HIT Entertainment Inks Deal with CBeebies

HIT Ent. has rung in the New Year with a raft of new television distribution deals including its first broadcast deal on their new property, LITTLE CHARLEY BEAR.

LITTLE CHARLEY BEAR is an all-new CGI preschool series aimed at both boys and girls. The show is a co-production with Annix Studios and combines the warmth of classic children's television with high-end animation techniques and humor. LITTLE CHARLEY BEAR will make its broadcast debut on CBeebies later this year with the first season of 26x7 episodes. LITTLE CHARLEY BEAR has also been licensed to SVT in Sweden and NRK in Norway. CBeebies has also licensed the first-ever CGI series of BOB THE BUILDER for broadcast in 2010.

HIT has also inked a number of new distribution deals across its portfolio of children's shows. Leading French broadcaster France 5 will air both FIREMAN SAM and the new CGI season of ANGELINA BALLERINA and has recently launched THOMAS & FRIENDS on its preschool block les ZousZous. The anticipated first CGI season of BOB THE BUILDER has been licensed to terrestrial broadcasters RAI in Italy and SUPER RTL in Germany. SUPER RTL have also licenced the new CGI version of THOMAS & FRIENDS, set to broadcast in 2010. Both shows will appear in their "Toggolino" preschool slot. The Scandinavian national broadcaster NRK in Norway has licensed CLAY PLAY, a new preschool show currently represented by HIT and produced by Israeli animation studio Smartoonz.

HIT has renewed its HIT Channel on British Airways which features a line-up of HIT's preschool shows including THOMAS & FRIENDS and BOB THE BUILDER.

BOB will also make its debut in Turkey with the launch of seasons one through five set for early 2009 on Kanal 1 and the new FIREMAN SAM in CGI launches in the Czech Republic on TV Barrandov this week and on RTE in Ireland in early 2009.