According to Daily Variety, Mexican broadcaster Televisa has ordered a new animated series based on its successful 1970s children’s sitcom, El Chavo de ocho. The 26-episode, half-hour cartoon is being produced by Mexico’s Anima Estudios and is slated for delivery in late 2006.
The live-action El Chavo de ocho is currently in syndication throughout Latin America and airs in the U.S. on Univision’s Galavision. Created by comedian Roberto Gomez Bolanos, the series consists of 1300 episodes following the life of an orphan who lives on the streets in a barrel. Bolanos, who originally played the lead role, is modernizing the concept with his son, TV producer Roberto Gomez Fernandez (El Juego de la vida).
This will be the first animated series for Televisa, which is reportedly courting Warner Bros. and other U.S. studios for co-production partnerships as it looks to crack the U.S. market with Chavo,
Anima produced the 2004 big-screen animated release, Magos y Gigantes, and last summer’s Imaginum. Founded in 2002, the budding studio also produced the animated TV series, Cascaritos, in 2004. For more information on the company, go to www.animaestudios.com.
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