Netflix is moving its original series programming into a new arena, and working with a top animation studio to do it. The streaming service has partnered with Dreamworks, the studio behind Shrek to create its first every original children’s series, based on the movie Turbo, which is headed for theaters this summer.
Turbo: F.A.S.T., which by the way stands for “Fast Action Stunt Team,” will premiere on Netflix in December. It’s about a snail who dreams of being faster, and then finds his dream is able to come true thanks to a freak accident. He decides to pursue his greatest fantasy: competing in the Indy 500. The film stars a number of big-name voice talents, including Ryan Reynolds, Maya Rudolph, Samuel L. Jackson, and Paul Giamatti. The series will pick up right where the film ends, following the world’s quickest snail as he tours the world taking on new challenges and stopping villains.
The series will be part of the new streaming deal with Dreamworks that brings the studio’s film library to Netflix in 2013. The move towards children’s programming is a natural one--streaming of kids programming hit more than 2 billion hours last year. The commercial-free option that allows parents to find just the right show for their kids’ age range at any time of day makes it a popular alternative to cable for many parents. As Netflix moves into creating their own shows for kids, I can only see that popularity increasing.
Netflix recently debuted the original drama House of Cards and will be bringing audiences the revival of Arrested Development in a few months. I suspect December’s debut of Turbo: F.A.S.T. won’t be the first or last original kid’s show we see from Netflix.
