‘The Tiny Chef Show’ Stop-Motion Studio Factory Transmedia Declares Bankruptcy

Indie British animation studio Factory Transmedia, which produced the animation for the first season of Nick Jr.’s The Tiny Chef Show, is shutting down after being placed into a creditor’s voluntary liquidation. In the U.K., that means that the company is insolvent and no longer has the funds to pay its liabilities.

The Altrincham, U.K. company company cites “challenging market conditions” as the reason for shutting down:

Over the last 12 months the number of projects being green-lit by broadcasters around the world has been severely cut as the global economy and audience behaviors have changed markedly; these challenging market conditions were a significant factor in the insolvency of the business.

The 24-year-old studio had recently made inroads into the American scene with its terrific work on The Tiny Chef Show. It was even better established in the U.K. and had produced numerous series including the high-profile reboot of The Clangers, as well as Scream Street, Newzoids, and Strange Hill High.

The company was considered to be an animation success story for the Greater Manchester area and had opened a new studio facility as recently as 2017 to accommodate its growing production slate. During peak periods of production, it employed over a hundred people, and its clients included Disney, Nick Jr., CBBC, and CBeebies.

International audit, tax, and advisory firm Mazars was appointed in early April to liquidate the company’s assets, and it has been auctioning off everything owned by the company, including stop-motion puppets used in production.