LONDON: In a landmark deal for TCC, Channel 4 has acquired over 30 hours of programming for its children’s schedule.

The broadcaster has acquired 26 x 30 minutes of Earthworm Jim, 13 x 30 minutes of Hang Time and 26 x 30 minutes of Flash Gordon from TCC, which acted as co-producer on Earthworm Jim.

Hang Time, an NBC production (as is Saved by the Bell) that is also successfully screened by Channel 4, is a series featuring a group of high-school basketball players. It is expected to complement the channel’s recent acquisition of rights to screen the NBA league matches in the U.K.

Lucinda Whiteley, Channel 4 commissioning editor for children’s programs, is ‘delighted’ to add these high-profile shows.

For Joan Lofts, head of programming at TCC, the deal is perhaps more significant. ‘It shows the quality of programming the channel is investing in,’ she says.