Martha Speaks Greenlit for Fourth Season

BOSTON/TORONTO: Boston’s WGBH and DHX Media have inked a deal to produce a fourth season of the PBS KIDS preschool show Martha Speaks.

The animated series is targeted toward 4- to 7-year-olds and is based on the best-selling books by Susan Meddaugh. The fourth season of Martha Speaks began production this month and is set to air on PBS KIDS in winter 2012.

“We are delighted that Martha Speaks has been greenlit for a fourth season,” said WGBH senior executive producer Carol Greenwald. “We have watched Martha’s audience grow each season—currently reaching an average of 4.5 million people on air each week and 745,000 online each month in the U.S.—and we look forward to creating new adventures for Martha to share with our audience.”

Chris Bartleman, the executive VP of production and development for kids at DHX Media, added: “This new commission highlights how much the series has resonated with older preschool kids, not just in the U.S., but on all our international broadcasters. We’ve had some great feedback across the board, and are looking forward to entertaining the show’s fans with more of Martha’s adventures.”