Gaumont Animation (formerly Alphanim), along with co-production partners Calidra, Italy’s Studio Campedelli, TV Tokyo, and Kodansha, will bow the new CGI animated Calimero series on Italy’s RAI on March 25. Gaumont has also signed a European master toy deal for the property.

RAI will air the first 26 episodes of the 104 x 11-minute series at 7:35 a.m. daily and Calimero is also set to launch on Italy’s RAI Yoyo later this year.

On the consumer products front, Gaumont has signed Italian toyco Giochi Preziosi as master toy partner for Europe and plans to develop Calimero figurines, accessories and play sets.

Giochi Preziosi joins additional multi-territory toy partners for the IP including IMC Toys, Simba-Dickie’s Nicotoy and Androni Giocattoli.

Licensees already on board in Italy are Lisciani Giochi (games), Mondadori and Play Press (publishing), Apunis, C3V, MLP and Oysho (apparel), Accademia (back-to-school), Celmax (sanitary and bath products), Ferrarini, Iniziative Group, San Carlo, Toncar (promotions), World Cart (paper products), Warm Up Industry (live appearances), Wal-Cor (Easter eggs) and Zippo (collectible lighters).

The popular little black chicken character was created in 1963 by Nino Pagot, Toni Pagot and Ignazio Colnaghi, and has since been the focus of 290 episodes of animation aired in more than 80 countries. Calimero was first seen in Japan in the 1970s and later in the 1990s.

The new series recently made a successful, record-breaking debut on TF1’s TFOU block in France and is set to launch on Germany’s Super RTL, Disney Junior, TV Tokyo, Tele Quebec and RTS in Switzerland.