Rastamouse Licensed For Second Season By CBeebies
DHX Media Ltd is pleased to announce that its hit stop-motion animated preschool property Rastamouse has received an order for a second season from the BBC’s “CBeebies” children’s channel, after scoring high ratings on the channel and proving hugely popular with UK preschool audiences, their parents and licenses.
The second season, produced and animated in the UK by Three Stones Media, sees the skateboarding, music-loving and mystery-solving character and his band Da Easy Crew return for a further 26 episodes.
“It’s the unique qualities of Rastamouse such as the positive messaging, high-quality animation and musicality that make the show stand out in the competitive preschool marketplace,” said Josh Scherba, SVP Distribution at DHX Media. “Since it launched just a year ago, the brand has received much praise and won fans of all ages, as well as attracting a roster of major licensees. This success, together with the production of a second season for CBeebies, underscores the show’s popularity and longevity.”
Rastamouse, the animated series based on the critically acclaimed books by Genevieve Webster and Michael De Souza, launched on CBeebies in January 2011 and has since engaged a following of preschoolers and parents alike. The series features Rastamouse, Scratchy and Zoomer of Da Easy Crew, the mystery-solving, reggae-playing band who always make a bad ting good and live by their motto “redemption, not retribution.”
The property quickly attracted a roster of licensees with DHX Media, together with subsidiary W!LDBRAIN Entertainment, signing deals with EMI (music), Universal (DVD), Character Options (master toy), MacMillan (publishing) followed by Vogue (melamine products from tableware to drinkware, clocks and room decor), Zap (bedding), MVSports (outdoor toys), Sommerbond (underwear and nightwear) and Their Nibs (children’s sleepwear).
DHX Media and W!LDBRAIN are selecting further new partners for the brand with additional deals recently signed with Trademark Collections (bags, purses, wallets and umbrellas) Roy Lowe & Sons Ltd (socks, tights, hats, gloves and scarves) and GB Eye Limited (posters, prints, badges, stickers, tattoos). Ty UK Ltd. will also develop a Ty Beanie Baby line with product set for launch in the UK imminently.
A Rastamouse Company production for CBeebies, Rastamouse is produced by Greg Boardman and Eugenio Perez of Three Stones Media, in association with Wales’s Dinamo Productions, London-based Little Roots and DHX Media, which handles worldwide TV sales (excluding the UK) and worldwide licensing and merchandising.
