Nickelodeon preschool network NOGGIN has acquired U.S. broadcast rights to the first season of the U.K. animated series Peppa Pig. Produced by Astley Baker Davies Ltd. and handled by global rights owner Entertainment One (E1), the show is seen in more than 160 territories, but has yet to debut in the states. NOGGIN has initially committed to 52 episodes, with an option on all future seasons and one-off specials.
Peppa Pig follows the everyday adventures of a mischievous pig and her family. The 2D show has picked up a number of awards since it 2004 debut at market. In 2005, the series picked up the BAFTA for Preschool Animation, was named Best TV Production at Annecy and took both Best Preschool Series and Best European Program of the Year at Cartoons on the Bay.
The show was first broadcast in the U.K. on Channel 5, where it consistently ranks among the top-rated shows on the Milkshake preschool block. Nick Jr. U.K. picked it a month later, contributing to annual retail revenues of more than $25 million from various licenses. There have been more than 100 episodes produced over the course of two seasons, and a third slate of installments is scheduled to go into production this year. The property’s first Christmas special aired in 2007, shortly after it debuted on DVD in the U.S.
