C5 falls under Winnie’s spell

Viacom-owned Channel 5 in the UK has commissioned an animated series based on the Winnie the Witch books for its preschool programming block Milkshake!.

Winnie and Wilbur is based
on a popular book series

Winnie and Wilbur (52×11′) is being produced by UK-based prodco Winduna Enterprises and follows a wild and unpredictable witch and her long-suffering feline best friend.

C5 says the series, which targets an audience of 4-7s, is being produced using a “unique” 2D animation system to preserve the “intricate, rich and dynamic graphical style” of the book series.

The Winnie the Witch books, written by Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul, have sold more than seven million copies worldwide over the past 25 years.

The stories are popular with children aged 5-8 in countries including the UK, China and Russia.