In a landscape where studios feel like they have to choose between linear broadcasters and digital-first rollout strategies, MIAM! is having it both ways as it expands the world of its preschool sitcom The Tinies. 

The Parisian studio/distributor has pulled back the curtain on an artsy offshoot called The Tinies DIYs (pictured, 26 x five minutes) that was ordered by the main show’s commissioners Canal+, VRT and RTBF and was designed from the ground up to work on both linear and digital channels.

The original The Tinies—which debuted on Canal+ last year—follows a community of toys residing in an attic, where a cheery doll and her animal bestie use their upcycling and crafting skills to solve problems. Meanwhile, the new stop-motion/live-action DIYs series will consist of tutorials for kids and families to build the quirky creations seen in the main series using everyday household items. For instance, an empty egg carton is transformed into a toy wagon with bottle caps as wheels, or playing cards become the wings of a toy airplane.

MIAM! Animation produced DIYs with Lunanime and Panique!, with in-house sales arm MIAM! Distribution shopping the series globally.

DIYs is a way for MIAM! to engage with kids audiences in a deeper way about the IP’s signature theme of sustainability. (Side note: The green production really does practice what it preaches). But it’s also an example of a multi-pronged rollout strategy that the banner wants to implement more of.

“Instead of treating YouTube as secondary windows, [we] developed The Tinies from the start as a cross-platform brand,” says MIAM! sales and acquisitions manager Lucille Janvier. It’s why the French version of The Tinies DIYs debuted simultaneously this month across the Canal+ linear kids channel, its SVOD platform, and the Canal+ Kids YouTube channel. 

“Traditionally, broadcasters have preferred staggered release windows in order to protect exclusivity, audience retention and advertising/subscription value,” she adds. “[But] MIAM! and Canal+ intentionally embraced a coordinated multi-channel launch strategy from day one, using each platform for a complementary purpose. This approach reflects a broader industry shift: younger audiences increasingly move fluidly between television, streaming services and free digital platforms.”

MIAM! is also hopeful that this companion series can travel globally to reach craft-loving kids audiences around the world, and drive more visibility for the main series. In fact, DIYs has already scored several pre-sales from outside France, like Télé-Québec (Canada), KidStreet (US), RTS (Switzerland) and BeIn (MENA), among others. The series will begin its international launch later this year following its summer rollout in France.

(Image credit:  © MIAM! animation – Panique! – Lunanime – RTBF – VRT/Ketnet)