The creators/executive producers enter a multiyear agreement that includes producing new projects for Disney Television Animation and developing adult animation with 20th Television Animation.
Disney Channel’s Big City Greens creators and executive producers, Chris Houghton and Shane Houghton, have struck a wide-ranging deal with Disney Branded Television. Disney Branded Television president Ayo Davis made the announcement.
Under this multiyear producing deal, the Houghtons will produce animated projects with Disney Television Animation while getting opportunities to develop live-action projects within Disney Branded Television across linear and streaming platforms. Additionally, the deal includes development opportunities for adult animation projects with 20th Television Animation.
Under the Houghtons’ direction, Big City Greens, which debuted in June 2018, has been making kids laugh for four seasons and nearly 100 episodes. According to the studio, it was the No. 2 most-watched kids' animated series of 2023, with more than 2 billion hours watched across linear and streaming since it debuted in 2018.
The show follows the offbeat adventures of 10-year-old Cricket Green (voiced by Chris Houghton), a mischievous and optimistic country boy who moved to the big city with his wildly out-of-place family. The show is heavily influenced by the brothers’ childhood growing up in St. Johns, Michigan, a small rural town north of Lansing, also known as the mint capital of the world. Real-life family members and childhood townsfolk inspire many of the show’s characters.
A Big City Greens movie, set to premiere Summer 2024, further expands the franchise. The series’ content also extends to other Disney Branded Television’s popular animated short-form series, including How NOT to Draw, Chibi Tiny Tales, and Broken Karaoke. In addition, Big City Greens recently collaborated with ESPN for the NHL Big City Greens Classic, a live, animated NHL game telecast powered by volumetric and motion capture technologies, which is returning for a second iteration this year.
The Houghtons are also well-known for creating, writing, and illustrating the “Reed Gunther” comic book series about a bear-riding cowboy, which Image Comics published. Upon making their foray into television, Chris worked as a storyboard artist for Disney’s Gravity Falls and Wander Over Yonder. Shane worked for the reality series Tattoo School as editor. The brothers also collaborated on Harvey Beaks, with Chris serving as a storyboard director and Shane as a staff writer.
Chris and Shane Houghton are repped by Julie Kane-Ritsch at The Gotham Group, and Matt Saver of the Law Offices of Matt Saver.
Source: Disney Branded Television
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
