Gullane's profits double

Gullane has posted pre-tax profits for the six months ending 31 December 2000 of £4.28m (US$6.2m) – up 80% on last year's figures.

These figures are on a turnover of £13.26m (US$19.23m), excluding direct revenues from Gullane's Thomas feature film.

On the production front, pre-production has started on 26 new episodes of Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends, with Gullane expecting to secure third-party funding for most of the series' costs.

The new series will be delivered in summer 2002. Gullane intends to produce 78 new episodes of the show over the next three years.

In the UK, CiTV has re-commissioned Art Attack, Sooty, Zzzap! and Mystery.

In North America, Gullane's associate Catalyst Entertainment has delivered the first 13×30' series of Eckhart and is in production on the second series.

Catalyst has also delivered 26×30' series of Longhouse Tales.

Gullane's feature film Thomas and the Magic Railroad has so far been sold into 30 territories, including Japan, Germany and Australia.