‘Caillou’ Is Returning As A Computer Animated Series And TV Fans Are Not Happy

etcanada.com:

The most famous baldheaded cartoon kid is making a big comeback. On Friday, The Globe and Mail reported that U.S. streaming service Peacock has partnered with Halifax-based media company WildBrain to bring “Caillou” back to TV as a computer animated series. READ MORE: Parents On Twitter Celebrate As ‘Caillou’ Cancelled At PBS Kids The deal will reportedly “expand the Caillou universe,” with 52 new 11-minute episodes, along with five previously announced 44-minute “Caillou family specials.” “This is yet another example of how we’re reinvigorating treasured brands from our evergreen library,” WildBrain president Josh Scherba said in a statement. “For over 25 years, preschoolers have connected with Caillou because they can see themselves in these highly relatable stories.” The original, traditional 2D animated “Caillou” show, based on the long-running picture book series, began airing in French in Canada in 1997, before being translated to English.

New episodes were produced all the way to 2010, and the series continued airing on networks, including on PBS in the U.S., until as recently as 2021.

Despite initial praise from parents, children and critics, over time, “Caillou” became one of the most polarizing children’s shows on TV, with a National Post article in 2017 calling it, “quite possibly the world’s most universally reviled children’s program.” READ MORE: ‘Clifford The Big Red Dog’ Is Adorable As He Rampages Through NYC In Live-Action Trailer On Twitter, that sentiment appeared to dominate, as users complained both about the new computer animated look of the property, as well as the fact that it was being rebooted at all.