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U.K. kids company Ludorum has announced the start of production for its first property, a $7.3 million CGI-animated series for the BBC. Targeting kids 3-6, CHUGGINGTON (52x10) is based around a group of talking trains, each with its own personality and style. The series is being directed by Sarah Ball, who won a BAFTA for her work as a director and writer on BOB THE BUILDER. Shanghai-based Motion Magic Digital Ent. will animate the series, and writers have been drafted from the U.K., the U.S. and China to ensure the scripts are international in scope.

Earthlight Pictures has launched a major innovation in animation training with a groundbreaking live-video classroom that closely approximates the real thing. The unique TelAnimate system came online earlier this year after two years of development in Santa Barbara, Boise, and at Earthlight's current base of operations in Portland.

Digital agency Studiocom has brought new life -- in the form of a spidery animated robot -- to the website of 24-hour animation channel Nicktoons Network. The new character and its accompanying logo not only change the experience of users on the site, but also capture the brand attributes and personality of Nicktoons Network. Although the network was only seeking a website redesign, Studiocom's creative team decided to go beyond the request and create a character that would both connect with animation fans and also act as the interface for the site.

The U.K.'s Nick Jr will unveil a new CGI version of the classic animated series THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUT on Monday, October 22, 2007 at 8:00 am, with simultaneous on-air and online presentations. The world premiere of the first episode will air on cable and satellite preschool TV channels Nick Jr and Nick Jr 2, as well as on the Nick Jr on TMF programming block, available in all digital TV homes on music channel TMF. The episode can also be watched online via Nick Jr Video, the free broadband video player on Nick Jr's website, www.nickjr.co.uk.

9 Story Ent. has announced that production has been completed on the first 26 episodes of its new animated comedy series FUTZ! The Teletoon Original Production is scheduled to premiere as part of the network's new fall programming lineup in September.

Targeting nine- to14-year-olds, the wacky comedy is a retro nonverbal cartoon based on the misadventures of its title character, who is ready for anything, prepared for nothing and always able to severely mess things up in just 180 seconds -- the length of each episode.