Kids
BBC Worldwide in licensing deal with VTech for ‘In The Night Garden’
MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide has agreed a licensing deal with VTech to produce electronic learning aids for the children‘s television programme, In the Night Garden.
The new range, suitable for children aged six months upwards, is to feature characters from the Ragdoll produced series and will be available in Autumn/Winter 2009.
The range will include four In the Night Garden licensed hard line products as well as software for the V.Smile Baby Infant Development System.
Other hard line products included in the deal include: Spin and Learn Gazebo spinning top with three moulded character buttons in the shape of Upsy Daisy, Makka Pakka and Igglepiggle; Nursery Book with four double sided pages, four sliding character buttons and songs from the programme; the Play Table has a 3D interactive Igglepiggle and Upsy Daisy and the Shape Sorter Pinky Ponk will give kids hours of fun.
The In the Night Garden development programme for the best-selling V.Smile Baby Infant Development System will be suitable for babies from 18 to 36 months old.
BBC Worldwide senior accounts manager Julie Kekwick said, “This new partnership with VTech symbolises a significant extension of our licensing programme for In the Night Garden. We‘re able to offer pre-schoolers an opportunity to learn through play and interaction with their favourite characters with these new products in a way that we‘ve not done before.
“VTech have a fantastic track record in combining educational elements with real play value – we worked to great success with them on Teletubbies.”
VTech’s European product development director Andrew Barrett said, “We are delighted to be joining forces with BBC Worldwide and such a popular and established license. VTech already offers a strong range of toys for infants and children which will be strengthened by this new partnership.
“The new range will offer retailers something unique combining the popularity of the television show with high quality VTech toys.”
Kids
Mukta Arts and Green Gold ink MOU to animate iconic film IPs
Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan to spawn animated shows plus features.
MUMBAI: When classic hindi movie meets animation, the result is a fresh reel of nostalgia with a cartoon twist. Mukta Arts Ltd. and Green Gold Animation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on animated shows and feature films drawn from Mukta Arts’ four-decade treasure trove of iconic IPs. The partnership taps Mukta’s SGM Animation Studio launched in 2025 as its dedicated animation and games arm and Green Gold’s proven track record in building scalable, homegrown franchises. Creative teams from both sides have already kicked off discussions, with the first project currently in development.
The slate will draw inspiration from landmark Mukta films including Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak, Saudagar and Iqbal, plus character-led spin-offs from those universes. The aim is to reimagine these stories for today’s young, global audiences while preserving their emotional core.
Green Gold Animation (home of Chhota Bheem) founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka said, “This partnership with SGM Studios allows us to apply our experience in building long-lasting animation IPs to a truly iconic film catalogue. Together, we aim to create animated worlds that are rooted in these legendary stories, yet designed to connect with today’s young, global audiences.”
Mukta Arts Ltd. filmmaker and founder Subhash Ghai added, “Mukta Arts has always believed in creating stories with lasting emotional value. Through animation, we are extending our IP into a new medium for the next generation.”
In an industry where timeless tales never go out of fashion, this collaboration promises to bring beloved characters back to life with a modern, animated glow proving that some stories are too good to stay in live-action. Stay tuned for the first animated frame to drop.
