Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide today confirmed its appointment as licensing agent for new CBeebies show Baby Jake. Darrall Macqueen, which created the brand new show for pre-school audiences, made the appointment and confirmed its ambitions for an extensive range of consumer products to support the show.

Baby Jake (26 x 11'), developed by Production Company Darrall Macqueen, combines gentle, enchanting storytelling, carefully crafted humour and stunning warm animation to bring to life the magical imagination of a young child and celebrate the special bond between two young siblings. A mixture of live action and 2D photographic animation, the series is narrated by Baby Jake's six-year-old brother Isaac, who can understand his giggles and gurgles and opens the door to an imaginary world where Baby Jake sings, dances and baby-talks with his animal friends Pengy Quin, Sydney the Monkey, Nibbles the Rabbit and the Hamsternauts. The episodes will air on CBeebies from Summer 2011.

Billy Macqueen, Joint Managing Director of Darrall Macqueen, said: "Baby Jake taps into the love and understanding between young children and their baby siblings. The consumer products really capture this connection and reflect the unique visual appeal of the series, and we’re sure they will be enjoyed by all the family."

Darrall Macqueen and Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide have awarded the UK master toy licence to Vivid, which will develop the initial line of toys, puzzles and games to hit retail shelves in January 2012, timed to ensure a strong loyal fan base has been built in advance of arrival at retail.

Julie Kekwick, Senior Licensing Manager Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide said: "We're delighted to be working on Baby Jake which has all the early signs of a successful pre-school property. Our strategy has been to sign-up world-class partners across formats and working closely with Darrall Macqueen, we’re delighted that Vivid are on board and look forward to further conversations at Licensing Expo next week."

"Baby Jake is a funny distinctive show that we all believe will entertain pre-schoolers and convert to strong toy sales," states Emma Weber, Vivid's Marketing and Licensing Director. "CBeebies is a fantastic platform for this ground-breaking show and we believe Baby Jake will very quickly secure a Top 5 position in pre-school toy licensing."

Emma Burch