Yahoo News Netflix Announces Hot Wheels, ‘Wizard of Oz’ and Universal Monsters-Inspired Preschool Series, Sets ‘CoComelon Lane’ Premiere (Exclusive)
Netflix has revealed the premiere date and trailer for its first CoComelon original, ordered more episodes of Gabby’s Dollhouse and announced three preschool series set in the worlds of Hot Wheels, The Wizard of Oz and Universal’s classic monsters.
CoComelon Lane, the streamer’s first foray into original programming with Moonbug Entertainment, will debut its first nine 21-minute episodes globally Nov. 17. Along with revealing its premiere date on Thursday, Netflix dropped the show’s first trailer, giving fans a first look at JJ and his best friends as they navigate and celebrate preschoolers’ special life milestones. That includes dealing with the scaries, taking care of a pet and going to your friend’s place for the first time.
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“CoComelon Lane is the franchise’s first-ever dialogue-driven series, so this format will be entirely new to our audience, providing an engaging experience as JJ speaks directly to the audience for the first time, inviting them to join him and his friends on their adventures within the warm, welcoming community of CoComelon Lane,” says Meghan Sheridan, a senior creative executive on the show. “At the core, this series is centered around a strong and intentional social-emotional curriculum while paying tribute to the original CoComelon universe that children and families already know and love.”
Hot Wheels Let’s Race, Dee & Friends in Oz and Mighty MonsterWheelies are among a slate of new animated series coming to Netflix in 2024. Unlike existing favorites CoComelon and Gabby’s Dollhouse, these latest additions to Netflix’s preschool programming lean heavily into established screen IP.
“It’s a joy to partner with trusted brands like Hot Wheels, whose cars are already beloved, to bring an exciting racing show to life. Similarly, we love the opportunity to invite both parents and kids into a family movie night experience with our version of Dr. Seuss’ Sneetches,” says John Derderian, Netflix vp series animation. “Public domain characters that kids are familiar with and parents have nostalgia for offers an exciting, character-forward way into a new social emotional curriculum, as in the case of Dee & Friends in Oz.”
Mighty MonsterWheelies, the latest title born out of the streamer’s deal with DreamWorks Animation Television, dips into the Universal Monsters vault for a story that combines adorable heart with a preschool favorite: vehicles. These half-monster, half-truck rescue heroes team to serve and protect the all-vehicle city of MotorVania from troublemakers like Phantom Freeze and Invisible Van.
Driven by young children’s interest in “unlikely heroes,” according to executive producer Stephanie Simpson, viewers can expect Frankenstein fire trucks, Mummy ambulances and a Werewolf street sweeper who has incredible hearing and moves especially fast when the moon is full.
“Usually, monsters are the thing to be fearful of — the misfits, the misunderstood. We wanted to do something unexpected, so we’ve flipped it and made them heroes of the town,” says Teri Weiss, executive vp development, TV, at DreamWorks Animation Television. “This idea that we could translate specific elements into each vehicle and give them all unique powers felt like it was an homage to the monsters that they represent, so there’s also something fun in there for parents.”
“We know that most of our young audience will meet these iconic monsters for the first time when they watch our series,” adds Simpson. “Our goal is to make their first monster-y encounter as entertaining and engaging as possible.”
Hot Wheels Let’s Race arrives amid the record-setting theatrical run of Barbie and larger plans within toy giant Mattel to expand its presence on the big and small screen. Created and produced by Mattel Television, the new series — which is geared toward existing and new fans alike — also leans into the world’s No. 1-selling toy and features a new generation of characters navigating races, contests and thrill-seeking challenges.
“The great thing about Hot Wheels, and what has made it resonate so massively with kids and families for over five decades, is the very same thing that makes it so entertaining: It’s about igniting the challenger spirit,” said Rob David, vp, Content Creative at Mattel Television. “That spirit is the very engine driving our stories in Hot Wheels Let’s Race.”
Netflix’s other latest venture into IP is Dee & Friends in Oz, a fantasy adventure musical centered on a young girl who discovers the magical land. With the help of some familiar friends, Dee is challenged to save the day in a series that marks the first time the beloved property has been adapted for preschoolers.
“We believe that, at its heart, Oz shares messages perfect for young viewers: the importance of friendship, the courage to believe in yourself and that every kid has the power inside them to be a hero,” Halcyon Person, head writer and co-executive producer, tells THR. “To meet the needs of this new generation, we’ve built on the century-long legacy of Oz by flipping the story of a girl dropped into a fantasy, just yearning to go back home. Instead, this is a story about a young Black girl unapologetically making a home for herself in this fantasy world, while learning about herself in the process.”
Netflix announced Thursday that Gabby’s Dollhouse, its DreamWorks Animation Television hit from Blues Clues veterans Traci Paige Johnson and Jennifer Twomey, has also been given an additional order. Thta bumps the series — one of streaming’s first preschool TV megahits, now in its eighth season — to 100 episodes.
While encouraging fans to “hold on to [their] Cat Ears” as the show dives into later drops, series executive producer Johnson promises young viewers will have the chance to discover “new rooms in the Dollhouse along with new characters, new adventures and new mistakes to celebrate!” within the new episode order.
“Gabby’s stories and characters spark kid’s creativity and imagination, while at the same time, empower, inspire and teach through interactivity and modeling a growth mindset,” adds the co-creator. “Just like a kid’s imagination, the stories we can create for Gabby’s are endless.”
Both CoComelon and Gabby’s Dollhouse have had extended runs in Netflix’s TV Top 10 and Nielsen’s streaming rankings, and have become among the top five global kids franchises within the past decade, a ranking that also includes Paw Patrol, PJ Masks and Bluey.
“We want to find a show that can delight and engage a child, but also have a foundation of ideas of friendship and family and believing in yourself,” Derderian tells THR. “Something like Gabby’s or CoComelon really meets the child where they are, coming down to something as simple as framing and how they engage the child in terms of their interest levels.”
Alongside the new original CoComelon series, Netflix will release a 60-minute special, Blippi’s Big Dino Adventure, on Oct. 9 following a brief and limited theatrical run in August for the Moonbug title.
Additionally, new seasons of several existing originals have been dated for release this year and next, including the second installments of Dew Drop Diaries, Not Quite Narwhal and Princess Power; the third season of Oggy Oggy; and season four of Go, Dog. Go!, which are all slated for 2023.
Season three of Spirit Rangers and the fourth season of The Creature Cases are expected sometime in 2024. Next year will also see the arrival of seasons three through six of the long-running, British preschool series turned international hit Peppa Pig. Lucas the Spider, based on a series of YouTube shorts, will be debuting the adventures of its adorable, big-hearted (and big-eyed) jumping spider on the service Oct. 30.
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