Magoproduction, RAI team for 'Squirrels'

BARCELONA -- Toon and docus production house Magoproduction is joining with Italian pubcaster RAI to produce animated series "The Flying Squirrels." Allotted at 2.5 million ($3.4 million), "Squirrels" may also be backed by Catalan pubcaster TV3, Colombia's Jaguar and Andorra Television. RAI holds all distribution rights for Italia. The 3 dimensional toon series, that's made up of 26 13-minute episodes, triggers five pals, descendants of pirates, who chance a mission for just about any miracle chest that may make each of their wishes be realized. To be successful, they are going to need to outlive the potential risks from the underworld beneath Dragon City. Concentrating on 11-14 year olds, the series was short-listed for October's Mip Junior Kids' Jury Prize. It'll be ready for delivery late 2012. Magoproduction has furthermore folded out sales on "Dr. W," a short toon format of a surgeon working beneath the nickname of Dr. W around the kids' Tv series. Arte has acquired "Dr. W" for Germany and France, RTP for Portugal, YLE for Finland and Canal Encuentro for Argentina. Barcelona-based, Magoproduction will close co-production with Latin America around the second "Dr. W" season, its creative director, Muyi Neira, told Variety. Peter Keydel founded Magoproduction in 2004. Neira grew to become an associate of in 2007. "You need to make B series super productions," Neira joked. We shouldn't suffer pressure of huge budgets, although all of us do goal to endow a TV product with film feel and artistic vision." Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com