Ginger and her baby Pea-Rex buddies are set to roam again, with Cheeky Little Media starting production on the fourth and fifth seasons of short-form animated series Ginger and the Vegesaurs.
Based on IP created by Gary Eck and Nick O’Sullivan, the adventures of the titular Tricarrotops in a world where the juiciest and freshest creatures ever rule the planet debuted on the ABC in 2022 and have since become available in more than 70 territories.
The title’s success in the UK, where it has racked up more than 48 million views on BBC iPlayer, has led the BBC to come on as co-commissioning partner for seasons four and five alongside the ABC.
As with all previous seasons, Studio 100 participated in the production finance and remains the global distributor and licensing agent outside Australia, with Cheeky Little Commercial managing the brand for ANZ.
The Australian Children’s Television Foundation has provided production finance for the next two seasons, which Eck and O’Sullivan are executive producing alongside Patrick Egerton, David Webster, and the ABC.
The announcement comes after Cheeky Little staged the Vegesaurs Immersive interactive experience at Luna Park last month, recreating the lush jungles, epic volcanic lava flows, snowy mountains, and underwater gardens of the series across the amusement park’s grounds and newly enhanced Big Top venue.
The Vegesaurs brand is also on the rise, globally, with a toy deal recently announced with Epic Story and international publishing deals already in place with Pan MacMillan.
Egerton, Cheeky Little’s chief content officer, said the company was “really proud” of how far this show has come and the momentum the brand was building.
“It’s such a positive, fun, and immersive world for younger kids to spend time in and we’re hugely grateful to all our partners worldwide for their ongoing support,” he said.
ABC acting head of children and family Mary-Ellen Mullane said the “beautifully crafted” was much loved by Australian children everywhere.
“We can’t wait to see more Ginger & the Vegesaurs on ABC Kids,” she said.
“Here’s to more gorgeous Vegesaur Valley adventures.”
BBC Children’s and Education senior head of commissioning for ages 0-6, Kate Morton, also welcomed the return of the series, which she said was well aligned with the CBeebies channel.
“CBeebies is a place where little ones can be inspired and entertained, and where parents can trust that content is both enriching and made specifically for young audiences,” she said.
“The return of Vegesaurs for two more series means more of this for families and of course, it is jam-packed with fun and adventures from Ginger the Tricarrotops and her friends.”