‘Angry Birds’ animated series coming to TV (and everywhere else)

Rovio Entertainment is launching an animated series based on its popular “Angry Birds” game characters, which it will make available on television, smartphones and tablets.

“Angry Birds Toons” will feature its familiar characters in a year’s worth of episodes -- 52 weekly installments -- starting this weekend. New shows will appear on television Saturdays, then become available the next day through mobile apps and video-on-demand platforms.

“Launching the channel, and partnering up with some of the best video-on-demand providers and TV networks, is an important milestone for us on our journey towards becoming a fully-fledged entertainment powerhouse,” Rovio Chief Executive Mikael Hed said in a statement.

Rovio has also signed a deal with Comcast Corp. to create an Angry Birds Toons channel, which subscribers can access through the Xfinity on Demand service and online.

The Finnish company is attempting to leverage the success of the “Angry Birds” game -- which has been downloaded more than 1 billion times -- to build an entertainment franchise, with merchandise, a planned movie and, now, this television show.

“Despicable Me” producer John Cohen has signed on as producer of the upcoming “Angry Birds” movie, with David Maisel, former chairman of Marvel Studios, as executive producer of the feature film, scheduled for release in summer 2016.

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