Emily has been banging on about Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness for years, so she's delighted to have a professional reason to do it again. Matthieu Zeller, president and CEO of Belgium's nWave Studios, joins Andy, Jo, and Emily to talk about the Chickenhare franchise, whose second instalment — Chickenhare and the Secret of the Groundhog — is hitting cinemas now.

nWave is a 31-year-old studio with origins in stereoscopic 3D for IMAX and theme parks, and a track record of original animated features built on character-first storytelling, European financing, and budgets that are a fraction of what US studios spend. Matthieu is refreshingly direct about what that means: no massive battles or thousands-of-character set pieces, but a clarity of emotional storytelling that he argues can out-move the big studios when the script is right. The conversation gets into how nWave structures its financing through loyal European distribution partners, why constraints produce better creative work rather than worse, and why the mid-budget family animation that once anchored theatrical and DVD has been almost entirely forgotten by an industry fixated on franchises and streaming.

There's also a pointed argument running through the episode about who is actually underestimated in the room — and it's kids. Matthieu's view, backed up by test screenings, is that children handle sophisticated, layered storytelling far better than most adults in the industry give them credit for, and that the industry's tendency to dumb things down is both an insult and a missed opportunity. If you've ever wondered whether a good original family film can still get made outside the studio system, this episode is the answer.

A bonus episode timed ahead of Netflix's earnings call, with Andy and Jo putting questions to Emily as she and her team prep the next Netflix Kids Content Performance Report. The conversation starts with the Warner deal Netflix walked away from, and what that decision — clinical, unmathematical, uncharacteristically restrained — reveals about where Netflix thinks its gaps actually are.

From there it's into the data: second seasons not landing as hard, the hit-making machine feeling slightly less reliable, and the structural tension between binge-model engagement and the habit-forming retention Netflix is now chasing. Kids content, Emily argues, is central to solving that problem — it's the most habitually consumed content on any platform — which makes Netflix's growing investment in the space (YouTube creator acquisitions, the Playground gaming app, no ads on kids profiles even on the ad tier) start to look less opportunistic and more strategic.

The harder question the episode lands on is whether Netflix is actually in the business of building IP, or just exceptionally good at acquiring other people's. K-Pop Demon Hunters was lightning in a bottle — brilliant, defining, not a strategy. Emily's view is that Netflix's note is aggregation, not origination, and the Warner pursuit was less about content ambition and more about filling a catalogue gap they can't otherwise close.

Takeaways:

• In this episode, we discussed the implications of Netflix's recent data drop on children's content and engagement metrics.
• We examined how Netflix's shift from subscriber growth to engagement metrics reflects a significant corporate strategy adjustment.
• The discussion highlighted the challenges Netflix faces with second seasons not performing as strongly as expected, raising concerns about content sustainability.
• We noted the increasing competition among children's programming, particularly how established properties like Ms. Rachel are reshaping engagement on the platform.
• The podcast emphasized Netflix's strategic positioning as a safe alternative to YouTube for children's content, focusing on curated and ad-free viewing experiences.
• We explored the significance of Netflix's kids app and gaming offerings in enhancing viewer retention and engagement for younger audiences.

Links referenced in this episode:

• kidsmediaclub.substack.com
• youtube.com

Three guests on one episode — Oliver and Alvaro, co-founders of Telos Media and the team behind Solar Balls (half a billion views on the English channel alone, 2 billion across all languages), and Mary James, the Hollywood-experienced executive producer who bridges their digital-first world and the mainstream. Together they've just launched Run Monster Run, a new animated IP that hit 20 million views within two weeks of its pilot dropping on YouTube — and they're already fielding inbound interest from platforms.

The conversation covers the full playbook: how Solar Balls went from zero to 100,000 subscribers in 10 days and turned profitable within a month; why YouTube was chosen as the launch platform for Run Monster Run over a traditional pitch route; how Discord functions as a fandom hub that sits outside the algorithm; and how Alvaro manages fan engagement with a deliberately mysterious, Easter-egg-heavy approach that keeps communities theorising and proactive without burning through the IP's future potential. The team is refreshingly candid about what they're looking for in a platform partner — and equally clear that they don't need one to proceed.

The episode also gets into what makes Run Monster Run different from the current wave of independent animation: a deliberately broad, multigenerational emotional premise, complex lore built for long-term storytelling, and the creative discipline not to show everything at once. A team of 122 people, a theme song co-written by the creators of the Paw Patrol theme, and a shorts strategy designed to deepen character rather than just fill a feed. This one is worth watching closely.