BBC Worldwide Unveils Selection Of New Titles For CBeebies
The BBC’s commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, has unveiled a selection of new titles which it has invested in for it’s CBeebies channel to be released over 2011-12.
The deals span right across the BBC Worldwide’s spectrum of businesses and were secured by the director of Cbeebies investment for BBC Worldwide, Henrietta Hurlford-Jones, who manages global ventures and investments for the preschool brand. The properties include commissioning, distribution and merchandising rights over the titles.
The new titles include ‘Baby Jake’, ‘Jollywobbles’ and a Cbeebies co-commission with the BBC’s Natural History Unit, ‘Andy’s Wild Adventures’.
The preschool brand, CBeebies, is now available in over 49 million homes outside the UK through a variety of branded programme blocks and the BBC Worldwide’s network channels.
Henrietta commented that since her employment began in 2010 she has “had the privilege of working with many talented kids’ producers on a number of varied and exciting projects.I’m always on the lookout for something special .. that not only travels well across markets but has that unique ability to captivate young viewers.” She adds that the newly unveiled properties not only captured her imagination, and that it is “essential that we continuew to increase our investment in original properties that uphold the brand’s promise to encourage young viewers to learn through play.”
‘Andy’s Wild Adventures’ will premier in the UK in 2012, then be broadcast internationally. It features Andy and his friend Kip, a technologically-savy puppet cat, going on adventures to discover the answers to Kip’s questions.
Ken Benbow, controller of Cbeebies explained“Andy is a wonderfully engaging presenter and this series will open up the world for our viewers as they join him on his global voyages.”
The BBC obtained the rights for ‘Baby Jake’ from production company Darrall Macqueen. It is a mix of 2D animation and live action series about the adventures of the title character.
Other titles include a sixth series of ‘Nina and the Neurons: Brilliant Bodies’ and ‘Jollywobbles’, a new comedy written, produced, directed and starring by Justin Fletcher, as well as a third series of ‘Show Me Show Me’.