Page 58 - Toy & Hobby Retailers Magazine Feb-Apr 2020

Renowned for its portfolio of brilliant brands,
BBC Studios enjoyed a busy year, announcing a number of major partnerships and product launches. Building on the success of 2019, this year is shaping up to be just as exciting for brands and licensing.
It was a big year for Hey Duggee with the hugely popular pre-school program celebrating its fifth birthday and enjoying international success, winning the ‘Preschool Award’ at the International Emmy® Kids Awards for the second time. In Australia, the third series of the award-winning program premiered on CBeebies in March.
In 2020, budding Squirrels can look forward to new episodes premiering on CBeebies (and later on ABC KIDS) and the
chance to meet Duggee with the costume character making special appearances across the country (bookings through The Entertainment Store). Fans can also pick up their own Hey Duggee showbag with Bensons launching licensed showbags this Easter. New product lines are also set to hit the market this year, including more toys and feeding products (Jasnor), books (Penguin Random House) and DVDs (Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Australia).
Home-grown animated series, Bluey, continues to win hearts across Australia. A smash hit with families, Bluey was the number one children’s series of 2019 on broadcast television in Australia* and is the most watched program in ABC iview’s history, with over 152 million views**. The series also picked up a Logie Award for ‘Most Outstanding Children’s Program’ and an AACTA Award for ‘Best Children’s Program’.
Bluey also went global in 2019, securing a global distribution
deal with Disney, which saw the series premiere internationally on Disney Junior and will soon become available on streaming service Disney+ in all territories outside of Australia, New Zealand and Greater China. The series is also nominated for an International Emmy® Kids Award, highlighting the universal appeal of this uniquely Australian series.
It was also a big year for licensing with BBC Studios announcing a publishing deal with Penguin Random House ANZ and a global toy deal with Moose Toys. The highly-anticipated launch of Bluey
toys and books in November sent fans into a frenzy. In the lead up to Christmas numerous media outlets listed both toys and books among the top Christmas gifts for children and Bluey books consistently took the top three spots in the weekly Australian Book Charts. In only a few months approximately 150,000 toys
and over 300,000 books were sold. DVDs (Universal Sony Pictures Home
Entertainment Australia) and posters (Impact Posters) also reported
strong sales.
To kick off 2020, the first range of Bluey apparel launched in early January, surprising and delighting fans. The Bonds x Bluey collaboration saw two iconic and much-loved Australian brands team up for an adorable range of infant and kids apparel.
In news that will excite both kids and parents across the country, BBC Studios is currently working with a number of Australian retailers to bring more Bluey apparel to fans in 2020. Other product lines are set to hit the market very soon, including more toys, games, books and DVDs – watch this space!
Iconic series Doctor Who returned with a bang in 2020, delighting fans with an epic and thrilling new series full of scares and surprises. Currently airing on ABC and TVNZ, the action-packed twelfth series sees the triumphant return of Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor along with her friends, and introduces terrifying new monsters alongside the return of some familiar but not so friendly faces. Stay tuned for more from the Doctor!
BBC Earth’s natural history titles continue to flourish. Locally, BBC Studios and Nine forged a long-term natural history partnership for the BBC Planet franchise, which will see the broadcaster premiere five landmark series in Australia over the coming years. The first of the franchise, Seven Worlds, One Planet, premiered in Australia in November. The ground-breaking series was well-received, highlighting the strong appeal of premium, unmissable natural history content in this territory.
In October, the BBC Earth channel launched on Foxtel and Fetch, bringing Australian audiences incredible stories about the world around us, with a broad range of premium
factual programs.
After the successful launch of the BBC Earth-inspired toy plush range in 2019, Posh Paws will be adding a new range of soft baby animals to the collection, including a giraffe, penguin, seal pup, lion cub, baby leopard and a baby monkey. An eco- conscious collection, the new range will include 100% recycled post-consumer waste PET plastic (plastic bottles) filling to demonstrate a commitment to the environment, along with packaging made from 100% recycled FSC certified craft paper and soy-based inks. The new range will be available from mid-2020 and will be distributed by Jasnor in Australia and New Zealand.
Finally, Top Gear is revving up for its highly-anticipated 28th series. The world’s biggest and longest running motoring entertainment show continues to enjoy a huge following of an estimated 350 million viewers globally, across 200+ territories. Series 27 saw Chris Harris joined by cricketing legend Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff and comedian Paddy McGuinness. The new line up was a hit with UK audiences and has been by far the best performing series in recent years. Fans can expect plenty of thrills and spills in 2020!
* Source: OzTAM (5 City Metro) Consolidated
** Source: Webtrends, OzTAM VPM ‘Begin Event’ data