'Chhota Bheem,' 'One Piece': Warner Bros. unveils slate for children
Warner Bros. Discovery (South Asia) has unveiled its summer programming slate for children, featuring a blend of anime and original Indian content. The new lineup will premiere on the Pogo channel in May, starting with the Indian series Jay Jagannath, reported Variety. The show explores the bond between the Hindu God Jagannath, who appears as a child named Jagan, and his devout follower Balaram, with stories rooted in folktales.
'Chhota Bheem' and 'Little Singham' will also air
In addition to Jay Jagannath, WBD South Asia will also broadcast two popular Indian series, Chhota Bheem and Little Singham. Both series' lead characters were featured in the 2023 film Aag Aur Pani Ki Takkar. The sequel to this film, titled Aag Aur Pani Ka Badla, is also scheduled for a summer airing on Pogo.
Over 200 premieres are planned across these three channels
On the international front, Cartoon Network under WBD will introduce new Japanese anime series like One Piece: Land of Wano and My Hero Academia 4. Fresh seasons of US show Teen Titans Go! and French series Grizzy and the Lemmings are also set to roll out. Meanwhile, Discovery Kids is preparing to launch new seasons of the India-Singapore animated series Titoo. In total, over 200 premieres are planned across these three channels broadcasting in India and other South Asian countries.
Localization is key to engaging with children across India: Singh
Uttam Pal Singh, head of the kids' cluster for South Asia at WBD, highlighted the importance of localization in engaging with children across India's diverse regions. "India is so diverse and some regions in India have a very strong affinity to their mother tongue. So, starting last year, we expanded our language base, which was only about three languages, but we expanded to four more." Now, Pogo is available in seven Indian languages and Cartoon Network in six.
WBD to expand anime production in Japan
Anime has seen a surge in popularity across South Asia, and WBD intends to capitalize on this trend, particularly through its collaboration with Toei Animation. Singh pointed out that local animation primarily targets the 6-10 age group, leaving a gap for pre-teens and older children, which anime effectively fills. Recently, WBD announced plans to expand its anime production in Japan.
