This week in moments that permanently alter the chemistry of our brains and understanding of the universe: learning that the original “Teletubbies” Sun Baby now works on the “administrative side” of a security company.
While she reportedly doesn’t remember much from her late ’90s career — which involved working alongside dancing rainbow aliens with TVs in their abdomens and an anthropomorphic vacuum cleaner — we think she’d be proud of where the show has ended up.
That place: The jewel of a Canadian entertainment behemoth
“Teletubbies,” originally a BBC series that built up the perfect parental arsenal — a war chest of 365 TV episodes — was purchased in 2013 by Canadian company WildBrain (then DHX Media) for CA$28.4m.
You may know WildBrain for other shows like “Degrassi,” “Caillou,” “Yo Gabba Gabba!,” or “Inspector Gadget.”
Hopefully, you do not know them for the “Teletubbies” high heels they debuted this month in celebration of the franchise’s 25th anniversary.
‘Teletubbies’ are the cherry on top of a very profitable sundae
WildBrain’s penchant for nostalgia-packed entertainment brands has paid off: The last fiscal year brought in CA$507.2m in revenue, up 12% YoY.
Those revenues are being put to use — earlier this week, WildBrain announced a CA$15.5m acquisition of House of Cool, an animation studio with pre-production credits including Despicable Me and Ice Age.
One boon for WildBrain’s business has been streaming deals, including a “Caillou” reboot with Peacock — and yes, a recent “Teletubbies” reboot on Netflix.
Controversially, the episodes feature a slate of five new Sun Babies.
