RNS Number:3476A
Chorion PLC
1 July 2004
1 July 2004 Embargoed until 7.00 am
Chorion PLC
Chorion Accelerates Production of Two Major New Children's Programmes
Chorion, the UK's leading owner and manager of classic literary-based brands,
today announces the acceleration of its plans to produce two new animated
television series based on the work of international best-selling children's
authors, Roger Hargreaves and Enid Blyton.
The Company is inviting experienced animation companies to tender for the
production of:
* A new animated series based on Roger Hargreaves' Mr. Men and Little
Miss books; and
* Chorion's second animated series based on children's characters
created by Enid Blyton
Chorion acquired the entire rights to the 46 Mr. Men and 33 Little Miss
characters in May 2004, consolidating, for the first time in the property's
history, the TV rights with all of the other rights. This enables Chorion to
take an exciting fresh look at Mr. Men and it believes a new TV series will give
a significant new boost to a brand that is already a major licensing property.
Similarly the international success of Chorion's debut children's television
series, Make Way for Noddy, based on the characters created by best selling
children's author Enid Blyton, underlines the Company's belief that it is well
placed to maximize returns from a second Enid Blyton series.
For these two new TV series Chorion is following the successful two-stage
formula it developed for Make Way for Noddy. Chorion executives carried out the
initial research and development on the programme in-house, after which the
Company engaged an animation production company, Los Angeles-based SD
Entertainment, to complete the development process and co-produce the series.
Chorion has completed first stage development of the two new series and is now
seeking the best creative and production company for each series to take the
projects forward, complete development and produce the two series.
Chorion's Chief Executive, Nicholas James, said:
"Chorion is intent on accelerating the expansion of its children's brands. We
own a number of truly classic children's characters and I am pleased that we now
have the resources to put more of these into production. This will
significantly enhance the scale, range and ambition of the company."
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For further information please call:
Tim Allan or Andrew Sholl 020 7404 5344
Portland, for Chorion
About Chorion:
Chorion (LON: COR) is the UK's leading owner and manager of classic
literary-based brands. Its foremost characters include Enid Blyton's Noddy,
Roger Hargreaves' Mr. Men, Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple and
Georges Simenon's Inspector Maigret. Visit www.chorion.co.uk
Enid Blyton (1897-1968) and Roger Hargreaves (1935-1988) are two of the UK's
best-selling children's authors of all time on the basis of lifetime sales.
Blyton's prolific output of 700 books has been translated into more than 40
languages and has sold in excess of 400 million copies. It is estimated that
more than 100 million of Hargreaves' Mr. Men books have been sold worldwide.
Make Way For Noddy
The 100 x 10 minute computer generated animation series, which premiered in
September 2002, has been sold into more than 40 major international territories,
providing a major boost to the Noddy brand.
The series, which is wholly owned by Chorion, is among the most-watched
pre-school series in the UK, where retail sales have quadruped and licensing
income has risen by 27%. In France, recent research deemed Noddy the most
popular pre-school TV character among children aged two to four.
Submission details:
Tender documents are available from Len Dunne, Director of Brand Development,
Chorion PLC, Aldwych House, 81 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4HN
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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