YouTube preschool kids phenomenon Cocomelon is getting its first live action spin off. Called Melon Patch Classroom, the new series will focus on a popular character called Ms Appleberry and was revealed in a teaser trailer.
Owned by Candle Media division Moonbug Entertainment, Cocomelon has been a global phenomenon, racking up around 180 million subscribers and billions of views with its entertaining and educational animation episodes. So successful is the brand that it has also made the leap to SVOD platform Netflix.
Melon Patch Classroom will debut as a YouTube series. It will centre on lessons given by Ms Appleberry, a teacher who first appeared as an animated character in the Cocomelon universe in 2019. There are few details at present, but the series is expected to include music, humour, educational messaging and special guests.
Moonbug’s success with Cocomelon transformed the kids market, proving that a YouTube-first property could compete effectively with brands launch via traditional media platforms. The company also owns a live action preschool brand called Blippi which has been extended into podcasts, and has a FAST channel.
