Commissioned by Amsterdam-based publishing company Mercis Media and produced by London's Blue Zoo Productions, the first season of the popular CG-animated preschool series will premiere on Nick Jr., while the classic series Miffy and Friends series, which originally aired on Nick Jr. USA between 2003-2009, will be available through NOGGIN, Nickelodeon's video subscription service for preschoolers that's available on iOS and Apple TV, Android and Amazon.
Miffy's Adventures Big and Small follows Miffy, a sweet, smart and very cute little bunny who loves to learn about the world around her with her best friends Grunty and Melanie. Together they go on adventures, big AND small, to learn all about the world on Miffy's doorstep. The CGI-animated show features a simple narrative that focuses on emotional experiences preschoolers can relate to, and teaches viewers about early mathematics, vocabulary and colors.
Mercis Media owns Miffy and Friends and is the brand's international licensor. The company has more than 250 Miffy licensees spanning plush, apparel, toys and accessories. Big Tent Entertainment is the property's North American licensing agent.
The brand is based on the book series by Dutch author-illustrator Dick Bruna. More than 120 titles have been published since the character's inception in 1955.
Below is Nickelodeon USA's official press release announcing the news, via NickPress.com:
NICKELODEON WELCOMES MIFFY TO NICK JR. CHANNEL
AND NOGGIN, MONDAY, OCT. 3
Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small Premieres on the Nick Jr. Channel at 2 p.m. (ET/PT); Classic Miffy and Friends Library Launches on NOGGIN App
NEW YORK–Sept. 19, 2016– Nickelodeon welcomes the beloved bunny Miffy to its preschool platforms with the launch of the brand-new series Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small on the Nick Jr. channel and the addition of the classic Miffy and Friends library to NOGGIN, Nickelodeon’s video subscription service for preschoolers, beginning Monday, Oct. 3. Each series follows the everyday explorations and adventures of Miffy, a smart little bunny who sees the world through the eyes of a preschooler. Both of the Miffy shows are based on the award-winning book series by Dutch author-illustrator Dick Bruna.
Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small offers a new take on the classic series and follows Miffy as she goes out with her friends to discover the exciting world around her. Through a simple narrative, the CG-animated show features active stories and dialogue, along with emotional experiences relatable to preschoolers. Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small is commissioned by Mercis Media BV and produced by Blue Zoo Productions Ltd in London. Miffy and Friends is an internationally acclaimed, stop-motion animated series that weaves together simple animated tales with interactive games in which Miffy helps preschoolers learn early mathematics, colors and vocabulary.
In the series premiere of Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small, “Miffy and the Puddles/Miffy and the Dragon/Miffy the Farmer,” on Monday, Oct. 3, at 2 p.m. (ET/PT), Miffy discovers she can play all her favorite games indoors when it’s raining outside. Then, Uncle Pilot surprises Miffy with a dragon-related present and Miffy is given a seed that grows into a sunflower.
The first season of Miffy and Friends will be available on NOGGIN beginning Monday, Oct. 3, with the remaining episodes in the library rolling out in the coming months. Currently available on iOS and Apple TV, Android and Amazon, NOGGIN consistently ranks at the top of the charts in the Family and Kids categories and is one of the top five grossing Kids apps on the App Store, in addition to being the number-one grossing app for Music and Video on Google Play. To date, NOGGIN has 20 library series available including Teletubbies, Blue’s Clues; Go, Diego, Go! and The Backyardigans, among others.
Miffy was “born” on June 21, 1955, when Dutch artist Dick Bruna first drew the character to entertain his young son while on a rainy seaside holiday in Holland. The series of picture books which followed used simple illustrations and rhyming text to explore the universal experiences of childhood, immediately earning Bruna international critical acclaim as an author and artist. Over sixty years later, the Miffy books have sold more than 85 million copies, and are currently published in more than 50 languages.
Founded in 1971 and based in the Netherlands, Mercis bv owns the copyright to Miffy and Friends and is the brand’s worldwide licensor. It has over 250 licensees for Miffy worldwide, featuring over 10,000 unique products, including videos, plush, apparel, toys and accessories. Dick Bruna’s books, over 120 titles, help young children understand the world around them with familiar story lines. Big Tent Entertainment is the North American licensing agent for Miffy and Friends.
Nick Jr., the 24-hour network from Nickelodeon dedicated to preschoolers and moms, currently reaches almost 73 million households via cable, digital cable and satellite TV. For more information or artwork, visit www.nickpress.com. Nick Jr. and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).
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Original source: Kidscreen; H/T: ToonZone Forums member superkeegan9100; Additional sources: Wikipedia (I, II), Tiny Pop.
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