Corus Entertainment’s Treehouse TV has added four new preschool shows this month as part of a new spring lineup.
A charming young piglet, the star of Ian Falconer’s book series, and her family, are finally coming to TV this month. Olivia will premiere Monday, Feb. 23, with 15-minute episodes airing weekdays at 5:45 pm, and 30-minute eps on Saturdays at 6pm. The show follows a 6-year-old’s imaginative adventures around the world and beyond. Content will be rolled out across various platforms, including Treehouse’s online video player and for purchase on iTunes. Huggies Wipes has signed on as sponsor to the show.
Other new entries are Zigby, a 3D animated series that takes pre-schoolers on a journey through the jungle with animal characters, premiering on Feb. 14 at 7:30 pm; Big and Small, from the Toronto-based puppet workshop Grogs about two best friends who differ in size, will launch on the same date at 7:00 pm; and Chuggington, a value-based show about three trains in training, follows at 8 pm. All programs are also available online.
TVO and Knowledge Network’s skeds will also be joined by a book-based porcine protagonist this fall. Wibbly Pig, a 52 x 10-minute animated series based on award-winning books by Mick Inkpen, follows the antics of a pig whose daily tasks become a comedy routine. An interactive online program accompanies the series by Toronto-based 9 Story, seeking to sustain the Wibbly ‘bond’ with its 2- to 5-year-old fans by inviting them to build their own interactive stories and an online playground.
