Entertainment Rights Plc. (ER) announced that the BBC has commissioned 13 more half-hour episodes of THE BASIL BRUSH SHOW for the BBC and the CBBC channel. The agreement brings the total number of episodes of THE BASIL BRUSH SHOW under license to the BBC to 65.
This agreement ensures a broadcast platform for THE BASIL BRUSH SHOW beyond 2010. THE BASIL BRUSH SHOW is the #1 rated childrens sitcom in the U.K. airing on BBC 1, BBC 2 and CBBC digital. The series is firmly established as a core BBC character and regularly appears as a presenter across the BBC channels including presenting CBBC Xtra (interactive) and appearing in live web chats for the CBBC website. The BASIL BRUSH website www.basilbrush.com attracted circa eight million hits in the last month alone.
For the first time, the new series will feature BASIL BRUSH in animated form with each episode including up to six animated segments. These short animated segments will be utilized across a wide range of new digital media and online platforms including interactive, downloads, games and hand held devices. The new series will air on the BBC this Autumn and will be launched internationally at global television market, MIPCOM, in October 2006.
Jane Smith, group commercial director, Entertainment Rights said, We are delighted to be partnering the BBC on a brand new series of THE BASIL BRUSH SHOW. BASIL has been a huge ratings success for the BBC. The inclusion of the animated segments will appeal to our core demographic. Children will now be able to interact with Basil beyond television broadcast in a variety of different formats in his new animated world.
Anne Gilchrist, Creative Director, CBBC added, BASIL is core to the CBBC schedule and continues to deliver impressive audience figures. We are extremely excited by this new creative direction. The new animated segments will add a whole new element to the shows already winning formula and extend Basils appeal to the CBBC audience.
Moreover, ER announced that leading German broadcaster, Super RTL has acquired the broadcast rights to pre-school brand POSTMAN PAT for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The agreement will see POSTMAN PAT appearing on German television for the first time. The series has now been sold to more than 100 countries around the globe including the five key territories of the U.S., U.K., Japan, France and Germany.
POSTMAN PAT will launch on Super RTLs pre-school block, Toggolino during 2006. Super RTL is Germanys leading broadcaster with the largest audience share of the German childrens television market. This premier broadcast platform gives the POSTMAN PAT brand access to more than 38 million German homes.
Super RTL will be utilizing their dominant online platform, www.Toggolino.de, which generates 15 million page impressions per month, to build the POSTMAN PAT brand giving pre-schoolers access to a host of interactive online content and games.
In a further agreement, leading German home entertainment distributor, Edel Kids, has secured the home entertainment and audio rights to POSTMAN PAT for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The home entertainment release program will be supported by a comprehensive consumer products brand roll-out in this key territory throughout 2006.
POSTMAN PAT has sold to Time Warners HBO Family in the U.S., Buena Vistas Disney Channel in Japan, Nickelodeon France and RAI in Italy.
Chloe van den Berg, director of international, Entertainment Rights said, We are absolutely delighted to be partnering with Super RTL, the home of top quality childrens programming in Germany. Super RTLs entertaining yet universally trusted TV and online platforms are the ideal home for the POSTMAN PAT brand. We look forward to working closely with Super RTL and we are sure that with our combined expertise the POSTMAN PAT brand will become a firm favorite with German pre-schoolers.
Frank Dietz, head of acquisitions & co-productions, Super RTL added, POSTMAN PAT is a great addition to Super RTLs strong line-up of pre-school childrens programming. With its engaging storylines and positive role models, Postman Pat naturally complements our stable of childrens characters and we are sure he will become an established favourite with German pre-schoolers and their parents.
Entertainment Rights Plc is one of the U.K.s leading specialist media groups focused on the ownership of high quality childrens and family programming, characters and brands. Since 1999, when ER owned rights to just 50 hours of programming, ERs library has grown to circa 2,000 hours of high quality childrens and family characters and brands. ERs wholly owned subsidiary Tell-Tale Prods., created and produced THE TWEENIES, one of the U.K.s most successful pre-school brands. For more information, visit www.entertainmentrights.com.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
