HIT Inks New Representation Deals

LONDON, May 12: HIT
Entertainment has signed an agreement to represent all the home-entertainment
rights in the U.K. for Southern Star International’s preschool shows Bear
Behaving Badly and The Beeps, and has also entered into a long-term partnership
with PBS affiliate Thirteen/WNET New York for station representation and new
project development.

HIT’s deal with Southern
Star will see new home-entertainment releases for both Bear Behaving Badly and The Beeps in early 2008. Produced by Darrall McQueen for the BBC in the U.K.,
the 26×23-minute live-action
series Bear Behaving Badly is
the tale of a spirited, mischievous, resourceful little bear who beats a grumpy
human giant with ingenuity, luck and a little help from his friends. Starring Nev
the Bear from the kids’ TV series Smile on the BBC, Bear Behaving Badly is currently broadcast on CBBC and BBC One in the U.K.

The CGI-animated series
The Beeps, an Impossible Television production for Five in the
U.K., is set on Beep Island, a small island in the Sapphire Sea that is home to
the adventurous and fun-loving Beeps. The Beeps is narrated by Tom Baker and was created by Malou
Bonicos. It is currently airing on Five.

Nic Sales, HIT
Entertainment’s director of home entertainment in the U.K., commented: “We are
delighted to be working with Southern Star in bringing two of the U.K.’s most
loved preschool properties to the DVD market.”

Added Kirsten Cargill, the
senior sales executive of home entertainment at Southern Star International,
“Southern Star is very pleased to have HIT Entertainment as our DVD partner on
these properties in the U.K.—HIT’s commitment to these brands is
testament to the quality of these shows—which will sit along side some of
the best loved DVD titles in the U.K. today. HIT is a leader in the children’s
and preschool market and we are excited about the future possibilities for
these brands.”

Meanwhile, effective
immediately, Thirteen/WNET New York will become the presenting station for
HIT’s preschool properties on PBS KIDS, including Barney, Bob the Builder, Thomas & Friends and Angelina Ballerina, as well as Wishbone on PBS KIDS Go!.

Additionally, HIT and WNET
have committed to co-producing Angelina Ballerina: The Next Steps, a new CGI series that introduces Angelina
Ballerina as she embarks on the next stage in her life at a new school for the
performing arts. Based on the classic Angelina Ballerina books by author Katharine Holabird and illustrator
Helen Craig, Angelina Ballerina: The Next Steps is slated to debut weekly on PBS KIDS in fall
2009.

“HIT’s award-winning
preschool series, from Thomas to
Bob the Builder, have enjoyed
considerable success in the New York market for many years, thanks to the
support of WNET,” said Claudia Scott-Hansen, the VP of U.S. content
distribution at HIT Entertainment.
“We’re excited to expand our relationship, working with this premier PBS
station to further develop our existing, beloved properties and create new
ones.”

—By Irene Lew