ABC will air Peppa Pig and other kids TV programs in Mandarin

THE ABC’s controversial managing director Michelle Guthrie’s diversity push has begun with kids favourite Peppa Pig to be broadcast in Australia in Mandarin.

THE ABC’s controversial managing director Michelle Guthrie’s diversity push has begun with kids favourite Peppa Pig to air in Mandarin.

The cartoon and other childrens’ TV hits, including The Octonauts and Peter Rabbit, will be made available from tomorrow in the Chinese language as part of a 12-month trial on ABC iView and ABC Kids iview.

In a statement, ABC said the language initiative was to commemorate the Year Of The Rooster and Chinese New Year celebrations.

Guthrie is Mandarin-speaking, along with a quarter of Australians who speak a language other than English at home.

Seven episodes in Mandarin will be available for each title, with new episodes to follow daily throughout February.

Peppa Pig is going to be screened in Mandarin. Picture: Supplied/ABC

In addition, three Mandarin episodes of hoopla doopla! will be available on broadcast as part of the ABC’s education services for schools, with supporting education resources online.

ABC Head of Programming and Digital Rebecca Heap said: “Mandarin is one of the most popular and fastest growing languages and we can’t wait to see how Australian preschoolers engage with our trial on ABC iview and ABC KIDS iview.”

Based on audience feedback and program availability, ABC Kids hopes to trial preschool titles in additional languages in 2017.

The news comes as Peppa Pig fans await the airing of an Australian holiday special that will feature in a 60-minute cinema special to premiere in March and three episodes will be rolled out on TV in mid-2017.

Peppa Pig learns to throw a boomerang on her Australian holiday, with the help of the Kangaroo family. Picture: Supplied

The piglet will be joined by little brother George and Mummy and Daddy Pig when they meet up with friends, the Kangaroo family, for a series of crackling adventures through the Australian outback, Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef.

A teaser trailer of what Peppa Pig sounds like when translated into Mandarin can be seen below: