Channel 5’s Milkshake! adds to live-action slate with Aneeshwar Kunchala show
Cooking with the Gills has been renewed for a second season
CMC: UK broadcaster Channel 5’s preschool brand, Milkshake!, has ordered a series in which nine-year-old conservationist and wildlife enthusiast Aneeshwar Kunchala goes on outdoor adventures.
Set to air in early 2025, Aneeshwar’s Outdoor Adventures (20×11′) is produced by Sunderland-based MCC Media and follows Kunchala and two young volunteer explorers as they tackle and learn about urgent conservation issues.
These include rescuing seals or hedgehogs in need, planting trees and wildflowers, cleaning local waterways and re-housing various animals.
Despite not yet being 10, Kunchala has previously fronted shows for both the BBC and Sky Kids, having spoken at the Children’s Media Conference (CMC) in Sheffield in 2022.
Kunchala is set to appear via video later today in a session titled Sustainability Now: A-Team for Climate Kids at this year’s edition of the CMC, which kicked off yesterday.
Louise Bucknole, general manager for kids and family in the UK and Ireland at Channel 5 parent Paramount, commissioned the series and is due to speak at the CMC later today in the Commissioners Conversations: Preschool session.
Milkshake! has also added to its live-action slate for 2025 by renewing Reu & Harper’s Wonder World (20×11′) and JB Gill-fronted cookery show Cooking with the Gills (15×11′) for second seasons.
From London-based Doc Hearts, Reu & Harper’s Wonder World sees siblings Reu (Hazariah-Reu Zephaniah) and Harper (Harper-Rae) enjoy playdates in the homes of children across the UK in a quest to learn about other families and their heritage.
Cooking with the Gills, meanwhile, also comes from MCC Media and follows popular presenter, farmer and JLS star Gill and his family as they enlist the help of talented young cooks from around the UK to make simple and delicious recipes to serve in their pop-up café.
Bucknole said: “At Milkshake!, we continue to prioritise UK-produced preschool live-action series that feature our viewers exploring and learning about the world around them.
“These shows entertain and encourage learning through play, shining a fun and insightful spotlight on the themes of sustainability and caring for the environment, learning about world culture through play, and the importance of understanding ingredients and how to make delicious food for your family.”
