CG-animated preschool series Wadoo is the latest project to leverage a more flexible, digital-first approach.

Mediawan Kids & Family and digital player El Reino Infantil just pulled back the curtain to share more details on the toon, which was teased at this year’s Annecy Fest, among other industry events.

The companies are laying out what they call a “comprehensive, soft-launch strategy” for the series, which is due to premiere sometime next year through YouTube distribution with international broadcast via Mediawan Kids & Family Distribution. 

Wadoo (39 x seven minutes) follows a young dragoness and her besties as they explore everything from friendship to nature, and each episode ends with a musical number recapping what they learned.

Before producing and launching the full series, the plan is to first create a number of digital shorts using AI tools, according to a release. These shorts will premiere on social media and the El Reino Infantil YouTube channel as a way to test out the concept and refine the characters, premise and overall tone as needed. To do this, the teams will be relying on audience analytics and community engagement insights.

El Reino Infantil is known for operating a large network of kids channels (222 million subscribers combined) and launching popular IPs like La Granja de Zenón. Mediawan Kids & Family president Julien Borde called this collaboration “a major strategic step in our ambition to combine the best of digital creativity with the excellence of traditional production.” He added, “Wadoo perfectly embodies [our] approach: delivering original, high-quality content tailored to today’s viewing habits, and supporting our partners in the evolving international animation landscape.” 

Earlier this week, Banijay Kids & Family made another big digital-first bet with Ava & Digger. Made in partnership with TheSoul Publishing, this 2D toon will launch online, with plans to adapt it based on real-time audience feedback and trends.