The “Baby Shark” song is finally becoming a kid’s TV show.
Nickelodeon gave a series order to the animated pre-school series “Baby Shark Big Show!” on Thursday, making it the first TV show to come from the famous viral video of the kid’s song. The series is set to premiere with a holiday special this December, followed by more episodes in Spring 2021.
The “Baby Shark Dance” video, from Japanese children’s brand Pinkfong, has been viewed over 5.7 billion times on YouTube since 2016. The song also spent 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and spurred the viral #BabySharkChallenge.
“Baby Shark Big Show!” will consist of 26 half-hour episodes, following Baby Shark and his best friend William on their adventures through Carnivore Cove, where they will meet new friends and sing original songs. The series is co-produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio and SmartStudy, the global entertainment company behind Pinkfong.
“Having the opportunity to dive deeper into this incredible world and create all-new storylines has been extremely exciting, and our head of preschool Eryk Casemiro and his team can’t wait to help grow the Baby Shark universe and fanbase with an amazing new series that captures the heart and spirit of this beloved property,” said Ramsey Naito, executive vice president of Nickelodeon animation production and development.
Following its Dec. premiere and Spring U.S. launch, the show will roll out across Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. channels internationally. ViacomCBS Consumer Products (VCP) will also manage consumer products licensing worldwide, excluding China, Korea and Southeast Asia, for the Baby Shark property.
The series joins Nickelodeon’s pre-school programming lineup which includes “Ryan’s Mystery Playdate,” “Bubble Guppies,” and “Blaze and the Monster Machines.”