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CBeebies seeks more preschool drama

Cbeebies' Bafta-winning Topsy & Tim

Cbeebies’ Bafta-winning Topsy & Tim

CONTENT LONDON: BBC preschool channel CBeebies is seeking more drama following the continued success of Topsy & Tim in the UK.

The show marked CBeebies’ first drama when it was commissioned.

It has gone on to become one of the channel’s most successful series ever since its debut in 2013, CBeebies’ controller Kay Benbow told delegates at C21Kids Content Futures in London yesterday.

“Even repeats of episodes get stunning viewing figures and a response from the audience,” said Benbow of the show, which won a Bafta for best preschool live-action show earlier this month.

The series, which is produced by London-based Darrall Macqueen and distributed by DHX Media, follows a pair of six-year-old twins as they take their next steps towards independence. It is based on a long-running children’s book series of the same name.

Benbow added that she is looking to add to the channel’s line-up of preschool dramas, which also includes Katie Morag, Jamillah & Aladdin and the forthcoming Apple Tree House, a show set in an inner-city estate, due in 2017.

“Drama is now part of our long-term strategy, but I can’t do that many a year,” said Benbow, referencing CBeebies’ “challenging” budget and the relatively high cost of original drama.

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