Underground Ernie moves into publishing

Joella-produced preschool kids property Underground Ernie is going to appear in print in the UK in the Panini Showtime Magazine and then in his own publication, launched by the BBC.

Panini has licensed Ernie for Showtime, its weekly magazine for three-to-six-year-olds, which launched in newsagents and supermarkets at end-March.

The magazine is unusual in that it features TV characters from several networks and Ernie will appear alongside Pocoyo (Zinkia Entertainment), Bob the Builder, Rubbadubbers (Hit Entertainment) and Wonder Pets! (Nick Jr.), among others.

Meanwhile, the BBC is preparing a standalone Underground Ernie magazine. The show airs on the CBeebies channel in the UK and is about to bow in India as part of the channel’s entry into that market.

A second Underground Ernie DVD, Summer Breeze, was also released in March. The list of Ernie licensees now includes Halsall International (the master toy licensee) and Vogue International.