JoJo & Gran Gran
JoJo & Gran Gran is a British children's animated television series, based on the semi-autobiographical book Jo-Jo and Gran-Gran, All in a Week by Laura Henry MBE. It is the first animated series to centre on a Black British family.[2] It first premiered on 16 March 2020 and airs on weekdays on CBeebies.
| JoJo & Gran Gran | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Based on | Jo-Jo and Gran-Gran, All in a Week by Laura Henry |
| Voices of |
|
| Opening theme | Performed by Sharlene Hector |
| Composers |
|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 44 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Tom Cousins |
| Production companies | In House Productions Unscripted Development Amuse Films |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBeebies |
| Original release | 16 March 2020 – present |
Premise
JoJo is a 4 going on 5 year old girl who lives in London. Her Gran Gran looks after her while her parents work and teaches her about her Saint Lucian heritage.[3]
The series features interviews with real-life children.
Cast
- Taiya Samuel as JoJo
- Cathy Tyson as Gran Gran
- Llewella Gideon as Great Gran Gran
- Ashley Joseph as Jared
- Teresa Gallagher as Cynthia[4]
Episodes
Spring
| No. | Title | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "It's Time to Post a Picture" | Karen Reed | 16 March 2020 |
| 2 | "It's Time to Catch the Bus" | Sharon Miller | 17 March 2020 |
| 3 | "It's Time to Check the Weather Forecast" | Mark Huckerby & Nick Ostler | 18 March 2020 |
| 4 | "It's Time for a Spring Clear Out" | Ian Carney | 19 March 2020 |
| 5 | "It's Time to Find a Butterfly" | Ian Carney | 20 March 2020 |
| 6 | "It's Time to Bake" | Omari McCarthy | 23 March 2020 |
| 7 | "It's Time to Visit the Farm" | Karen Reed | 24 March 2020 |
| 8 | "It's Time to Make Up a Story" | Gerard Foster | 25 March 2020 |
| 9 | "It's Time to Grow a Flower" | Trish Cooke | 26 March 2020 |
| 10 | "It's Time to Look at Old Picture" | Seyi Odusanya | 27 March 2020 |
| 11 | "It's Time to Dance" | Kerri Grant | 30 March 2020 |
Summer
| No. | Title | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "It's Time for Carnival" | Lucia Haynes | 20 July 2020 |
| 2 | "It's Time to Find a Dinosaur" | Gerard Foster | 21 July 2020 |
| 3 | "It's Time to Visit the Library" | Gerard Foster | 22 July 2020 |
| 4 | "It's Time for a Race" | Becky Overton | 23 July 2020 |
| 5 | "It's Time to Build a Sandcastle" | Nathan Caton | 24 July 2020 |
| 6 | "It's Time to Go to the Hairdresser's" | Nathan Caton | 27 July 2020 |
| 7 | "It's Time to Put on a Show" | Omari McCarthy | 28 July 2020 |
| 8 | "It's Time for a Sleepover" | Becky Overton | 29 July 2020 |
| 9 | "It's Time to Go on Holiday" | Liam Swann | 30 July 2020 |
| 10 | "It's Time to Pick Strawberries" | Ian Carney | 31 July 2020 |
| 11 | "It's Time to Ride a Bike" | Ian Carney | 3 August 2020 |
Autumn
| No. | Title | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "It's Time for Autumn Leaves" | Lizzie Ennever | TBA |
Winter
| No. | Title | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | "It's Time for Great Gran Gran to Visit" | TBA |
Production
There are 44 episodes divided into 11-episode series. Over 100 people worked on the production; Tom Cousins is the series’ producer and Tony Reed its executive producer. Leo Espinosa designed the characters.[5]
The series is based on Laura Henry-Allain’s book. The main characters are based on herself and her Saint Lucian-born grandmother, Marie-Helena. The High Commission of Saint Lucia and the Saint Lucia tourism authority were consulted for the series.[6]
Release
The series began airing on weekdays from 16 March 2020.[7]
References
- "JoJo & Gran Gran comes to Cbeebies". The ComposerWorks. 3 March 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
- Lewis-Oduntan, Carly (2 June 2020). "Why Britain's First Black Animation, Jo Jo & Gran Gran, Is So Important For Cultural Representation". PopSugar. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- Holliday, Grace (7 April 2020). "Wide awoke club: children's TV that represents Britain's diversity". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
- "JoJo & Gran Gran". BBC Media Centre. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
- Duffield, Charlie (8 March 2020). "JoJo & Gran Gran: CBeebies launches cartoon celebrating black British family bonds". iNews. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
- ""JoJo & Gran Gran is based on the loving relationship I had with my Gran"". Melan Mag. 17 March 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
- Rodger, James (8 March 2020). "CBeebies creates first animation focused on black British family JoJo & Gran Gran". Birmingham Live. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
