Corpus Resources PLC Regulatory News (COR)

2 Mar 2005 07:02

Chorion PLC02 March 2005 Chorion and Five co-produce 100 new Noddy episodes "Say it with Noddy" to debut in UK and USA London. Wednesday, 02 March 2005 -- Chorion plc (LSE: COR) and Britishterrestrial television network, Five, today unveiled "Say it with Noddy", a newanimated co-production which aims to introduce pre-school children to newlanguages and cultures. The 100 x 2-minute CGI-animated series, which is scheduled to premiere in the UKat the turn of the year, will feature familiar words and phrases children mayhear in other languages in their own communities. In the UK, "Say it with Noddy" will feature five languages: French, Spanish,Mandarin, Swahili and Urdu. The programme, however, has been specificallydesigned to allow broadcasters in other countries to showcase differentlanguages of their own choosing. Each episode can also be broadcast either as a standalone programme in its ownright or as a companion to "Make Way for Noddy", the popular CGI animated seriesthat follows the adventures of Noddy and his Toyland friends. "Say it with Noddy" will begin airing in the United States on national public broadcaster PBS inJuly. Additionally, the format opens up new opportunities for Noddy licensees invideo, publishing, multimedia, online, merchandising and promotions. Today's announcement enhances the ongoing relationship between Chorion and Five,which has been the home of Noddy in the UK since 2002 and ensures a continuedand consistent broadcast platform for the Noddy brand. "Make Way for Noddy" has been a cornerstone of Five's early morning Milkshakeprogramming bloc since September 2002 and has re-established the little boy withthe tinkling hat, created by Enid Blyton, as a must-have property. The seriestoday airs in more than 100 markets around the world and has become one of theUK's biggest television exports. Nicholas James, Chief Executive of Chorion PLC said: "Chorion's proven ability to add value to classic brands, coupled with theglobal potential for character-led early learning, make me confident that "Sayit with Noddy" will be a big hit around the world. I am especially delighted byFive's involvement as a co-production partner. The network's commitment to Noddyhas been a critical factor in transforming him into one of the most powerfulpre-school home entertainment brands." Five's Controller of Children's Programming, Nick Wilson, said: "Make Way for Noddy" has been a tremendous hit for us and remains a cornerstoneof our pre-school programming strand Milkshake. Using Noddy to help pre schoolchildren experience new languages is a powerful extension of Milkshake'sambitions to not only entertain but stimulate and educate its young audience.I'm sure soon most of the nation's pre school children will learn to "Say itWith Noddy"." - ends - For enquiries or imagery please call:Tim Allan or Andrew ShollPortland, for Chorion020 7404 5344andrew.sholl@portlandpr.co.uk Louise BowersFive020 7550 5662louise.bowers@five.tv About Chorion Chorion (LSE: COR) is a leading owner and manager of classic literary-basedbrands. Its foremost properties include Enid Blyton's Noddy, Roger Hargreaves'Mr. Men and Little Miss series, Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot and MissMarple, Georges Simenon's Inspector Maigret and Raymond Chandler's PhilipMarlowe. Visit www.chorion.co.uk. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange