The best-loved characters on black and white TV, side by side with the advancement of virtual reality. Brand new characters alongside the protagonists of stories in already successful books or other formats, to satisfy the youngest viewers’ constant appetite for new productions. The output of Rai Ragazzi, presented today at Cartoons on the Bay, occupies a boundless territory of innovative productions and new developments for enormously popular brands, with the occasional touch of nostalgia in titles but not in graphics or narratives, to excite today’s children too.

New on Rai YoYo and Gulp

The cartoon series “44 cats”, inspired by the song of the same name that won the 10th edition of the Zecchino d’Oro children’s song award 50 years ago and has since become an emblem of the famous music event, is brand new and highly engaging. The protagonists are four music-loving cats - the Buffycats - who live and play in the garage of a friendly lady, Grandma Pina.  They observe the world of humans as a child would, from a unique, childish and comically honest angle, and have fantastic adventures resolved by playing music. Aimed at a pre-school audience and produced entirely in 3D, this is the latest venture with content company Rainbow (“Winx Club”). Coming to Rai YoYo in late 2018.

Next year will see the 60th anniversary of the TV debut of Topo Gigio, the famous puppet created by Maria Perego and star of more than a million TV appearances worldwide, endlessly repeated. Topo Gigio returns to the small screen with 52 adventures all over the world to save baby animals in peril. Assisting him in this brightly-coloured 2D production will be a new friend, the small and technology-minded Zoe. This is the first Italian animated series about the famous mouse, and is co-produced with Milan-based studio Movimenti Production.

“Mumfie” is the adorable little elephant who stars in the international hit book series of the same name, and he’ll make his TV debut in a 3D animation, produced with Zodiak Kids and the Turin-based Animoka Studios, in which he’ll find himself on a magical island called Flutterstone, inhabited by strange but friendly creatures. 

In another collaboration with the innovative digital studio Animoka, Rai Ragazzi presents a totally new venture: an eight-minute film based on the successful Rai Gulp TV series “Pat the dog”, produced in Virtual Reality format. A production in line with Rai Ragazzi’s experiments with new creative languages, ensuring that its output is in step with new developments in technology as well as today’s changing tastes.

Also coming to Rai channels in the next few months are two new European-produced series.

Based on the global phenomenon of Giochi Preziosi, distributed in more than 50 countries and with over 500 million figurines sold, the new series “Gormiti” will see its international première on Rai channels this autumn. 52 11-minute episodes in 3D format, co-produced by the leading children’s toy manufacturer with Planeta Junior and Kotoc animation studio, the series stars four kids from the tribes that populate the kingdoms of Gorm, who go in search of the legendary Tower, bastion of the Gormiti, and find themselves caught up in the most thrilling and epic adventure of their lives: the return of the Gormiti!

A story that’s apparently classic is “Arthur and the children of the round table”. It’s an epic comedy packed with action and mystery in which the protagonists - a gang of kids engaged in exhilarating adventures - have to complete the task that will make them into knights. But what could this important quest be? Protecting the magical sword Excalibur, of course. The 52 11-minute episodes from the co-producers of the Oscar-nominated film “Ma vie de Courgette” will be among the new programmes for next winter.

Upcoming cartoon productions

While we wait for the new series in production, there are plenty of new arrivals on TV starting from this month. For the youngest viewers, from 23 April there’s the return of “Tip the Mouse” with a second season exclusively on Rai YoYo starring the delightful little Italian mouse who has become an international publishing sensation, on screen every day at 8.45 and 15.40. It’s a Rai Ragazzi production with Studio Bozzetto & Co, Giunti Editore and Studio Campedelli.

Also starting on Rai YoYo in June, there’s “Trulli Tales”. It’s an Italian idea, set in famous Unesco site Alberobello and exported all over the world; a series about magic and cooking co-produced by Rai with Fandango TV and Congedo Cultararte together with French and Canadian partners, in which four young friends are determined to make the recipes in Nonnatrulla’s magic book.

For older children, exclusively on Rai Gulp from 8 May there’s “Spike Team”, the third season of the volleyball-themed cartoon created by Italian champion Andrea Lucchetta and co-produced with his Lucky Dreams studio, with the participation of the animated version of wheelchair fencing champion Bebe Vio; this series sees the team on a final tournament taking place in seven Italian cities.

7 May brings the debut of the eagerly-awaited animated series “Max & Maestro”, a Rai Gulp exclusive, the result of the creative involvement and extraordinary input of Daniel Barenboim, internationally famous orchestra conductor and pianist. This is an excellent project which combines entertainment, adventure and music education and which has involved public service broadcasters in Italy, France and Germany; it’s co-produced with MP1 and Monello Productions. The series tells the story of a boy from the urban outskirts who’s grown up with rap and video games but whose real dream is to become an orchestra conductor; it will also be presented at the upcoming Annecy animated film festival.

In June, Rai Gulp presents a brand new all-Italian series in 52 11-minute episodes, co-produced with Studio Campedelli and Cartobaleno. It’s called “Atchoo!”, and it stars Teo, a nine-year-old boy with a very special characteristic that makes him different to all the rest: when he experiences a strong emotion he sneezes and turns into an animal. Since he can’t control his sneezes or even predict which animal he’ll be, Teo often finds himself in trouble, but with the help of his friends he always pulls through.

Live action for Rai Gulp

Alongside cartoons, there are also several drama series for teens coming up on Rai Gulp.

“Sara and Marti” is the new all-Italian series produced with Stand by Me in collaboration with Walt Disney Company Italia, and featuring young actors Aurora Moroni and Chiara del Francia as two teenage sisters who move from London to Bevagna, a tiny medieval village in the heart of Umbria, where the entire production was shot. A new teen fiction series for autumn, directed by Maria Sorrentino.

Also about to arrive are four TV specials of “Alex & Co”, in preparation for the new drama series “Penny on M.A.R.S.”, a spin-off of the successful sitcom about five friends at music high school. In the specials we’ll find Alex (Leonardo Cecchi), Nicole (Eleonora Gaggero), Emma (Beatrice Vendramin) and Penny - Pentachord Mendez (Olivia Mai Barret), who will take the story to the world of M.A.R.S. (Musical Arts Reiner School), a prestigious music school where the 14-year-old Penny and her best friend Camilla (Shannon Gaskin) are pupils. A new all-Italian English language series filmed in and around Milan, produced in collaboration with the Disney Channel and 3zero2 and directed by Claudio Norza.

Finally, exclusively on Rai Gulp from 30 April (Monday to Friday at 18.25), there’s the debut of “Heidi Bienvenida”, a new series produced by Mondo TV Iberoamerica and Javier Francia’s Alianzas Producciones. It stars 14-year-old Argentinian actress Chiara Francia, the daughter of series writer Marcela Citterio, who is one of the most prolific authors of teen series such as “Patty's world” and “Chica Vampiro”; here she revisits Johanna Spyri’s classic novel and gives it a modern twist. What would today’s Heidi be like, torn away from the mountains and living in the city? “We’re delighted that in April we’ll see our Italian première on Rai Gulp”, Citterio said “it all encourages us to do more and more”.