Irish animation studio Sixteen South has partnered with Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana to develop and coproduce A Horse Named Steve.
The 2D-animated comedy series (52 x 11 minutes) revolves around a self-absorbed horse and his endless schemes to capture attention and stand out from the crowd. The deal marks Sixteen South’s first Canadian coproduction.
The project is an adaptation of writer/illustrator Kelly Collier’s Steve the Horse picture book series, which is published by Corus-owned Kids Can Press. Colin Williams, creative director at Sixteen South, says he discovered the IP in a recent roundup from Playback sister publication Kidscreen of book titles available for option.
Although the picture books target kids ages three to seven, they have a self-awareness and “dry humour” that make it easy to age-up the series concept for eight- to 11-year-olds, Williams tells Kidscreen. “It has an intelligent humour for older kids. It’s smart and snarky, and we’re dead-excited about its unique visual design, which will let us exercise our creative chops.”
The silliness of the books is what drew Nelvana to the property, says Athena Georgaklis, VP of Nelvana Studios. “[It’s] a really clever and laugh-out-loud story.”
There are currently two books in the series: A Horse Named Steve (pictured, 2017) and Team Steve (2018). Digital storybook platform Vooks adapted the lead book into an animated short, narrated by Rainn Wilson (The Office) in 2021.
Williams says the plan is for Sixteen South and Nelvana to pitch the series together at Cartoon Forum in September, armed with a bible and an animated trailer. They’re looking for broadcast partners — and he’s hopeful that the Corus networks will be interested.
A Horse Named Steve is a sign of what’s to come at Sixteen South, as it expands its slate and shifts more focus to comedy, adds Williams. “We have two preschool series in development, and we pitched Spaghetti Sisters last year. We’re expanding with this comedy-driven show that skews a bit older.”
This story originally appeared in Kidscreen
Image courtesy of Corus Entertainment