The London-based production and distribution company, recently formed by the joined forces of Terry Ward of Flicks Films and Malcolm Heyworth of The Chatsworth Group, has secured its first commission for GMTV and Nickelodeon in the U.K.

Kidding Around, budgeted at US$320,000 are 200 x one-minute shorts geared to ages four to eight. One hundred and sixty episodes of the 2-D toon are slated to air on GMTV in the fall, and 40 are being negotiated to air on Nickelodeon UK. The series features jokes and stories written and illustrated by kids. Kids drawings are animated and a voice-over is added, giving the show the impression of being made entirely by kids.

The prodco is also looking for co-pro partners and casters on two preschool series in development. Space Lunies is an original 26 x 10-minute 2-D animated preschool series. The first 13 episodes are scheduled for delivery in spring 2001 and TV4C plans to have the first episode ready for Annecy. The US$1.9 million series is billed as ‘a 21st century goon show for the very young.’ Space Lunies live, not surprisingly, in deep space on a distant planet. No two Lunies are alike and each Lunie is named for his or her predominant characteristic, hence there is Jolly Lunie, Daft Lunie and Lonely Lunie (very Mr. Men). Each episode sees the Lunies engaged in helpful endeavors-trying to make Angry Lunie less angry, for instance.

Also in development is the CGI offering Busy Buses, a 26 x five-minute series that targets the three to six set. TV4C aims to have the first 13 episodes of the US$1.3 million series ready for a spring 2001 delivery. The prodco is currently working on the Thomas-esque pilot which is set in a country town’s bus garage. Each episode focuses on a different bus-with proposed story lines like Hector, the Holiday bus, getting trapped in a haunted castle overnight, or Arnold, the Old Bus, who suffers from a touch of mechanical Alzheimers.

Chatsworth Television Distributors handle worldwide distribution rights for all three.