NBCU revives Woody Woodpecker online

Woody Woodpecker was created in 1940

NBCUniversal-owned film division Universal Pictures, prodco Universal 1440 Entertainment and distributor NBCUniversal Global Distribution have teamed up to launch a new series of Woody Woodpecker on YouTube.

The new series of the popular animation will see the iconic character travel to Brazil for the first time for two adventures. Created by Universal Pictures International and Universal 1440 Entertainment, the 10×5’ show will be available from December on the brand’s Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish and English-language YouTube channels.

Additionally, a new documentary, Bird Gone Wild: The Woody Woodpecker Story, will be available as ancillary content to the series. The 13-minute doc goes behind the scenes with the makers of the new cartoons and takes a look back at the origins of the beloved bird.

Woody Woodpecker was created in 1940 by Walter Lantz Productions and has been the subject of numerous productions since. The new cartoons come 16 years after the modern Woody Woodpecker series, which aired over three seasons on defunct network Fox Kids between 1999 and 2002.

NBCU Global Distribution launched a dedicated Woody Woodpecker YouTube channel in Brazil last year off the back of the character’s popularity across all demographics. This later spawned the Spanish and English channels.

Fans already had access hundreds of videos, including the classic Woody adventures created from 1940-1972 and the modern seasons, on the YouTube channels, and the positive response to this content led to the decision to produce new material.

“When we launched Woody Woodpecker on YouTube, the channels immediately resonated and the dedicated Portuguese channel for Brazil was a breakout hit; we knew there was a unique opportunity to do more,” said Rob Bell, executive VP of international new media at NBCUniversal Global Distribution.

“With the Brazilian channel organically attracting over two million subscribers and the Spanish channel over 700,00 subscribers coupled with extremely high engagement and watch time, it was clear there was an appetite to build upon the strength of the existing IP and a strategic opportunity for us to create original content.”