New Make Way for Noddy(TM) Episodes Premiering This Fall on PBS KIDS(R)

New Make Way for Noddy(TM) Episodes Premiering This Fall on PBS KIDS(R)

Wholesome Family Entertainment That Teaches Life Lessons and Imparts Social Values

Themes Include Meeting Challenges, Helping Others and Being a Good Friend

FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Noddy welcomes everyone to Toyland in twenty new episodes of Make Way for Noddy(TM) that begin airing this month on PBS KIDS (check local listings). Launched in July 2005 to critical acclaim, the animated preschool series is produced by Chorion Ltd. in collaboration with SD Entertainment and is inspired by the beloved Noddy in Toyland children's books written by Enid Blyton.

These new episodes of Make Way for Noddy explore a range of developmental themes to introduce gentle life-skill lessons to its pre-school audience. Children learn with Noddy the importance of values such as patience, responsibility, teamwork, respect and confidence, the significance of family and friends and understanding diversity. Early learning concepts such as numbers and counting, telling time and manners are also woven throughout the series.

The star of this enchanting PBS KIDS' series is Noddy, a little wooden boy with the nodding head and jingly blue hat whose innocent enthusiasm leads him into all sorts of tricky situations.

The twenty half-hour programs feature energetic host Naomi Wilkinson as she guides viewers through Noddy's world and Noddy's learning adventures. Each episode contains two 10-minute animated stories plus two 2-minute long "Say it with Noddy" educational language segments and a 3-minute music video.

The "Say it with Noddy" interactive segments are designed to introduce pre-school children to new cultures and to foreign languages they may hear in their own communities. The segments show Noddy learning words or phrases in one of five different languages along with his friends at home. In the U.S. "Say it with Noddy" will feature French, Spanish, Mandarin, Swahili and Russian.

To enhance the educational value of the Make Way for Noddy series, Chorion's Noddy web site ( http://www.noddy.com/ ) and the Noddy destination at PBS KIDS online ( http://pbskids.org/noddy ) will feature helpful content and guidance for parents and caregivers about how to reinforce the concepts presented in the episodes.

PBS stations nationwide will begin airing the new episodes in September 2006. Please contact local stations for scheduling information.

About Chorion Ltd.

Chorion Ltd. is a leading owner and manager of classic literary-based brands. Its foremost properties include Enid Blyton's Noddy and Roger Hargreaves' Mr. Men and Little Miss series. Chorion has recently added certain rights to works by contemporary children's authors Ian Falconer (Olivia), The World of Eric Carle, Rosemary Wells (Max & Ruby, Timothy Goes to School) and Babette Cole (Dr. Dog, Princess Smartypants). For more information, visit http://www.chorion.co.uk/ .

About SD Entertainment

SD Entertainment is an animation development and production studio which launches, sustains, and builds new and existing global brands across multiple platforms including television, film, home video, games, Internet, publishing and merchandising. Founded by co-heads of MGM Animation, Paul Sabella and Jonathan Dern, SD Entertainment is also the parent company of Kidtoon Films, which theatrically releases G-rated animated movies nationwide.

About FUNimation Entertainment

FUNimation(R) Entertainment is a brand management company and one of the nation's leading independent home video entertainment companies. FUNimation has a proven formula for launching and advancing brands, and manages a full spectrum of rights for most of its brands including broadcasting, licensing, production, Internet, and home video sales and distribution.

About PBS KIDS

PBS KIDS is committed to providing the highest quality commercial-free content and learning environment for children across the country. Providing age-appropriate, diverse programming for kids, PBS KIDS' programs consistently earn more prestigious awards than any other broadcast or cable network. Only PBS KIDS has earned the unanimous endorsement of parents, children, industry leaders and teachers. With additional PBS resources to complement its programming, including PBS KIDS online (pbskids.org), PBS Parents (pbsparents.org), PBS TeacherSource, PBS Ready To Learn services and literacy events across the country, PBS KIDS is providing the tools necessary for positive child development. PBS is a nonprofit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation's 348 public television stations, serving nearly 90 million people each week and reaching 99% of American homes.

Source: FUNimation Entertainment

CONTACT: Jackie Smith, FUNimation Entertainment, +1-817-788-0627, x249,
or Jackie.smith@funimation.com

Web site: http://www.funimation.com/
http://www.noddy.com/
http://pbskids.org/noddy
http://www.chorion.co.uk/

NOTE TO EDITORS: Images available

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