B.O.T. and the Beasties agrees publishing deal as the show’s audience grows

Award-winning merchandise, licensing and brand agency Brands with Influence has announced the signing of two new licensing partners for CBeebies show B.O.T. and the Beasties, made by Ragdoll Productions.

Leicester-based Sweet Cherry Publishing, recent winners of Small Press of the Year 2021 at the British Book Awards, is to produce a series of new book formats for the show, with the first release planned for 2022. These will include story books, picture books and creative play books utilising sounds from the episodes.

In parallel, Immediate Media has signed to run regular B.O.T. and the Beasties content in their CBeebies magazine.

“We are delighted to be welcoming two excellent new partners to the B.O.T. family,” says Martin Lowde, MD at Brands with Influence. “The series is proving really popular with the young audiences and with its colourful and eclectic range of characters there is lots of scope for a fabulous new range of books and magazines.”

Sanjee de Silva, Publisher at Sweet Cherry, explained why they were so keen to sign with B.O.T. “This brand is exactly what we have been looking for here at Sweet Cherry. It has longevity, a range of great characters and portrays the fun and educational values that we are proud to align ourselves with. Sweet Cherry’s creative teams have designed a really innovative and exciting new range for the series.”

Brands with Influence will be at BLE next month sharing more details about the B.O.T. and the Beasties licensing programme.

Ragdoll Productions signs CAKE as global distributor for new pre-school series B.O.T. and the Beasties

Kids’ entertainment specialist, CAKE, has signed a deal with the award-winning production company, Ragdoll Productions, to distribute its new pre-school 2D animated series, B.O.T. and the Beasties.

B.O.T. and the Beasties has been developed by Anne Wood (creator of Teletubbies, In the Night Garden, and Twirlywoos) and will premiere on CBeebies on January 11th this year. CAKE will handle the worldwide distribution rights, excluding the UK.

Brands With Influence has already been appointed as the property’s global licensing agency.

B.O.T. and the Beasties introduces pre-schoolers to the comic adventures and misadventures of a loveable robot called B.O.T. (Beastie Observation Transmitter) as he discovers new worlds and an assortment of bizarre beasties that inhabit them. B.O.T. must collect data on the comically unpredictable beasties.

Ed Galton, CCO and managing director at CAKE, said: “Ragdoll’s reputation for producing high calibre IP’s with proven global appeal is unprecedented in the preschool space and we are thrilled to be working with them on B.O.T. and the Beasties.”

Anne Wood, founder and creative director Ragdoll Productions Limited, added:It has been the greatest fun and privilege to work with a new young team of animators to bring to life so many comic characters. We are delighted to have CAKE as our partner to launch this new series originated by the experienced team of Joel Stewart and Steve Roberts.”