LONDON – Time Warner’s Turner Broadcasting unit said Friday that it has given the green light to a third season of global hit series The Amazing World of Gumball on Cartoon Network.
The first series from London-based Cartoon Network Studio Europe launched last year and has drawn strong ratings for Cartoon Network worldwide. It uses 2D and 3D animation in a live-action setting.
The show’s lead characters are Gumball, a blue cat, and his adopted brother Darwin, a goldfish. They live in a world full of absurd creatures and characters, including Gumball’s school friends who include a Tyrannosaurus Rex, a banana and a cheerleading peanut.
“He’s a twelve-year-old cat with a flair for misadventure,” Cartoon Network says in a show description on its web site.
Cartoon’s own Ben Bocquelet created the series. He used some of his ideas for characters for commercials that had been rejected and put them together in one show.
In the U.S., the second season premiere was the top show of the day among boys 2-11 and 6-11, as well as number one in its time period among kids 2-11, 6-11 and all boys demos, according to the network.
For the third season, Turner has commissioned 40 episodes. Air dates have not been set, but the show will continue to air on Cartoon Network in over 160 countries.
“Season two has already seen a big leap in terms of comedy and visual storytelling, and we’re excited to see where we can go with a third season,” said Daniel Lennard, vp original series and development at Turner Broadcasting. “This is a testament to Turner’s belief in the remarkable talents of Ben Bocquelet, [director] Mic Graves and the entire Gumball team.”
Michael Carrington, chief content officer at Turner Broadcasting, added: “The Amazing World of Gumball is a standout series, and we are delighted that audiences on Cartoon Network will be able to watch yet more of this engrossing and captivating series. We are proud that our first show from Cartoon Network Studio Europe sits alongside contemporary greats from the U.S., such as Regular Show and Adventure Time, which is a sure-fire reflection of the talented team behind it.”
The series has already won 15 awards, including two BAFTAs, three Kidscreen Awards, two British Animation Awards and an Annie.
Email: Georg.Szalai@thr.com
Twitter: @georgszalai
