On the heels of several merchandising deals, web series The Annoying Orange is headed for the small screen thanks to Cartoon Network, which has picked up the TV rights to the property.

The half-hour Annoying Orange TV series will premiere in 2012 as part of Cartoon Network’s original programming block and will follow Orange and his produce pals as they travel through time in a magical fruit cart. The show will stay true to the weekly Annoying Orange web episodes, which have racked up more than 850 million total views on its dedicated YouTube channel as of September.

Naturally, Cartoon Network will squeeze all it can from the brand’s pre-established web presence. The brand’s official website and YouTube channel, for instance, will serve as promotional platforms for the TV series by featuring separate short-form original content.

The television series was developed and will be produced by The Collective, which also financed the pilot before shopping it to broadcasters. Dane Boedigheimer co-created the television series with Tom Sheppard (writer for Pinky and the Brain). Conrad Vernon (director of Madagascar 3) will serve as executive producer for the series along with Gary Binkow and Dan Weinstein of The Collective.

TV is the latest brand extension for the property. A line of apparel and accessories debuted last month at JC Penney across the US, and a toy line from master toy partner The Bridge Direct, which features a collection of talking plush, clip-ons and collectible figures, will hit specialty retailers in time for the holidays. Meanwhile, The Annoying Orange: Kitchen Carnage app has launched on the iPhone and Android.