Dad 'surprised' by success of animation series

Eliot Wykes is the creator of The Grimes, an animation series aimed at pre-school age children

A dad who created an animated children's show after moving to Suffolk said he "was a bit surprised" when it was picked up by a major television network.

Eliot Wykes created The Grimes, which follows a slightly "hopeless" family that often ends up covered in dirt after "always getting in a bit of a pickle".

Inspiration for the series struck after seeing how his own family had taken to life in Tunstall Forest, near Woodbridge, with his two daughters regularly exploring outdoors.

The show has since spawned 15 episodes, all of which are now available to stream on ITVX after Mr Wykes landed a four to five-year deal with the broadcaster.

"During the four years we were making The Grimes the pandemic struck and we were building a new home, so we were living in caravans on site," he said.

"So, it was utter chaos and a pretty crazy period, but a lot of fun and [the contents of the episodes] were what we were going through each day.

"We were out with the kids in the forest every day and swimming in this big pond with the frogs and the newts, so the episodes started to write themselves."

The Grimes, which is "a little bit" autobiographical, is written by Mr Wykes and his partner, Niki, while some of the characters are voiced by their two daughters.

Mr Wykes' creation properly started to get off the ground after he started his own production company, Part Human, and began sharing clips on YouTube, which caught the attention of an American agency and then ITV.

"We were a bit surprised as I just started making the series because I wanted to learn animation," said Mr Wykes, who used to work in advertising while living in London.

"So, I just felt very lucky we had got it on ITV, but I think it has done really, really well."

Mr Wykes created the animation using a computer and by drawing the show's characters and scenes by hand on a digital display.

He said a five-minute animation could take as long as a couple of months – an "intensive" process which can be sped up if he can source outside help.

Looking ahead, he now wanted to explore other stories, characters and genres, and has expressed an interest in creating a "family horror mini-series".

He would also like to combine his newfound skills with his "advertising roots" to help local Suffolk businesses reach larger audiences.

"We were happy in Muswell Hill, London, but we came up to Suffolk and absolutely fell in love with the place," he added.

"We saw the location and we had kind of bought it before we went into the house because it was so beautiful.

"So, I have become very passionate about Suffolk and would like to help local companies try to get their names out there a bit more."