CITV books first new UK order in 18 months
- Published: 03 July 2008 08:56
- Author: Katherine Rushton
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- Last Updated: 03 July 2008 09:04
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CITV has made its first original UK kids commission for more than 18 months - ordering a show about a rock star dog who loves books.
The 13 x 10-minute Bookaboo! series follows the adventures of a "rock puppy" who cannot play his drums until he's been told a story.
In each episode a celebrity guest will read to the animated puppy from a real book.
Emma Tennant, controller of CITV and ITV3, ordered the series from Happy Films together with an online Bookaboo Book Club.
The last British-made children's show CITV commissioned was Emu in December 2006. Since then the channel has recommissioned established series such as Horrid Henry, and also made acquisitions and ordered shows from overseas, but Tennant said the channel was committed to ordering original British series.
"We want to grow children's and if that means commissioning more new product, then so be it," she said.
However, she downplayed suggestions that ITV has not been fully committed to children's programming in the past.
"CITV was two years old in March and I came on board in January," she said. "We've just been concentrating on slowly developing it with acquisitions and library -programming so that we can use the budget wisely where we can."
Tennant added: "I don't think there has ever not been a commitment to children's."
She would not be drawn on what sort of budgets CITV has to invest in new com-missions.
Bookaboo! is aimed at children aged three to six.The show is targeting boys in particular, with sportsmen among the "readers" who will appeal to them and their fathers. The celebrities will also become "Storytime Ambassadors" for the government's 2008 National Year of Reading, which launched in April.
Lucy Goodman will direct and produce the series for Happy Films and Tennant will exec produce for CITV.
Goodman said: "Bookaboo! is an engaging and entertaining character who will appeal to young children and combined with the endorsement of popular celebrities, we have no doubt that our message will be communicated effectively."
