Cartoon Network Internship: Show Pitch

During my time at Cartoon Network, interns received the opportunity to pitch an original story and idea of their choice! Under the guidance of the amazing We Bare Bears team, and my director/mentor Daniel Chong, I put together this show pitch!

This brought to life my story: Jiji!

Jiji takes place in a world where humans and animals coexist as equals. The setting is in this part of town called The Plaza. Within The Plaza there are various shops and storefronts, more specifically restaurants! Each restaurant is owned by a character associated with its theme! My idea for Jiji is that it would be a children’s TV show that centers around the narrative of food but also adventure and friendship! It’s a whimsical and silly world that has living ingredients, whacky villains and most importantly, delicious meals!

Below is my pitch deck, along with a pilot episode I wrote out and did story beats for.

Brief character descriptions:

Jiji (Fuji Apple): An optimistic, happy character that’s a friend to all! Her restaurant “Jiji’s” uses apples in all of its dishes!

Affy (Affogatto): Just like her ice cream name counterpart she’s bitter on the outside but sweet on the inside. She works at an ice cream parlor called “The Scoop!”

Ciabatta: Owns the bakery Dough-Re-Mi! She’s shy and anxious but incredibly kind! She can mumble on and on about food!

Pascallion: The silent but deadly type. He may not talk much but you don’t want to cross this guy. He owns the restaurant Cha-Cha-Chow and makes dim sum in the shape of his face.

Brice: He comes across as cool and charismatic at first but is actually the local bimbo. He has a place called “The Holy Grain” and thinks rice is the powerhouse of all food!

Soup: His name is Soup. He serves soup. His father before him also served soup. His family has passed down soup for generations.

McBoss: A dastardly fellow that comes across as a cheerful old man. Beneath that guise he’s a corporate rascal that’s the culmination of every fast food chain combined.

The Ragoons: They’re what you get when you mix the Italian mafia and a plush toy. They’re loyal to the McBoss because he doesn’t judge them for eating trash.

Pilot Episode: We meet Jiji and her group of friends! One day, a mysterious new building appears in town and they meet the McBoss! He seems friendly, until he reveals that he's going to be selling all of the food on all their menus! How will Jiji and her friends thwart this greasy corporate fiend?

Extra Drawings & Concepts: