LONDON -- Random House Children's Screen Entertainment (RHCSE), a full-service UK production house created by Random House Children’s Publishers UK (RHCP) and Komixx Entertainment  announces that children’s favourite, Wanda and the Alien, has been commissioned by Channel 5’s Milkshake! for broadcast in 2013/14. Based on a series of books about a little girl rabbit who meets an alien, Wanda and the Alien is authored by award-winning writer and illustrator, Sue Hendra. Celebrating how people are both alike and different, the book series appeals to both pre-school boys and girls.

Already in pre-production, RHCSE is producing 52 x10-minute programs using flash animation with the first episode scheduled for broadcast in Q4 2013. Creative development of the series is by Will Brenton of Wish Films who possess an unrivalled reputation for delivering high-quality children’s programming, including The Tweenies and more recently Wibbly Pig.

Jessica Symons, Head of Children's at Channel 5 comments: “Wanda and the Alien is absolutely delightful and is sure to capture the imagination of our young audience. It will be a wonderful addition to Milkshake’s superb line up of top pre-school programmes and we’re thrilled to be working with RHCSE on their first book-to-screen transfer.”

Andrew Cole Bulgin, Partner and Head of Film & TV, RHCSE, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with Channel 5 to bring Wanda to a wider audience. The highly visual, stand-out characters in Sue Hendra’s books are ideal for a book-to-screen transfer. The storylines celebrate the positives and strengths of difference between people and how everyone is unique in their own way. This latest agreement also cements the effectiveness of the publisher/producer relationship within RHCSE which goes from strength to strength.”

Philippa Dickinson, Managing Director, RHCP, said: “We’re really delighted that Channel 5 has selected Wanda and the Alien for broadcast next year. The TV series will undoubtedly entertain the family with characters and ideas which are visually stunning, and storylines that excite, challenge and expand the imagination of pre-schoolers. We are also delighted to have secured such a great partner in Channel 5 for these projects.”

Source: Milkshake!