Jojo & Gran Gran, the animated CBeebies TV series has made its US debut with the first two series now available on Nickelodeon’s preschool service.
Already a favourite among young UK audiences, JoJo & Gran Gran is a wonderful series which explores the special bond between an almost five-year-old girl and her fun and wise grandmother.
The series, which originally launched in 2020, was unique in that it was the first British animation that centres around a Black family. The programme recently won the Broadcast Award for Best Pre-School Programme.
Next up is Best Pre-School Programme – and the award goes to – JoJo & Gran Gran, BBC Children’s In-House Productions for @CBeebiesHQ @AproductionsUK #BroadcastAwards pic.twitter.com/B4Is8xdXSE
— Broadcast Awards (@BroadcastAwards) May 27, 2021
American children and their families can now catch the first two seasons of series on Nickelodeon’s preschool-focused edutainment service. JoJo & Gran Gran was developed and produced by BBC Children’s in-house production team.
The 44 x 11-minute animated series is set in modern-day London and centres on themes that can sometimes feel abstract to preschoolers, including life cycles, the passing of time and growth.
Since its unparalleled debut, the series, based on characters from the wonderful books created by early years expert, Laura Henry Allain, has received more than 14m views on BBC iPlayer, making it a firm favourite with the preschool audience.
“My mama would have been in awe at this, and I can imagine her on her veranda in St Lucia, sharing this news with her family and friends.”
A wonderful point to note is that Laura created the characters in her book, Jojo and Gran Gran on her real-life relationship with her own ‘Gran Gran’. The series however is a completely new construct for TV that uses only the characters from Laura’s books.
Speaking exclusively to Melan Magazine about the series debut to American audiences, Laura said:
“I am super delighted to hear that JoJo & Gran Gran will premiere on Noggin/Nickelodeon. It is testament to the passion and hard work of everyone involved in the show.
“From my creation of the characters based on the relationship that I had with my dear mama (Gran Gran), to seeing the show being aired globally fills me heart with joy and pride. My mama would have been in awe at this, and I can imagine her on her veranda in St Lucia, sharing this news with her family and friends.”
Watch JoJo & Gran Gran on BBC iPlayer.
