Hans House Productions: Massively Viral BBC Family Lands Their Own Animated Series

Share Article

Inspired by the viral BBC video featuring Robert Kelly and his family comes The Adventures of Mina and Jack, an animated children’s series based on Kelly’s adorable children, Marion and James.

Mina and Jack vs BBC Interview

I thought it was so cute. My wife and I both laughed. They made me look suitably dorky.

In March 2017, Professor Robert Kelly, an expert on East Asian politics, unexpectedly found himself in a perfect viral storm. In the midst of a live BBC interview, discussing the impeachment of South Korea’s president no less, something magical happened: his daughter Marion, age 4, came sauntering into the background, followed by her younger brother James. The two danced around joyously for about thirty seconds before their mother noticed and rushed in to get them. The hilarity of the situation—the reaction of Kelly, his wife, and the children—made for a viral legend.

Rather than leaving a negative mark on his career, Kelly and his family became internet sensations, and were asked back to the BBC to discuss exactly how they felt about their recent fame and the situation as it occurred from their end.

Now, inspired by the viral video, The Adventures of Mina & Jack follows the globe-trotting misadventures of a precocious young girl named Mina, and her pesky baby brother Jack, as they help their dad, a UN official, out of various jams.

In the first episode, we meet the family as they follow their father on a trip to North Africa. Overhearing their father mention a crisis on the phone—a gold thief at large—Mina and Jack set out to help their father solve the case. The dynamic duo sneak out of their hotel, hitch a ride on an elephant, and wind up in a bustling African market, only to tumble into a nearby UN press conference and inadvertently save the day.

The Origins:

Lauren Martin and Jarryd Mandy are a couple living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, whose combined skill sets could not be a better match for the project: as a writer and producer at Complex, Lauren is always looking for new stories; as an app developer and technology buff from South Africa, Jarryd is always looking for interesting opportunities. The two came up with the idea after Jarryd sent Lauren the original BBC video. After watching it upwards of a hundred times, the couple thought of making a children’s book depicting the life of the beloved family. However, after a few days of story boarding, it was clear there was only one way to properly bring the story to life: animation. In just five weeks, the concept went from idea to animation with the help of the RAXO creative team.

Robert Kelly and his family love the idea so much they have given the project their full blessing to move forward with the video, and any subsequent episodes that may follow.

“I thought it was so cute. My wife and I both laughed. They made me look suitably dorky,” said Robert Kelly.

About the Creator:

Writer and Director: Lauren Martin is a former writer and editor for Elite Daily. She then worked as lead comedy programmer for Verizon’s go90. She now works as a producer for Complex.

Creative Direction & Animation: RAXO is an award-winning integrated design and content studio that brings digital campaigns and stories to life. They have worked with BBC, Univision, Telemundo, Discovery Channel, HBO, and many others. http://raxo.tv

Contact Information:

For more information, a review copy, cover art, or an interview with the creator, contact: Lauren Martin (610-513-7922) or lauren(at)hanshouse.co.

Share article on social media or email:

View article via:

Pdf Print

Contact Author

Lauren Martin
Visit website