September 15, 1997 – October 3, 2010
Caillou (/kɑːjʊ, -juː/ ⓘ kah-yuu, -yoo; French:[kaju], stylized in lowercase) is an animated educational children's television series that aired on Teletoon (both English and French versions) – with the first episode airing on the former channel on September 15, 1997 – until the fourth season. After that, the fifth season channel was moved to Treehouse TV, and the series finale aired on April 17, 2011. It also aired on PBS and the PBS Kids Channel. A series reboot was announced in 2023 with a release date set to debut later that year on Peacock with 52 eleven-minute episodes, but was delayed for undisclosed reasons to February 15, 2024, with a batch of seven episodes.
Based on the books by Hélène Desputeaux, it focuses on a four-year-old boy named Caillou who is fascinated by the world around him. The series was produced in Canada by the CINAR Corporation (later Cookie Jar Entertainment), while the fifth and final season was produced in association with the South African studio Clockwork Zoo.
The series received initial positive reviews from critics and audiences. Contrarily, in the years following its release, the series saw a more negative reception and sparked backlash regarding its themes, writing, and perceived lack of educational value.
Storyline
Caillou lives with his family (his mother Doris, father Boris, younger sister Rosie, and pet cat Gilbert). He has many adventures with his family and friends, and uses his imagination in every episode.
During the first season, many of the stories in the animated version began with a grandmother (who is also the show's narrator) introducing the story to her grandchildren, then reading the story from a book. Starting in the second season, the narrator and grandmother is an unseen character.
In PBS Kids, each episode in season 1 through season 3 has a theme and is divided into several short sections that mix animation, puppet skits, and video of live-action children in real-life situations. In seasons 4 and 5, the episodes are divided into three short sections; the puppet segment was dropped, alongside the "Real Kids" version of the segment.
TV Show Intro
Caillou Theme Song
Caillou Season 4 Intro