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HIT Entertainment

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HIT Entertainment was a British-American entertainment company owned by Mattel and originally established in 1982 as Henson International Television. HiT owned globally successful brands including Thomas & Friends, Fireman Sam, Bob the Builder, Pingu, Barney & Friends, Angelina Ballerina, and many more.

In July 2002, HiT acquired Gullane Entertainment (formally The Britt Allcroft Company) for approx £144-million. The purchase gave HiT full ownership rights to popular brands like Thomas the Tank Engine and Captain Pugwash.

History[]

1982–1990: Beginning and early years[]

Founded in 1982, this logo was first used in in 1983. The name would be stylized as "hit!".

Founded in 1982, this logo was first used in The Muppet Show in 1983. The name would be stylized as "hit!".

Peter Orton had met Jim Henson when he was at the Children's Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop) handling distribution of Sesame Street. As a result, he became close friends with Henson and went to work with him in 1981.[1] Together, they set up Henson International Television, which was the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions the following year, with Orton becaming the company's CEO.[2]

Jim Henson Productions started negotiations with The Walt Disney Company regarding a possible purchase of the company in the late 1980s. Because of these negotiations, the company head, Peter Orton and other employees at Henson International Television convinced Jim Henson to allow them to spin off the distribution arm as an independent distribution company. Henson agreed, and Orton led a management buyout of the Henson International Television division from Henson in 1989, forming a new company named HiT Communications PLC.[3]

1990–1999: Becoming independent[]

In 1989, spun off Henson International Television and changed its name to HIT Communications PLC.

In 1989, Jim Henson Productions spun off Henson International Television and changed its name to HIT Communications PLC.

HiT continued distributing programming by initially signing popular British series Postman Pat and the long-running Alvin and the Chipmunks series. The company then financed and distributed animated feature films based on the 64 Zoo Lane, Wind in the Willows and Peter Rabbit books. Helping to fund the company was an investment by British satellite and cable TV operator Flextech took a 23% share in HiT for about £600,000. The HiT Wildlife division was set up to produce nature and wildlife programming which provided the company with 35% of its revenue by the mid-1990s.

HiT also handled international distribution for Barney & Friends, produced by Allen, Texas-based Lyrick Studios (historically and originally known as The Lyons Partnership, L.P.). With the success of Barney, HiT began to develop its own programming. In 1996, HiT was listed on the AIM to raise funding; it used the funding to launch HiT Video that produced direct-to-video programming in the UK.

A new character also came to the company's attention in 1996, when advertising executive and would-be cartoonist Keith Chapman pitched his idea to HiT Entertainment. Chapman's character was a little builder named Bob the Builder. While a number of other producers had turned down the idea and its same, HIT also recognized its potential and bought the rights to developing the Bob the Builder character into a television series.

With another offering in 1997, HiT increased its capitalization and move to the primary London Stock Exchange, whose funding HiT would use to develop some of its next original series, including Brambly Hedge, Percy the Park Keeper, and Kipper, which became its second to fourth hit shows on ITV. On September 13th of the same year, the cartoon block ABC Saturday Morning was rebranded to Disney's One Saturday Morning.

In 1998, HIT formed its own animation production company, Hot Animation, and its Consumers Product Division. The BBC agreed to broadcast Bob the Builder. HiT signed a series of American broadcasting deals starting with Nickelodeon for Kipper, Starz/Encore for the Brambly Hedge and Percy the Park Keeper TV series, HBO Family for the Anthony Ant cartoon series, and Animal Planet for the Wylands Ocean World wildlife program. Kipper won the 1998 BAFTA award for Best Children's Animation. At the end of the year, HIT offered another group of shares.

In 1999 HiT had 10 first-run TV series in the United States and started an American subsidiary. In February, 64 Zoo Lane and in April, Bob the Builder successfully debuted on the BBC, and in July the company made another public offering of stock. An American deal for Bob was signed in December with Nickelodeon to start airing in January 2001. Mattel signed a five-year licensing agreement for the development of the Angelina Ballerina TV series.

2000–2004: Bob the Builder to final independent years[]

HIT, which had long been suggesting that it intended to expand its character stable through acquisitions, HIT, which had long been suggesting that it intended to expand its character stable through acquisitions, nearly found a partner in early 2000, when the company held talks with Britt Allcroft, the British company that held the licenses to such popular characters as Thomas the Tank Engine, Captain Pugwash, and Sooty. The two sides were unable to agree on a price, however, and the merger fell through. Bob the Builder continued its success with the number one record in December that year.

In order to expand the international presence of its characters, such as Kipper the Dog, Angelina Ballerina, and Bob the Builder, the company announced on 9 February 2001 that it would acquire Lyrick Studios (historically and still known as the Lyons Partnership, L.P.), home and owner of Barney & Friends, for $275 million, which would in turn give HiT a marketing and distribution network that it used to introduce its properties to US audiences. Vice versa, the deal would help expand Barney's international presence, which was what Lyrick needed at the time. Chief Executive of HIT, Rob Lawes, was the driving force of the acquisition. The Lyrick acquisition encouraged HiT Entertainment to pursue new acquisitions.

In May 2001, the first Bob the Builder production was released in the United States, while the company signed a deal with Sears to have "Bob Shops" in their retail stores. The Henson Company's owner EM.TV was in financial trouble over its purchase of 50% share in Formula One racing rights, and HiT joined a number of companies willing to purchase Henson. In October 2001, HiT's bid for Pingu BV was accepted.

In April 2002, HIT Entertainment sold their wildlife division to the newly formed Parthenon Entertainment, which was owned by the former managing director of Hit Wildlife, Carlos "Carl" Hall, with its 30 hours of programming in production and its 300-hour library was transferred in the management buyout agreement.

The board of Gullane Entertainment agreed that their company be purchased by HiT for £139million. The television shows owned by Gullane included Thomas & Friends, The Magic Adventures of Mumfie, and Fireman Sam (whose rights were bought from Bumper Films months before). On 22 August 2002, HIT Entertainment officially opened its Canadian office in Toronto.

In March 2003, CCI Entertainment re-acquired its stake from HiT which was part of the purchase of Gullane and its library rights in Canada. HiT's next TV-show Rubbadubbers aired in September that year. CCI would in a decade's time be acquired and folded into 9 Story Media Group.

On 1 April 2004, HiT and The Jim Henson Company agreed to a five-year global distribution and production deal which included distribution of 440 hours of JHC's remaining library, including Fraggle Rock, Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas, The Hoobs and Jim Henson's Mother Goose Stories. In addition, the agreement also included the production of new properties, including Frances, in which both companies co-produced. Both companies co-owned the copyright to the series. While firing its chief executive Rob Lawes in October 2004, the company announced its launching of a 24-hour pre-school channel known as PBS Kids Sprout (now Universal Kids) with PBS, Comcast and Sesame Workshop.

2005–2011: Apax Partners ownership[]

All the characters from HIT Entertainment.

All the characters from HIT Entertainment.

On 22 March 2005, Apax Partners purchased HiT for £489.4 million, taking it private, with former BBC director general Greg Dyke becoming chairman. On 26 August 2005, HiT announced an agreement with NBCUniversal, PBS and Sesame Workshop to launch the world's first 24-hour pre-school TV channel entitled PBS Kids Sprout (now Universal Kids), with HIT supplying programming for the channel as a result at the time.

In 2006, HiT closed its DVD sales and distribution arm in the US and contracted with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment for DVD distribution. Soon, the distribution deal ended and was transferred to Lionsgate Home Entertainment who distributed HiT's videos from May 2008 to 2014.

In September 2007, the company and Chellomedia formed a joint venture to run the JimJam children's channel. HiT Entertainment opened its own toy company; the HiT Toy Company'.

In 2008, HiT hired former Nickelodeon executive, Jeffrey D. Dunn, as chief executive and moved DVD distribution from 20th Century Fox to Lionsgate Home Entertainment. Dunn drove the company to create new characters, including Mike the Knight, and to revitalize existing brands. In February, HiT sold the Guinness World Records brand, acquired through HiT's acquisition of Gullane Entertainment, to Ripley Entertainment. They also sold the rights to the Sooty characters and properties to his current presenter, Richard Cadell. HiT had put the rights to Sooty up for sale in October 2007.


In March 2009, HiT Entertainment started its HiT Movies division in Los Angeles, with Julia Pistor as division head, to create films based on the company's franchises. The division's first planned film adaptation was a live-action Thomas & Friends film, scheduled for late 2010.

In early 2010, HiT licensed Thomas & Friends to Mattel for toys. By August, the company withdrew from the JimJam joint venture, but agreed to continue providing programming for the channel until the absorption into Mattel.

In April 2011, Apax put HiT up for sale, with the option to sell the company in two parts: Thomas & Friends franchise and the other HiT characters with its Kids Sprout stake, with either parts or separately. Several bidders came forward, including The Walt Disney Company, Viacom (now known as Paramount Global), Mattel, Hasbro, Classic Media (now known as DreamWorks Classics), Chorion and Saban Brands. By April 2011, Fireman Sam was a Top 10 UK best-selling character toy according to NPD Group. Their next programme Mike the Knight, a co-production between Nelvana aired on Treehouse TV and CBeebies later in the year.

Mattel subsidiary[]

Main article: Mattel Television

Apax Partners agreed to sell HiT Entertainment to Mattel, Inc. on 24 October 2011 for $680 million excluding its share of the PBS Kids Sprout TV channel. The sale/merger was completed on 1 February 2012, and HIT Entertainment became a wholly owned subsidiary of Mattel, which was managed under its Fisher-Price unit. Due to the success of the Thomas & Friends brand, which accounted for 80% of HIT's revenues, there was talks of Mattel only wanting to purchase that franchise rather than the entire HIT library. Mattel had already worked alongside Hit Entertainment and handled marketing for Thomas & Friends toys. On 3 July 2012, it was reported that Mattel considered selling and sought a buyer for Barney and Angelina Ballerina, but they eventually kept them.

HiT announced a DVD distribution deal with Universal Pictures Home Entertainment on 2 May 2014. in which Universal began distributing their catalogue for Blu-ray & DVD Electronic Sell-Through and VOD platforms in the United States and Canada. In early summer 2015, the Edaville amusement park opened a licensed Thomas Land theme area based on Thomas & Friends. On 6 October 2015, HiT Entertainment announced a long-term partnership with 9 Story Media Group to relaunch Barney & Friends and Angelina Ballerina.

In 2017, HiT was absorbed into a newly created division called Mattel Creations (currently known as Mattel Television).

Filmography[]

Title Year Notes
Captain Zed and the Zee Zone 1991 Co-production with STV, Collingwood O'Hare Productions and DIC Enterprises.
Where's Wally? 1991 Co-production with The Waldo Film Co. and DIC Enterprises.
Professor Bubble 1996-1997 Co-production with GMTV.
Percy the Park Keeper 1996-1999 Co-production with Grand Slamm Children's Films.
Kipper 1997-2000 Co-production with Grand Slamm Children's Films.
Archibald the Koala 1998-2000 Co-production with Millimages.
Fly Tales 1999 Co-production with Futurikon, CNC, France 3 and Teletoon.
Bob the Builder 1999-2011 Co-production with HOT Animation (seasons 1-16) and SD Entertainment (seasons 17-18)
Oswald 2001-2003 Co-production with Nickelodeon Animation Studio (credited as Nick Jr. Productions).
Untalkative Bunny 2001-2003 Co-production with Dinomight Cartoons, Silver Fox Films, Teletoon and Treehouse Productions.
Rubbadubbers 2002-2005 Co-production with HOT Animation.
Barney & Friends 2002-2010 Co-production with Connecticut Public Television and The Lyons Group (seasons 7-11)
Thomas & Friends 2002-2017 Co-production with Nitrogen Studios (seasons 12-16) and Arc Productions (seasons 17-21); production resumed from Gullane Entertainment.
Pingu 2003-2006 Co-production with HOT Animation; production resumed from The Pygos Group.
Fireman Sam 2005-2016 Co-production with HOT Animation (season 5) and Xing Xing Digital (seasons 6-10); production resumed from Bumper Films.
Wobbly Land 2007 Co-production with Brown Bag Films and Nick Jr. UK.
Frances 2008 Co-production with The Jim Henson Company.
Mike the Knight 2011-2018 Co-production with Nelvana.
Little People 2016-2017 Co-production with Mattel Creations; Mattel Creations produced Season 2 after HiT folded into Mattel Creations (now Mattel Studios)

Films produced[]

References[]

  1. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/dec/12/guardianobituaries.television
  2. ↑ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/peter-orton-media-entrepreneur-who-made-a-global-success-of-bob-the-builder-764554.html
  3. ↑ http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/hit-entertainment-plc-history/
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