Xilam Producing Short-Form Digital-First Content To Bolster ‘Piggy Builders’ Linear Rollout (EXCLUSIVE)

French powerhouse studio Xilam Animation is expanding the reach of its new CG preschool series Piggy Builders with a suite of digital companion shorts designed to introduce its piggy heroes to online audiences and support the show’s upcoming broadcast debut.

The 11 bite-sized episodes, each running 90 seconds, will be released under the banner Piggy Builders Extra Time. Produced in both English and French, the shorts spotlight the sibling trio — Cesar, Cornelia, and Charlie — as they navigate problem-solving adventures in Fine Forest. Viewers will also get closer looks at each piggy’s vehicle, the characters’ home, and a community of friends, including Fiona the fox, Brian the bear, Wilf the wolf, and Reg the rabbit with his bunnies.

The initiative reflects Xilam’s wider digital-first strategy, with the shorts set to premiere on newly created YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook accounts dedicated to the franchise. Additional DIY content is also planned, building on the series’ core themes of teamwork, creativity, and construction play.

Piggy Builders, the full series, will get 52 x 11-minute episodes, following the siblings as they learn to collaborate while tackling challenges that strengthen their community. The show has already secured an impressive roster of international broadcasters: originally commissioned by BBC (U.K.), France Télévisions, and ZDF (Germany), it has since been acquired by VRT Ketnet (Belgium), Téléquebec (Canada), YLE (Finland), Warner Bros. Discovery (Italy), RTS (Switzerland), and SVT (Sweden).

For Xilam, the move underscores an ambition to nurture new properties with a multi-platform approach alongside established hits like Oggy and the Cockroaches and Zig & Sharko. With more than 2,800 episodes and three features in its library, including the Oscar-nominated I Lost My Body, the Paris-based company continues to strengthen its footprint across both broadcast and digital platforms.