Nickelodeon will premiere CG-animated series Deer Squad in the U.S. following a successful run internationally. The show is Nickelodeon International’s first China-originated series. It is the result of a partnership between Chinese streamer iQIYI, Nickelodeon International and VIS Kids, a unit of ViacomCBS International Studios.
The adventure-rescue show follows four, lovable, enthusiastic and heroic deer friends Kai, Lola, Bobbi and Rammy, who protect the animals of Central Forest and the humans who inhabit Platinum City, a futuristic metropolis surrounding their woodland home. When there’s trouble, the Deer summon their special Planet Powers of Water (Kai), Wood (Lola), Earth (Bobbi) and Sun (Rammy) to solve problems.
“We first partnered with iQIYI on the series with a worldwide audience in mind. We’re incredibly proud to see this original preschool series become the first Nickelodeon International global Chinese-originated collaborative project, as we further our commitment to developing kids-first content from around the world,” said VIS KIDS head and Nickelodeon International senior vice president of international production and development Nina Hahn.
“Deer Squad is a major breakthrough for iQIYI’s development of original children’s animation, creatively supervised by Nickelodeon International. We appreciate Nickelodeon’s international broadcasting strategy on the show, and it is great news that we have achieved No.1 in viewership in many regions. We hope that there will be more Chinese original animations to go international,” said iQIYI vice president and head of original animation and investment Yang Xiaoxuan.
Nickelodeon International aired Deer Squad across Asia in August and in Australia, New Zealand and the U.K. later in the year. The series is also scheduled to air in other European countries and Africa in March. Deer Squad is currently in production on a second season.
