Belfast’s Paper Owl Films is expanding its popular Pablo IP with a new spinoff series called Pablo: Boy Meets School, which has just scored commissions from BBC Children’s and Education (UK) and RTÉjr (Ireland).

Production is now underway on this 40 x 11-minute mixed-media series for five- to eight-year-olds, with additional funding coming from Coimisiún na Meán and Northern Ireland Screen. Pablo‘s distributor CAKE is back on board as an executive producer and will shop this spinoff internationally.  

But a new face on the Pablo team is co-producer Crayola Studios, which will also be a global licensing partner for the IP. It’s an apt partnership for Crayola, given that Pablo’s colorful animal drawings come to life in every episode. In the new series, he will navigate the challenges of school while continuing to rely on his art as an outlet for processing his emotions. Boy Meets School should deliver to CBBC and RTÉjr in 2026.

The original Pablo series targeting preschoolers debuted on CBeebies and RTÉjr in October 2017. It’s renowned for being among the first kids shows to feature a protagonist with autism, earning a BAFTA nomination in the digital category and also being shortlisted as a children’s finalist at the 2018 Royal Television Society Awards. To date, Pablo has aired in more than 190 territories.