CBeebies chooses ZDFE’s aliens

MIPCOM: ZDF Enterprises (ZDFE) is distributing a new preschool series from children’s author, illustrator and producer Nick Butterworth in Cannes.

Q Pootle 5 (52×11’) has already been presold to CBeebies in the UK, while other territories are now lining up, said ZDFE.

The series centres on a friendly alien and his friends who tackle the daily problems of living on planet Okidoki. It is produced and exec produced by Butterworth out of his prodco Snapper Productions together with animation company Blue Zoo in the UK.

“We’ve been missing aliens on the channel, and you can’t get lovelier ones than these,” said Kay Benbow, controller of CBeebies.

In separate CBeebies news, the preschool channel has been confirmed as the UK broadcast partner for the new CGI animated series of Peter Rabbit. A one-off special this Christmas will mark the 110th anniversary of the publication of Beatrix Potter’s The Tale of Peter Rabbit, in 1902. A 52×11′ series follows in spring 2013.

Peter Rabbit is coproduced by Penguin, Silvergate Media and Nickelodeon US.