The countdown is on. Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup make their long-awaited return to Cartoon Network in a reimagined series premiering with back-to-back episodes on Monday, April 4 at 6p. “Powerpuff Girls will deliver the best of the old show – but add a healthy injection of 2016,” Rob Sorcher, CN global chief content officer, tells CynKids. “There are artists on that crew who grew up on PPG, in some cases this series inspired them to become animators. So the passion for this property is palpable and it shows in the execution.” Sorcher says the associated mobile game features a unique “dual mode” play – one for sugar (combat mode) and one for spice (puzzle mode).

The series is produced by Cartoon Network Studios, with Nick Jennings (Adventure Time, SpongeBob SquarePants) serving as exec producer and Bob Boyle (Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!) as co-exec producer. The original PPG series created by Craig McCracken premiered in 1996, scored two Emmys and has earned $2.5 billion in retail sales. The new series will be supported by a consumer products campaign including a Moschino fashion line.

The Girls are no doubt a big focus of CN’s Upfront this year, for which the net is hosting advertisers and agencies at Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank. “We’re showing them how we are ideating for each platform and how a show could start on mobile or start as an app and make its way to a linear show or just stay in that space,” Joe Hogan, EVP, Turner emerging consumer ad sales, tells CynKids. “There is no one correct recipe.”