Cantina Media and Big Wave Productions Announce “Baby Elephant School”
Commissioned by C4 and CBC, and secured by ARTE as a presale, the premium natural history series follows the rehabilitation of orphaned elephants in Sri Lanka
Executive Producers Kirstie McLure, Managing Director Big Wave Entertainment (left) and Julie Chang, COO, Serial Maven Studios.
(January 26, 2026 - London, UK and Toronto, Canada) Cantina Media, a Serial Maven Studios production company, and Big Wave Productions jointly announced today that Baby Elephant School (4x60′ / 1x60′), a premium access-based wildlife series, has been greenlit by Channel 4 and CBC as a UK/Canada treaty co-production and secured by ARTE through advanced licensing. Filming is now underway in Sri Lanka at the baby elephant sanctuary, Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) - Elephant Transit Home.
Produced in distinct versions for international broadcasters, Baby Elephant School combines character-led storytelling with scientific insight to meet the needs of different audiences. The 4x60′ UK version for Channel 4 is hosted by Welsh biologist and elephant researcher Lizzie Daly, while the one-hour Canadian version, for CBC’s The Nature of Things, is hosted by Anthony Morgan. Both versions follow the rehabilitation of 65 orphaned elephant calves preparing for their return to the wild.
Blending cinematic wildlife filmmaking with emotionally resonant storytelling, Baby Elephant School offers an intimate look at one of the world’s most ambitious elephant rehabilitation programs, following named calves from rescue through rehabilitation to their release back into the wild. Over the course of the series, moments of drama, humour and transformation unfold as the elephants navigate their first six months of freedom.
The series is set in Sri Lanka and at the Elephant Transit Home, established in 1995 by Sri Lanka’s DWC. Caring for up to 80 orphaned calves at any one time, the ETH is one of the the largest and most successful elephant orphanage in the world, having returned more than 170 elephants to the wild, many of whom have gone on to have calves of their own, the ultimate measure of rehabilitation success.
“From the outset, Baby Elephant School has embodied everything we stand for: access-driven storytelling, global collaboration and deep respect for the natural world,” said Kirstie Mclure, executive producer on the series, and Managing Director, Big Wave Productions. “What began as a passion project in Sri Lanka grew through close relationships on the ground and a commitment to telling these stories with care and authenticity. The series demonstrates how values-led storytelling can travel globally and inspire a deeper connection to conservation.”
“Baby Elephant School is a wonderful example of the kind of work we’re excited to be building at Serial Maven Studios: premium, collaborative projects that bring together exceptional creative partners from the outset. Co-produced with Big Wave and commissioned by Channel 4 and CBC, the series reflects our studio-led approach and our focus on supporting ambitious, globally resonant storytelling,” said Julie Chang, executive producer on the series, and COO, Serial Maven Studios. “Projects like this come to life through creative deal-making, strong international partnerships and a shared commitment to getting bold, important stories off the ground, and we’re proud to be part of a co-production that brings together such an outstanding group of partners.”
A key narrative thread follows the work of the sanctuary’s veterinary team, alongside locally based wildlife NGO the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) as they care for orphaned elephant calves and prepare them for release back into the wild. Together, the team is trialling innovative tracking and deterrent technologies designed to support elephant welfare and reduce conflict with nearby farmland, a critical issue in Sri Lanka, which has the highest rate of human–elephant conflict globally.
Baby Elephant School is a UK/Canada treaty co-production between Cantina Media and Big Wave Entertainment. The project was developed by Big Wave Entertainment. Executive Producer for Cantina Media is Julie Chang. Betty Orr serves as Producer for Cantina Media. Executive Producers for Big Wave Productions are Kristie McLure and Emma Ross. Matthew Shaw and Roberto Verdecchia are the Directors. Matthew Shaw also serves as Series Producer. Elephant biologist Dr Tempe Adams served as the elephant consultant during production. Commissioning Editor for Channel 4 is Jonah Weston.For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager, Entertainment, Factual, & Sports; Jennifer Dettman is Executive Director, Unscripted Content; Sandra Kleinfeld is Senior Director, Documentary; and Lesley Birchard is Executive in Charge of Production, The Nature of Things. Serial Maven Studios oversees all licensing and distribution.
About Big Wave Productions
Big Wave Productions is a Brighton-based, multi-award-winning independent production company renowned for its high quality factual and natural history programming. Founded by biologist-turned-filmmaker Sarah Cunliffe, Big Wave has built a global reputation for bringing powerful, emotionally engaging and visually stunning stories to life, from groundbreaking wildlife films to bold human interest documentaries that inspire change and celebrate our connection with the natural world.
Recent productions span commissions for BBC, ITV, National Geographic, Discovery, and PBS, with subjects ranging from ocean conservation and animal behaviour to the extraordinary relationships between humans and wildlife.
Big Wave’s mission is simple: to create films that move, inform and inspire, revealing the beauty and complexity of our world while driving positive environmental and social impact. bigwavetv.com
About Serial Maven Studios
Serial Maven Studios is a next-generation studio and global distribution company specializing in premium content. Led by seasoned executives with startup agility, the company combines human-led creativity with a modern, tech-enabled operating model to deliver exceptional storytelling for partners worldwide. Through its wholly owned production label, Cantina Media, and a rapidly expanding distribution division representing more than 500 hours of content, Serial Maven collaborates with producers, streamers and broadcasters worldwide.
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