In production

HA HA HAIRIES!

In September 2011, Adastra started shooting 52 episodes of Ha Ha Hairies, a new live action comedy series for Cartoon Network’s Cartoonito channel and Welsh channel S4C. The specially-produced Welsh language version takes the title Bla Bla Blewog.

52 episodes will roll out during 2012 and will be watched in an estimated 125 million homes across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. This original series, inspired by the silent comedy geniuses of Past and Present, has been created and written by Mellie Buse and Jan Page.

Ha Ha Hairies is set in the fantasy world of Hairyland, where everything is hairy.  The Ha Ha Hairies are a fun-loving happy-go-lucky family whose lives are full of joy and laughter. There’s Ma Ha Ha, Pa Ha Ha, their elastic gymnastic daughter Mini Ha Ha, and the family dog, Chihua Ha Ha and they all live in a visually gorgeous hairy house with a fabulous hairy garden. Nanna Ha Ha lives nearby in her extraordinary Arty Den, near the Hairy Apple Orchard, where she creates bizarre art projects. There is the mysterious Forest of Frizz, the Curly Swirly Meadow and Ringlet River. And in the distance lies Hairytown where the Ha Ha Hairies sometimes go in their funny vehicle, the Flufferpufferpoop.

But not everybody in Hairyland is happy and hairy. High on the hill sits a purple gothic mansion called Chateau Shampoo and here lives Hairyland’s resident baddie - Boris Boo Hoo, who owns the Boo Hoo Shampoo factory. As you can imagine, shampoo is a must-have in Hairyland, but is Boris a successful business man? No, he is not. He is lazy, jealous, greedy, proud, avaricious and downright mean. Boris Boo Hoo is a schemer, always secretly plotting against the Ha Ha Hairies. It’s a wonder his son Boyzie Boo Hoo is so sweet and innocent, best friends with Mini Ha Ha. In every episode, Boris has “A Plan” and every plan not only goes disastrously wrong, it usually ends up making things better for everybody else.

As the live action slapstick comedy plays out, two CG animated Hairy Fairies - Wiggy and Kwiff - watch the proceedings and narrate the story, providing the only spoken dialogue. Together Wiggy and Kwiff form the Hairy Fairy Band, singing and playing a host of music numbers. With great characters, stunning environments, original songs and underscore, some fabulous dance numbers and a lot of falling over, this pre-school property has all the potential to become a big favourite with young audiences all over the world.

Ha Ha Hairies is about seeing the funny side of things, and having a positive attitude to life. It shows us that being lazy, jealous, mean or greedy doesn’t get you anywhere and it certainly will never make you happy. 

The live action is shot at Enfys Studios, Cardiff with animation and visual effects produced by Red Wire Media.

The series will be simultaneously transmitted in 2012 on the Cartoonito Channel and S4C. DHX Media holds the distribution rights and Turner (Cartoon Network) holds the merchandising and licensing rights.

Ha Ha Hairies has been produced with investment from Finance Wales and support from the Welsh Assembly Government.

Series Producers - Mellie Buse and Jan Page
Directors - Martin Franks and Natalie Bailey
Head of Animation/VFX - Jon Rennie, Red Wire Media.
Production Manager - Bryan Moses