Barcelona-based DeAPlaneta Entertainment has inked a deal with American pubcaster PBS to bring the award-winning, international hit preschool series Milo to U.S. screens. Co-produced by Fourth Wall (U.K.) and DeAPlaneta Ent., the series — which has sold to more than 170 countries, dubbed into 20-plus languages — will debut on PBS KIDS and its free streaming platforms on May 13. Milo will also be available to sream on the PBS KIDS Prime Video Channel.
“We can think of no better partner to bring Milo to U.S.-based audiences than PBS KIDS, one of the most relevant kids’ networks in the world, which shares with us the commitment to delivering exceptional content to young audiences and families,” says Diego Ibáñez Belaustegui, Chief Brand Officer at DeAPlaneta Kids & Family. “This is a key agreement for the global expansion of our beloved series Milo, which in 2024 will be on air in more than 170 countries, among other destinations yet to be announced.”
Adriano Schmid, Vice President, PBS KIDS Content, add, “We’re excited to bring the playful, curious world of Milo to our audiences at PBS KIDS. We hope that Milo’s energy, sense of wonder and desire to explore a variety of jobs will open up a world of possibilities for kids across the country, helping them discover new interests and passions along the way.”
Milo, whose second season is already broadcasting in the U.K. (Milkshake) and will rollout worldwide in Fall 2024, is a colorful 2D series about a little black cat with a passion for exploring different types of jobs. Accompanied by his good friends Lofty and Lark, Milo uses role play to explore the wonderful world of vocations — from doctors and mechanics, to hairdressers, chefs and postal workers, introducing preschoolers to a variety of professions in a positive, fun way.
The series won the prize to Best Children’s series at the British Animation Awards in 2022, and Bronze at the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards that same year. This year, Milo is one of the finalists in the Best International Animated Series category at 2024 British Animation Awards, which will take place on March 7 at London’s BFI Southbank.
DeAPlaneta Entertainment recently launched the official Milo App, which is currently available worldwide in five languages: Spanish, English, French, Italian and Portuguese.
Milo joins a busy Spring slate on PBS KIDS, which will include new movies for Wild Kratts and Nature Cat, the premiere of Molly of Denali Season 3, new episodes of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and new Fred Rogers Prod. shorts series Donkey Hodie Bedtime Stories, as well as the new live-action shorts series Tiny Time Travel.
“This spring, PBS KIDS provides an opportunity for families to embark on exciting adventures with kids’ favorite characters, and a chance to meet some new ones, too,” said Sara DeWitt, SVP and General Manager, PBS KIDS. “Our content this season aims to nurture an appreciation of the natural world among our young audiences while also sharing important life lessons and reinforcing some of the key social skills kids need for success in school and beyond.”
Season 4 of the award-winning animated series Molly of Denali on March 25. Produced by GBH Boston, the show follows the adventures of 10-year-old Molly Mabray, an Alaska Native girl who lives in the fictional village of Qyah, Alaska. The new episodes follow Molly as she continues exploring with friends and family, from tracking down a fallen meteorite with Tooey, to connecting with her heritage by building a kiidhah zhee (a traditional steam bath) to help cure her mom’s cold, to helping a rival basketball team find an authentic mascot to represent their team.
In addition to the series’ underlying Informational Text curriculum, Season 4 also incorporates media literacy learning. For example, a story where Molly posts online about a bat she found in her attic. She finds out just how fast information can spread on the internet, and how it may not always be accurate
Next up are new movies from two hit PBS KIDS series, Wild Kratts and Nature Cat. In Wild Kratts: Our Blue and Green World, premiering April 1, the Kratt brothers disagree on what’s better: blue oceans or green forests. Aviva takes on the role of referee to demonstrate how oceans and forests work together to make our living planet, just like Martin and Chris need to keep working together. It’s up to the gang to get Martin and Chris back in sync in time to save planet Earth from Zach and Paisley Paver’s villainous plans.
A new game, World Rescue, accompanies the movie special in April and will be available on the PBS KIDS Games app and pbskids.org, with new episodes of Wild Kratts premiering April 2.
In Nature Cat’s Nature Movie Special Extraordinaire, debuting April 22, Nature Cat and his friends are trying to figure out what their movie special is about when Sir Galahad (voiced by Chris Parnell), who’s now anointed himself King Galahad, begins taking things from nature to makes his castle look more beautiful. It’s up to the gang to show him a better way to appreciate the natural beauty of their world before he does more damage to their favorite place. The special features three original songs written by Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winner Bill Sherman and performed by the cast: Taran Killam, Kate McKinnon, Bobby Moynihan and Kate Micucci.
A new short-form series Nature Chat with Nature Cat will debut digitally the same day. In the shorts, Nature Cat speaks directly to fans about how they can help make the world a better place. Harkening back to clips from across all five seasons of the series, with the help of his production assistant Gary the squirrel, Nature Cat explores ten different sustainability topics ranging from composting and water conservation to upcycling, avoiding food waste and more.
New episodes of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood premiere on May 6, exploring concepts like putting things away and finding surprises wherever we are, followed by new short form series Donkey Hodie Bedtime Stories, which will premiere on May 27 across streaming platforms. These eight shorts from the popular puppet series Donkey Hodie comprise five- to six-minute videos designed to fit into kids’ bedtime routines. In each video, Donkey Hodie, Purple Panda, Duck Duck or Bob Dog reads a bedtime story to the viewer and models their own strategy for calm-downing down before bed.
Here is a little taste of Milo:
![Director Dennis Jackson conducts a recording session for 'Chums' [ph: Leif Kaldor]](https://www.animationmagazine.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/CHUMS-Director-Dennis-Jackson-in-studio-photo-by-Leif-Kaldor.jpg)
