25 February 2019 (2019-02-25)– 26 October 2024 (2024-10-26)
Moominvalley (Finnish: Muumilaakso, Swedish: Mumindalen, also known as just Moomin) is a British-Finnish animatedfamily drama television series. An adaptation of the Moomin books and comics by Finnish writer-illustrator Tove Jansson and her brother Lars Jansson, it is created using new techniques in 3D CGI.[1]
Finnish production company Gutsy Animations ran a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo from 8 March to 21 April 2017. The campaign was organised in order to raise funds towards visual development of the series.[2] Animation company Anima Vitae was appointed as the lead animation company for the first two seasons of the series.[3] The series attracted over 2.1 million Finns and has become the most watched show ever on Yle Areena streaming platform and the most watched television series of 2019 in the whole of Finland.[citation needed] The series has 16 million streams on Yle Areena.[citation needed]
The series is Finland's most expensive television show with a €20 million budget.[4] In 2019, the series' first episode was the most watched program on Finnish national broadcaster Yle's streaming service Yle Areena.[5]
Synopsis
The protagonist of the series is Moomintroll, who is curious, kind, sensitive, and idealistic. He is a typical hero in a coming-of-age story: he tries to tackle the puzzle of growing up to his true, individualistic self while remaining a beloved part of the family. He lives with his caring Moominmamma and nostalgic Moominpappa. Moomintroll is joined by his best friend, the free-spirited wanderer Snufkin, the chaotic Little My, daydreamer Snorkmaiden, cowardly Sniff, and many other friends.
The original music score for the series is composed by world-renowned Finnish musicians, classical violinist Pekka Kuusisto and percussionist Samuli Kosminen, with Jarmo Saari joining them in season 2. The music supervisor for the series is Virpi Immonen. Kuusisto's father, Ilkka Kuusisto, had previously composed an opera for the Moomins with Tove Jansson in 1974.[12]
A limited edition 12" picture disc on clear vinyl was made available in four colourways, each featuring a different Moomin character. It was also released on 19 April 2019.[citation needed]
Official soundtrack, season 2
The second season includes nine original songs from up-and-coming artists such as Cavetown, girl in red, Jesse Markin and jens. The official soundtrack album, created in collaboration with Sony Music Finland, was released on 10 April 2020 globally on the major streaming platforms (Spotify, Deezer, Apple Music, Google Play and Tidal).[citation needed]
The first two episodes of season two were screened at Finnkino cinemas in Finland on 2 February 2020, exactly a month before these episodes premiered on Yle TV2 and Yle Areena on 2 March 2020.[17]
Gutsy Animations announced in early 2023 that anchor broadcasters Sky (UK) and Yle (Finland) have recommissioned the Moominvalley series for a fourth season. For Season 4 the Viaplay Group has partnered as co-producer and will air all four seasons on its streaming platform in multiple territories including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Poland, and the Netherlands.[20] Season 4 had 12 22-minute episodes, along with a 45-minute series finale.[21]
Moominvalley has been sold to more than 60 countries. Moominvalley first aired on Yle TV2 in Finland on 25 February 2019, and a day after in Swedish on Yle Teema & Fem. It began airing in the United Kingdom on Sky One, Sky Kids and NOW TV on 19 April 2019. The first eight episodes aired overnight between 2:00 and 6:00 am, and were then repeated in pairs between 5:30 and 6:30 pm over the Easter weekend from 19 to 22 April. Episodes 9–11 followed on the afternoon of 27 April, and 12–13 on 28 April. The first five episodes of season 2 aired over the weekend before Christmas 2019, with the remainder broadcast over the following Easter weekend, 10–13 April 2020.[22] Japan's national broadcaster NHK premiered Moominvalley on its BS4K channel on 4 April 2019.[23] The series has also been sold to China.[24] On 9 August 2019 it launched on WildBrain's YouTube channel.[25] In November 2020 it was announced that Moominvalley had been recommissioned for a third season by anchor broadcasters Yle in Finland and Sky in the UK. The first eight episodes aired on Sky Showcase in pairs from Good Friday 2022 (15 April) until Easter Monday (18 April), with the remainder scheduled, also in pairs until the final episode, for subsequent Sundays.[8]
On 1 May 2019 PGS Entertainment acquired the distribution rights to Moominvalley.[26] On 5 October 2023, it was announced that Zodiak Kids & Family Distribution had acquired the distribution rights to Moominvalley.[27]
In the United Kingdom, the series also airs on BBC Alba and S4C as part of their CBBC Alba and Stwnsh blocks, where it is dubbed in Scottish Gaelic and Welsh respectively.
Reception
Ratings
The series has been extremely successful in its reviews and ratings worldwide. The first episode of Moominvalley was viewed by 600,000 viewers when it premiered in Finland's Yle TV2 in February 2019. It also became the most watched television series episode of all time in Yle's streaming service, Yle Areena, bringing the total viewership of the first episode in Finland to over two million.[28][29]Moominvalley was the most watched TV series and the fourth most watched TV programme in Finland in 2019, across all channels.[30]
Awards
Year
Award
Category
Result
2019
Shanghai TV Festival Magnolia Awards
Best Animation & Best Storytelling
Nomination
2019
TBI Content Innovation Awards
Best animated kids programme
Winner
2019
Golden Venla
Best Children and Youth Programme
Winner
2020
British Animation Awards
Best Children's Series
Winner
2020
BANFF Rockie Awards
Children and Youth: Animation
Nomination
2020
International Emmy® Kids Awards
Kids: Animation
Nomination
2020
Cyber Sousa -Xiamen International Animation Festival
Best Animated Series
Nomination
2020
JIFF
Animation Short
Nomination
2020
Golden Venla
Best Children and Youth Programme
Winner
2021
Annecy
TV Films in Competition
Nomination
2022
British Animation Awards
Best voice performance (Bel Powley)
Nomination
2022
New York International Children's Film Festival
Audience Episodic Award
Winner
2022
RTS West of England Awards
Best Sound
Winner
2022
TBI Content Innovation Awards
Best Children's Programme
Winner
2022
Golden Venla
Best Children and Youth Programme
Nomination
2023
Annie Awards
Best Media/TV - Children
Nomination
2023
Shanghai TV Festival Magnolia Awards
Best Animation
Winner
2023
Golden Panda
Best Animated Image
Winner
2023
International Emmy® Kids Awards
Kids: Animation
Nomination
In 2019 Moominvalley was awarded the Best Animated Kid's Programme at TBI's Content Innovation Awards.[31] The series also won a Golden Venla award for 2019 Best Children's Program[32] and won Best Children's Series at 2020 British Animation Awards.[33] Moominvalley was nominated for Best Animation and Best Storytelling at 2019 Shanghai Television Festival. In 2020 Moominvalley was a New York International Children's Film Festival nominee[34] and additionally, nominated for the best Children's animation at Banff Rockie Awards.[35] Moominvalley was shortlisted for Broadcast Digital Awards in 2020[36] and selected for Encounters' Film Festival's competition programme in the same year.[37] It was nominated for an International Emmy Kids Award.[38][39] In 2020 Moominvalley was nominated for Best Children's Program in Golden Venla Awards for the second year around.[40]
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