– Presto! Muppet Babies

Presto Products has teamed with Jim Henson Productions to produce a new line of Muppet Babies products for infants. The Appleton, Wisconsin-based company is manufacturing baby wipes, bottle liners and cotton swabs featuring the Muppet Babies characters on the actual items or on the packaging. The line is distributed through food, drug and mass-market outlets across the U.S.

-Saban g’es to Italy

Saban Entertainment is adding to its existing offices in the U.K., France and Germany by opening up shop in Milan. Saban Entertainment Italy will develop licensing and merchandising activities in that country for Saban and Fox Kids Network properties, initiate co-marketing opportunities and local consumer promotions and work to heighten its retail display presence.

-New clients animate TLC

LONDON: The Licensing Company has signed on S4C’s award-winning claymation series Gogs and Cosgrove Hall’s new stop-frame animation series for preschoolers, The Animal Shelf.

Gogs, re-edited into five 10-minute episodes, will air again in March on BBC2 (it already aired in December) and was released as a 50-minute video by Warner Vision last month.

Thirteen episodes of the 10-minute program The Animal Shelf will air this summer on ITV in the 3:30 p.m. time slot, with 13 more airing in the fall. Also in the works are a worldwide video deal and a new publishing program.