Oct 17, 2006
HARRY AND HIS BUCKET FULL OF DINOSAURS EXPERIENCES “DINO”MITE
INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS WITH LAUNCH OF LICENSING PROGRAMMING THROUGHOUT UK AND
AUSTRALIA
Fisher Price Toy Line to Launch in UK Toys ‘R
Us and K-Mart Australia;
DVD Hits Stores In North America From Warner Home Video
TORONTO (October 17, 2006) – Based on the extremely
popular book series from the UK, CCI Entertainment’s hit preschool property Harry
and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs is enjoying tremendous success
internationally as a top-rated television program. Buoyed by the popularity
of the book and successful television series, CCI’s worldwide licensing
program has been extremely well received in the UK and Australia where several
major retailers and licensees have come on board. The licensing program will
be led by master toy partner, Fisher Price and will be supported by an extensive
range of products including apparel, accessories, homewares and outdoor toys. Home
videos as well as the first series of TV tie-in books have been created and a
live Harry touring theatre show is also in development.
“Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs has
been supported internationally by top tier television partners who have helped
create a huge fan base for this wonderfully inventive property,” said Arnie
Zipursky, president of CCI Entertainment. “Due to the top ratings of the
television program and the brilliant play patterns the property offers, we have
lined up a high-profile list of licensees who have proven to be amazing ambassadors
for Harry. Each of our partners has created innovative and high quality products
in multiple categories and we expect these products to be just the tip of the
iceberg for Harry and his dinosaur friends.”
A top-rated program on the Milkshake block on Five Network in the UK, Fisher
Price will be releasing six fun-filled Harry-themed products this month at 65
Toys ‘R Us stores across the country. Following the launch of the Fisher
Price products will be a range of puzzles from Falcon Games together
with outdoor toys and wooden games from Halsall International.
Additionally, Puffin Books will begin an all-new publishing
initiative in 2007 including storybooks, easy readers, and activity books.
In Australia, Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs has
been a top-rated program on ABC Australia and Nickelodeon. In November, Fisher
Price will launch its first six products at 171 K-Mart stores nationwide. Funtastic,
which has designed a full line of Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs-themed
clothing, will follow the toy program by launching at K-Mart later on in the
year. In 2007, Dryen will release a complete line of Harry-themed
bedding and Penguin Publishing will publish all new Harry storybooks,
easy readers, and activity books.
Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs is a Canada/UK
official treaty co-production between CCI Entertainment of Canada and Collingwood
O'Hare Entertainment/Silver Fox Films of the UK. Broadcast partners include Cartoon
Network US, Treehouse Canada, Disney UK, Five Network UK and Discovery Latin
America.
About Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs Based
on the well-known book series. Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs is
an animated preschool series that follows the adventures of 5-year old Harry
and his toy dinosaur friends, which come to life and are all his very best friends.
Harry knows he’s the luckiest kid in the world. His Nana has given him
something that no one else has, the greatest present ever. It’s a bucket
with six toy dinosaurs that come to life and are all his best friends!
“One, two, three jump!” into the blue bucket and he’s on
his way to Dino World, a big little world where all Harry’s toys are twice
his size. Join Harry, Taury, Trike, Pterence, Sid, Patsy and Steggy as they bounce
down Pillow Mountain, sail around Soda Fountain Valley and hop on jelly doughnut
stepping-stones in a new adventure every day.
About CCI Entertainment Ltd. (Cambium Catalyst International)
CCI Entertainment is one of Canada's leading independent production and distribution
companies with a successful track record spanning twenty years. CCI has been
particularly recognized in the area of family programming, having been responsible
for thousands of hours of award-winning television for the world market including: Harry
and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs, Monster By Mistake, Timeblazers, Shining Time
Station and Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show. CCI Entertainment's
mission is to create family entertainment that entertains, engages and fuels
imaginations.
About Collingwood O'Hare Entertainment Ltd.
Collingwood O'Hare Entertainment is one of Europe's leading animation studios.
Founded in 1988 by Director Tony Collingwood and Producer Christopher O'Hare,
COE has won the BAFTA Award three out of the last four years for Animal Stories
(ITV / Disney), Eddy and the Bear (ITV / TV Ontario) and Yoko! Jakamoko! Toto!
(ITV / Cartoon Network USA). COE is currently completing Gordon the Garden Gnome
for the BBC and Cartoon Network USA, and starting production on the 52 episode
series The Secret Show for the BBC and BBC Worldwide.
About Silver Fox Films Ltd.
Silver Fox Films is an award-winning producer of high quality family entertainment.
Credits include The Forgotten Toys, William's Wish Wellingtons, Spider!, Second
Star to the Left and The First Snow of Winter which won a BAFTA for 'Best Animation'.
Director Graham Ralph and Producer Helen Cohen, recently completed an original
series for ITV entitled Bounty Hamster which was nominated for a BAFTA and are
currently developing a feature length project for theatrical release, with the
Jim Henson Company, called Water Warrior.
Brandissimo! Inc.
Brandissimo! Inc. is a family entertainment production and marketing company
founded by David Snyder, Bill Gross, and Frank Fraser. Fraser is the former Creative
Director of Disney Consumer Products. In association with CCI Entertainment and
Collingwood-O’Hare Entertainment, Gross and Snyder are Executive Producers
of Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs, part of Cartoon Network’s
new Tickle U pre-school lineup. Brandissimo! Inc, in association with Producer/Director,
Cleve Keller, has also recently developed and produced a series of entertainment-focused
music therapy videos.
About Warner Bros. Consumer Products
Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is one
of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.
About Target Entertainment
Founded in 1998, Target produces, acquires, sells and licenses intellectual property
rights in TV entertainment to over 100 countries worldwide.
The company’s aim is to maximise the exposure and revenue of all the
content we create and represent, through international distribution, digital
exploitation, consumer merchandise or home entertainment. As a multi-genre company,
we have dynamic range of titles including The Chase, Ten
Years Younger and Fifi and the Flowertots as well as
high-profile US programmes The Surreal Life and Hogan
Knows Best.
In spring 2004, Target took steps to bolster its ownership of intellectual
property rights by setting up an in-house production arm focusing on factual,
reality and light entertainment programmes. This division has already had shows
commissioned by ITV, Channel 4 and Sky One.
For more information, please contact:
Brian Reinert / Samantha Kane
Bender/Helper Impact
(212) 689-6360
brian_reinert@bhimpact.com / samantha_kane@bhimpact.com |
