DECODE Ent. Wins Order For Third Season Of Franny's Feet
DECODE Ent. has followed recent major deals for hit preschool series FRANNY'S FEET with a third season commission from Family Channel, an Astral Media network.
The Canadian broadcaster has ordered a further 26x11 minutes, bringing the total to (104x11 or 52x22), and will air the new season on its Playhouse Disney and Family channels.
Recent deals for the property have seen the television series acquired by PBS Kids Sprout, following excellent ratings for the show in the U.S. on THIRTEEN/WNET where it airs daily, and in the U.K., a sale to the Disney Channel.
The DECODE Entertainment-produced series is a commission by Canada's Family Channel. In the U.S., FRANNY'S FEET airs on PBS member stations in markets like Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Seattle and Washington. It is also currently shown in more than 150 countries worldwide, including the UK where it airs as part of the Five's popular Milkshake preschool strand and on Disney Channel U.K. Further major international channels include France 5, Disney Channel Germany, Italy's Rai, and TV2 Denmark in Europe as well as ABC Australia and Cartoon Network in Japan, Korea and Taiwan, and TV12 Singapore in Asia.
The series is sold worldwide by DECODE Enterprises, DHX's distribution subsidiary. Worldwide licensing is managed by The Sharpe Company.
FRANNY'S FEET is supported by an extensive licensing and merchandising campaign. PLAYSKOOL, a division of Hasbro, is worldwide master toy and game license and is set to launch series of toys and games incorporating dolls, accessories, role play, games and puzzles next year.
The licensing programme includes recent deals with Allumination Filmworks for U.S. home entertainment, U.S. deals for Halloween costumes with Disguise and Cadaco for crayon and paper arts activity products and glue based cling moulds and frames for activity.
Penguin Group USA has launched storybooks, readers, stickerbooks, a series of novelty books such as board, lift-the-flap and word game activity books and Simon & Schuster's color and activity books and kits will also roll out in stores in 2008.
In the U.K., the company has signed an apparel deal with Cooneen and a dress up deal with Cesar brokered through U.K. agent Rocket Licensing and in Argentina, agent IMC has signed up Ediciones B as publisher of story books and soft cover titles in Argentina and Uruguay.
DECODE has also recently signed up a number of international licensing sub-agents through its representative, The Sharpe Company including CPLG (Copyright Promotions) in France and Italy, Scandinavia's Alicom Licensing, IMC (International Merchandising Consultants) in Argentina, Australia's IFG and Korea's Asiana Licensing have come on board to extend the reach of the brand in key markets.
FRANNY'S FEET follows the adventures of a little girl with magical shoes. Each episode follows Franny off on a different adventure: "Where will my feet take me today?" There's the time her sandals take her to meet Princess Tia in Egypt or when she puts on hiking boots to take her to the mountains of Tibet, where she learns from Rinchen about Yak herding.