DRi Licensing and Yoram Gross-Em TV are getting into the zebra business. The two companies announced that they are developing an animated preschool series based on Zigby and Friends, Brian Paterson’s colorful books about a dynamic zebra and his friends. Harper Collins Children’s division first published the book in 2002, and since then, Paterson has delivered five pictures books and four board books and sold over 350,000 copies in 15 countries. A Christmas-themed Zigby book will hit stores later this year.
"Our plan is to produce a 26 x 10 minute series that will expand beyond the boundaries of the existing books to give Zigby an exciting new 2/3D world," says Geoff Watson, general manager of Yoram Gross-EM TV. "We are already in development with an animation team led by Guy Gross. A treatment will be available for presentation at MIP-TV in April. We are very pleased to have secured these rights and to be working with such a talented illustrator as Brian Paterson."
Zigby will join Aussie house Yoram Gross-EM.TV’s family of animated hits, including Blinky Bill, Dot and the Kangaroo and Flipper & Lopaka. Dri Licensing’s brands include Miffy, the World of Roald Dahl and Paterson’s Foxwood Tales.
Following immediately on from his first showing at MIP-TV, Zigby and Friends will also make an appearance at the Bologna Book Fair April 13-16. To learn more about the playful zebra, visit www.zigby.co.uk.
