Last year, Universal launched YouTube channels dedicated solely to
Woody Woodpecker, the beloved anthropomorphic acorn woodpecker created by Walter Lantz and Ben Hardaway. The channels featured hundreds of hours worth of
Woody Woodpecker animated content, including classic Woody adventures, created by Walter Lantz Productions that aired from 1940-1972, as well as episodes from the more modern seasons of
The New Woody Woodpecker Show, which ran from 1999 to 2002.
Now, 46 years after the last of the original cartoons were released and 16 years after the most recenter modern season ended,
Woody Woodpecker is ready to make a return. Universal Pictures International and Universal 1440 Entertainment have teamed up to create a new 10-episode series.
Directed by Alex Zamm, the new
Woody Woodpecker Series promises "action, fun, and friendship moments." The series will be comprised of five-minute episodes that will air on the Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish and English-language YouTube channels for the character.
“When we launched Woody Woodpecker on YouTube in 2017, the channels immediately resonated and the dedicated Portuguese channel for Brazil was a breakout hit; we knew there was a unique opportunity to do more with this favorite, classic character,” said Rob Bell, EVP, International New Media, NBCUniversal Global Distribution.
The Brazilian Woody Woodpecker channel has attracted more than two million subscribers, while the Spanish channel boasts more than 700,000. Given the channel's success, "coupled with extremely high engagement and watch time," Bell pointed out "it was clear there was an appetite to build upon the strength of the existing IP and a strategic opportunity for us to create original content.”
The new Woody Woodpecker Series is packed with action, fun and friendship moments! Are you ready to jump on the next adventure with Woody and his friends?
The new Woody Woodpecker series will air on YouTube starting December 3.