About The Sound Collector

The Sound Collector is all about sound - as heard through the ears of a small but very active little being called the Sound Collector, who has a passion for sound despite being hard of hearing.

The Sound Collector spends his days discovering and using new sounds that he finds on his adventures: the blooping and popping of sea anemones, the hissing of the tide drawing back along a pebble beach or even the snores and snuffles of his best friend and pet, Mole. He is endlessly fascinated by the world around him and whether he loves sound because of, or despite his hearing, it is the focus of his life in an incredibly positive way.

This show is not about being deaf, it is however placing somebody who wears hearing aids at the front and centre of a show for young audiences, which is remarkably rare.

Throughout this series, children, as well as adults, will be inspired to go out and explore natural environments - seeking joy and wonderment in the little things and gaining a new appreciation for the world around them. Mindfulness also plays a key role in the show’s messaging. With techniques now being taught in schools as a stress-reducing aid for children, the show's concentration on the small and real details of the immediate world in front of us will leave audiences feeling relaxed and even meditative, whatever their age!

About the Production

The stop motion animation is brought to you by the creative minds at Mackinnon & Saunders. The incredible team at Mackinnon & Saunders have brought some of the world’s best-known animated characters to life – including the Academy Award-nominated Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio and Netflix’s hit The House.

Sound is integral to the show on a fundamental level. Throughout the show, we hear what the Sound Collector hears, and so, to focus our attention on the changes in sound, the team considered exaggerating the differences between the Sound Collector’s 3 levels of hearing. Advisors in the field of audiology were consulted on whether the plan to use sound in this way could potentially be deemed offensive. In fact, they championed the idea of familiarising viewers with the effects of deafness and the help that hearing aids and radio aids provide - especially for the children in the audience. They also provided the team with access to various typical hearing aid specifications allowing them to portray more accurately something of the reality of using hearing aids for someone who is hard of hearing.

The series is directed by Chris Tichborne (Coraline, Fantastic Mr Fox, The House), with episode directors including the Academy Award nominee Barry Purves (Rainbow, The Wind in the Willows) & Andy Burns (Postman Pat, Bob the Builder) and based upon the scripts by head writer, the multiple BAFTA winning Dave Ingham (The Clangers, The Rubbish World of Dave Spud, Octonauts) and his team - Alex Williams, comedian and TV presenter Bec Hill, William Mager, Gaia Agostinelli and Maria Chiara Oltolini.

The Sound Collector will air daily at 10:20am on ITVBe and ITVX from Monday 20th February.

ITVBe is available to watch on BT (channel 28) Freeview (channel 28), Sky (channel 131) and Virgin TV (channel 119).