MIPTV Guide

Teletubbies

creator Ragdoll and BBC World wide—will be in Cannes for MIPTV with a new CGI/live-action series,

Tronji

. Aimed at 6- to 8-year-olds, this 30 x 30-minute series presents real children with comical dilemmas to solve in the fictional world of Tronji, which exists alongside the real world. Under the terms of the new joint venture, BBC Worldwide will manage the international broadcast sales, and the UK and international licensing of all Ragdoll properties. Ragdoll retains all UK broadcast rights, and Ragdoll UK, part of the new joint venture, will manage the Ragdoll portfolio in North America.

Also new from BBC Worldwide is

The Secret Show

, a fast-paced, animated secret agent series about secret people doing secret things; it's best described as

"Get Smart

meets

Monty Python."

Special agents Victor Volt and Anita Knight work for U.Z.Z. protecting the world from the evil forces of T.H.E.M. Following its

Also seeing the launch of a new licensing campaign is Decode's 78 x 11-minute series,

Franny's Feet

. Aimed at 4- to 6-year-olds, the series focuses on the adventures of the eponymous Franny, a 5-and-a-half-year-old girl who spends every day after kindergarten with her cobbler grandfather. Every day, Franny tries on a new pair of shoes that comes into the shop, leading to an appropriate related adventure. So, for example, Wellington boots will see her have an adventure in a garden, and Arctic boots will find her in the Arctic. The series has aired for three years on Canada's Family Channel and the Milkshake block on the UK's Five. In July 2006, it was picked up by the largest of the PBS stations, and met with such success that a master toy agreement was signed with Hasbro last September. Plans are still in their infancy with a full product rollout scheduled for the first half of 2008.

However, Decode Entertainment Executive Vice President Beth Stevenson reports Decode has been working closely with Hasbro on the product lines and is very satisfied with the way it is developing with an emphasis on the shoes and the dressing-up element of the series.

Grosset & Dunlap is set to launch

Franny's Feet

storybooks; readers; stickerbooks; and a series of novelty books such as board, lift-the-flap, and word game activity books in 2008. In a separate deal, Simon & Schuster will launch color and activity books and kits, which also will roll out in stores in 2008. These book deals follow a recent major licensing deal with Playskool, a division of Hasbro, Inc., for the master toy and game license for

Franny's Feet

. A series of toys and games incorporating dolls, accessories, role-play items, games, and puzzles is set to launch in 2008. Decode's licensing agency, Manhattan Beach, CA-based The Sharpe Company, Inc., negotiated all licenses.

Bear Behaving Badly

is a new series from Darrall Macqueen for the BBC and distributed by Southern Star. The 26 x 20-minute episodes feature a blue bear called Nev, and his two best mates, Barney and Kevin the Koala. Nev and Barney have been regulars on

Smile,

another Darrall Macqueen series for the BBC, for the last five years. And the scruffy, roguish Nev has been one of the most popular characters on the

Smile

Website, as well as migrating to other BBC shows such as

Comic Relief

. Nev and Kev are always being chased by the baddies, Mr Angry Pants; his nephew, Bouncer Boy; and their cat, Bandit. All three hate bears—especially if they're blue. The series is due to go into production in May with delivery slated for September.

Animals—this time of a canine persuasion—are in trouble in the new offering,

Dogstar

, from Germany's EMTV. A co-production between EMTV, ZDF, the BBC, Daro Film, and Media World Pictures, the 26 x 26-minute series follows the adventures of three average 26th century kids, Glenn, Simone, and Lincoln Clark, as they search for the Dogstar, where the evil Bob Santino has imprisoned all the Earth's canines and replaced them with artificial ones. Along with his spoiled brat of a son, and his beautiful, but lethal, bodyguard, Daina, Santino and his evil bunch would present a real challenge for any heroes. Delivery is set for this month.

Due for delivery in late 2007 is

Bakugan,

a co-production between Nelvana, Spin Master, Sega Toys, TMS, and Japan Vistec. The HD series of 52 x 30 minutes in anime style is aimed at 6- to 11-year olds and tells the story of Dan and his friends as they battle to save the Earth from the Bakugan Brawlers.

Nelvana and Spin Master also teamed up on a line of specialty toys and games based on

Di-Gata Defenders,

a success since its launch on Teletoons in August '06. This series is also traditional 2-D animation aimed at ages 6 to 11 and follows the adventures of four young heroes on a quest to find four pure stones, recast the "spell of binding," and restore order to the realm of RaDos. This association between a well-established animation house and a fast-growing toy company marks a first in the Canadian kids' market.

Also Canadian and debuting at MIP is Decode's

Urban Vermin,

which has been picked up for all Jetix Europe Channels from autumn 2007. Buena Vista has TV (excluding France), home video, and consumer products rights. The 26 x 22-minute CGI series tells of two raccoon brothers, Abe and Ken, once the best of friends and now sworn enemies.

4Kids Entertainment hopes its MIP is totally Chaotic. The company's new series of that name draws on a trading card game that elevates the level of interactivity and engagement with and between kids. It is set in the fantastic world of Chaotic; filled with magic, suspense, and adventure; and populated by four tribes of fantastic creatures.

At the other end of the spectrum is

Bitter Tropics,

which is being launched at MIP by Bavaria Television. The French production, directed by Jean-Claude Flamand Barny, is set on 18th century Martinique and tells the story of two women, one an aristocrat from a European court, and the other an island-born slave. Focusing on the emotional ties between master and slave, this complex, moving story is offered as 3 x 100 minutes, 2 x 120 minutes, or 6 x 52 minutes.