Spotlight Licensing and Rocket Licensing welcome All Creatures Great and Small

Rocket Licensing and Spotlight Licensing are set to build a global consumer products programme for critically acclaimed fan-favourite television drama All Creatures Great and Small, with Rocket leading in all markets outside North America and Spotlight focused on North America.

The series, based on the best-selling stories written by Alf Wight under the pen name James Herriot, follows the adventures of a young vet from Glasgow working in the Yorkshire dales. Herriot’s books have sold 60 million copies internationally, becoming a global cultural phenomenon with devoted fans around the world.

The series airs in the UK as Channel 5’s top rating British drama, with five million viewers to date for the latest series, and is the second highest-rating programme on the channel, behind The Drowning.

In the U.S., All Creatures Great and Small is currently in its second season on PBS MASTERPIECE after debuting as one of PBS’s biggest hits of 2021 (seen by more than 10 million U.S. viewers).

PBS MASTERPIECE, Channel 5 and All3Media International recently announced that All Creatures Great and Small has already been renewed for a third and fourth season.

Rocket and Spotlight will be looking to target both the young adult and older age-group fans of the show with licensed products including gifting, homewares, stationery, apparel, food and beverage, and more, as well as experiential partnerships, and the team is looking forward to discussing the property with potential licensees and partners.

Carole Postal, president of Spotlight Licensing, says: “All Creatures Great and Small is a wonderful property for anyone who loves and cares for animals, enjoys the beautiful British countryside, and appreciates that small-town community life which Herriot portrays with such warmth and humour. U.S. audiences love the character and charm of this quintessentially British show and we are excited to get a consumer products licensing programme started here in North America.”

Charlie Donaldson, joint MD of Rocket Licensing, commented: “All Creatures Great and Small is a great brand which really resonates with UK consumers, and we are looking forward to discussing the exciting opportunities this property offers for licensed merchandise and collaborations with potential licensees. The demand for British brands is bigger than ever right now and this property fits the bill perfectly.”

Daisy & Ollie secures new series commission from Channel 5’s Milkshake!

Manchester-based Hoopla Animation has announced that Channel 5 has greenlit a brand new fifth series of Jason Manford’s hit 2D animation Daisy & Ollie for its multiplatform preschool brand, Milkshake!.

In addition, Channel 5 has also inked a five-year deal with Hoopla to air all five of the Daisy & Ollie series on Milkshake!, including series 1 and 2, which originally launched on Cartoonito in 2017.

The show has proven hugely popular with Milkshake! audiences, airing daily since its launch on the channel in March 2020. Daisy & Ollie was recently showcased at the broadcaster’s live ‘5 on the Farm’ event which took place on August Bank Holiday weekend at Cannon Hall Farm in Yorkshire, featuring meet and greets and live nursery rhyme shows led by the show’s official costume characters.

The Channel 5 commission will see Hoopla Animation produce a further 26 x 7-minute episodes, due to launch on the channel’s children’s block Milkshake! next year, bringing the total number of episodes created to 130. The show is based on an original idea by Hoopla’s Helen Brown and co-written and executive produced by comedian Jason Manford, who also voices some of the main characters including Daisy’s Daddy and Whizzy the Robot.

Each episode follows best friends Daisy (voiced by Sarah Hadland) and Ollie (voiced by Claire Morgan) on their adventures, as they seek out the answers to questions that many children ask each day such as ‘How Do Bats See In The Dark?’, ‘Why Do We Have To Wash?’ and ‘What does adoption mean?’.

Daisy & Ollie has featured a host of celebrity guest stars to date, including comedian Paddy McGuinness and TV Star Christine McGuinness, who appeared in a much-acclaimed special episode in partnership with the National Autism Society. Further guest stars have included TV presenter and comedian Romesh Ranganathan and Mrs Brown’s Boys actor Brendan O’Carroll, whilst Take That star Gary Barlow performed in a Christmas special.

Jetpack Distribution have the worldwide distribution rights for Daisy & Ollie and the series has sold in multiple territories across the globe.

Dominic Gardiner, Jetpack’s CEO, says: “The fact that Daisy & Ollie has been greenlit for a fifth season is a testament to its quality and appeal. It’s been a top-selling show in our preschool line up and proved universally popular across the globe, with some timeless themes for preschoolers, and inciting their curiosity and wonder. I’m very much looking forward to seeing the next season and taking it to market.”

 

Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go pulls into Channel5’s Milkshake this November

Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go – a new, vibrantly refreshed, 2D animated series following the iconic Thomas the Tank Engine – is pulling into Channel 5’s Milkshake on Monday, November 8th this year.

Produced by Mattel Television in partnership with Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana Studio, the new series is a major reimagining of the classic Thomas & Friends franchise and the fourth ever major revamp for the world famous kids’ animated show in its 75 year history.

The new series follows Thomas, more playful and relatable than ever before, as the hero of his own adventure. Thomas strives to be the Number One Tank Engine through trial and error, all while just enjoying being a kid.

According to Mattel, highlights of Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go include a greater range of character expressiveness, more physical comedy and music, and core characters that are now kids themselves and voiced by British child actors. The show has been ‘crafted to appeal to contemporary audiences’ sensibilities while maintaining Thomas’ core message about the value of friendship.’

 Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go incorporates 26 social-emotional, cognitive, and physical life lessons throughout the series, including friendship, taking turns, teamwork, self-help, and empathy.

Four additional engines make up the core cast of characters:

•Percy – Thomas’ best friend who loves telling silly jokes, Percy has a lot of hidden courage (that not even he’s aware of!) and will do anything to help his friends. 

•Nia – Nia is an engine who loves a good plan, offering both creative and practical solutions. Because Nia is so well travelled, she often has valuable insight into things the other engines haven’t seen before.

•Diesel – Diesel is always trying to one-up Thomas and inadvertently causes trouble for everyone in his quest to be “the real Number One Tank Engine.”

•Kana – An all-new electric high-speed rail train, she is fast talking, loves to race and creates gusts of wind that blow windmills and bend trees in her wake.

 Fred Soulie, senior vice president and general manager, Mattel Television, said: “This new creative direction for the classic Thomas & Friends franchise is crafted to appeal to contemporary audiences, yet still maintain the beloved characters’ core ethos: the value of friendship. Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go features stories that are both timeless and timely, with themes that will resonate with children, parents and caregivers alike.” 

Christopher Keenan, senior vice president, global content and executive producer, Mattel Television, added: “We can’t wait for the next generation of fans to meet Thomas and his friends. In Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go, we aim for audiences to have fun as we expand the world of Sodor in new and exciting ways. For the better part of the last decade, I’ve had the privilege of working on the Thomas & Friends television series and I’ve seen first-hand how Thomas and his core message about the value of friendship inspire a broad audience – children, parents and caregivers alike. These stories are both timeless and timely, with themes that continue to resonate with kids today.”

 Kelly Philp, director of marketing, Mattel UK, said: “Thomas & Friends has 92 per cent brand awareness in the UK, so we are looking forward to exciting our Thomas fans new and old with all the fun and adventure of the show’s new approach.

“The singable songs and endless laughs have already tested well with our pre-school audience and Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go will be a great tool for parents and caregivers too, due to the integrated life lessons and values that are incorporated within the content.”

 Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go will premiere on Channel 5 Milkshake on November 8th. In the UK, the series will be preceded by a new 60-minute animated motion picture, Thomas & Friends: Race for the Sodor Cup™, showing at Vue and Odeon cinemas throughout the UK from Friday, September 17th, which will be the first time that children and parents can see the new-look and feel Thomas & Friends before it hits television screens later in the year.

Milo celebrates ratings success on Milkshake! as preschool series goes from ‘strength to strengthg

Milo, the new preschool series from Fourth Wall and Planeta Junior, is celebrating high ratings across Channel 5’s Milkshake, the channel’s preschool segment upon which it made its UK debut in mid-May this year.

Within one month of launching on May 10th in its prime time 8am weekday slot, the series has, according to the firm, ‘achieved great ratings on Milkshake!’ with expectations abound that the series will ‘continue to go from strength to strength.

The series is also available for viewers on the broadcaster’s on-demand platform, My5.

Milo follows the adventures of its titular hero, a five year old cat who, together with his friends Lofty and Lark, uses role-play to explore the world of vocations, be that a doctor or mechanic, a hairdresser or chef, or a postal worker. The aim of the series is to introduce preschoolers to a variety of professions in a positive and entertaining way.

Milo is already a successful children’s book character with over 30 titles published and sold in more than 20 territories worldwide.

The production of the preschool series has been supported by the UK Government’s Young Audiences Content Fund. Managed by the BFI, the fund supports the creation of distinctive, quality content for young audiences. The fund is intended for providing content that informs our understanding of the world, stimulates knowledge and learning, as well as representing diversity and alternative viewpoints.

Planeta Junior holds and manages the series’ worldwide consumer products rights and is working with Lisle Licensing in the UK to build a strong brand presence and licensing programme.

Channel 5’s NFL broadcasting partnership will ‘bring excitement of NFL season in the US to British homes’

National Football League will be touching down on UK television thanks to a new partnership struck between the NFL and ViacomCBS Networks International’s Channel 5. The three-year partnership will bring Monday Night Football to the channel, as well as a Sunday morning NFL magazine show.

The partnership aims to ‘take all the excitement of the NFL season in the US into British homes.’ It also covers ‘new and unique NFL content across MTV International’s digital platforms in the UK.’

“We are very proud to have agreed a new partnership with ViacomCBS and Channel 5,” said Sameer Pabari, NFL managing director, international media. “The range of content available across different time slots and platforms means there is something for everyone – from established fans to those new to the sport.”

James Tatam, VP portfolio operations, ViacomCBS Networks UK, added: “We’re looking forward to bringing high-quality entertainment from the NFL to a free-to-air audience in the U.K. The content has a broad, cross-generational appeal that will not only serve an existing NFL fanbase in the UK, but will also attract new viewers to the sport.”

Monday Night Football, one of America’s most iconic TV sports series, will be broadcast from a studio in Los Angeles, with host Kirsten Watson joined by former All-Pro Jacksonville Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew and other special guests.

The Sunday morning show, called NFL End Zone, will be presented by actress and singer Cory Yarckin and “will delve deeper into the culture behind America’s greatest sport,” ViacomCBS said. It will air at 11:30 a.m. U.K. time on Channel 5, which was previously an NFL broadcaster from 1998 to 2009.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, season coverage kicks off on Sunday, with Monday Night Football launching in the UK on Monday from MetLife Stadium as the New York Giants host the Pittsburgh Steelers on the opening weekend of the season.

eOne’s Ricky Zoom speeds onto Channel 5’s Milkshake this April

Ricky Zoom, the newest animated pre-school IP from Entertainment One, is preparing to speed onto Channel 5’s multi-platform pre-school block, Milkshake, where is will air daily from April 20th this year.

To crank up excitement around the show’s terrestrial launch in the UK, Milkshake! is supporting with pre-promotional on-air exposure and social media support nearer the time of TX.

Entertainment One is backing its latest pre-school property with an investment in PR and digital marketing activity to drive tune-in. Building on the company’s previous success with music releases for Peppa Pig and PJ Masks, eOne is readying the digital release of three Ricky Zoom songs that will include an extended version of the theme tune and two all-new original songs.

The new songs will be available on streaming platforms from mid-April. A nationwide influencer outreach campaign spanning parenting influencers, with a combined platform of 1.2 million across the UK, will promote the positive brand values of fun and family to encourage co-viewing.

“Adding to our existing strong roster of international broadcasters we’re thrilled to be bringing Ricky Zoom to the number one weekday pre-school destination in the UK,” said eOne’s Monica Candiani, EVP, content sales, family and brands.

“The show is full of enjoyable all-bike adventures that will ignite young imaginations and we look forward to introducing the colourful world of Wheelford to future fans in the UK ahead of the consumer products rollout later this year.”

The launch of Ricky Zoom on Channel 5 follows a strong debut for the show last autumn on Nick Jr. in the UK where it has been viewed by nearly 1.5 million to date. The show will join Nick Jr.’s promotional slate in Easter with a seasonal episode special set to air for audiences during the school holidays.

The growing broadcast exposure will drive awareness for Ricky Zoom as eOne builds up to the consumer products rollout in autumn which will see additional toys released by master toy partner, TOMY.

Magic Light, ViacomCBS, and Sky in production on new pre-school series Pip and Posy

The multiple Oscar-nominated Magic Light Pictures is to produce a new CG animated series called Pip and Posy, based on the Nosy Crow story book series from author Camilla Reid and illustrator, Axel Scheffler.

The series will have the added weight of a first time co-production partnership between ViacomCBS and Sky behind it and will premiere exclusively on Channel 5’s Milkshake and Sky’s on-demand service Sky Kids. Animation services on the series will be provided by Blue Zoo.

Pip and Posy follows a mouse and a rabbit whose lives revolve around a world of play. Packed with warmth and humour, the series is a celebration of friendship, laughter and games, as well as life’s ups and downs. The series deals with emotions, resilience and feelings in a relatable way for pre-schoolers to learn about themselves.

Currently in production, the series is based on characters from Nosy Crow’s popular collection of story books by Axel Scheffler and author Camilla Reid. Pip and Posy is Magic Light’s first pre-school series and sees the continuation of the production company’s 13 year association with Scheffler, which has produced seven high-profile animated specials based on his successful book collaborations with author Julia Donaldson.

Pip and Posy is a delightful series that captures the essence of how young children play, think and feel and fits perfectly with our portfolio of educational and fun programming, teaching pre-schoolers the importance of friendship and understanding their emotional and social wellbeing through imaginative storytelling and creative play,” said Louise Bucknole, VP programming kids, ViacomCBS Networks UK.

“We have a long-running and close relationship with Sky, so it’s very exciting to have commissioned our first co-production together, enabling us to bring the very best of British animation to Milkshake! from world class producers Magic Light Pictures.”

 Lucy Murphy, director of kids at Sky UK & Ireland, added:”Pip and Posy is a playful series that will be loved by young children and their families.  This addition to Sky Kids, plus our recent raft of original commissions, demonstrates our ambition to feature a range of premium British programming for under 12s.

“We bring our customers the very best kids TV alongside our partner channels and this co-production with Milkshake! evolves our close relationship with ViacomCBS.”

 Michael Rose, co-founder of Magic Light, said: “We’re really excited to be producing our first-ever pre-school series and proud to be working with Milkshake! and Sky. Axel Scheffler creates truly enchanting worlds and we can’t wait for viewers to join  Pip and Posy for their fun and adventures.”

Magic Light Pictures holds the global distribution and merchandising rights to Pip and Posy (excluding publishing) and is developing a full licensing programme to complement the new series.

Last year Milkshake! pledged to double its content investment, which will lead to 50 new UK originated hours per year from 2021.