Shushybye Baby

TV Kids Weekly, January
16, 2007

NAME: Shushybye Baby

ORIGIN: Shushybye Baby is based on bedtime stories and
original songs composed by the series’ creator, Steve Syatt, when his son was 3
years old—and had problems falling asleep at bedtime.

TV SHOW: The series consists of 26 7-minute
episodes that combine live action and animation. It is created to help parents
prepare their children for bedtime and encourage children to look forward to sleeping.

Living in such
Shushybye villages as Nap Valley, Snore Shore, Yawn Island and Slumber Heights,
the Shushies—led by Snoozles, Dozie and Zeez—make dreams for
children, then place their finished dreams in Shushybye Dream Boxes that are
delivered by Conductor McCloud and the Shushybye Train to children as they fall
asleep. Besides creating children’s nightly dreams together with his Shushie
friends, Snoozles also serves as the Dream Ambassador for the baby and toddler
set, sharing with children just how wonderful sleep-time can really be. Shushybye
Baby is a
co-production of The Shushybye Company and BabyFirstTV.

EXECUTIVE
PRODUCERS: Steve Syatt
and Sharon Rechter

MAIN
BROADCASTER:
BabyFirstTV, a channel available on DISH Network, DIRECTV and select Comcast
markets in the U.S., will debut Shushybye Baby in the first quarter of this year.

BabyFirstTV is
also launching in the U.K. in February, followed by eight more international
markets, including France and Germany (by April 2007), and will include Shushybye
Baby in its schedule
in these markets as well.

MAJOR TOY
LICENSEES: Blue Box
Toys

OTHER
PRODUCTS: Books: St.
Martin’s Press will release the first books, including the Close Your Eyes hardcover bedtime storybook, in
September 2007; Music CDs: Koch Records (the first CD, Shushybye &
Goodnight, earned the
iParenting Award for Greatest Products of 2006); DVDs: WGBH Home Video (the
first DVD, The Shushybye Dream Band Live On Tour, won the Family Choice Award for Best
Preschool DVD); Apparel: Adorable Kids, a Canadian-based sleepwear manufacturer
with strong presence in the U.S. market, is the sleepwear licensee for Shushybye
Baby.

STRATEGY
FOR ROLL OUT: The
first products connected to Shushybye Baby were a book, a CD and a plush doll of Snoozles, the main
Shushybye character. These were marketed at Southern California Borders
bookstores. To further develop the brand, the Shushybye Dream Band performed in
over 80 Borders stores and family fairs. As the property started to gain
traction, licensees came on board beginning with Blue Box Toys, followed by
WGBH for DVD and Koch Records.

“Colorful and
engaging, Shushybye Baby reflects BabyFirstTV’s commitment to bringing quality, innovative
programming to our viewing audience, their parents and caregivers,” says Sharon
Rechter, the executive VP of business development and marketing for
BabyFirstTV. “We are delighted to join with The Shushybye Company and the brand’s
prestigious affiliated companies in launching Shushybye Baby on BabyFirstTV.”

Toys and
sleepwear will debut in 2007 supported by the launch of the books, television
show and continued marketing of the WGBH DVDs and CDs from Koch Records. A
second Shushybye Dream Band music CD will debut in the summer. Shushybye Baby is marketed as both an entertainment
and a lifestyle brand—TV, music and toys for toddlers and preschoolers
and an immersive system as part of the important parent-child bedtime ritual to
help prepare children for sleep each night.