HIT Lands Little Charley Bear Broadcaster

LONDON: HIT Entertainment’s new property Little Charley Bear has scored its first broadcast deal, with CBeebies taking on 26 7-minute episodes. 

The all-new CGI preschool series, aimed at both boys and girls, is the latest production from HIT Entertainment. The show is co-produced with Annix Studios. Little Charley Bear will make its broadcast debut on CBeebies later this year. 

HIT has also inked a number of new distribution deals across its portfolio of children’s shows. France 5 will air both Fireman Sam and the all-new CGI series of Angelina Ballerina and has recently launched Thomas & Friends on its preschool block les ZousZous. The first CGI series of Bob the Builder has been licensed to terrestrial broadcasters RAI in Italy and SUPER RTL in Germany. SUPER RTL also licenced the new CGI version of Thomas & Friends, set to broadcast in 2010. Both shows will appear in the Toggolino preschool slot. The Scandinavian national broadcaster NRK in Norway licensed Clay Play, a new preschool show currently represented by HIT and produced by Israeli animation studio Smartoonz. 

HIT renewed a carriage deal for its HIT Channel on British Airways that features a lineup of preschool shows such as Thomas & Friends and Bob the Builder. Bob will also make its debut in Turkey with the launch of seasons one through five, set for early 2009 on Kanal 1 and the all-new Fireman Sam in CGI launches in the Czech Republic on TV Barrandov this week and on RTE in Ireland in early 2009.

HIT’s VOD offering scored a renewed deal with BT Vision, which has licensed a lineup of HIT preschool shows that will be available to subscribers throughout 2009. HIT has also licensed shows on France’s Millimage VOD service Zooloo Kids.

In other news, Thomas & Friends scored the top licensing spot once again, for the ninth consecutive year, as the U.K.’s number one preschool property, according to December’s NPD report.