HIT Notches Up New Broadcast Partners for Fireman Sam

LONDON, October 25: HIT Entertainment has licensed its
popular preschool property Fireman Sam
to Five and Turner Broadcasting’s Cartoonito in the U.K., for broadcast in
spring 2008.

Five has licensed the first five seasons and a 20-minute
special of Fireman Sam and plans to
launch the programming on Milkshake!, its preschool block, in 2008.

Cartoonito has licensed three seasons of the series,
including the two new seasons in high-definition CGI. Cartoonito, previously a
successful block on Cartoon Network Too, launched as a full preschool channel
on Sky earlier this year. Cartoonito is also home to another HIT property, Barney
& Friends.

HIT acquired Fireman Sam
from partners S4C in March. The company recently announced a partnership with
London-based Hibbert Ralph Animation (HRTV), who in turn have partnered with
the Beijing-based studio Xing Xing to produce the next season of Fireman
Sam. The new sixth season in
high-definition CGI will feature new characters and new destinations as the
show expands the PontyPandy coastline and introduces Neptune, a new lifeboat.
Seasons six and seven are currently in production and will roll out in May
2008.

Marie Chappelow, HIT’s VP of TV distribution for EMEA,
commented: “We are pleased to announce two new U.K. broadcast homes for Fireman
Sam in the U.K. After a successful 16-year
run on the BBC, the move to Milkshake! and Cartoonito ushers in a new and exciting era for Fireman
Sam.”

—By Kristin Brzoznowski