Rumors have been circulating for a bit now, but we can confirm: Creator Natasha Allegri, Frederator Studios, and VRV announced today that a new Bee and PuppyCat story, Bee and PuppyCat: Lazy in Space, is in production and set to launch in 2019! The series will live exclusively on VRV within the Cartoon Hangover Select channel. Tokyo-based OLM, Inc. (Pokémon), with support from its LA subsidiary Sprite Animation, will be co-producing with Frederator Studios. Bee and PuppyCat creator, Allegri, will serve as showrunner.

In the new series, Bee and PuppyCat: Lazy in Space, the beloved lead characters’ world is even more expansive (and possibly in danger) as the pair combat problems big, small, and totally weird, all while trying to make rent in time. In addition to a new storyline, Bee and PuppyCat: Lazy in Space will feature longer, half-hour episodes, along with an extended season. Allegri has relocated to Japan specifically to oversee the show’s creation at Tokyo’s OLM to ensure the new series comes to life with a look and feel that rings true to the original production.

Take a look at the teaser trailer for Bee and Puppycat: Lazy in Space below:

Frederator Studios’ VP of Development, Eric Homan, said of Allegri:

“Natasha’s among the most remarkable talents we’ve worked with in the last twenty years. She’s got such a singular creative vision, and it’s a privilege to support her.”

Arlen Marmel, general manager of VRV, followed up, saying:

“We created VRV to build fans a better universe, filled with great shows from talented and unique voices. Frederator and Natasha’s new take on ‘Bee and PuppyCat’ will be an incredible new show, exclusive to VRV, and we’re hopeful that fans will be just as excited as we are.”

With Allegri in Tokyo, Mr. Okuno, President and CEO of OLM, Inc. said:

“We are delighted to host Natasha and her team in Tokyo to work alongside our crew for the duration of the production. Being able to capture the exact, unique, look and feel of the series that she wants to create is a pleasure.  It isn’t often that we get to work so closely with such a visionary U.S. creator.  We are all enjoying the cross-cultural experience.”

Fred Seibert, head of Frederator Studios said:

“The reason why ‘Bee and PuppyCat’ continues to be a hit is not only because of Natasha’s amazing ability to imagine and create something that is unique in the animation landscape, but also develop a series that truly resonates with a core group of fans. A show’s success depends both on creative vision and the ability to drive passionate fans to spread the word about it. With her amazing work, and the opportunity to bring the show to the Cartoon Hangover Select channel on VRV, we have been able to touch a mass niche of animation fans who have not only fallen in love with ‘Bee and PuppyCat,’ but continue to be highly supportive of the show, franchise, and Natasha.”

The Bee and PuppyCat franchise has resonated with fans from the beginning. More than 40 million minutes of the original Bee and PuppyCat two-part pilot have been watched on YouTube, and over 18,000 fans contributed to a Kickstarter for the series in 2014, making it the most-backed animation project in Kickstarter history. Over the years, Bee and PuppyCat has continued to grow into a pop culture phenomenon, spurring a line of cookbooks, plush toys, and more inspired by the characters.

Bee and PuppyCat is the brainchild of Allegri, a breakout voice in this generation of animators, creating compelling stories that have deeply connected with fans. She has worked on other hit animated series including Adventure Time and Over the Garden Wall. Allegri is also the creator of the gender-flipped Adventure Time concept “Fionna and Cake,” and she wrote and illustrated a comic series based on the spin-off. In addition, she directed The Summoning and is a writer on Netflix’s Cannon Busters.

In addition to Bee and PuppyCat, Frederator Studios is also behind several hit series of the past decade for TV, SVOD, and internet including Butch Hartman’s The Fairly OddParents on Nickelodeon, Pendleton Ward’s Adventure Time on Cartoon Network, and more recently Castlevania for Netflix.