Target Entertainment has picked up the international rights to the new production of Muffin the Mule and struck licensing agreements for ITV's Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs.
Target Entertainment has picked up the international rights to Maverick Entertainment's new production of Muffin the Mule and struck two new licensing agreements for ITV's pre-school property Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs.

Maverick has appointed Target as international distributor of Muffin the Mule, currently airing on BBC2 and Cbeebies, as well as Snailsbury Tales. Maverick regained international rights to Muffin earlier this year, after its previous partner Peak Entertainment went into administration.

Maverick has also struck an agreement with SMPL for a live show featuring Muffin, which is set to tour in 2007, and DVD distribution partner Lace Group has taken a license to develop Muffin the Mulegift packs which will incorporate books, DVDs and textiles. A second Muffin DVD, titled Muffin's Mules United, will be released in October to coincide with the character's 60th anniversary.

The new licensing agreements for Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs, meanwhile, will see a number of new toy ranges hit retail shelves in spring/summer 2007. Falcon Games has picked up a license for jigsaw puzzles, card and cardboard games, while David Halsall International has taken a license covering bikes, trikes, scooters, protection gear, inflatables, wooden puzzles and games.

Produced by Canada's CCI Entertainment, the series launched on Five last September and series two has been commissioned for transmission early in 2007. 2 Entertain will release the first Harry DVD in August, while Fisher Price has already developed a range of toys and Puffin has signed up to release a series of books next year.