CBeebies is sticking with BBC Studios’ preschool series Hey Duggee for a fourth season, bringing its episode count up to 196 x seven minutes. Produced by London-based Studio AKA, the new season will continue to revolve around members of the Squirrel Club as they earn badges by learning to do new things, like brushing their teeth and washing their hands. Hey Duggee launched in 2014, and was the most-watched kids show on BBC iPlayer in 2020, according to the pubcaster.
Netflix has ordered more Hilda from Silvergate Media, greenlighting a new 80-minute film-length special called Hilda and the Mountain King (pictured). Picking up where season two ended, the one-off sees Hilda embark on a quest to restore her human skin after she’s turned into a troll. Silvergate and Mercury Filmworks co-produced the project, which will launch on December 30. Adapted from Luke Pearson’s graphic novel series of the same name, Hilda premiered on Netflix worldwide in 2018, and the series now spans two seasons.
Heading back to Sesame Street, HBO Max has ordered a 52nd season of the long-running classic series, which joined the streamer’s Cartoonito section on November 11. The latest batch of Sesame Street episodes (35 x 30 minutes) will premiere on PBS KIDS next fall, featuring Elmo’s adopted puppy Tango, a trip to the farm, and celebrity guest stars including Billie Eilish and Amanda Gorman. Nonprofit org Sesame Workshop is also producing a package of animated Elmo & Tango’s Mysterious Mysteries shorts (13 x five minutes), which will be interspersed throughout the season. In these 2D-animated segments, the Sesame Street characters search for clues as a sleuthing team to help solve mysteries.
Disney XD is banking on more anime with a sixth-season order for ADK Emotions’ action-adventure series Beyblade Burst. Featuring 26 new 22-minute episodes, the Quaddrive season will drop on DisneyXD and the DisneyNOW app on December 4. Beyblade Burst stars a young kid who summons creatures from spinning tops to help him battle a dark prince. Hasbro is creating a toy line for the sixth season that will encompass new tops and launchers, as well as a stadium playset, when it launches in January 2022.
Disney Channel has ordered a second Disney’s Holiday Magic Quest special to air on its linear net and Disney+ on December 3. The hour-long live-actioner will feature Disney Channel stars competing in various challenges at Walt Disney World attractions in a quest to reclaim a stolen tree-topper. The first special premiered last December, produced by 7ate9 Productions (Wonderoos), with founder and CCO Artur Spigel exec producing and directing, and Jeff Hyman exec producing.