Kids
Kay Benbow is CBeebies controller
MUMBAI: Kay Benbow is the new controller of CBeebies, the BBC‘s pre-school children‘s channel.
Benbow has worked in children‘s television for over 20 years – primarily at the BBC. She is currently CBeebies Production, Animation and Acquisitions head, where she is responsible for leading all in-house production and commissioning acquired programming – bringing in top-rated shows Timmy Time, Chuggington, Wibbly Pig and Driver Dan‘s Story Train.
She will be based in Salford as part of the move of BBC Children‘s to BBC North next year. She says, “I am absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to lead the country‘s best-loved pre-school channel. I am passionate about children‘s programming – there can be no better job in the world than helping provide young children with memorable programmes and experiences that will stay with them all their lives.”
BBC Children‘s director Joe Godwin says, “I‘m really pleased that Kay will be taking over at such an exciting time, with Strategy Review proposing an additional investment of ?10million in BBC Children‘s. I couldn‘t wish for a better person to lead CBeebies to its new home in Salford and to keep it number one.”
Benbow began working in BBC Children‘s in 1988 after beginning her career with BBC World and Domestic Services. After a period in TV presentation, where she managed the live weekday links with Andi Peters and Edd the Duck, she became a producer/director working on shows such as Get Your Own Back and Bodger And Badger.
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.
