Denis and Me

Denis and Me is a Canadian animated series created by YouTuber Denis Kopotun and Diana Moore, produced by Headspinner Productions[1] and distributed by WildBrain.[2] The series follows about a teenager named Denis, who is portrayed by Kopotun as a fictionalised version of himself, and his cat Sir Meows A Lot. It is currently running on the Canadian streaming service Crave,[3] as well WildBrain Television’s Family Channel. The French-language version of this show, Denis et moi, premiered on Télémagino on Saturday, July 31, 2021. All the episodes and specials are also available globally on the official YouTube channel.[1]

Denis and Me
GenreComedy
Adventure
Created byDenis Kopotun
Diana Moore
Based onDenis
Voices ofDenis Kopotun
Music byMatt Ouimet
Opening theme"Denis and Me Opening Theme"
Ending theme"You'll Always Be My Friend" by Sam Cram
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes35
Production
Executive producersDiana Moore
Michelle Melanson
Kevin Cuperus
ProducersLuke Conrad
Crystal Hilchey
Running time3 minutes (seasons 1 and 2)
11 minutes (season 3)
Production companyHeadspinner Productions
BudgetUS$374,612 (season 1)
Release
Original networkWildBrainTV
Crave
ABC iview
YouTube
Original releaseNovember 29, 2020 (2020-11-29) –
present

Premise

The series follows the misadventures of Denis, a teenager who is a fictionalised version of Kopotun, and his best friend and pet cat Sir Meows A Lot. Denis is portrayed as the optimistic straight man, who is oblivious to the plans of Sir Meows A Lot, who usually comes up with evil schemes and shenanigans, such as cloning Denis or plotting world domination. The episodes usually end with Denis receiving the impact of Sir Meows A Lot's plots after much chaos. The series features recurring characters, most notably Lady Barks A Bit, a Shiba Inu with whom Sir Meows A Lot retains a rivalry, and tries to get attention of Denis.

Development

Denis Kopotun started his YouTube channel in 2016, uploading comedic gaming videos centered around Roblox and Minecraft. The channel also featured a plush cat named Sir Meows A Lot, who was based on a Roblox accessory.[1]

The show started development in 2018, announcing the showrunner as Diana Moore and executed producers as Headspinner Productions founder Michelle Melanson, and Ken Cuperus, along with Moore.[3] Kopotun publicly announced it on his channel on July 7, 2020.

The series’ first 10 episodes were budgeted with US$374,612. The Canada Media Fund provided US$16,790, while Bell Media offered around 10 percent of that total, to produce a series bible, scripts, and an animatic. 75 percent of the budget was funded by Shaw Rocket Fund’s new Kids Digital Animated Series program, and producer investment and tax credits covered the remaining 25 percent.[1]

The visuals were animated by Cartoon Conrad in Beaver Bank, Nova Scotia, Canada,[4] and the voice acting for all the characters was done by Kopotun.[1]

The first season had 10 3-minute episodes produced, while the second season had 20 3-minute episodes produced.[2] Season 3 has had 5 11-minute episodes produced.

Release

The series premiered on December 4, 2020 as part of WOW Unlimited Media’s WOW! World Kids Collection on Crave.[4] Wildbrain's Family Channel network premiered the first season in the summer of 2021, with the second released later that fall.[2] Seasons 1 and 2 are globally released on the official YouTube channel, with Canada being geo-blocked.[1]

Reception

The special Santa Who? was nominated for Best Animated Program or Series at the 11th Canadian Screen Awards in 2023.[5]

References
  1. Jeremy Dickson (June 10, 2020). "Inside the Headspinner strategy for Denis and Me". KidScreen.
  2. Alexandra Whyte (May 19, 2021). "WildBrain gets on board Denis and Me". KidScreen.
  3. Mark Layton (November 30, 2020). "Kids round-up: Crave acquires 'Denis' YouTube hit; Nat Geo Kids extends 'Dino Dana' in LatAm; Hopster launches on ComHem Play+ - TBI Vision". Television Business International.
  4. Milligan, Mercedes (November 30, 2020). "YouTuber Toon 'Denis and Me' Premieres Dec. 4 on Crave". Animation Magazine.
  5. Milligan, Mercedes (February 22, 2023). "Canadian Screen Awards: 2023 Animation Nominees". Animation Magazine.
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