Kids roundup: Netflix takes ‘Oggy’ reboot;  Wildbrain to shop ‘Alva’s World’; KiKA and C5 order ‘Odo’

The ‘Oggy’ franchise

Netflix takes ‘Oggy’ reboot

Netflix has acquired Oggy – Next Gen, a reboot of French animation studio Xilam Animation’s series Oggy And The Cockraches, as an original series.

The acquisition comes amid several new deals for the franchise, including the launch of preschool spin-off Oggy Oggy, as well as renewals for the original show.

The 78 x 7-minute reboot, Oggy – Next Gen offers a “fresh design and thematic focus” of the original show and will debut globally as a Netflix Branded Original. It has also been acquired by numerous broadcasters including Gulli and M6 in France, Discovery and DEA Kids in Italy, and VRT-Ketnet in Flemish Belgium.

The 156 x 7-minute spin-off show Oggy Oggy is meanwhile fully CGI and aimed at preschool audiences, with Xilam striking deals with France Télévisions, Discovery Italy and Super RTL in Germany.

The original Oggy And The Cockraches, which first launched in 1998, has also been renewed by long-term partners Gulli and M6 in France and Discovery in Italy.

“There’s never been a more exciting time for our flagship brand Oggy And The Cockroaches as we build on the property’s strong legacy with fresh and modern iterations, which extend the world of Oggy and will introduce new audiences to this treasured franchise,” said Marc du Pontavice, CEO of Xilam Animation.

Alva’s World

Wildbrain to shop ‘Alva’s World’

Canada’s Wildbrain has acquired global distribution rights to children’s show Alva’s World, outside of the UK, Ireland and Finland.

The 52 x 11-minute show, originally produced by Irelands Kavaleer Productions for Sky Kids and RTÉjr, is a 2D animation aimed at upper pre-school to early elementary children, which places internet safety at the heart of its storytelling.

“Alva’s World is an important and timely series that conjures up fun and fantastical adventures, with the subtext of helping kids to navigate the online world,” said Caroline Tyre, VP of global sales and rights strategy at WildBrain.

Odo

KiKA and C5 order ‘Odo’

German FTA channel KiKA and UK broadcaster Channel 5 has commissioned preschool series Odo for pre-school programming block Milkshake!

The 52 x 7-minute animated series is a co-production between Ireland’s Sixteen South and Polish animation studio Letko, who created the look for the series based on artwork by illustrator Alena Tkatch.

The series follows the adventures of Odo, the littlest owl at the Forest Camp who is determined to prove that despite his size, he is every bit as capable as all the bigger birds.

“After what our kids have been through in the last 12 months, now more than ever, this really is a show for its time. We’re thrilled to have lots of new voices in our writing team and we’re not shying away from telling stories that need to be told – stories addressing racism, welcoming the migrant, adoption, loneliness and friendship groups,” explained Colin Williams, showrunner for Sixteen South Originals.