Pablo: Next Level brings autistic hero to the challenges of mainstream school

Images: Paper Owl/Crayola Studios/BBC

By Jon Donnis

Pablo is heading into a whole new world in Pablo: Next Level, a new animated comedy series for CBBC and BBC iPlayer aimed at children aged five to eight.

The series follows Pablo as he takes on the challenges of mainstream school, where unfamiliar rules, busy corridors and everyday classroom dramas can make navigating the school day anything but straightforward.

As Pablo tries to understand this new environment, his creativity becomes more important than ever. With the help of his book animal friends and his vivid imagination, he finds his own ways of making sense of the situations he encounters.

A key part of Pablo's approach is his sketchbook diary. By recording what happens through drawings, he can process his emotions while also showing the world from his own perspective. It gives the series a distinctive way of exploring the experiences and challenges faced by autistic children.

Pablo: Next Level continues the groundbreaking legacy of Pablo, which became the first animated children's series to feature an autistic central character when it screened on CBeebies and beyond. The original series became a major international success, selling into 190 territories in 35 languages, while also receiving multiple awards and a BAFTA nomination.

The new series continues to place autistic experiences at its heart, with the writing and voice work contributed by a team of young autistic talent. While the stories are built around comedy and the everyday adventures of school life, the series also offers a perspective on the world that is rarely seen in children's animation.

With children across the country preparing to start new schools or return to different classes, Pablo's experiences could prove particularly relatable for families navigating those changes together.

Pablo: Next Level airs weekdays on CBBC at 4.10pm from Monday 7 September, with five new episodes arriving on BBC iPlayer every Monday.

Labels: Pablo: Next Level, CBBC, BBC iPlayer, children's animation, autism, Pablo

150 character description: Pablo takes on mainstream school in a new animated comedy exploring friendship, imagination, emotions and the autistic experience.