HBO Max and Cartoon Network’s preschool destination Cartoonito is ready to unwrap a festive new batch of animated fare for the holiday season, featuring beloved characters and new favorites. Four all-new 30-minute holiday specials plus additional holiday-themed programming preschoolers and families can enjoy all month-long are on the way:
Dec. 1 on Cartoonito on HBO Max – Sesame Street The Nutcracker – The classic story is retold Sesame Street-style in an animated special that follows Elmo and his puppy Tango on a fantastical adventure filled with new music and friends. This 30-minute festive feature is a celebration of the greatest gift of all: friendship.
The holidays are here on Sesame Street, and Elmo is determined to make it the best Christmas ever for Tango. At Elmo’s family holiday party, friends and family sing about how wonderful this holiday will be. The Count arrives bearing gifts for everyone, including a wind-up rocket ship for Elmo and a cute, nutcracker-shaped doggy toy for Tango. After a fun-filled night, Elmo and Tango fall asleep listening to Elmo’s dad, Louie, read them the story of The Nutcracker. Elmo drifts into a dream sequence where Tango can speak, and that’s when the adventure to magical lands begin.
Dec. 5 on Cartoonito on Cartoon Network (streaming Dec. 6 on Cartoonito on HBO Max) – Three fan-favorite Cartoonito series, Sesame Street Mecha Builders, Bugs Bunny Builders and Batwheels will premiere super-sized half-hour holiday specials. It will be a very cheerful morning!
9 a.m. Sesame Street Mecha Builders “Yip Yip Tree Tree/The Snowman Scarecrow” — When the ornaments on the Pretty Big City tree break, the Mechas must build new ones and save the holidays for their friends./It’s time for Zee and MacBarm’s gift exchange, but the snowman scarecrow Zee made for MacBarm keeps blowing away!
9:30 a.m. Bugs Bunny Builders “Looneyburg Lights” — The Looney Builders prepare to host a big holiday lights festival in Looneyburg Park when an unexpected snowstorm prevents Looneyburgers from attending.
10 a.m. Batwheels “Holidays on Ice” — Frustrated by the Batwheels’ distracting affinity for holiday festivities, Batwing decides to “go solo” to thwart Mr. Freeze’s evil Christmas-time plots. However, Batwing and the Batwheels soon realize that stopping Mr. Freeze is much harder when they all aren’t working together as a team.
The series stars Ethan Hawke as Batman, Gina Rodriguez as Catwoman, Cobra Kai’s Jacob Bertrand and Xolo Maridueña.
Additional Cartoonito holiday programming includes winter-themed episodes of Thomas and Friends All Engines Go, Lellobee City Farm and Blippi Wonders.