Hoho Rights ventures into Mimi’s World, picks up CiTV toon Fetch the Vet

Adastra Development’s Mimi’s World

Hoho Rights has acquired third-party distribution rights to two children’s series, 5 Milkshake!’s mixed-media drama Mimi’s World and the classic CiTV animated series Fetch the Vet, and has also landed programme sales in the US and Central and Eastern Europe.

Mimi’s World (40×11′) is produced by Adastra Development with funding from Northern Ireland Screen and support from the BFI’s Young Audiences Content Fund.

Written and produced by Mellie Buse, the series follows a modern-day Mary Poppins figure who encourages young children to be confident, kind and inclusive, combining a live-action cast with animated characters.

Fetch the Vet (25×10′), meanwhile, is a stop-motion animation created by author Stephen Thraves and produced by Cosgrove Hall. A hit on CiTV in the 2000s, the series features the voices of Scottish actor John Gordon Sinclair and Baroness Floella Benjamin and follows the adventures of a caring village vet. The series has been digitally upscaled to HD, extending its potential across digital platforms.

Hoho Rights, the rights management arm of independent production company Hoho Entertainment – whose own slate includes Cloudbabies, Shane the Chef and Toad & Friends – has also confirmed a string of further sales, as the company prepares to attend the Annecy International Animation Film Festival this month.

Fetch the Vet from author Stephen Thraves

Cloudbabies (52×10′), Shane the Chef (52×11′) and Toad & Friends (52×11′) have all been sold to Czech TV, with Toad & Friends also heading to TVP in Poland.

Through its partnership with US-based Filmhub, Hoho has also secured deals for young-adult comedy horror series Mandy & the Forces of Evil (8×30′) with Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, Future Today, Popsy on Plex, Filmzie and Relay, and for animated special The Overcoat (1×30′) with Tubi, Xumo, Popsy on Plex and YouTube.

Helen Howells, joint MD of Hoho Entertainment, said: “In Mimi’s World we have a property whose themes of kindness and inclusivity are sure to strike a chord with children everywhere. We are also really excited to reveal Fetch the Vet’s ‘digital glow-up’ and can’t wait to showcase both properties to buyers. We believe our new digital restoration initiatives will highlight that quality animation for all ages continues to resonate with international audiences.”