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³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Worldwide, and licensee Ladder, today announced the launch of the first In the Night Garden edutainment centre in Shanghai, China. The centre, which opened officially on 18th June 2011, provides a place for children to play in an educational environment with the much-loved characters from the globally successful TV programme.

In the Night Garden launched on China's state broadcaster CCTV (Chinese Central Television) in May 2009, and instantly won the hearts of children across the nation. Produced by Ragdoll Productions, the creators of the phenomenally successful Teletubbies, In the Night Garden tells the story of a magical picture-book place where a diverse community of toys live out their comical adventures together.

Working in partnership with Chinese businesses, ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Worldwide who license In the Night Garden around the world, have seen success working with the UYoung Media Group[1] on a comprehensive licensing programme including an In the Night Garden magazine and a range of toys from plastic to plush and stationery. DVDs have been released through Excel Media and Children’s Fun has had success with over 30 book titles released.

In June, the first In the Night Garden edutainment centre developed by Ladder, will open in Shanghai, China. Ladder manage 250 similar centres across Greater China and will operate a further In the Night Garden centre in Hangzhou, a third in Shanghai by the end of Summer 2011. ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Worldwide and Ladder have confirmed their intention to launch a further two by the end of the year.

The edutainment centre concept follows the successful launch of nine Teletubbies edutainment centres across China. Teletubbies remains a favourite with children in China, nine years after it first broadcast on CCTV.

Stephen Davies from ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Worldwide said: "The launch of this new centre is an exciting moment for us - taking great quality children's programmes and their licensing extensions around the world for children to enjoy and reinvesting profits back into the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ for great programming."

Ladder President Mr Yen Shawn Wu said: "The pre-school environment is considered to be one of the most important aspects in a child's development in China. All the activity that we undertake is about providing a safe and educational environment to encourage children's development."

A celebratory opening of the In the Night Garden edutainment centre took place 18th June at 10am at Kaihong Plaza in Shanghai. Stephen Davies opened the centre with Mr Yen Shawn Wu.

In the Night Garden and Teletubbies in China

• In the Night Garden was the number one rated children's programme on CCTV in first run
• One million In the Night Garden DVD and VCDs sold across 30 titles
• 1.6 million In the Night Garden books sold in China
• 1.2million In the Night Garden plastic toys sold in China
• The In the Night Garden magazine has a circulation of 60,000 a month
• Teletubbies launched in China in 2002
• Nine Teletubbies edutainment centres are active in China today
• 4.7 million Teletubbies DVDs sold to date in China

In the Night Garden around the World

• In the Night Garden won BAFTAS for Best Pre-School Live Action Programme in 2007 and 2008 and in 2010 a Broadcast Award for Best Pre-School Programme
• In the Night Garden in seen in 36 countries and translated into 19 languages
• In the Night Garden launched in the US in October 2010 on The Hub
• 4.4 million In the Night Garden plush toys have been sold globally to date
• 130k children in the UK attended In the Night Garden Live in its first year (2010)
• Over 7.2 million In the Night Garden books have been sold globally to date
• The In the Night Garden Facebook page has over 75,000 fans
• The first In the Night Garden app launched in 2011

A guide to In the Night Garden characters in Mandarin

• Igglepiggle – Yigu Bigu
• Upsy Daisy – Uoshi Dishi
• Makka Pakka – Maka Baka
• Ninky Nonk – Din Din Che
• Pinky Ponk – Fei Fei Yu

NOTES TO EDITORS
About In the Night Garden
In the Night Garden is produced by Ragdoll Productions and has been created by Andrew Davenport. He also created the Teletubbies with Anne Wood. It is about a magical picture-book place that exists between waking and sleeping in a child's imagination. Words, rhymes and music carry young viewers through a happy world of loveable characters and nursery rhyme nonsense.

In the Night Garden has been filmed in a real woodland setting using High Definition technology to create a compelling and fully immersive experience for young viewers.

About Ragdoll
Ragdoll Limited, a privately owned family company, was founded in 1984 and has produced more than 1,500 programmes aimed at the youngest viewers and won the prestigious BAFTA Award for Best Independent Production Company in 2008. Ragdoll produced series for children including the phenomenally successful, BAFTA winning Teletubbies, can be seen in more than 120 countries and territories around the world. In 2006 Ragdoll and ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Worldwide formed a joint venture, Ragdoll Worldwide to manage and exploit the existing Ragdoll catalogue including In the Night Garden.

Anna Hollaway