Beached Az
| Company type | Production company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation, Television production |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Headquarters | Seal Rocks, New South Wales , Australia |
Key people | Jarod Green, Anthony MacFarlane, Nick Boshier |
| Products | Beached Az animated series |
Beached Az is an animated series broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), shown on both ABC1 and ABC2 channels.
Concept
The storyline of Beached Az revolves around a whale stranded on a New Zealand shore, attempting to make its way back to the sea. Throughout the series, the whale engages with a variety of marine animals who reveal their challenges and aspirations. Each episode delivers humorous dialogues without following a structured plot, emphasizing societal contrasts.
History
Originating from the 2008 short film "Beached Whale," Beached Az was animated and directed by Jarod Green, with writing and direction by Anthony MacFarlane and Nick Boshier. This short gained widespread acclaim across Australia and New Zealand through YouTube and social platforms.
In 2009, the creators established The Handsomity Institute to develop ten more episodes for ABC Television. The writing process took place in Seal Rocks, NSW, while final recordings were completed at ABC studios in Ultimo. The series first appeared online on 13 September 2009, ahead of its airing on ABC2. The second season launched on 3 June 2010.
The full series was made available nationally on DVD starting 4 November 2010.
DVD release
On 4 November 2010, the entire Beached Az series was issued on DVD across the country, featuring all 21 episodes from both seasons along with exclusive unseen content from the creators. Additionally, the DVD includes pilot episodes of the satirical fictional 'failed Scottish children's television program' "Breakfast with Bergerk".
Season 3: 2019
On 11 December 2018, production company Robot Army Productions announced via YouTube that Beached Az would have a "new home," with fresh episodes funded by the Australian Government and Screen Australia. The new season was planned for release in March 2019. Maintaining its characteristic comedic and provocative tone, the episodes explored business-related environmental and societal topics such as coral bleaching, plastic contamination, fishing effects on marine ecosystems, genetic diversity in fish farms, global warming, sexism, drug cartel activities, and corporate deforestation.