Milkshake!, the preschool programming strand of Paramount-owned British public broadcaster 5, will premiere the brand new preschool series,
Treehouse, on Saturday 31st May 2025! Viewers will also be able to stream the all-new series on 5's VoD platform. The show, from Treehouse Productions, is created by Ryan Dean and Lowri Williams.
Narrated by Milkshake! presenter, Olivia Birchenough, the series stars Squiggle, a curious young squirrel with a lot to learn who lives in a magical treehouse in the heart of the countryside, with his best friends, Fluff, a mischievous mouse and Nok Nok, the nosey woodpecker.
Each episode follows Squiggle as he visits his woodland friends via the magical wall of windows encountering energetic owl, Magnus, badger and hedgehog double act, Badger and Scratch, or his dancing ladybird friend, Dotty. Squiggle learns valuable lessons or new skills with his friends which he teaches to Fluff on his return to the treehouse, from mastering the art of ballet dance to celebrating Diwali.
A friendly narrator guides the characters, prompting the action or communicating the lesson. The characters are non-verbal, and communicate physically, encouraging young children to get involved.
The series is written by newcomer Lowri Williams, produced by Lilly Pollard and directed by Jamie Langton (Twirlywoos). The Treehouse costumes are created by Tim Simpson at Plunge Creations (The Masked Singer) whilst the live action sequences are blended with animation and special effects from Beakus (Big Lizard, Yakka Dee).
Treehouse is filmed in live action and features a mix of actors in costume, puppetry and 2D animation. The preschool series (30 x 12’ or 7' + 258 Digital Clips) is a wholesome celebration of nature, following likeable characters as they navigate the world around them, exploring themes of kindness, inclusion and empathy.
The series is produced at RD Studios, which is powered by zero-carbon energy harnessed from solar panels on the roof where the water for the facility is also harvested. The studio nurtures biodiverse gardens as a haven for bees, birdlife, and local flora. This environmental ethos also extends to the sets which are built from recyclable cardboard, later pulped and repurposed rather than stored.
Each episode follows a narrated story structure: Squiggle introduces the one theme for that episode; Squiggle then lights up one of the three magic windows to visit one of his friends; A story leads to music & dance, building on the theme; Squiggle recaps the story and the things he has learnt.
In one episode "The Music Box," when Squiggle discovers a broken music box, there’s only one friend who’ll be able to fix it… Magnus the owl. With his magical expertise, Magnus fixes the music box, and soon has Squiggle and Scratch dancing along to the music!
In another episode, "Badger Takes A Bath" when Badger is accidentally covered in paint, Squiggle and his friends face the tricky task of persuading him to take a bath. The only problem is.... Badger doesn’t like baths! Luckily, Dotty has a soapy solution.
Louise Bucknole is the commissioner for Channel 5’s preschool block Milkshake! and Serious Kids will represent the worldwide distribution rights.
"We were captivated by
Treehouse’s blend of fantastic characters, artful storytelling, play, music and dance, all perfectly capturing the spirit of the Milkshake! brand," said Louise Bucknole, General Manager (GM), Kids & Family at Paramount UK & Ireland when the series was
announced in November 2024. "With Milkshake! presenter, Olivia narrating to bring these wonderful stories to life, we hope that our young audience will enjoy learning about the world around them alongside the
Treehouse crew."
"As the co-creator of Treehouse, I am thrilled to announce the launch of this unique show," added Ryan Dean, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Treehouse Productions and RD Studios. "My vision when building RD Studios was always to establish a completely sustainable film studio, capable of producing shows that reflect those values. Treehouse is a testament to that commitment, offering children live-action content that is both educational, entertaining and sustainably produced."
"We are so pleased to conclude this deal with Channel 5’s Milkshake!," commented Genevieve Dexter, CEO of Serious Kids. "We are aware of the attraction of live action character series’ that engage the audience in a unique way and we’re delighted to produce a show full of inclusive, fun and engaging stories like Treehouse. We look forward to seeing this wonderful series launching on Milkshake! and introducing it to the international market."
About Milkshake!
Channel 5’s Milkshake! is home to some of the world’s favourite pre-school characters. Channel 5 broadcasts children’s content for 2-5 year old’s between 6am-9am everyday and is the top-rated commercial block for kids 4-15. Milkshake! features a range of stimulating, diverse and engaging programmes that include strong character-led animation, live action series, factual entertainment and presenter-led high-quality studio and musical entertainment, also available non-stop via on-demand service, My5, Paramount +, a magazine and a touring Milkshake! Live theatre show. Popular, award-winning shows include
Peppa Pig,
PAW Patrol,
Rubble & Crew,
Fireman Sam,
Thomas & Friends,
Milkshake! Monkey,
The Adventures Of Paddington,
Pip & Posy,
Milo,
Pop Paper City,
Tweedy & Fluff,
Mixmups,
Odo,
Ben and Holly’s Little Kingdom,
Sunny Bunnies,
Reu & Harpers’ Wonder World,
Cooking with The Gills,
Animal Care Club,
Go Green with The Grimwades,
The World According To Grandpa,
Meet The Experts,
Mimi’s World,
Sesame Street Mecha Builders,
Brave Bunnies,
Oggy Oggy, and upcoming
The Woohoos and
Stan & Gran. For further information visit
www.milkshake.tv
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Originally published: May 12, 2025.
