Toon2Tango to distribute ThinkerBen and Motor Humour

Kids and family entertainment venture Toon2Tango, a LEONINE Animation Studios company, has announced an agreement to distribute the first 26 episodes of a brand-new show for preschool kids, ThinkerBen and Motor (originally developed under the production name TinkerBen & Motor), along with plans to co-produce the second series.

The deal comes hard on the heels of the recent announcement between Toon2Tango and leading toy company Schleich to produce a wide range of entertainment content based on the massively successful toy line ELDRADOR^® CREATURES.

This unique and highly original pre-school animated show stars ThinkerBen, a boy-genius engineer who teams up with his robo-dog pal Motor and his talented friends to help the friendly folk of Wowtown using cool gadgets, ingenuity – and imagination! No matter the problem – a rocket-swiping monkey, a farmer’s flock gone astray, or a lost dinosaur on the loose – ThinkerBen has limitless inventiveness and a team of specially skilled friends to help solve it.

Promoting teamwork and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and maths) professions in a kid-relatable way, this exciting, funny and uniquely inventive new show encourages children to take innovative approaches to everyday challenges and highlights how technology can empower them to make a positive impact on the world.

Along with its broadcast appeal, the show offers strong licensing potential across a variety of categories including games, toys and books, while its focus on invention and problem-solving offers the potential for additional content, promotional partnerships and educational activities designed to engage and benefit children. With such rich potential it’s no surprise that ThinkerBen and Motor has been named a finalist in the forthcoming Kidscreen Licensing Challenge, a competition showcase that shines a spotlight on five kids’ entertainment properties with untapped licensing potential.

The show has already secured strong local broadcaster support in the Balkan region, with backing from United Media Group and Central Media Entertainment. It has also gained significant recognition in the industry, having been selected for pitching at two prestigious events: Cartoon Forum in Toulouse and Animation Production Days in Stuttgart. This strong early support highlights the show’s creative and commercial potential and solidifies its position as a standout project in the preschool animation space.

Thinkerben and Motor is being produced by independent studio Metaxilasis, a dynamic young Belgrade-based studio that specialises in high-quality 2D animation for the international market – and that is serious about fun! Metaxilasis says its mission is to empower every child with confidence in their ability to make the world a better place.

In fact Metaxilasis can already boast a major success in the form of OmNom Stories. This hit web series for kids featuring the character Om Nom from the video game series Cut the Rope has garnered 60 billion views on YouTube and is available on 80 platforms worldwide, including Boomerang, Netflix, Disney+ and CCTV.

Toon2Tango will be distributing the first 26 episodes of ThinkerBen and Motor globally, excluding Eastern Europe, Russia and CIS. It will also manage the financing of an additional 26 episodes for which it will be co-producer. Production of the first 26 episodes of ThinkerBen and Motor is ongoing, with final delivery scheduled for August 2025.  

Dmitrii Gorbunov, founder of Metaxilasis says: “The Toon2Tango team are incredible professionals, and we are very happy about this partnership. We are confident that with this collaboration, our project will bring joy to children around the world.”

ThinkerBen and Motor joins a growing list of Toon2Tango hits including Agent 203 and Monster Loving Maniacs, along with productions arriving on screens around the world in the coming months and years such as The Wee Littles, Hey Fuzzy Yellow, Showtime and Dinomite & Lucy, all underlining the strength of the Toon2Tango offering among pre-schoolers, children, tweens and teens.

Toon2Tango co-founder Ulli Stoef says: “We have a reputation for successfully bringing diverse, innovative and incredibly entertaining shows to market as both co-producer and distributor and there’s no doubt that ThinkerBen and Motor fits that description perfectly. We are looking forward enormously to working with the talented team at Metaxilasis to bring this awesome and inventive new show to many broadcast and licensing markets around the world where I am sure it will enjoy a very positive reception.”