David Farnor | On 09, Jul 2020

Channel 4 has ordered a new series based on the YouTube show Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared.

The cult hit has been viewed over a quarter of a billion times. Part-educational programming, part-existential nightmare, the mixed-media trip moves from kids-show pastiche to fever-dream horror. The series will follow Red Guy, Yellow Guy and Duck as they continue their disastrous learning journey. This puppet musical extravaganza is helmed by original creators Becky Sloan, Joseph Pelling and Baker Terry.

Fiona McDermott, Head of Comedy, Channel 4, says: “Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared is a uniquely pitched show from one of the most creative production companies around. Ideas that come with such a strong identity and established following are incredibly rare but they are really important factors when it comes to making content for younger audiences. We were desperate to endorse this glorious genre-blending-puppet-tour-de-force.”

The series is one of several projects awarded financial support from the Government funded Young Audiences Content Fund. It follows E4’s Letters in Lockdown, from Afro Mic Productions, which captured six stories of young people from across the UK amid the Covid-19 lockdown who were inspired to write to their loved ones. The short-form docuseries is available now on All 4.

Also part of the YACF projects is Mother’s Best Child’s ‘Grime Therapy’, a new animated series featuring the UK’s leading Grime stars, talking openly about mental health, and how to cope with it. They’ll draw on personal experience and offer science-based techniques and mental tools to help you deal with things like worry, uncertainty, boredom, loneliness, conflict and anger. Shining a light on mental health issues among teenagers, the series is relatable and representative, giving a platform to under-represented groups from the UK.

Navi Lamba, Digital Commissioning Exec for E4 commented: “It’s been so brilliant harnessing all the creativity inspired in our indie partners over the last few months. We’ve commissioned a mixture of animation and live action, hearing the stories of real people across the country and those of well-known faces in music and TV.”

The total YAFC slate of series and specials includes treasure-seeking gameshow Don’t Unleash the Beast and Dot to Dot Production’s arts and crafts series Makeaway Takeaway and Aardman sitcom Lloyd of the Flies for for CITV, Winnie the Witch adaptation Winnie & Wilbur, Fourth Wall Animation’s Milo, and storytelling series The World According to Grandpa for Channel 5’s Milkshake!, plus Welsh language historical factual series Hei Hanes! and 2D early learning series Sali Mali for S4C.

Jackie Edwards, Head of the Young Audiences Content Fund at the BFI, said: “We’re proud of the range of projects we’ve been able to support within our production slate, nurturing stories and concepts we feel will enrich television for young audiences. Throughout the first year, we have been overwhelmed by the quality of the production applications that have secured a broadcast commission and I’m hugely excited about the exciting new UK talent we have been able to support.”

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