Aspirational and fantastical series that offer kids an escape got the greenlight for more episodes this November.

BBC Children’s is doubling down on its preschool series JoJo & Gran Gran (pictured) with an order for a second and third season from BBC Children’s in-house production team. Tracking a four-year-old girl and her wise grandmother who learn about their heritage together, the pubcaster has ordered 88 x 11-minute new episodes. Building out the series further, BBC has also picked up a festive special to air this year, an audio series for BBC Sounds, and two games for CBeebies.

Also on the preschool front, BBC is bringing back its annual holiday show Christmas in Storyland, which will pay homage to teachers and grandparents as they help elves deliver presents. This is the first time the show, which has traditionally been performed in theaters, was filmed in a green-screen studio with animation added on. It will launch on December 12 on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer.

The pubcaster also ordered a third season of preschool-skewing Molly and Mack, and a second season of Boat Rocker Studios and UYoung’s Love Monster. Meanwhile, for its older CBBC audiences, it has ordered a second season of live-action comedies Class Dismissed and Demon Headmaster.  

Diving into more animal-focused content, Netflix greenlit a second season of Izzy’s Koala World. Produced by The Dodo, Group Nine Studios and Nomadica Films, the eight x 15-minute series tracks an 11-year koala whisperer and her family who have turned their home into a marsupial sanctuary. Season two will focus on the family’s rescue efforts during the Australian wildfires. Netflix hasn’t announced how many new episodes there will be or when it’ll launch.

Finland’s pubcaster YLE and UK broadcaster Sky have ordered a third season of Gutsy Animations’ flagship series Moominvalley. The new 13 x 22-minute season will air on Sky One, NOW TV, and the Sky Kids app in the UK and Ireland throughout 2021 and 2022. The new episodes, like the earlier seasons, will revolve around the quirky Moomins as they work together to become a more kind, caring and tolerant community. The animated series has been sold to broadcasters in more than 40 countries, including NHK (Japan) and ZDF (Germany).

Australian Children’s Television Foundation has committed more than US$17,000 for a second season of Epic Films’ live-action series First Day. The new four x half-hour episodes will continue to follow a transgender girl’s first year of high school. The drama premiered on Aussie broadcaster ABC in March, and has since been picked up by BBC and Hulu.