Channel 5 ups kids’ programming

Paw Patrol is among the titles featured on Milkshake!

Viacom-owned UK terrestrial Channel 5 has added free kids’ content to its multiplatform preschool brand Milkshake! in a bid to help keep kids occupied amid coronavirus-related school closures.

Some 250 additional episodes of Milkshake! content will be uploaded to C5’s VoD service My5 to sit alongside the 500 such episodes already on the platform.

Programming set to be made available includes additional seasons of Mr Men, Mofy, Meet the Hedgehogs, Secret Life of Puppies, Secret Life of Kittens and Angelina Ballerina. Seasons one to four of Milkshake! Monkey will also be added, making all five series available on My5.

Furthermore, an additional two hours of content will be uploaded to the Milkshake! YouTube and Instagram pages each week. New uploads will take place every morning, following the linear transmission of the Milkshake! programming block on C5.

New content will include Milkshake! Activities and Milkshake! Move & Shake shorts, as well as factual and mindfulness posts. The content will supplement the 22 hours of shorts and posts already available on Milkshake!’s social platforms.

On-air, there will be a brand new episode scheduled everyday between March and August, including the launch of Daisy & Ollie and Ricky Zoom, in addition to new episodes of Abby Hatcher, Floogals, Little Princess, Sunny Bunnies, Butterbeans Café, Paw Patrol, Noddy, Shimmer & Shine, Becca’s Bunch, Mya Go, The Day Henry Met, Wissper, Thomas & Friends, Top Wing and Nella the Princess Knight.

Louise Bucknole, VP of programming for kids at ViacomCBS Networks UK, said. “We know how hard it is for parents and carers stuck at home indoors with their children. All of our content is designed to help keep young kids occupied in a fun, safe and learning environment, providing the adults with a much needed break or co-viewing option with their little ones.”