New Delhi: Streaming giant Netflix wants to continue the story of “Mighty Little Bheem”, and is working on its third season and two-holiday specials for the next two years.
“Mighty Little Bheem” is a preschool spin-off based on one of India’s most iconic and loved children’s franchises “Chota Bheem”. It launched on April 12 this year as Netflix’s first Indian animation show for children and has become a global hit.
The second season went live on August 30, and there will be a Diwali special also coming up. The streamer is actively working on the third season, which is expected to have 15 episodes.
“We were extremely overwhelmed by the response to ‘Mighty Little Bheem’ and how much people loved and responded to it. Kids all over the world were watching the show and engaging with ‘Mighty Little Bheem’ as a character. Launching the second season seemed like the most natural thing to do given the positive response to the first season,” Aram Yacoubian, Director of content, kids & family international originals at Netflix, told IANS.
“We have also begun talks for the third season and are in the creation process for the same. At the same time, we’re also looking at a Diwali special that will be coming out soon, along with two more holiday specials in the next 2 years. We are really excited to bring ‘Mighty Little Bheem’ back to screens because he’s a character that is loved by kids globally, which shows the growth in the acceptance of both Indian stories and animated series,” he added.
The show has found new audiences not only in India, but around the world, particularly in Brazil, Mexico, the rest of Australia/New Zealand, the US, Nordics, and in Africa.
“Chhota Bheem as a character has been around in India for about 10 years and was one of the most popular shows in the country. There were multiple films, TV shows and franchises that came up because of it,” Yacoubian pointed out.
He says Netflix is “constantly looking at reinvented shows and telling really strong, impactful stories”.
“What we were looking at was creating something for kids that had never really been seen before. Most animated shows were either available on specific channels or online, but there were no dedicated shows on premium services like Netflix. We believed that ‘Mighty Little Bheem’ was the perfect character to help us step into that space,” Yacoubian added.