Telescreen Racks Up TV, Home-Video Sales

HILVERSUM, February 15: Telescreen, the children’s
producer-distributor based in the Netherlands, has scored a number of TV and
home-entertainment deals across Europe for series such as Moomin, Miffy,
Little People and Lizzie
McGuire.

For television, Danish channel TV2 has renewed its
broadcasting license for the complete Moomin series, which includes 104 half-hour episodes, while Canal J in France
has acquired four TV specials of Explore the World with Miffy. Additionally, Canal J has picked up the broadcast
rights for the Mattel/Fisher-Price co-production Little People, as well as the classic fairytale collection Hans
Christian Andersen—The Fairytaler.

Furthermore, 26 episodes of the 2-D animated series Anton have been acquired by JimJam for broadcast
throughout Europe. Dutch pubcaster KRO renewed its TV rights for all 2-D and
3-D Miffy series and specials.
Lastly, in Spain, Antenna 3 closed a TV deal for Lizzie McGuire.

For home video, Estonian distributor DVD2002 will release
the 26 half-hour episodes of Hans Christian Andersen—The Fairytaler in the Baltic languages on DVD. The company has also
acquired the home-video rights for the complete series of Moomin in the Baltic region, and has also picked up the Moomin feature-length film for release in the Estonian
market.

The Moomin series and
feature film have also been acquired by Hollywood Classics for both home video
and television in the Czech and Slovakian markets.

Other deals include Vapet Productions, picking up home-video
and television rights for Hans Christian Andersen—The Fairytaler for the Czech and Slovakian territories; Cinemix
acquired the Hungarian home-entertainment rights for Mrs. Pepperpot, also known as The Teaspoon Lady; and Abbey Home Entertainment scored the home- video
rights for Little People, which
will roll out on DVD in the U.K. and Ireland.

—Ned Berke