Animated prime-time family drama MOOMINVALLEY has surpassed all expectations by attracting a total of 1.38 million viewers in just four days in Finland, where the first episode aired on Monday (25 th February). With a total population of 5.5 million people, this means an incredible one in four Finns tuned in to watch the first episode, Little My Moves In. MOOMINVALLEY is airing in Finland on public broadcaster Yle’s TV2 channel. The first screening of the first episode was watched by over 597,000 viewers, which rises to 1,188,000 including reruns. It has also been watched over 200,000 times on the broadcaster’s online platform, Yle Areena, where it is competing to become the most viewed content of all time. The response to the series has been a national topic of conversation in Finland over the past week, with fans praising it for its magnificent, three-dimensional visuals and the way that it has treated this beloved property with reverence and respect while also providing surprises, excitement and a fresh take on the much-admired Moomin stories of Tove Jansson. Ville Vilén, Director of Creative Content at Yle, said: “Taking on such adored characters is no mean feat even for the most talented team, but the overwhelmingly positive response reassures us that we have succeeded in creating something that will be enjoyed by fans for many, many years to come.” Marika Makaroff, CEO of Gutsy Animations and executive producer of MOOMINVALLEY, said: “I can’t put into words how delighted I am at the incredible reaction of fans in Finland, and I am confident that viewers around the world will love MOOMINVALLEY just as much. The Finns are likely to be our toughest critics, given the national pride in Tove Jansson’s body of work, so we are of course very encouraged by their heart-warming response.” MOOMINVALLEY is based on the beloved Moomin stories by Finnish-Swedish author and artist Tove Jansson. Each series will consist of 13 x 22-minute-long episodes. A Finnish-British co-production, it is directed by Academy Award® winner Steve Box (Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit) and produced by Gutsy Animations in association with Yle and Sky. MOOMINVALLEY will premiere in the UK on Sky One, Sky Kids and Now TV from Good Friday, 19 April 2019, and in Japan on NHK BS4K on 4 April. --- ENDS --- For further information please contact Caitlin Allen at Riot Communications on 020 3174 0118 / 07814 403 000 / caitlin@riotcommunications.com --- NOTES TO EDITORS --- About MOOMINVALLEY MOOMINVALLEY is a brand new adaptation of the much-loved Moomin stories of Tove Jansson, a Finnish-Swedish writer and artist whose books have been translated into over 50 languages. Directed to a family primetime audience, the drama fantasy series is full of life and laughter for lifelong Moomin fans and complete newcomers alike. MOOMINVALLEY has benefitted from Business Finland’s Audiovisual Production Incentive. This production incentive is intended to increase international interest in Finland as a production location and to promote the development, growth, and internationalisation of Finnish companies. About Gutsy Animations Gutsy is a team of creators and producers who believe that the world is in need of funny, clever, gutsy and – above all – meaningful content. All of its productions are aimed at international audiences and based on a concept of genuine social impact. About Moomin Characters Oy Moomin Characters Ltd is the owner, originator and official company responsible for supervising and managing the Moomins' brand, copyright and registrations. The company was started in 1958 by Tove Jansson and her brother Lars Jansson and even today is run by family members. Sophia Jansson, Lars' daughter and Tove's niece, is Chairman of the Board and Creative Director at Moomin Characters. All characters from Moominvalley are registered trademarks. MOOMINVALLEY has the approval of Moomin Characters and Bulls Licensing, their global licensing agent.