Noddy Makes Come Back On Channel 5

Noddy has found a new home on Channel 5 after the broadcaster acquired the rights to the animation series Make Way For Noddy from Chorion IP. The series has been produced using computer generated imaging and, with 100 ten minute episodes, will be the longest Noddy series ever to have run on television.

Nick Wilson, Channel 5’s controller for children’s programming said: “Make Way For Noddy adds to our already burgeonging list of programmes including Barney and Bear in the Big Blue House and ensures that we are the strongest broadcaster of pre-school.”

The digitally animated series promises to be “more contemporary” with the technology allowing Noddy to “go to places and do things which were not possible before.” This is the second time that Noddy’s Toy Town home has been relocated. The original puppet series began on ITV in 1955 and was followed by a stop-frame animation in 1975. In the early 90s Noddy appeared in stop-frame animation again, this time on the BBC. From September he will join Channel 5’s Milkshake line-up, which airs between 0630 and 0930 on weekday mornings.

In the ITC Annual Report for 2001 Channel 5’s efforts in pre-school programming were noted: “Pre-school children are one of Channel 5’s main targets with a service which largely avoids animation.” it said. “This provision, albeit on a limited budget, answers a need made greater by the substantial shortfall this year in the supply of pre-school programming on CiTV which is far below the required level (shortfall of 20 hours compared with a minimum requirement of 70 hours a year). This shortfall arose due to a misclassification error in previous commissioning.”

Channel 5: 020 7550 5555 www.channel5.com

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