Alison Homewood

World Screen Weekly, November
9, 2006

Exec. VP of Worldwide TV Dist.

HIT Entertainment

Not many people start their
careers with a “baptism by fire,” but Alison Homewood did. After completing
university, with just a small amount of experience in journalism, publishing
and public relations, she was offered the job of managing editor of the trade
magazine TV World. “My first day in the
industry was at MIPTV, and the publisher told me I had to do an article on the
growth of cable TV in the U.S.,” says Homewood. “I didn’t even have a clue what
it was! Anyway, I survived, and the magazine gave me great experience of the
nascent international business. After four years, I decided to cross the divide
and “do” the job rather than write about it, and was lucky enough to join the
BBC in the co-productions department.”

At BBC Worldwide, Homewood was
instrumental in launching Noddy, Teletubbies and Top of the Pops
in various territories. She then joined Buena Vista International Television,
where she sold such hits as Pirates of the Caribbean, Desperate Housewives and Lost.

When she had the chance to join
HIT Entertainment, Homewood says, she jumped at it. “It has been a fantastic
first year. The company has hit all its targets and we have massively increased
broadcast exposure for our key shows all over the world.” Those key shows
include Barney and Friends, Bob the
Builder and Thomas and Friends.

“Barney, Bob and Thomas stand head
and shoulders above other preschool characters in terms of the generations of
children that have loved and grown up with them, all around the world,”
explains Homewood. “They exist in a 360-degree world from the popular TV shows
to DVD specials to quality merchandising product and amazing live events and
stage shows. There’s even a Thomas theme park in Japan! But we aren’t
complacent and do work hard keeping them fresh and strong.”

New episodes of Bob will have a new community called Sunflower Valley, with a
seafront area, an exercise park and a cinema. Helping Bob build these great new
locations will be a host of new machines, including a boat character.

Season 11 of Thomas will be available in high definition and will feature new
characters, including impetuous Silly Billy and Whiff the garbage engine, along
with Hopper the Horrid, the big scary truck, and some faces from Thomas’s past.

HIT is offering buyers Pic Me:
Journey into Space and Twisted Tales, both from Jam Media; pilots for a preschool cop show, Zoopatroop; a preschool art show called Little Art Stories; and a show from Brown Bag which HIT is co-producing with
Nickelodeon U.K. called Wobblyland.