He may have been “a child of four,” but Caillou returns.
The divisive children’s TV character that won many preschoolers but angered many parents has been rebooted to a new, computer-generated look.
Media company WildBrain, headquartered in Halifax, says it has partnered with NBCUniversal’s streaming platform, Peacock, to “expand Caillou’s universe” and produce 52 new 11-minute episodes .
“This is another example of how we are restoring treasured brands from our evergreen library,” WildBrain president Josh Scherba said Friday in a press release.
“For more than 25 years, preschoolers have been associated with Caillou because they find themselves in these relevant stories.”
The original TV film, based on a series of picture books from Chouette Publishing, began in 1997 and has since been broadcast in about 70 countries.
It recounts the day-to-day adventures of a bald, sometimes angry four-year-old as he lives at home and school.
The original “Caillou” went on to air in Canada on Family Jr., but ended its 21 -year run on U.S. TV last year.
At the time, the move was welcomed by many parents on social media who ridiculed the character as “whiny.” WildBrain scoffed that Caillou’s story isn’t south of the border, saying it “promises to ensure that U.S. kids can enjoy the show in the future.”
In September, the company also announced plans to create five 44-minute “Caillou family specials,” which are currently in production.
WildBrain did not immediately say when the new show would launch, nor did it reveal plans to broadcast in Canada.
This report in The Canadian Press was first published June 24, 2022.
