“Teletubbies” Heads to Nick Jr. and the Noggin App
Major TV Deal for Brand-New Incarnation of Hit Preschool Series
Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Toronto, Vancouver: 11 June 2015: Canada’s DHX Media, a key player internationally in the creation of content for families and children, has signed a significant deal for Teletubbies, with Nickelodeon picking up US broadcast and on-demand rights to the much-anticipated brand new 60 x 12’ series for its Nick Jr. channel. The series has been commissioned by CBeebies in the UK.
Nickelodeon has also taken all 365 classic Teletubbies episodes from the original series for Noggin, its new mobile subscription service for preschoolers.
Josh Scherba, SVP Distribution at DHX Media, said: “There has been overwhelming international interest in the new Teletubbies series, and appetite for the classic episodes remains exceptionally strong. With Nickelodeon on board for the US, as well as CBeebies in the UK and further deal announcements pending, we are building incredibly strong foundations for the next-generation Teletubbies.”
As recently announced, in Canada the new Teletubbies will be coming to DHX Media’s rebranded preschool channel Family Jr. in late 2015.
The timeless, unique and much-loved Teletubbies are re-imagined for a new generation in 60 brand new episodes for 2016, starring costume characters Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po. With rewarding rituals, sound play, and physical comedy, new-generation Teletubbies will build upon many familiar and beloved features of the original series, but offer some exciting and surprising new developments too. With the Teletubby landscape replaced and replicated by a beautiful, detailed model that will be enhanced via CGI, there will be freedom to apply large doses of creative imagination to Teletubby stories. The wonderful new world of the Teletubbies will resonate with young preschoolers, reflecting child development and learning in a stimulating and contemporaneous manner.
Global phenomenon Teletubbies first launched in March 1997 and became one of the most successful global children’s brands of all time. It has reached over one billion children to date and the original episodes have aired in over 120 territories in 45 different languages. It was the very first western pre-school property to air on China’s CCTV reaching an audience of 300 million children.
For more information, please contact:
Aimee Norman at DDA Blueprint PR +44 (0) 20 8985 4708 or aimee@ddablueprint.com
About Teletubbies
Originally created in 1997 Teletubbies is a children’s television series targeted at preschool viewers. In September 2013, DHX Media acquired all rights to Teletubbies through its purchase of Ragdoll Worldwide, a joint venture between Ragdoll Productions and BBC Worldwide that owned, managed and exploited Teletubbies programming.
Multi award-winning, Teletubbies is designed to encourage young children to watch television creatively. Full of fun and exploration, it inspires confidence and curiosity and nurtures childhood development. DHX Media has engaged award-winning UK production company Darrall Macqueen to produce Teletubbies. Together they are pioneering a 21st century version of the show for a new generation of viewers.
About Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon, now in its 36th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in almost 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 20 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).
About DHX Media
DHX Media Ltd. (www.dhxmedia.com), a key player internationally in the creation of content for families and children, is recognized globally for such brands as Yo Gabba Gabba!, Caillou, Teletubbies, In the Night Garden, Inspector Gadget, Johnny Test, Slugterra and the multi-award winning Degrassi franchise. DHX Media Ltd. is the owner of Family Channel, the most-viewed children’s television channel in Canada, as well as the channels Disney Junior (English & French) and Disney XD in Canada. The Company markets and distributes its library of more than 11,000 half-hours of entertainment programming worldwide, and licenses its owned properties through its dedicated consumer products business. DHX Media Ltd.’s full-service international licensing agency, Copyright Promotions Licensing Group Ltd. (CPLG), represents numerous entertainment, sport and design brands. DHX Media Ltd. has offices in Toronto, Vancouver, Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Munich and Amsterdam, and is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbols DHX.A and DHX.B.