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NATPE News: Studio B Boasts Big Wins Before Vegas

Studio B is heading to NATPE this year with a bagful of new shows in development, new sales deals for existing series and brand extension plans for original properties.

The trade show comes on the heels of big news for the Vancouver-based animation studio. YAKKITY YAK, its co-production with Australias Kapow Pictures, has been sold to Nickelodeon channels in the US, U.K., Australia, Latin America and Europe. This marks the second animated series Studio B has sold to the U.S. Its DMYNA LEAGUES began airing on The WB 100+ station group in fall 2003.

Three new original series include P.U. KUNG FU, 52x11 episodes of high-flying kung-fu fun in development with YTV; CLASS OF THE TITANS, 26x22 episodes of action and comedy in development with TELETOON; and FLAKES, 52x11 episodes in development with The Family Channel Canada featuring the good-natured and loveable Pellet as he snaps, crackles and pops through life in a remarkable town made up of breakfast-themed locations and characters.

Studio B has also just seen the ink dry on two new sales deals for its popular original series What About Mimi? Distribution partner DECODE Entertainment confirms that the UKs CiTV picked up 13 additional episodes as well as licensing the first run (13x22), purchased in September 2003, for repeat broadcast. In a separate deal, childrens broadcaster KiKa has followed the popularity of WHAT ABOUT MIMI's first 26 episodes with a deal for the second season (13x22) bringing brand new episodes to German fans of the show.

Were delighted with the recent success of several of our original series, and NATPE is going to be a great opportunity to chat with the industry about both new shows and possible brand extensions, says Chris Bartleman, founder/partner, of Studio B. Were exploring everything from a feature film for Yvon of the Yukon to exploring other opportunities for DMYNA LEAGUES in the U.S.

Founded 15 years ago, Studio B has produced more than 150 half hours of animation that airs around the world. The studio is in production on 26x22 episodes of original series Being Ian for broadcast later in 2004 on YTV.

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