Hit Entertainment
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HIT Entertainment plc was established in 1989, and was originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television. However, following the death of Jim Henson in 1990, the business was sold to several members of the company's management and renamed HIT Entertainment to prevent any future confusion between the two companies.
Traded on the London Stock Exchange (HTE), HIT Entertainment is a FTSE 250 company with a market cap of over $US600 million.
HIT's catalogue of characters include Bob the Builder, Thomas the Tank Engine, Barney, Yoko! Jakamoko! Toto!, Kipper, Angelina Ballerina, Rubbadubbers, Pingu, and The Wiggles. HIT also owns redistribution rights to several other shows.
HIT purchased Gullane Entertainment in 2002, in the process becoming owner of the Guinness Book of Records and Lyrick Studios in 2001. For a short time, HIT Entertainment distributed Big Idea Productions' VeggieTales videos,until Big Idea's eventual sale to Classic Media in 2003.
HIT Entertainment is a fully integrated studio, that incorporates production, world-wide distribution, UK home entertainment, publishing, licensing and merchandising and HIT Wildlife, the company's natural history arm.
HIT currently sells programming to over 120 countries. The chairman of HIT Entertainment is Greg Dyke, the former Chairman of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the CEO is Bruce Steinberg, formerly the CEO of Fox Kids Television Europe.
List of shows
- Angelina Ballerina (PBS Kids Sprout)
- Animal Stories (airs on Cartoon network TOO In UK)
- Anthony Ant
- Archibald the Koala
- Art Attack
- Barney (PBS Kids and PBS Kids Sprout)
- Bob the Builder (PBS Kids Sprout and Nick Jr. UK)
- Brambly Hedge
- Christopher Crocodile
- Faeries
- Fiddley Foodle Bird
- Fireman Sam
- The Hoobs
- Kipper (airs in syndication on PBS Kids Sprout)
- The Lampies
- Lavender Castle
- Lisa
- Magic Key
- Margaret the Bat
- Nellie the Elephant
- Oswald (airs in syndication on Noggin)
- Percy the Park Keeper
- Pingu (airs on Cartoon network TOO In UK & PBS Kids Sprout In USA and Discovery Kids)
- Postman Pat
- Romuald the Reindeer
- Rubbadubbers (Nick Jr. UK)
- Sheeep
- Thomas the Tank Engine (airs on PBS Kids Sprout and Nick Jr. UK)
- ''Three Friends and Jerry
- We All Have Tales
- Where's Waldo?
- Willows in Winter
- The Wiggles (airs on Playhouse Disney)
- Yoko! Jakamoko! Toto!(No longer airs on US airwaves)
External links
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