Netflix subscribers are about to see a lot more of JJ and his best friends. Amid the streamer’s efforts to improve its slate of children’s programming, Netflix has ordered three seasons and four specials of the Cocomelon spinoff series Cocomelon Lane. The series and specials order is part of a partnership between the streaming giant and Moonbug Entertainment, which owns Cocomelon.
Set to begin rolling out in 2022, Cocomelon Lane “will deliver brand-new adventures from JJ and his best friends as they experience life’s big moments as little kids.” While the ever-popular Cocomelon videos are a one-off style, Cocomelon Lane will be the first-ever narrative series featuring the characters in an actual story arc, according to The Wrap. A total of 24 episodes, each spanning a length of 7 minutes, have been ordered. Netflix also has four-hour-long nursery rhyme compilation specials as a companion to the spinoff series.
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Cocomelon began as a hobby for Treasure Studio founder Jay Jeon and his wife as a way to entertain their children. Together, they created the ThatsMeonTV YouTube channel in 2006 before evolving into ABC Kid TV in 2013. It took on the name Cocomelon in 2018 and is produced by Treasure Studio. According to Bloomberg, the YouTube channel has over 112 million subscribers, making it one of the most-subscribed channels in the world, and it generates more than 2 billion views a month on YouTube. In 2020, Treasure Studio brought Cocomelon content to Netflix, providing parents with another venue for the videos targeted towards preschoolers. The children’s series has continued to perform well under Netflix, where it has reached Netflix’s Top 10 in 29 countries, making the recent spinoff news of little surprise.
In addition to Cocomelon Lane, Netflix also confirmed Tuesday; it has ordered a season of the new series Little Baby Bum: Music Time. Based on the Little Baby Bum characters, the series, consisting of 48 7-minute episodes, will invite “preschoolers at home into their first exploration of rhythms, sounds, instruments, and other music fundamentals.” The series will premiere in 2023.
In announcing the new shows, Heather Tilert, Netflix’s director of original animation, preschool, said the company is “thrilled to partner with Moonbug to expand the worlds of both shows and to bring our youngest viewers even more songs, stories, and adventures from some of their favorite animated friends.” Library catalogs for both Cocomelon and Little Baby Bum will be available on Netflix.
