The co-founders of Slumberkins were going to bring their character to life one way or another. It just happens they did it with an entertainment icon.
This week the Slumberkins television show in partnership with The Jim Henson Co. was unveiled as part of the fall lineup for Apple TV+.
How the Vancouver company made the project happen speaks to the power of timing, connection and determination.
“We sort of stumbled into getting the show,” said Kelly Oriard, Slumberkins co-founder and co-CEO with Callie Christensen.
Oriard and Christensen were at an entertainment conference, and Halle Stanford, the president of television for The Jim Henson Co., was there for a dinner. Stanford also happened to be looking for a show about mental health and wellness for the preschool age group.
As Oriard recalled, the duo were introduced to Stanford and they described Slumberkins, a brand of characters and tools to help parents teach children emotional learning. That night, Stanford said they should do a show together.
The two couldn’t believe it. They had recently appeared on ABC’s SharkTank and used the bump in sales to create a puppet of one of their Slumberkins characters in their attempt to make their own show on YouTube. A partnership with Henson would elevate that plan dramatically.
It’s also just the latest move for the founders who have several media projects in the works, including a new affirmation app, podcast plans and a music album. The ultimate vision is for Slumberkins to be a legacy brand and fundamentally change what a healthy childhood looks like with emotional wellness at its core.
“We want to set our sights on redefining what health looks like for families and children in this space,” said Oriard.
Season one of the show is eight episodes with two storylines that are each 10 minutes, Christensen said. The duo are credited as co-executive producers and have had a hand in all aspects of the show. They said The Jim Henson Co. and Apple TV+ have been great partners for building on the Slumberkins vision and community.
“They made space for us in the room to give notes and bring perspectives,” said Oriard, who also has a writing credit on one of the episodes.
The show has new narrative storylines and also takes a children-first perspective rather than being a tool for parents the way the original books are. The hope is parents watch with children, but the show is kid-centric, Oriard said.
Slumberkins has an engaged community. The fast-growing company had revenue of $12.2 million last year. The duo see the show as a new way to engage that community, but new fans can also find the brand through the show.
How this will translate to sales remains to be seen, but Oriard and Christensen are ready. The show lands Nov. 4, right in the start of holiday shopping. Historically, the company does one-third of its annual revenue in the fourth quarter.
“We have tried to stay optimistically excited and conservative,” said Christensen, and not over-ordering inventory. The company didn’t find out the release date until a couple of weeks ago.
To get ahead of any supply chain constraints, the company planned for the show and ordered inventory up front to arrive in the fourth quarter.
The company is venture-backed, and its latest round was $12 million last year. That capital has been used to continue to fuel growth and ensure they have the runway to say ‘yes’ as opportunities present themselves.
