Shine launches new kids company

Shine Group is entering the kids business for the first time and is launching a new children’s production company with Andrew Davenport, creator of In The Night Garden and co-creator of Teletubbies.

Davenport, who created the Ragdoll-produced preschool series and wrote 365 episodes of Teletubbies, will become chief executive of the new company, which will focus on preschool series.

Shine International will distribute the series produced by the, as yet unnamed company, while Shine 360* will look after licensing and merchandising. The move reunites Davenport with Shine 360* creative director Frances Adams, who worked with him on both properties at BBC Worldwide.

Shine CEO and Chairman Elisabeth Murdoch said: “Shine Group always strives to work with world class creative talent, and as a visionary behind two of the world’s most innovative and successful pre-school properties, Andy is exactly that.”

This comes one day after Murdoch’s Shine Group announced the launch of a new formats company in the United States, Ardaban, run by Chachi Senior.