Lizzie and Tracey prove hits for Egmont

Egmont Imagination UK has inked a host of deals on its animated titles in production including Tracey McBean, as well as for its first-ever live-action series Lizzie McGuire.

The latter, made by Stan Rogow Productions in association with Disney Channel, has been picked up in the Netherlands by Fox Kids Europe, which has also taken pan-Scandinavian rights to the 21×30' series.

Egmont is also close to signing deals on the show in Germany, Portugal and the UK, according to Tatiana Kober, Egmont Imagination UK's md.

Disney networks worldwide have an exclusive one-year window on Lizzie McGuire, which made its US debut on January 19 to the highest ratings ever for an original series on the channel.

Created by Terry Minsky, a consultant on HBO’s Sex and the City, the comedy series features live-action and animation and revolves around 13-year-old Lizzie, played by Hilary Duff.

Meanwhile, Tracey McBean – a co-production with Southern Star, Shanghai Animation and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation – has been pre-sold to Fox Kids UK, as well as France's Teletoon and TF1.

Aimed at kids 7-10, the 13×30′ animated series centres on a young girl who keeps coming up with crazy inventions to make her life easier.

The pre-schooler Skipper and Skeeto (26×13′) has also been picked up by Teletoon in France, as well as being snapped up by Super RTL in Germany, Denmark’s DRTV, NRK in Norway and Sweden’s public broadcaster SVT.

In addition, the pre-school series Troll Tales (26×30′) has just made its broadcast bow in the branded block Tabaluuga Tivi on ZDF in Germany.

Going out on Saturday and Sundays, the series was ZDF's number one-rated kids' show in the block last weekend.