PorchLight to Focus on Four Properties at Licensing Show

LOS ANGELES, June 15: Broadening the reach of Animalia,
Doodlez, The Secret World of Benjamin Bear and Tutenstein will be
PorchLight Entertainment’s focus for Licensing Show.

“Our plan in building any property is to get major
television exposure and build consistent, long-term licensing and merchandising
programs,” said Caren Shalek, PorchLight Entertainment’s senior VP of consumer
products. “This is exemplified by our classic property, Jay Jay,” which
airs in 100 countries and has 10 agents and 50 licensees worldwide.

Animalia began as a best-selling picture
book and a 40×30-minute CGI series launches next fall on PBS Kids GO! in the
U.S., CBBC in the U.K., and Network Ten and Nickelodeon in Australia. “We are
confident that it will achieve great success beyond the current publishing
arena,” Shalek said.

A focus for the 50×2-minute Doodlez—airing on
Nickelodeon and Nicktoons in the U.S., Nickelodeon in Europe and Asia and
Cartoon Network in Japan and Latin America—will be mobile, with plans for
games, e-cards, wallpapers and other wireless applications. Wireless deals are
currently in place with T-Mobile in Europe and Telstra, 3, and Vodafone in
Australia, among others.

The tween-targeted Tutenstein also
lends itself to the mobile space, according to PorchLight. Sandager Small Games
holds mobile phone content and games rights in Europe and India and ABC
Wireless and Konsensus hold rights in Australia and Turkey respectively. In
addition, SGM Publishing is currently publishing an activity-based magazine for
distribution throughout Turkey. PorchLight is also looking for publishing
partners to co-produce a line of Tutenstein-based
books.

And with a U.S. home video deal in place on the
26×11-minute Amberwood Entertainment show The Secret World of Benjamin Bear,
PorchLight is now eyeing a range of product lines for the preschool show.