BBC Worldwide Unveils Licensing Show Plans

LONDON, May 7: BBC
Worldwide will head to this year’s New York Licensing Show with a range of
products inspired by award-winning programs such as Doctor Who, Charlie & Lola and Teletubbies.

The company will showcase
master toy licensee Hasbro’s In the Night Garden range of products, including Toy of the
Year-winning plush Blanket Time Igglepiggle, mini soft toys, puzzles and games,
along with new ranges later in the year.

For the Teletubbies, BBC Worldwide will present Tomy’s new dancing
soft toys and BC International’s tween clothing line, which is currently
available at British fashion retailer New Look.

Kids Preferred will be
introducing a range of Charlie & Lola-inspired plush dolls as well as a doll case, along with Penguin’s
paperback books designed around the series. The new products will be available
at retail stores across the U.S. this summer.

Underground Toys, which
holds the North American toy license to distribute Character Options’ Doctor
Who range, in addition to their
own lines, will be releasing the Doctor Who: Micro Universe miniature game,
5-inch action figures and voice-changing masks and radio-controlled toys into
the market later this year. Underground Toys also holds a license for
distributing existing Torchwood products
and the manufacturing of new lines, some of which will be shown at BBC
Worldwide’s stand.

For the award-winning Planet
Earth series, BBC Worldwide,
together with licensing agent The Joester Loria Group, has taken on licensees
in key categories to develop new product ranging from apparel to social
expressions. The Planet Earth products
strive to use environmentally friendly or recycled materials and less-harmful
manufacturing processes whenever possible.

The Top Gear range has launched a series of new products,
including a Scalextric debut with Powerlaps, which sees a Porsche 911 GT3R and
a Ford GT battle around Hammerhead, Bentley Corner, Bacharach Bend and Gambon
Corner. The Top Trumps card game has also been a successful product for Top
Gear.

A new property for the
market is Primeval. The first
season of the series reached number one in the U.K. TV DVD charts and a range
of toys, games and books followed. BBC Worldwide will be looking for new
licensees to take on the property at this year’s Licensing Show.

Anna Hewitt, the head of
international licensing for BBC Worldwide, said: “We’re heading to New York
this year with one of the strongest property portfolios we’ve had in years.
With brands ranging from the successfully established Teletubbies and Doctor Who to new territory with Planet Earth and In the Night Garden—we’re looking forward to meeting up with
existing partners and getting new ones on board at this exciting time.”

—By Kristin
Brzoznowski