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Guru Studio, the Toronto-based animation company behind Nick Jr.’s Paw Patrol, Sprout’s Justin Time and Netflix’s True and the Rainbow Kingdom, has promoted Rachel Marcus to VP Creative Development. The move expands her role to include leading the company’s overall development of original IP, as well as oversee creative partnerships, co-productions and features. She will report to Guru’s president and executive creative director Frank Falcone.

Marcus joined Guru in 2015 from Nickelodeon, where she developed short-form content linear content for Nick.com and Nick Jr. At Guru, she co-created the preschool series Pikwik which will air on Disney Junior and Hulu next year, and the underwater adventure series Big Blue which was greenlit by CBC in Canada.

“Over the last few years, I have been seen first-hand Rachel’s strong creative leadership,” Falcone said. “I am confident she will continue to strategically grow our IP, with the same creativity,...

Disney Junior’s viewers in the U.S. and elsewhere will take a trip to “Pikwik,” after the Mouse’s preschool channel picked up a new toon comedy series for the U.S. and several other major territories.

The series hails from Toronto-based kids producer and distributor Guru, which handled the animation for Spin Master-produced “Paw Patrol” and created “Justin Time,” which is now on Netflix. It also boarded the feature film “The Breadwinner.”

Disney Junior has acquired “Pikwik” for the U.S., Australia and New Zealand, India, and South Korea. The 52-episode, 11-minute show follows Suki the hedgehog as she leads her team of Trevor the racoon, Hazel the cat, and Tibor the hippo to help deliver surprise-filled parcels to the colorful residents of Pikwik.

The series was created by Guru’s executive creative director Frank Falcone, development executive Rachel Reade Marcus, and former Evp Mary Bredin.

“This adorable...