| Genre: | Children's television series |
| Country: | United Kingdom Spain Italy |
| Creator: | Rowena Blyth Chris Capstick Joe Moroney |
| Director: | Chris Capstick |
| Voices: | Evan Capstick Eleanor Stollery George Ravenscroft Colin MacFarlane |
| Executive Producer: | Joe Moroney Louise Bucknole Louise Burgess |
| Producer: | Ignacio Segura |
| Editor: | Danny Brown Michael Treacy |
| Company: | Planeta Junior Fourth Wall Animation British Film Institute's Young Audiences Content Fund |
| Network: | Milkshake! (United Kingdom) PBS Kids (United States) |
Milo is a British comedy animated preschool television series that first aired on Channel 5's Milkshake! block on 10 May 2021 in the United Kingdom.[1]
The series, produced by Fourth Wall Animation and distributed by Planeta Junior,[2] was commissioned in May 2021 by the British Film Institute's Young Audiences Content Fund.[3] [4] Though this fund was eliminated in 2023, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Flexible Growth Fund provided major funding for a second season of the show, following the success of the first season.[5] This series is animated completely using Toon Boom Animation's computer information systems.
The series follows Milo, a 5-year-old black cat and his friends, Lofty, a tall giraffe and Lark, a Bird as they explore different jobs and professions. Milo lives in Milotown with his parents, who run a dry cleaning shop. In each episode, a washing machine robot named Suds lets Milo and his friends try on the clothes of the workers of the town. Through role play, they learn about the many vocational careers found around town.
The show is formatted into 11-minute episodes. The first season consists of 52 episodes and the second season consists of 26 episodes.
The show is broadcast in over 170 countries internationally.[6] It premiered in the United Kingdom on Channel 5's Milkshake! block on 10 May 2021. It also airs on Nick Jr. In Spain, it airs on Clan. The show airs on ABC Kids in Australia, on Cartoonito in Latin America, on Majid TV in the United Arab Emirates and on MiniMini+ in Poland.
In July 2023, the show began airing in France on 6play and in Mexico on TV Azteca. In August 2023, it debuted in Canada on Télé-Québec.[7]
In 2024, PBS Kids acquired the rights to the series in the United States.[8] Although it was originally scheduled to air on the PBS Kids 24/7 Channel,[9] it was exclusive to the PBS Kids on-demand streaming service as of May 13, 2024,[10] in addition to Amazon Prime Video through the PBS Kids add-on subscription. On-air broadcasts began on the PBS Kids 24/7 channel on October 1, 2024, while the fourth season, titled Odd Squad UK, began airing on the same day. [11] [12] [13]
In 2021-22, the show began airing in Russia on JimJam, and later on Carousel.[14]
Milo is one of the UK’s top-rated programs for children between the ages of four and six, reaching one million kids between the ages of four and fifteen in the UK within its first year of broadcast.[15] It won the Best Children’s Series at the 2022 British Animation Awards.[16] It also won bronze at the 2022 New York Festivals TV & Film Awards, and was nominated for Best Preschool Program at the 2022 Broadcast Awards.