Canadian audiences have joined the quest for knowledge undertaken by ABC original series The Wonder Gang, which has been sold to the country’s national public broadcaster, CBC.
The Wonder Gang is made up of Willow (Chenelle Carr), Whyla (Mischa Heywood), and Wes (Tristan Ayres) – a determined trio of inquisitive kids who will do whatever it takes to answer questions about animals and nature, no matter how complicated they are.
Assisting them in finding out how the natural world works are their quokka pals and an array of gadgets and technology.
The Wonder Gang is produced by Natalie Robinson-Hurst and directed by Karin Fitzhardinge, with Michael Drake as story producer and Jan Stradling as executive producer.
The 60 x 15 series was at an advanced stage of pre-production when the COVID situation escalated last year, forcing the production team to reassess the filming schedule.
Shooting took place from July to December last year, with the first episode premiering on ABC KIDS in March, before screening on CBC TV last month.
The deal between ABC Commercial and CBC means it is now available on the CBC Gem streaming service.
CBC Kids children’s content senior director Marie McCann said the broadcaster was pleased to bring the “fun and fresh” series to young audiences in Canada.
“Canadian kids and families have been asking for more shows about science and animals, and The Wonder Gang is the perfect pairing of both from our friends and partners at ABC Kids,” she said.
In June 2019, ABC and CBC announced a creative and commercial collaboration to enhance the reach and impact of their content across both countries.
ABC Commercial acting head Jessica Ellis was confident The Wonder Gang would connect with Canadian preschoolers.
“We’re excited that kids in Canada can see this terrific new show featuring a diverse live-action cast that, with a mix of puppetry and animation, addresses questions from curious kids,” she said.
“The Wonder Gang has been warmly received by Australian children, so we are thrilled to be working with CBC to bring this wonderful series to Canadian preschoolers.”