WildBrain, a global leader in kids’ and family entertainment, and Mattel, Incorporated, announce new-season greenlights for beloved kids’ shows Fireman Sam and Polly Pocket, based on the popular Mattel brands.
Fireman Sam and the Pontypandy Rescue Team are returning to save the day on land, at sea and in the air with two new CG-animated seasons of Fireman Sam. Season 14 is scheduled to begin delivery in December 2022 and Season 15 is scheduled to begin delivery in June 2023, with each season bringing 26 x 11-minute episodes. The fresh seasons feature a host of nail-biting emergencies, plus newcomer Pilot Krystyna in a shiny new rescue plane, a freshly built airport, exciting upgrades to the team’s Jupiter fire engine and wonderful new friends to help!
Also returning is Polly Pocket, based on Mattel’s original micro-scale doll brand. In Season 5 of Polly Pocket, slated for delivery beginning March 2023, Polly shares her magic “pockite” with her friends—now they all have their own unique powers! Together they’ll explore fantastical, tiny worlds that are full of big surprises. The new season for the 2D-animated series will consist of 26 x 11-minute episodes and the release of Polly Pocket: Sparkle Cove Adventure, a 66-minute special. In Sparkle Cove Adventure, Polly discovers the hidden world of Sparkle Cove—a marvelous, tropical island paradise and the origin of the magical “pockite” that gives Polly her shrinking powers. The release will mark the first special for Polly Pocket since Mattel relaunched the brand in 2018.
“We are thrilled to see the continued support and excitement for Fireman Sam and Polly Pocket around the world,” said Alex Godfrey, Vice President of Content Distribution at Mattel Television. “As these iconic Mattel properties continue to resonate with audiences globally, we look forward to sharing more stories and adventures for years to come.”
“Global demand from broadcasters and streamers for both Fireman Sam and Polly Pocket remains very strong,” said Caroline Tyre, Vice President of Global Sales & Rights Strategy at WildBrain. “These beloved series continue to delight and educate kids with compelling characters and stories filled with action and humour. We’re pleased to continue working with Mattel to deliver even more Sam and Polly for kids around the world to enjoy.”
New distribution deals
WildBrain has secured multiple new streaming and broadcast deals for Fireman Sam and Polly Pocket. In deals that include the new seasons of Fireman Sam, ABC Kids (Australia) and HOP! (Israel) have picked up seasons 13-15, MiniMini+ (Poland) has picked up seasons 14 & 15, and Cartoonito (UK & Ireland) and NRK Super (Norway) have picked up seasons 13 & 14. Season 13 of Fireman Sam has been picked up by KiKA
(Germany), Amazon Prime Video (UK, Ireland, Germany), Milkshake! (UK), RTE Jr. (Ireland), Cartoonito (Italy), France Télévisions (France), MiniMini+ (Poland), and Vudu (US).
Seasons 4 & 5 of Polly Pocket have been picked up by Minimax (CEE excluding Poland). Seasons 3 & 4 have been picked up by Netflix (US, U.K.); POP (U.K.), Amazon Kids+ (US); Discovery Kids (LatAm); Family Channel (Canada); teleTOON+ (Poland); Gulli, M6 & Tiji (France, French-speaking EMEA); Cartoonito & Boomerang (Italy & Turkey); SUPER RTL (Germany, Austria, Switzerland); KidZone TV (Baltics); BIGI (Israel); Channel 9 (Australia); TVNZ (New Zealand); Vudu (US); and EITB (Spain). Season 3 has also been picked up by Amazon Prime Video (UK, France, Italy) and Astro (Malaysia & Brunei).
The new greenlights and distribution deals are part of a multi-year, co-development, production, distribution and licensing agreement between Mattel and WildBrain. The new seasons of Fireman Sam and Polly Pocket are being produced at WildBrain’s Vancouver animation studio