Peppa Pig

Peppa Pigis a Britishpreschoolanimatedtelevision series created by Neville Astley andMark Baker. Produced byHasbro Entertainmentand Karrot Animation and formerly produced byAstley Baker Davies, the show follows Peppa, ananthropomorphicfemale piglet, and her family, as well as her peers portrayed as other animals. The show first aired on 31 May 2004.The eighth season began broadcasting on 4 September 2023.Peppa Pighas been broadcast in over 180 countries.
Peppa herself has been voiced by several different performers through the years. Lily Snowden-Fine provided her voice in season one and Cecily Bloom in season two, thenHarley Bird, five years old when she started, acquired the role for thirteen years until stepping down after season six.The role was taken over byAmelie Bea Smith.John Sparkes,Morwenna Banks,Richard Ridings, Oliver May and Alice May also provide voices.
On 31 December 2019,Hasbroacquired Entertainment One (eOne), including thePeppa Pigfranchise, for a US$3.8 billion deal, making the franchise one of Hasbro's main brands.On 16 March 2021, it was announced that the series was renewed until 2027, with the original creators and studio (Astley Baker Davies) replaced by Karrot Animation (producers ofSarah & Duck).On 17 November 2022, Hasbro announced that they would be selling Entertainment One's assets.  However, thePeppa Pigfranchise would remain with Hasbro, through its Entertainment division; due to this, eOne would leave production, making another production change to the show.
Taking place in a world where almost all characters are animals,Peppa Pigrevolves around the titular character and her family and friends. Each episode is approximately five minutes long. Each of her friends is a different species of animal. Peppa's friends are her age, and Peppa's younger brother George's friends are his age. Episodes tend to feature everyday activities such as attendingplaygroup, going swimming, visits with their grandparents, cousins, and friends, going to the playground or riding their bikes.
The characters wear clothes, live in houses, and drive cars, but still display some characteristics of the animals on which they are based. Peppa and her family enjoy jumping in muddy puddles and snort like pigs during conversations in which they are speaking English. The other animals make their respective noises when they talk, with some exhibiting other characteristics, such as the Rabbit family's squeaking sounds and enjoyment of carrots. The Rabbit and Mole families are the exceptions to the rule of human-like habitation, as they live in aburrowin a hill, though it has windows and is furnished in the same way as the other houses. The characters blush when embarrassed, and their mouths express other emotions such as sadness, happiness, irritation, bewilderment, and confusion. Although the main characters—mostly mammals—are anthropomorphic, other animal characters are not, such as Tiddles the tortoise, Polly Parrot, and the ducks. The narrator of the series,John Sparkes, reinforces the action and humour, saying things like "Oh, dear" when something unfortunate happens (such as when George starts crying) or "Look out!" when a character is doing something unsafe (such as Peppa riding her bicycle without looking where she is going). Each episode ends with visible characters falling over laughing.
In the United Kingdom, the first series of 52 five-minute episodes began onChannel 5on 31 May 2004. The second series of 52 episodes began on Channel 5 on 4 September 2006, with Cecily Bloom replacing Lily Snowden-Fine as Peppa, among other cast changes. The third series started telecasting on Channel 5's preschool-targeted blockMilkshake!on 4 May 2009 withHarley Birdreplacing Cecily Bloom and Lily Snowden-Fine as Peppa.
In the United States, the series first aired as part ofCartoon Network'sTickle-Upreschool programming block from 22 August 2005 to 2007.For these airings, the show wasredubbedwith American actors.However, there were no other official releases of this dub, and every US airing since 2008 uses the original British soundtrack.In 2008,Peppa Pigmoved to Channel 5's sister channelNogginin the US. It was aired as part ofNoggin Presents, a series of interstitial shorts aired in between full shows. Since February 2011, the series airs as a half-hour show on the Nick Jr. US channel, and on the separateNick Jr. block on Nickelodeonas of November 2013. The Show aired onABC Kidsin Australia,Treehouse TVin Canada,Top Channelin Albania, etc. For each episode, 5 segments are put together (though for the special containing "Golden Boots" and the episode containing "Around the World", only 3 segments are used) to make the run time 25 minutes.As of Summer 2023, there were 10 seasons (and 1 standalone special) ofPeppa Pigin the US.
Peppa Pigis animated using CelAction2D.
There is a series of books based onPeppa Pig, one of which,Peppa Meets the Queen, was written to coincide with theQueen's Diamond Jubilee.
There have been several "Cinema Experiences" based on the series, featuring brand new episodes never before seen. They were first shown in the UK, before being expanded internationally.
The first one, titledPeppa Pig: The Golden Boots, was released byEntertainment Oneon 14 February 2015 and featured the titular 15-minute special, and other episodes. Wrap-around clips featuring presenters fromMilkshake!also appeared.alongside several episodes of the TV series.As of December 2015, it had grossed £2,326,328.
A second one, and the first branded a "cinema experience", was released on 16 March 2017, and was shown in cinemas by Entertainment One on 7 April 2017. It features nine exclusive new episodes, four of which share the same theme, Peppa's holiday in Australia. Between the episodes are segments with a live-action host named Daisy (played by Emma Grace Arends) and Peppa and George as hand-made puppets, based on thePeppa Pig Livestage show.
A third one, titledFestival of Fun!, was released in April 2019, once again by Entertainment One.
A fourth one, titledPeppa's Cinema Party, was released by Trafalgar Releasing in February 2024, featuring ten new episodes including a three-part Wedding special.
Peppa Pig World, a themed area based on the series, opened on 9 April 2011 atPaultons Park,New Forest,Hampshire, England,with nine rides, an indoor play zone, a muddy puddles water splash park, children-sized play areas and themed buildings.
On 17 October 2017,Merlin Entertainmentsannounced a partnership withEntertainment Oneto become the exclusive licensor for theme park attractions based on the show worldwide except in the United Kingdom and in China, which will be a non-exclusive partnership.
The deal began with the announcement of Peppa Pig World of Play on 5 June 2018, which are indoor play areas with unique twists. The first venue to open would be inShanghaifor a Late-2018 opening, and opened in Late-October.Additional venues inBeijing(never opened), as well as two US venues inDallas-Fort WorthandMichiganwere also announced around this time for a 2019 opening. The Dallas-Fort Worth venue opened in February 2019.while the Michigan venue opened later on in the year. Another Peppa Pig World of Play venue opened inChicagoin 2021.
In September 2021, a Peppa Pig World of Play venue was announced to open in the Netherlands.
As of 2024, there are five locations:
Peppa Pig Land is located at two different parks -Gardalandin Italy,andHeide-Parkin Germany, both of which opened in 2018.
Peppa Pig Theme Parkis a separately ticketed park located within theLegoland Florida Resort; it opened on 24 February 2022.
The second Peppa Pig Theme Park, Peppa Pig Park Günzburg, was announced in June 2023. It is located inGünzburg,Germanywithin theLegoland Deutschland Resortand is the first standalone theme park based on the series in Europe.The park opened on 19 May 2024.
A third Peppa Pig Theme Park will open inNorth Richland Hills, Texason 1 March 2025.
On 23 January 2024, a themed-play area dedicated to the Lego Duplo Peppa Pig subtheme was added toLegoland Billund Resort.
On 18 October 2024, Hasbro announced that they would open a dedicated Peppa Pig retail store withinBattersea Power Stationalongside a stand-aloneTransformersstore within the same premises. The store contains exclusive items and merchandise, a large TV screen, various interactive opportunities and Peppa meet-and-greets.
On 23 June 2021, Merlin announced a dedicated Peppa Pig-themed resort located inSichuan, Chinafor a planned opening in 2024. It will contain a theme park, a hotel and aSea Lifeaquarium. Construction began in July 2021.
Peppa Pig, the Entertainment One (eOne) brand, grossed over £200 million in UK merchandise sales in 2010, doubling the 2009 figure of £100 million. According to NPD figures for 2010, Peppa Pig had become the number one pre-school property in the total toy market, moving up four places from its 2009 position. As of May 2018Peppa Pig was stated to have over 1,000 licensees worldwide, and 80 in the US,up from 63 licensees in 2010.
Episode DVDs and a variety of licensed Peppa Pig products including video games and other toys such as playsets, playing cards, vehicles, and stuffed toys are sold. The range was expanded to include household items such as bathroom products, stationery,bed-linen, food, drink, clothing, and jewellery. A music album titledMy First Albumwas released in July 2019.
On 23 January 2024, as part of the three-way partnership between The Lego Group, Hasbro and Merlin Entertainments, a dedicatedPeppa PigLego Duplo theme was released as part of the series' 20th Anniversary.
There have been several video games based on the property. In 2008, Pinnacle Software signed a deal with Contender Entertainment Group to publish licensed video games based on the property with Asylum Entertainment as developer.The first title,Peppa Pig: The Game, was released for theNintendo DShandheld game system in November 2008. Following Pinnacle's insolvency in December that year,a successor company - P2 Games, was founded in February 2009, and released a version for theWiiconsole a year later on 27 November 2009, with distribution byUbisoft. It is a children's video game that contains 11 games and activities.
A second game,Peppa Pig: Fun and Gameswas released on 22 October 2010 for the Wii and Nintendo DS. Asylum Entertainment and P2 Games remained as developer and publisher for the title.
A third game,Peppa Pig: Theme Park Funwas released on 25 March 2011 for the Nintendo DS. It was also published by P2 Games, withStrawdog Studiosserving as developer.
A fourth game,My Friend Peppa Pigwas developed by Petoons Studio and published byOutright Games. It released on 22 October 2021 for thePlayStation 4,Xbox One,Nintendo Switch, andWindows, exactly 11 years after Peppa Pig: Fun and Games.
A fifth game,Peppa Pig: World Adventures, was also developed by Petoons Studio and published by Outright Games. It was released on 17 March 2023 for the PlayStation 4,PlayStation 5, Xbox One,Xbox Series X and Series S, Nintendo Switch and Windows.The London section of the game is dedicated toQueen Elizabeth II, who had died on 8 September 2022.
On 16 May 2024, theRoyal Mailissued 8stampscommemorating the 20th anniversary ofPeppa Pig.
The characters of this show did not wearseat beltsin cars in the first two series. After receiving several complaints, Astley Baker Davies announced that all future animation would include characters wearing seat belts, and that the relevant scenes in the first two series would be reanimated to include them.Similar changes were also made to addcycle helmetsto early episodes with characters riding bicycles.
Peppa was used to promote the pre-2010 Labour government'sSure Startprogramme, which had the aim of "giving children the best possible start in life".In April 2010, during theUK General Electioncampaign, E1 Entertainment said that Peppa would not attend the launch of theLabour Party'sfamilies manifesto "in the interests of avoiding any controversy or misunderstanding".
In 2012, theAustralian Broadcasting Corporationreceived a complaint that the Series 1 episode "Mister Skinnylegs" was not appropriate for Australian audiences, as it encouraged befriending spiders; deadly venomous spiders are prevalent in Australia. The complaint was upheld, and the episode was restricted from airing on the ABC network.
In late May 2014, the ABC's Mark Scott expressed fears about the future of Peppa on Australian television, given Australian federal budget cuts to ABC funding that were said to affect its ability to pay for, and broadcast, overseas media products such asPeppa Pig. Australian media noted the character's appeal to Australian toddlers and echoed concerns about the future of her Australian distribution rights. Australian Federal Agriculture MinisterBarnaby Joycemade reference to the character as a menu item at a Thai restaurant, while conservative columnistPiers Akermanthought that Peppa "pushes a weirdfeministline".On 28 May 2014,Minister for CommunicationsMalcolm Turnbulltweeted: "Contrary to media rumours, Peppa's is one snout we are happy to have in the ABC trough".
In 2015Norman Lamb, a former UK health minister, said that programmes such asPeppa Pigshould include gay characters, because having arbitrary boundaries as to what relationships are acceptable in children's television was "not equitable".
TheBritish Medical Journalcarried a light-hearted article in its Christmas 2017 edition, which suggested that although the programme includes numerous "positive public health messages, encouraging healthy eating, exercise, and road safety", it ran the risk of "contributing to unrealistic expectations ofprimary care" by depictinggeneral practitionerDoctor Brown Bear as making out-of-hours home visits as soon as contacted about apparently trivial illnesses, and dispensing medicines rather too freely.The media company responsible for Peppa Pig offered no comment when contacted about the article by the BBC.
In November 2021, UK Prime MinisterBoris Johnsonspeaking at aConfederation of British Industryconference lost his place in his speech for about 20 seconds and diverted into a lengthy tangent about Peppa Pig,describing the character's shape as a "Picasso-like hairdryer".
Since 2019, it has been observed that children in the US, wherePeppa Pighad become an extremely popular programme, had beenacquiringsomeAnglo-English, rather thanAmericanpronunciation and vocabulary. For example, tomato and zebra are pronounced in the English, rather than American way; words such as satnav (instead of GPS), petrol (instead of gas), mummy (instead of mommy) and "biscuit" (instead of "cookie") are used; and comments such as "how clever", "Oh dear", and "can I have a go?" picked up.This phenomenon was not an issue for many parents; it trended with thehashtag"#PeppaEffect".Linguistics experts find those conclusions to be "likely exaggerated".A written statement by Entertainment One Ltd. when asked of this phenomenon went on saying: "Young Peppa fans see her as a friend… and, as we do with friends that we admire, pick up some of their characteristics... imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."
Peppa Pigis popular with mainlandChina, and has been featured by official news media such asPeople's Daily,and even endorsed by thePeople's Liberation Armyand Chinese weapons manufacturerNorinco.However, social media posts featuring concerned parents complaining about Peppa Pig have also gone viral.In May 2018, digitally manipulated adult content featuring Peppa Pig was blocked on the video appTikTok, also known as Douyin in China, due to concerns about exposure of adult content to children.According to some media estimates, some 30,000 clips referenced under "#PeppaPig" were removed by the site.The ban was in response to the prevalence of adult content featuring Peppa Pig created byshehuiren(simplified Chinese:社会人;traditional Chinese:社會人;pinyin:shè huì rén; literally "person of society") subculture, which used Peppa Pig as a criminal "mobster" icon, with members of the subculture creating memes and tattoos using imagery from the cartoon, containing adult humor. OriginalPeppa Pigcartoons remain accessible on all online platforms, including TikTok (Douyin).
Despite the controversy regarding its memes, the series and character remain popular within mainland Chinese culture, as two Peppa Pig theme parks are set to open inBeijingandShanghaiin 2019.In early 2019, to celebrate theYear of the Pig, the 81-minute animation/live-action filmPeppa Pig Celebrates Chinese New Yearwas released in China.Before the film's release, a five-minute live-action promotional trailer went viral on social media in China, garnering a billion views and being re-posted by numerous state media outlets.The film opened on 6 February 2019, and made US$14 million in the first three days.
Awards
Nominations