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Mark
21-10-09, 05:27 PM
BBC Worldwide Channels Australasia, in association with CBeebies UK, is thrilled to announce the successful commission for its inaugural CBeebies Production Initiative, Penelope K, by the way from Blink Films.

Selected from over 100 submissions, Blink Films entry Penelope K, by the way was pitched to CBeebies by award-winning producer Michael Bourchier whose children’s production credits include Out There which won an AFI in 2003 and a Logie in 2005 and The Upside Down Show, featuring the comedy duo The Umbilical Brothers, which won the Logie for Most Outstanding Children’s Program 2007 as well as a Daytime Emmy for best title design. He was also named independent Producer of the Year by the Screen Producers Association of Australia in 2007.

Blink Films submission was given the green light by Brendan Dahill, Director of Television, BBC Worldwide Channels Australasia and Michael Carrington, Controller, CBeebies UK.

“Penelope K, by the way is an incredibly creative concept with extraordinary depth and vision. Michael’s understanding of the inquisitive minds of our pre-school aged audience shone through both on the page and in the face to face pitch session,” said Michael Carrington.

“I’m so pleased that CBeebies’ first local production is now officially underway, and look forward to working with the prodigiously talented producer Michael Bourchier. I love his ideas and how he aims to execute them, and eagerly anticipate introducing Australian and international audiences to Penelope K,” continued Brendan Dahill.

Penelope K runs the “Information Station”, the place you go to when you want to know about anything at all. Like rainbows. Or pharaohs. Or kangaroo pouches.

While Penelope K has all the enthusiasm in the world, the answer to the question invariably slips away from her like a dream when she tries to recall it. She must rely on her more-or-less reliable friends including a shadow rabbit, a troupe of floating instruments , two know-it-all fish called Ning and Nong and Squirm, a List Worm, who helps her collate information.

“The basic theme of the show is “Being wrong is just the first step to being right”. Penelope K gives our audience the tools to love the process of learning and find answers through asking questions, even if the pathways to the answer may seem ridiculous,” said Michael Bourchier.

“It is an honour to be working with Michael and Brendan on Penelope K, by the way for CBeebies’ inaugural production for the channel in Australia. It is great to be working with a broadcaster with the courage to tread new ground. The idea I pitched to them was pretty left-field but they saw that as a positive rather than as a problem, thankfully!

Blink Films will produce the series which will be 25 x 12 minutes in association with production partner Freehand with a budget of $250,000 per programming hour from BBC Worldwide Channels Australasia.

Penelope K, by the way will premiere on CBeebies in Australia in 2010, followed by CBeebies in the UK and around the world.

Mark
02-12-09, 04:35 AM
CBeebies is the BBC's pre-sc hoolers channel. Now it has signed a two-year deal with Sydney's world-famous Taronga Zoo to create a series of 90-second "fun and informative" stories.

Taronga Zoo was one of late Steve Irwin's ‘Zoo homes' (he also worked closely with Australia Zoo, north of Brisbane). CBeebies will produce educational interstitials entitled ZooBeebies, a series of 20 x 90 second fun and informative stories about animals presented by a real zoo keeper, Gabe, for broadcast on the channel.


It will also work with the Zoos to create an interactive play structure to encourage children to learn through play at Taronga Zoo and it will implement similar themed branding at the children's playground at Taronga Western Plains Zoo.

"Every year, NSW's two great Zoos are enjoyed by more than 100,000 children under the age of four. Partnering with Taronga offers CBeebies a unique opportunity to practically illustrate to parents and carers how we promote learning through play."

"Both organisations share an ethos which seeks to encourage a lifelong love of learning. ZooBeebies is a marvelous on-air and on-ground celebration of animals and conservation," said Amanda McGregor, BBC Worldwide Channels' Director of Marketing.

Full story (http://www.rapidtvnews.com/index.php/200912015327/bbc-to-offer-zoobeebies.html)