National Geographic Television & Film’s Kids’ (NGT&F) Programming and Production ‘s live-action/animated preschool series Mamma Mirabelle’s Home Movies has sold to TVO Canada. Donna Friedman Meir, president, kids’ programming and production for NGT&F announced this first broadcast deal for the show’s 13×22 or 26×11 episodes yesterday.

Mamma Mirabelle’s Home Movies’ cast of loveable baby animals with regulars like Max the elephant calf, Bo the cheetah cub, Karla the zebra foal and monkeys Pip, Flip and Chip, provide a fun-spirited foray into the wild kingdom for preschoolers. Each day the motherly elephant Mamma Mirabelle gathers the adorable animals in the savannah to watch home movies of themselves and other creatures on their day-to-day adventures. As they watch, Mamma explains the ways of the natural world to her ever-curious kiddies.

The series is based on George Evelyn and Wild Brain animation studio’s original concept. Writer Andrew Yerkes (Pocoyo, Stanley, Bear in the Big Blue House) provided the script for the pilot episode with Leo Nielsen (Wide Eye, Paz, Maisy), who hails from the U.K.’s King Rollo Films animation house, serving as director and producer. Eve Hall (O’Grady High, The Berenstain Bears, Monster by Mistake) was the educational consultant with support from NGT&F’s research team and Nat Geo’s Digital Media group. Production will begin on 26×11 episodes of Mamma Mirabelle’s Home Movies’ for fall 2006 delivery.