The
Italy-based animation studio Misseri Studio is set to animate and
co-produce the show along with German public broadcaster NDR and
UK broadcaster Five's Milkshake preschool block. Although the series
is still being "shopped around" to international outlet,
it has already attracted many distributers. The Adventures of Bert
and Ernie has been picked up by ABC in Australia, Cartoon Network
India, DR-TV in Denmark, Disney Asia, Disney Spain, HOP in Israel,
NPS/Zeppelin in the Netherlands, NRK in Norway and SVT in Sweden.
Although the international community getting into the series, Sesame
Workshop does not plan to bring the series of 5-minute shorts to
US audiences at this time.
The first season of the series, which includes 26
five-minute episodes, will be available to syndicates in March 2008,
and a second season (also of 26 episodes) is already planned to
follow in the spring 2009.
Each five-minute episode finds Bert and Ernie recalling
stories of their past adventures sparked by photos and memorabilia
in their scrapbook. Viewers are quickly transported into the vibrant
world of the duo's imagination where their story springs to life
(and often changes in an instant due to the character's conflicting
point of view or recollection of events). Other characters included
in the series are Bernice (Bert's pet pigeon) Ernie's Rubber Duckie,
never-before-seen family members of both Bert and Ernie and other
new characters met in their adventures.
Terry Fitzpatrick, Sesame Workshop's executive VP
of distribution said that "we are proud to bring a whole new
dimension and energy to the wit and charm of these classic and beloved
characters.