this DNA (the taste for play) by developing a tale adapted for youngest viewers, with sequences of pure physical cartoon comedy, what we call “gentle slapstick”!
What ingredients do Grizzy and the Lemmings and Baby Lemmings have in common that ensure the continuity of the world established in the former?
JC: What they have in common is the character of the lemmings and their philosophy of life, which lies somewhere between “Don't worry, be happy," “You only live once,” “The world is your oyster,” and “The world is a playground.” Lemmings – baby or not – embody the spirit of children: they're curious, joyful, enthusiastic, playful, innocent, super-cute – and never tired!
On the other hand, what makes Baby Lemmings different?
JC: To ensure that the program is perfectly suited to younger audiences, the world of Baby Lemmings is more gentle, more natural, and poetic than that of Grizzy and the Lemmings.
More gentle: In Baby Lemmings, there's no character who – like Grizzy in Grizzy and the Lemmings – embodies a radical opposite to the group of rodents. It's a world where conflicts exist, of course, but thanks to their creativity, the Baby Lemmings always find a way to resolve them. Here, a happy ending is the rule!
More natural: the action doesn't take place in the Forest Ranger's cabin, so all human accessories are kept at a distance, especially technological devices – as well as the chocolate spread Grizzy loves.
The Baby Lemmings live by a lake. And it's the elements of the natural environment in which they live that are their source of play. In the course of their wanderings, the lemmings also meet the other inhabitants of the forest (chipmunk, beaver, moose), and these encounters are full of surprises!
More poetic: the world is seen from the characters' level – and therefore from a child's perspective. The lemmings' vision allows us to share (or rediscover) a sense of wonder at the beauty and resources of nature, a form of innocence, the pleasure of enjoying what is presented to us, boundless creativity, a taste for play – an enthusiasm and joy that never fades!
In terms of staging, the idea is to place viewers, as much as possible, level with the characters (small in stature!) to discover the world through their eyes. Far from the hectic pace of Grizzy and the Lemmings, we're aiming for a much calmer editing style. The camera will take the time to accompany the Baby Lemmings in their discoveries, their clumsiness, their wonder, their attempts. And although the Baby Lemmings are far from contemplative, the camera will be effaced to better highlight their acting.
Sophie 'Kido' Prigent: In terms of distribution, we're talking about different channels/services or broadcast slots, so we'll be on Cartoonito with Warner and Toggolino with Super RTL, for example.
In each episode of Baby Lemmings, our heroes meet a baby animal in difficulty. This may involve a reluctance to socialize or share, or childhood fears such as fear of the dark. They can also be frustrations with difficult tasks, like the baby beaver who has trouble building his dam.
What new writing challenges did this preschool series pose, particularly in adapting to such a young audience?
S'K'P: Baby Lemmings Baby Lemmings targets a preschool audience, so the storytelling had to be adapted for children younger than Grizzy and the Lemmings's usual audience (6+).
JC: Beyond the goodwill and gentleness that underpins the storytelling, we're always careful to ensure that Baby Lemmings' behaviors aren't problematic if they're copied. To ensure that we take into account all the prerequisites for addressing 4+ audiences, we consulted Dr. Laura Brown, a renowned child psychologist who has worked with many content creators (Warner, Disney, Dreamworks etc.).
We respect “standards & practices,” i.e. the rules established by channels and platforms to frame program content and which imply certain ethical, moral, and behavioral standards to be respected: for example, when a character falls into the water, we make sure he keeps his head above water – a sign that he's breathing!
Was it easy to convince the partners who had already worked with you on Grizzy and the Lemmings?
S'K'P: These days, everyone is looking for franchises, and the Grizzy and the Lemmings, which has been out for eight years with global success, is one of them! Indeed, it's been such a success for our partners that they were very enthusiastic about the idea of a preschool kawaii spin-off, a gentler but still slapstick proposition for the delight of the little ones this time!
And the timing is particularly interesting for Warner, which is focusing on Cartoonito and is therefore keen on good preschool content.
Grizzy and the Lemmings has been a hit, especially on Netflix and YouTube, what is your distribution strategy for Baby Lemmings?
S'K'P: We create premium properties with refined storytelling and a visual quality close to that of the big screen, commonly known as “feature-TV.” This allows us to look ahead to distribution similar to that of Grizzy and the Lemmings: as with the original series, we have signed a pan-regional agreement with Warner for pay TV broadcast; France Télévisions and Super RTL have led the way as public and commercial free-to-air broadcasters. SVT has already committed to broadcasting after Warner's holdback, Télé-Québec has also committed, and other linear contracts are in the pipeline.
The current trend among SVOD platforms for children's programs is towards acquisition, which means that these discussions are a second step. We also have flexibility on YouTube, with a few episodes, compilations, and clips that we can exploit to bring the property to life on this essential platform (70% of YouTube content is consumed on connected televisions). This represents a major boost for broadcasters and platforms, as it reinforces the appeal of content that children can find in its entirety on their channels and platforms.
What are your ambitions for the development of the property?
JC: First of all, we want to maintain the momentum by producing new seasons of Grizzy and the Lemmings. Since 2016, when the first season was launched, we've financed and produced an average of one new season every two years. The idea is to continue at this pace, since we're seeing a genuine virtuous circle – popularity gains, audience peaks, larger audiences – every time a new season is launched!
After Seasons 1 and 2, based in Canada, and Grizzy and the Lemmings' world tour in Seasons 3 and 4, our heroes will travel through time in Seasons 5 and 6, now in preparation!
In addition, we're developing a brand strategy around IP, with a view to entering the world of consumer products. The long-term aim is for HARI to become more than just a visual production company, but a creator of IP that can be exploited on a full scale.
S'K'P: With this in mind, we took part in the Licensing Show in Las Vegas and the BLE in London. We initiated discussions with Master Toy companies to develop Grizzy and the Lemmings toy ranges – and also with licensing agents to represent the brand worldwide.
At the same time, we initiated our first licensing deals in France and the UK:
- In the fast-food sector, we organized an initial operation in the 300 KFC restaurants in France: 500,000 Grizzy and the Lemmings books (adapted from the series' episodes) were distributed with the children's menu at the start of the new school year!
- On the publishing front, we're very proud to have signed a deal with Hachette, which will publish a first Grizzy and the Lemmings album in the first quarter of 2025.
- We are also developing our first textile collection with Fashion UK. The garments will be sold in Primark stores from December onwards, in the UK and the rest of Europe during 2025.
What else is happening at HARI?
S'K'P: Mystery Lane was nominated for an International Emmy® Award!
Mystery Lane's Christmas Special, White Investigation (1x44‘) will be delivered in November, and France Télévisions will broadcast it on December 24; it will also be broadcast in Eastern Europe on Minimax, in Norway on NRK, in Switzerland on RTS, and in Canada on Télé-Québec. Our other partner channels will broadcast it Christmas day.
Season 2 of Mystery Lane is in development, after a colossal success in France – 7 million views and in the top 3 most-watched series on Okoo since its launch in August 2023. Our other partners have enjoyed similar success with... We have signed several pre-purchase offers and others are in discussion. The first episodes should be delivered at the end of 2026.
We're also delivering our new dialogue-free slapstick show The Weasy Family in 2025, with the first episodes available as early as April and broadcast by France Télévisions, Super RTL, and the BBC. Here, HARI breaks new ground in the genre by combining slapstick comedy and touching storytelling with emotional stakes at the heart of the story. The story of Weasy, a father weasel and his duckling daughters, is kindhearted slapstick that will resonate with children and parents alike!
