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Una Stubbs (Worzel Gummidge, Benidorm), David Calder (The Mummy, Bramwell), Ian Puleston Davies (Tess Of The D'urbervilles, Vincent) and Christine Tremarco (Moving On, Waterloo Road) have joined the cast of brand new children's drama for C³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, Ingenious, which will première on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ One later in the year.

Ingenious, produced by Lime Pictures (Hollyoaks, Apparitions), is a one-off drama from the pen of Jeanette Winterson and especially written for C³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ.

It tells the story of 11-year-old Sally, who lives on a farm in Alderley Edge with her grandmother (played by Una Stubbs), and her friends Spike and Patch.

They never imagined that the genies they read about in The Arabian Nights might actually exist, until they find an ancient glass bottle with something inside. Their new friend's arrival in this world marks the beginning of an exciting adventure, a fast mix of the crazy and the curious, the magical and the mundane.

But something else is happening on Alderley Edge. The telescope at Jodrell Bank has been picking up strange signals and local author Lucas Summer (David Calder) thinks there may be a dragon in the land.

It is left to the three kids, with some help from their new friends, to find the dragon, work out what he wants and to save Ruby Farm.

Ingenious is directed by Brian Kelly, the lead director on the original Torchwood, and produced by Rebecca Hodgson (Vincent, Wired).

Jeanette Winterson said: "I have wanted to work with the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ again since the days when we won three BAFTAs for Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit. Lime Pictures seem exactly right for me. Expect great fun and plenty of zest."

Notes to Editors

C³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ won the Children's Channel of the Year Award at the Children's BAFTAs in November 2008 and was named Children's Channel of the Year at the Broadcast Digital Awards in June 2009.

Figures show that C³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ is one of the most-loved channels for children, and it reaches more six to 12 year olds than any other children's channel in the UK. Almost a third of all six to 12 year olds in digital homes in the UK tune into C³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ on a weekly basis.

LG