WarnerMedia Sets Cartoonito Launch Date & Slate

WarnerMedia Kids & Family has set the launch date for its first-ever preschool block, Cartoonito, for September 13, with an initial programming roster that includes Little Ellen and Lucas the Spider.

Cartoonito will offer new and library series on HBO Max and Cartoon Network. Its programming will be guided by its proprietary educational framework, Humancentric Learning, developed in partnership with educational psychologist Dr. Laura Brown.

The Humancentric Learning framework aims to encourage children to be themselves, let their creativity flourish and become caring community members by treating others with compassion, respect and fairness. As such, Cartoonito’s shows were developed to celebrate individuality and to champion creativity and inclusion.

On HBO Max, Cartoonito will present new shows including Little Ellen and the second season of The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo. A selection of library shows will also be available, such as Esme & Roy and Sesame Street.

On Cartoon Network, Cartoonito will present the series Bing, Mush-Mush & The Mushables and Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go during the week from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. The weekday lineup will also include library and fan favorites Baby Looney Tunes, Caillou and Pocoyo. On weekend mornings from 6 to 8, additional new shows, such as Lucas the Spider, will air. The weekend roster will also feature library shows including Care Bears: Unlock the Magic and Love Monster.

“Cartoonito’s offerings on HBO Max and Cartoon Network will reflect a wide array of diverse content that connects kids and their caregivers through relatable stories, lovable characters and meaningful social-emotional learning both in and between the shows,” said Amy Friedman, head of kids and family programming at Warner Bros. “We are now in the home stretch, and we can’t wait for our four hosts Nito, Glob, Wedge and Itty to take preschoolers and their families into the expansive world of Cartoonito.”

In the future, Cartoonito’s slate will include Warner Bros. Animation’s Batwheels, Bugs Bunny Builders (w/t) and Tom and Jerry Junior (w/t); Cartoon Network Studios’s Jessica’s Big Little World (w/t); Sesame Workshop’s Mecha Builders and Bea’s Block; and a variety of projects with best-selling children’s book author Mo Willems.