The WotWots

Did You Know?

• Playskool, a Hasbro brand, produced the WotWots toy range launched on 2 September 2009.
• In 2011, American Greetings Corporation acquired the licensing and merchandising rights to the WotWots.

Plot

The series follows two tiny alien twin siblings, DottyWot and SpottyWot, who explore the area where their steam-powered spaceship landed. DottyWot, the ship's captain, supervises her brother SpottyWot, the engineer and artist. Episodes take place at a zoo, farm, or beach, linking animal discoveries to the twins' own adventures.

Production

The WotWots was created by children's author Martin Baynton and filmmaker Richard Taylor, who previously worked together on the TV adaptation of Baynton's book Jane and the Dragon. It is produced by Pūkeko Pictures, founded by Baynton, Taylor, and Tania Rodger. Baynton's son Theo directed the series, and his daughter Terri was a writer. The puppet-like characters are animated over live-action footage by Weta Workshop, Taylor and Rodger's special effects company known for the Lord of the Rings films. Episodes were filmed on location at Auckland Zoo, Wellington Zoo, Melbourne Zoo, and undisclosed beach and farm regions. The WotWots speak almost entirely the syllables 'wot' and 'wotty', so Baynton serves as an interactive narrator translating for viewers; he also voices SpottyWot. Nathalie Boltt voices DottyWot, and Janet Roddick voices the ship's computer. In September 2008, Pūkeko Pictures appointed ABC Commercial for worldwide distribution. On March 27, 2009, British channel Five acquired UK rights and had Impossible Television re-edit the series with Nicholas Parsons as narrator and Fiona Lewis as the computer. In August 2011, New Zealand's Minister of Health announced the WotWots as ambassadors for the B4 School Checks health initiative.