BITE TV WELCOMES WORLD CUP WITH WARREN UNITED, A NEW ANIMATED SITCOM ABOUT FAMILY, FOOTBALL AND THE PASSION OF BEING A FAN
SHOW KICKS OFF MONDAY, JUNE 23, 8:30 P.M. EST ON BITE TV
TORONTO, ON: An all-star international comedy team brings the first ever animated sitcom about family, football and the passion of being a fan to BITE TV this summer. WARREN UNITED kicks off on Monday, June 23 on Bite TV, with the World Cup in full throw.
SIMON NYE, the writer of the hit sitcom Men Behaving Badly, and Baby Cow, STEVE COOGAN and HENRY NORMAL’S production company behind film and TV hits like Philomena, The Trip, Moone Boy, Alan Partridge, Gavin and Stacey,partner with leading Canadian producer Smiley Guy Studios to bring you this animated comedy.
Each week, Warren United follows the fortunes of Warren Kingsley, an out-of-shape kitchen salesman and fervent football fan, as he stumbles through life trying to juggle his two passions: football and family.
Warren, aged 37 and a half, is a fan for all seasons and a guy of two halves: both a devoted husband and dad and a diehard fan of Brainsford United, a chronically struggling football club, known to its long-suffering fans as The Meringues.
Warren United is the brainchild of BILL FREEDMAN, an expat Torontonian, who has spent no less than eight years bringing it to the screen. Also a devoted football (and hockey) fan, for decades he was a key figure in London’s West End theatre scene as a producer and theatre-owner. Warren United marks his TV debut, at the age of 84 and three quarters; which probably makes him THE WORLD’S OLDEST TV producer.
“Warren United is about the two most important F’s in life: family and football.” said Freedman. “It’s also about the passion of being a fan. Yes, supporting Brainsford United often brings Warren more pain than joy but that’s what makes him a true fan.”
“New animated narrative series are so rare.” said HENRY NORMAL, co-executive producer and co-founder of Baby Cow Productions. “So are comedies about football, while those about fans even rarer. On several counts, therefore, we’re trying something unusual.”
Warren is voiced by BAFTA award-winner DARREN BOYD (Spy, Alpha Papa). NITIN GANATRA (EastEnders) voices Dilip, Warren’s best friend, while MORGANA ROBINSON (Vic and Bob’s House of Fools) voices Charlie, Warren’s sulky teenage daughter and MORWENNA BANKS (voice of Peppa Pig) voices Warren’s young son Harrison. ELEANOR LAWRENCE (Common Ground) is Warren’s Dutch wife Ingrid and GEORGIE GLEN (Waterloo Road) his young-at-heart mum. JOHNNY VEGAS (Ideal) voices Fat Baz, the manager of Brainsford United, while JONATHAN KYDD and BERTIE PORTAL voice two well-spoken but foul-mouthed police horses, who dispense their views on match-day issues.
“Aside from the fact that football is the fastest growing sport in Canada, Warren is a character and a show that fans of all stripes and basically anyone with a passion can relate to.” added JONAS DIAMOND, executive producer from Smiley Guy Studios. “Canada is definitely ready for a comedy about a superfan!”
With the World Cup frenzy at a fevered pitch, and now the launch of Warren United, our audience can dive into Warren’s tv and digital world and experience fan-tastic entertainment – whenever they what. said Marcia Martin, SVP Original Content from Blue Ant Media.
A celebration of fandom, WarrenUnited.net extends the story across the digital world with desktop and mobile apps including: True Colours (selfie face painting); Warren’s Wardrobe (design your own uniform); Get to the Game (a vintage side-scroller game); Michael and Trevor’s Round Up (horses vs hooligans game); Burger Al’s Traditional Football Recipes (discover delicacies of football fare); Dad, What Are They Singing? (family-friendly football chant translator); Are You A True Fan? (take this online test to find out).
Website: Warren United
Facebook: Warren United
Twitter: @WarrensBalls
WRITTEN BY Simon Nye, David Quantick and Dominic Holland
DIRECTED BY Tim Searle (2DTV, Have I got News For You, I’m Not an Animal)
PRODUCED BY Jeremy Diamond and Denny Silverthorne
CO-PRODUCTION BETWEEN Smiley Guy Studios and Baby Cow Productions produced in Association with ITV in the UK and Blue Ant Media in Canada and the participation of BBC Worldwide and the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund.
ABOUT BITE TV: Bite is a Blue Ant Media Channel. Bite is the source for smart, quirky comedy. Bite features acclaimed series like /It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Inbetweeners, Moone Boy, Portlandia, Guidance and The IT Crowd, hilarious Stand-up specials including Louis CK’s Chewed Up and cult classic movies like Dodgeball, Office Space, and Rollerball.
ABOUT BABY COW: Established in 1999 by award winning comedy creators Steve Coogan and Henry Normal, Baby Cow Productions Ltd has gained an enviable reputation for nurturing new British comedy talent, whilst teaming up with the best of the UK’s established writers, directors and producers. Baby Cow’s productions include award winning Gavin and Stacey, The Mighty Boosh, Nighty Night, Mid Morning Matters, Hunderby, Moone Boy, Hebburn and the Alan Partridge specials resulting in an array of nominations and awards including Bafta, RTS, Rose d’Or, Southbank Awards and International Emmys. Baby Cow’s most recent television shows and films include Uncle for BBC 3, The Trip To Italy, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa and Philomena, which received four Oscar nominations including Best Picture and won a BAFTA for Best Adapted Screenplay.
ABOUT SMILEY GUY STUDIOS: Smiley Guy Studios (SGS) is an award-winning full-service production company with expertise in animation, design, writing, sound, music, and interactive media. Founded in 1998 by graduates of Norman Jewison’s Canadian Film Centre, SGS has since grown in size and capability, with expertise in vector-based animation and computer-generated imagery. It produces its own original content while
also collaborating with clients on a variety of animated TV, film and new media projects, including Odd Job Jack, Hotbox and Bigfoot (Bell Media), Pillars of Freedom and Finding Stuff Out (TVO), Turbo Dogs and The World of Bruce McCall (CBC), Skatoony, The Dating Guy, Sons of Butcher and GeoFreakZ (Teletoon), and SOS: Save Our Skins (Bite TV, FEARnet), and Warren United for ITV and Blue Ant Media.
Be First to Comment