From a media release:
Pause, take a deep breath, and come inside the calming yet playful animated world of the new family wind-down TVOkids Original series “Be With Zee” (26 x 6′). Follow bright blue Zee, a curious and cuddly young forest creature, and caregiver Matua, as they embark on day-to-day adventures while sharing wellbeing tools with the audience and each other. Access bonus digital content including meditation videos, lo-fi beats, and downloadable colouring pages at bewithzee.com. A Canada/New Zealand co-production by Vérité Films, Oddly Quiet Ltd., and Media Tech Productions, “Be With Zee” premieres nationally Mon., Nov. 9 on TVOkids streaming channels: TVOkids.com, TVOkids YouTube channel and Smart TV app, and on TVO’s broadcast channel at 10:15 a.m. ET.
“The charm, gentle pace, and love between caregiver and child in every frame of “Be With Zee” is what I’m most excited to share with the world,” says Virginia Thompson, Canadian producer and president of Vérité Films. “Speaking for the entire Canadian team, it’s been a great privilege to collaborate with our New Zealand partners as our two cultures share so much in common, including love for the beauty of nature and respect for Indigenous knowledge. I’m so proud that this show, which debuts in English and French simultaneously, gives us all a special moment for ourselves to just be.”
“The tools, mindset, and language we use in “Be With Zee” have been a massive help in my own health journey with cystic fibrosis. That is why I created this series – to give others access to these tools and help make their own worlds easier to navigate,” says Matt Haworth, creator, writer, and producer at Oddly Quiet Ltd. “During production, my wife and I also welcomed our first child into the world – and I’m so pleased that he and his generation get to grow up with Zee.”
“We were thrilled to get involved with “Be With Zee” early on as more families are looking for gentler, slower-paced content for pre-schoolers,” says Kirsten Hurd, Commissioning Editor of TVOkids. “With an endless number of viewing choices, this beautiful series which invites children to pause, notice their emotions and appreciate the little things around them is a great addition to our line-up of educational shows. We can’t wait for our audience to meet Zee.”
Each bright, hand-crafted six-minute episode of “Be With Zee” follows forest creature Zee and off-screen, supportive caregiver Matua as they go on lighthearted forest adventures together, from blowing bubbles to cleaning their room to learning to swim. When a difficulty arises, together they rely on shared tools and techniques to help with self regulation, from breathing exercises to drawing feelings when words won’t suffice to a mindful practice of organizing objects by color or size to creating an ‘icky’ doll. In the process, “Be With Zee” gives kids and parents at home real-life coping skills they can use in their day-to-day as well.
“Be With Zee” is reminiscent of the warmth of series like “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” or “Winnie the Pooh.” The show is designed to bring happiness, calm, and connection to anxious kids and stressed parents by sharing the small challenges in everyday life. A poetic antidote to the overstimulation of modern kids’ media, “Be With Zee” embraces a slower, more intentional rhythm, fostering mindfulness, curiosity, and emotional depth through gentle storytelling and rich, hand-crafted visuals.
“Be With Zee” is created and written by Matt Haworth, a New Zealand writer, art director, and children’s book illustrator and new father himself. He discovered and uses the techniques of mindfulness to preserve his own health and well-being as a person living with cystic fibrosis.
Episodes include:
The Little Things – Zee meets a new fuzzy caterpillar friend and ponders how sometimes the smallest things in life can make the biggest difference.
The Kite – Zee has been looking forward to flying their kite all week, but things don’t always go as planned.
The series was developed in consultation with early childhood education professors from Canada’s Sheridan and Humber Colleges as well as experts in child psychology from York University and l’Université de Montréal with the goal to create a series that helps young viewers build focus, empathy, and imagination in a screen environment that soothes rather than overwhelms.
Nine-year-old Forrest Fenn voices Zee while “Be With Zee” executive producer and father of three Simon Ward provides the voice of Matua. The series includes te reo Māori, the Māori language, which is used across several episodes in different language versions. In addition, Kevin Loring, director of Indigenous Theatre at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa and a Governor General’s Award-winning playwright, author, and director, is a writer on the series.
A Canada-New Zealand co-production, “Be With Zee” is produced by Matt Haworth, Tim Evans, and Simon Ward of Oddly Quiet Ltd. and Roger Shakes of Media Tech Productions, part of the creative team behind Badjelly (ITV, ABC, TVNZ, & Family Channel). Canadian producers are Virginia Thompson and Robert de Lint of Vérité Films. New Zealand animation veterans Mukpuddy are onboard for production in New Zealand, with additional support from Smiley Guy Studios in Canada. The series is distributed internationally by Vérité International Distribution and ZDF Studios. Made with the support of New Zealand On Air, the Canada Media Fund, the Rocket Fund, Ontario Creates, and the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate (NZSPR), as well as the Ontario and Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credits. The series will air in English on TVNZ, TVOkids, and Knowledge Network and in French on TFO.
