Emmy Award-winning French animation production and distribution company Dandelooo, in collaboration with France Televisions has announced that a second season of the hit preschool series Billy the Cowboy Hamster has been greenlit.
Building on the huge success and popularity of Season 1, which premiered on France 5 in 2023, France Televisions has commissioned a second season of 48 x 11-minute episodes and 2 x 22-minute TV specials. The new season is co-produced by Belgian independent production company Bardaf! Productions and RTBF, the public broadcaster serving Belgium’s French-speaking community. The majority of the production will take place at Dandelooo’s in-house animation studio Ooolala in la Cartoucherie, Valence (France), with delivery slated for Autumn 2026.
Season 1 and the TV specials have resonated with young audiences around the globe and continues to grow in popularity, with a number of broadcasters across Europe on board. Sales to date include RAI (Italy), Super RTL (Germany), TV5 Monde (France), SVT (Sweden), Pop UK (UK), NRK (Norway), YLE (Finland), RTS (Switzerland), Arte Editions, (France), Bentky (USA), VME (USA), BeIN (MENA), Ceska TV (Czech Republic), ERR (Estonia), LRT (Lithuania), HRT (Croatia), LTV (Latvia) MTVA (Hungary), STVR (Slovakia), TVP-ABC (Poland), DR (Denmark), RTVS (Slovenia), STOD 2 (Iceland), among others.
With Cedric Guarneri on board as director for Season 2, Billy the Cowboy Hamster continues to delight its core audience of 4- to 7-year-olds. This 2D animation series is based on the eponym series of eight books by Dutch author and illustrator Catharina Valckx, published by l’école des loisirs. With over one million books sold in France and internationally, including Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, China and Japan, the stories follow Billy and his best friends, Jean-Claude the worm and Suzie the ferret as they embark on thrill-seeking adventures.
Billy the cutest hamster in the West wants to become a cowboy, but he is only a little boy, well a little hamster really! Growing up in the Wild West and raised on the exciting stories told by his father, Billy with his cowboy outfit has a burning desire to hit the trail! And since every new day presents him with an opportunity to go on an adventure worthy of the greatest cowboys, he is determined not to miss out…
In Season 2, Billy along with his trusty companions Jean-Claude and Suzie, are back and more adventurous than ever. As the Wild West begins to change, the arrival of the railroad, the camera, and even cinema brings a wave of excitement and unexpected challenges into their lives. With a perfect blend of old-world charm and new-world inventions, Billy and his friends must navigate this evolving landscape. In this season, the bustling pace of modern life contrasts with their deep love for nature, all seen through the innocent and curious eyes of a child.
