The company is aiming to extend its franchises as entertainment brands.

A still from Barbie Spy Squad.

Mattel has announced plans to develop a slate of 22 animated and live-action TV programmes based on its toy lines and characters.

The company will develop the programmes through Mattel Television, an internal division focusing on creating episodic content for multi-platform distribution. In a press release, Ynon Kreiz, chairman and CEO of Mattel, noted that its focus on series production comes as a response to the growing demand for content from “the proliferation of broadcasting and streaming platforms.”

Mattel’s episodic efforts will be led by Adam Bonnett, a 21-year Disney Channel veteran who was hired as an executive producer earlier this month. At Disney, where he was Disney Channels Worldwide executive vice president of original programming, Adam oversaw shows like Hannah Montana, Descendants, and Kim Possible.

Adam will work with Christopher Keenan, svp/executive producer at Mattel Television, who has been in charge of developing and producing Mattel’s recent animated content based on Barbie, Thomas & Friends, American Girl, Monster High, Bob the Builder, and Fisher-Price’s Little People, among other properties in Mattel’s portfolio.

The shows will target a broad demographic, including toddlers and pre-school, boys, girls, tweens, teens, and families, and will encompass a broad range of genres, such as action-adventure, humour, game shows, and music.

Ynon added: “This marks another important step to capture the full value of our assets as we drive our transformation to become an IP-driven, high-performing toy company.”