January 12, 2017

Coolabi Group announces second series of multi-award winning animated series Clangers

Rights owner Coolabi Group today announces that a second series of its international multi-award winning pre-school animated series Clangers is in production and will air in 2017 on CBeebies in the UK.

The 26 x 11 minute episodes, once again narrated by Michael Palin, brings the total number of episodes to 78. Since the new Clangers whistled “hello” on CBeebies in June 2015, the show has been an instant hit with parents, pre-school children and fans of the original series. It has won numerous awards including the 2015 BAFTA for Best Pre-School Animation and Broadcast Best Pre-School Programme.

The show, which returned to the BBC to huge fanfare 46 years after its initial debut, was universally praised by critics and continues to be one of the top rated shows on CBeebies. The new episodes will once again follow Major, Mother, Small, Tiny and Granny Clanger, and their friends the Iron Chicken, Soup Dragon, Sky Moos, the Eggbots and many more on a whole host of new adventures.

The talented, high-profile team behind the show returns; it will be made at Factory’s studio in Altrincham (Scream Street, Newzoids) and Grammy-award winner John du Prez (Spamalot) will compose the score.

Peter Firmin, one of the creators of the original series, and Daniel Postgate (son of series co-creator Oliver Postgate) remain actively involved as executive producers for the new series; Firmin is part of the design process and Postgate is writing scripts and storylines and was was recently nominated for a BAFTA for his writing on the show.

Jeremy Banks, CEO Coolabi Group, comments: ‘We’re delighted to have a new series of Clangers in production and we’re excited to be working once more with the incredibly talented team that brought to life the magic and kind nature of the show.”

Jackie Edwards, Head of BBC Children’s acquisitions and independent animation, comments:

“We are over the moon to welcome the Clangers back to CBeebies. This beautiful programme has an enduring magic that enchants todays audience, and the warmth and kindness of Clangers are both comfort and examples to us all!”

Clangers is co-produced by CBeebies, Coolabi Group and Smallfilms with BBC Worldwide for its international channels. BBC Worldwide is also the international distributor for the show.

For more information please contact:

Fiona McGarva | Sundae Communications | 0161 711 0517 / 07786 434313 | fiona@todayissundae.co.uk

About Coolabi Group

Coolabi Group is a leading independent international media group and rights owner specializing in the creation, development and brand management of children’s and family intellectual property rights.

The group has particular expertise in books, television and digital.

Coolabi owns the rights in over 20 TV series and some 360 half- hours of programming; it has shows airing in more than 140 territories on channels including: ABC, Cartoon Network, CBeebies, CBBC, Clan / TVE, Disney, F5, ITV, Kika, Nickelodeon and Sprout.

Brands owned and represented by Coolabi include the multi-award-winning remake of Clangers, currently airing on CBeebies, and Scream Street, currently broadcast on CBBC. Other properties include Beast Quest, Domo, Poppy CatPurple Ronnie and the Smallfilms’ properties Bagpuss and Ivor the Engine.

The group also creates original series fiction for publishers and has created some 100 published series, consisting of over 1,000 books, sold in more than 40 languages. Four of these series, Warriors, Beast Quest, Animal Ark and Rainbow Magic have sold over ten million copies each and Coolabi is currently working on brand extensions for some of these properties the latest example being the hit new Beast Quest mobile game, co-produced with Miniclip.