Turner Greenlights Gumball’s Second Season

LONDON: The Amazing World of Gumball has been commissioned for a second season by Turner Broadcasting, in advance of the animated show’s first-season rollout.

The series, the first commission to come from the Cartoon Network Development Studio in Europe, follows the misadventures of 12-year-old Gumball and his family and friends, including a dinosaur, a cheerleading peanut and a banana. The first season is set to debut on Cartoon Network on May 2 in the U.K. and on May 9 in the U.S., followed by an international full-series rollout later in the year.

The series’ second season will consist of 40 11-minute episodes and will continue its mix of 2D and 3D animation within a live-action setting. Second-season production is set to start in June and will retain the core team of creator Ben Bocquelet, director Mic Graves and executive producer Daniel Lennard. The series will air on Cartoon Network in more than 166 countries around the world.

Daniel Lennard, the VP of original series and development at Turner Broadcasting, said: “A visually groundbreaking series with a cast of funny, loveable characters, The Amazing World of Gumball is one of the most exciting animation shows to launch in recent years. Commissioning a second series before the first show has aired shows our absolute commitment and belief in the series and we’re hoping audiences the world over will embrace this show as much as we have.”

Bocquelet added: “I’m hugely excited. There are so many amazing stories to tell with these unique characters and a whole universe to develop further. I can’t wait to get the team back together."

Michael Carrington, the chief content officer at Turner Broadcasting, continued: "There is a fantastic appetite for high-quality, narrative-driven comedy animation amongst children’s audiences around the world, and with The Amazing World of Gumball, we are helping to fill that gap. I’m thrilled to have greenlit this second series before we’ve launched the first—it is a tremendous accolade to our cast and crew who have created an amazing show."