Winx Club follows a group of fairy warriors called the Winx as they enroll in Alfea College and learn to fight mythical villains.
From the beginning of the show's development, Iginio Straffi planned an overarching plot that would conclude after three seasons.[1] A feature-length film followed the third season, intended to wrap up the series' plot as the fairies graduate from Alfea College.[1][2] In 2008, Straffi made the decision to extend the original series with a fourth season, citing its increasing popularity.[1] During the production of the fourth season, the American company Viacom (owner of Nickelodeon) engaged in a "long courtship"[3] with the Rainbow studio. Viacom became a co-owner of Rainbow to produce their own episodes of Winx Club.[4]
In 2010, Viacom announced that "Nickelodeon is teaming up with the original creator to present an all-new Winx Club."[5] Viacom's Nickelodeon Animation Studio started production on a revived series, in which the Winx are once again students at Alfea, as they were before their graduation in the original show. The Nickelodeon revival began with four television specials that summarize the first two seasons of the original series.[6] After the specials, Viacom's brand-new fifth, sixth, and seventh seasons were broadcast on Nickelodeon networks worldwide ahead of the Italian broadcasts.[b]
Winx Club employs a serial format, with each episode contributing to the overall storyline. Episodes are written with two stories in mind: the longer narrative arc that lasts for tens of episodes and a subplot which concludes at the end of the 22-minute runtime.[7] This episode structure was modeled on those of teen dramas and American comics.[8]
When Iginio Straffi began developing Winx Club at the Rainbow studio, he outlined the plot to last three seasons (78 episodes).[1] In 2007, Straffi explained that "the Winx saga was planned in detail from the beginning. And it will not last forever."[10] The third season follows the fairies' last year at Alfea College, during which they earn their final fairy form, Enchantix. In 2008, Iginio Straffi chose to continue the story for a fourth season. During the fourth season's development, Viacom began discussions to become a co-owner of the Rainbow studio[11] and produce a revival series, which began with a retelling of the first two original seasons.[6]
The pilot episode for the series, then under the working title Magic Bloom,[12] featured the original five Winx members in attires similar to those of traditional European fairies.[13] It was produced over a period of twelve months[10] and was test-screened in 2002.[13] Upon its completion, Straffi was unsatisfied with the pilot and doubted that it would succeed if aired.[14] In a 2016 interview, Straffi recalled that it "looked like just another Japanese-style cartoon ... but nothing like [the modern] Winx."[14] Straffi's team heavily reworked the pilot's visual style[13] before starting work on a full season, leaving the original pilot unaired. Portions of the pilot were presented at the Lucca Comics & Games convention in 2018.[12]
Italian title / Cinélume English title Nickelodeon English title
Italian air date
American air date (Nick)
79
1
"I cacciatori di fate" / "The Fairy Hunters" "The Wizards of the Black Circle"
15 April 2009 (2009-04-15)
May 6, 2012
80
2
"L'albero della vita" / "The Tree of Life" "Fear in Pixie Village"
17 April 2009 (2009-04-17)
May 6, 2012
81
3
"L'ultima fata della terra" / "The Last Fairy of Earth" "Winx on Earth"
20 April 2009 (2009-04-20)
May 13, 2012
82
4
"Love & Pet" / "Love & Pet" "Magic Pets"
22 April 2009 (2009-04-22)
May 13, 2012
83
5
"Il regalo di Mitzi" / "Mitzi's Present" "Ogron's Spell"
24 April 2009 (2009-04-24)
May 20, 2012
84
6
"Una fata in pericolo" / "A Fairy in Danger" "A Fairy Found"
27 April 2009 (2009-04-27)
May 20, 2012
85
7
"Winx Believix" / "Winx Believix" "I Believe In You"
29 April 2009 (2009-04-29)
May 27, 2012
86
8
"Il cerchio bianco" / "The White Circle" "Hidden in the Country"
1 May 2009 (2009-05-01)
May 27, 2012
87
9
"Nebula" / "Nebula" "Nebula's White Circle"
4 May 2009 (2009-05-04)
June 3, 2012
88
10
"La canzone di Musa" / "Musa's Song" "The Audition"
6 May 2009 (2009-05-06)
June 3, 2012
89
11
"Winx Club per sempre!" / "Winx Club Forever!" "Superheroes"
8 May 2009 (2009-05-08)
June 10, 2012
90
12
"Papà! Sono una fata!" / "Dad! I'm a Fairy!" "The Pets' Pursuit"
11 May 2009 (2009-05-11)
June 10, 2012
91
13
"L'attacco degli stregoni" / "The Wizards' Attack" "Roxy's Energy"
13 May 2009 (2009-05-13)
June 17, 2012
92
14
"7: Il numero perfetto" / "7: The Perfect Number" "Bringing Magic Back"
14 October 2009 (2009-10-14)
June 17, 2012
93
15
"Lezioni di magia" / "Magic Lessons" "The New Witch in Town"
16 October 2009 (2009-10-16)
June 24, 2012
94
16
"Un mondo virtuale" / "A Virtual World" "A Virtual Hideout"
19 October 2009 (2009-10-19)
June 24, 2012
95
17
"L'isola incantata" / "The Enchanted Island" "Island Tricks"
21 October 2009 (2009-10-21)
July 1, 2012
96
18
"La furia della natura" / "The Nature Rage" "Diana's Attack"
26 October 2009 (2009-10-26)
July 1, 2012
97
19
"Nel regno di Diana" / "In Diana's Kingdom" "In the Amazon Forest"
28 October 2009 (2009-10-28)
July 8, 2012
98
20
"I doni del destino" / "The Gifts of Destiny" "Diana's Redemption"
30 October 2009 (2009-10-30)
July 8, 2012
99
21
"La caverna di Sibylla" / "Sibylla's Cave" "The Fairy of Justice"
2 November 2009 (2009-11-02)
July 15, 2012
100
22
"La Torre Gelata" / "The Frozen Tower" "Aurora's Tower"
6 November 2009 (2009-11-06)
July 15, 2012
101
23
"La prova di Bloom" / "Bloom's Trial" "Bloom's Challenge"
6 November 2009 (2009-11-06)
July 22, 2012
102
24
"Il giorno della giustizia" / "The Day of Justice" "The Wizard's Trap"
9 November 2009 (2009-11-09)
July 22, 2012
103
25
"Il segreto di Morgana" / "Morgana's Secret" "Home at Last"
11 November 2009 (2009-11-11)
July 29, 2012
104
26
"Ghiaccio e fuoco" / "Ice and Fire" "Duel in the Omega Dimension"
13 November 2009 (2009-11-13)
July 29, 2012
Revived series
After Viacom became a co-owner of the Rainbow studio in 2011,[15] new seasons of Winx Club entered production at Viacom's Nickelodeon Animation Studio and Rainbow.[4][16] In this revamped series, the Winx are once again students at Alfea, as they were before their graduation in the original show. The revival began with four specials that retell the original first and second seasons.[6] Nickelodeon's American writers aimed to make the series multicultural and appealing toward viewers from different countries.[17] In 2019, Straffi commented on his near-decade of collaboration with Nickelodeon, saying that "the know-how of Rainbow and the know-how of Nickelodeon are very complementary; the sensibilities of the Americans, with our European touch."[18]
Bloom, an ordinary girl from Gardenia, is on summer vacation when she stumbles upon a battle between the fairy Stella and an ogre named Knut. Bloom stands against the monster and suddenly discovers that she has magical powers. Stella offers Bloom the opportunity to attend the Alfea College for Fairies, which Bloom and her parents agree to. The two fairies soon meet their roommates: Flora, Tecna, and Musa. After an encounter with the Trix witches from the competing college of Cloud Tower, the fairies decide to form their own group: the Winx Club.
"La vendetta delle Trix" "Revenge of the Trix"
28 November 2011 (2011-11-28)
1 August 2011
A mysterious nymph named Daphne communicates with Bloom through a dream. During spring break, Bloom returns home and bonds with her parents. While in Gardenia, Bloom dreams about her dad rescuing a baby left unharmed in a fire. After telling her parents, Bloom realizes that the event in her dream actually happened, and that she was the baby in the fire. Later on, Bloom visits Cloudtower's library to learn more about herself. Meanwhile, the Trix devise a plan to steal Bloom's Dragon Flame powers.
"Battaglia per Magix" "The Battle for Magix"
5 December 2011 (2011-12-05)
18 September 2011
After the Trix take Bloom's powers, the three witches take over Cloudtower and take down Headmistress Griffin. Through the power of the Dragon Flame, the Trix summon an Army of Darkness to start a reign of terror. Bloom returns to Alfea, powerless without her Dragon Flame. She teams up with Stella, Sky, Brandon, and Knut to confront the Trix at Cloudtower and reclaim her powers. Once she talks with Daphne, Bloom is able to regain her Dragon Flame and join her friends in a final battle. She faces Icy one-on-one while the other fairies face Darcy and Stormy. After Bloom manages to beat her rival, the friends celebrate, and Bloom and Sky share their first kiss.
"La fenice d'ombra" "The Shadow Phoenix"
12 December 2011 (2011-12-12)
16 October 2011
Aisha, the princess of Andros and fairy of waves, tries to rescue a group of pixies from the Shadow Phoenix. She is caught by him and is forced down a cliff. Aisha arrives at Alfea where she meets the Winx. Bloom and Stella offer to help her, leaving Flora, Musa, and Tecna to take care of a young pixie named Piff. Meanwhile, the Shadow Phoenix breaks the Trix out of prison. Bloom and Stella duel with the Trix while Aisha saves the pixies. Later, a paladin named Professor Avalon offers to help Bloom uncover more about her past. Avalon brings Bloom to a fortress and reveals his true identity as the Shadow Phoenix. The Winx and Specialists fly to the fortress and eventually defeat the Shadow Phoenix.
On 8 October 2006, a Winx Club CGI film was announced on Rainbow's website. The Secret of the Lost Kingdom was released in Italy on 30 November 2007.[49] Its television premiere was on 11 March 2012 on Nickelodeon in the United States.[50] The plot takes place after the events of the first three seasons.[51]
In 2007, production began on a sequel to The Secret of the Lost Kingdom, before the fourth season had been written.[52] It was released in Italy on 29 October 2010.[53] Its television premiere was on 20 May 2013, on Nickelodeon in the United States.[54]
In late 2010, it was announced that Viacom (the owner of Nickelodeon and eventual co-owner of Rainbow) would provide the resources necessary to produce a new Winx film.[55] The movie follows the events of the fifth season and was released in Italy on 4 September 2014.[56] The film made its television premiere on Nickelodeon Germany on 8 August 2015.[57]
^ abcdeThe specials and seasons5-7 were co-developed with Nickelodeon and premiered on Nickelodeon networks ahead of the Italian broadcasts. Season5 premiered on Nick U.S. on 26 August 2012, season6 premiered on Nick U.S. on 29 September 2013, and season7 premiered on Nick Asia on 22 June 2015.
^"L'arcobaleno di Magix" is misrepresented as "L'arcobaleno di Magic" on the title card.
^ ab"Rai YoYo - Guida Programmi". Rai Yoyo (in Italian). Event occurs at Click Dom 28 APR, or Lun 29 APR for airdate and time. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
^"Il Mercato e l'Industria del Cinema in Italia 2010"(PDF). Fondazione ente dello spettacolo (in Italian). 2010. pp. 70–71 (labelled 68–69). Archived from the original(PDF) on 18 October 2013. [Viacom] ha apportato infatti le risorse necessarie ... a finanziare la produzione già in cantiere delle due successive e di un nuovo film. In English: [Viacom] has in fact provided the resources necessary to ... finance the production, already in the pipeline, of the next two seasons and a new film.
