UK-based Channel 5 has commissioned Winnie and Wilbur, a brand-new 2D-animated TV series based on the bestselling Winnie the Witch books by Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul, for its Milkshake! preschool block.

British prodco Winduna Enterprises is set to produce the 52 x 11-minute comedic series targeting four- to seven-year-olds.

The first Winnie the Witch picture book published by Oxford University Press in 1987 spawned a series that has since sold more than seven million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 30 languages.

Preserving the original look and feel of the books, the series will follow the hilarious adventures of lovable witch Winnie, whose wild and unpredictable spells often land her long-suffering best friend, Wilbur the cat, in a number of hair-raising predicaments.

A production timeline and premiere date for the series have yet to be announced.