ATLANTA, June 3, 2019 - Herschend Entertainment Studios ("HES") announced today that production has commenced on season six of their popular children's series, Chuggington, and that Alpha Group has been appointed as the global master toy partner in a multi-year collaboration to Chuggington toys from Ludorum PLC in December 2018.
Alpha Group, the leading toy and animation company in China with ten global offices and distribution to over 100 countries, will serve as the global master toy partner and distributor for Chuggington. A broad range of toys across vehicles, track sets, radio control, plush, games, electronics, smart toys, novelty and seasonal products are all in development.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2020, the brand has generated over $1 billion at retail from licensed products. The toy launch spearheads the licensing and retail program for Chuggington, which will be fully-coordinated with the content focus from season six, offering new and exciting creative opportunities to bring the Chuggington franchise to life.
Award-winning and Emmy Award-nominated Michael G. Stern (Doc McStuffins, Sofia the First, Jake and the Neverland Pirates) will serve as the head writer and co- executive producer for season six, together with key creative and production personnel from earlier seasons. Julie Phillips, Herschend Entertainment Studios’ Vice President, will also serve as Executive Producer. Consisting of 52 x 10’ animated episodes, the new season features a fresh approach with new formats, elements, and storytelling styles.
“Following Herschend Entertainment Studios’ acquisition last year of the globally beloved property Chuggington, we are investing heavily to develop the brand as a true evergreen franchise,” commented Phillips. “We partner with a best-in class company like Alpha Group couldn’t be more thrilled to with their innovation, state-of-the-art design capabilities and manufacturing facilities, and a global footprint. Additionally, we have Michael Stern, an A-List preschool showrunner, media partners around the world. As we celebrate Chuggington’s ten-year and premiere anniversary in 2020 and prepare to move the property into its second decade, we are perfectly aligned with our partners to ensure that we continue to refresh and grow the brand to entertain children for years to come.”
“Chuggington’s heritage as a beloved animation and strong consumer products brand was reason enough, but Herschend’s passion and vision for the global franchise is what makes this opportunity so exciting,” said Mark Slater-Hyndman, Head of UK & Ireland for Alpha Group. “At Alpha we are honored to be able to bring fans into the World of Chuggington like never before, through innovations that will surprise and delight.”
In season six of Chuggington, a 3D visual of the fictional world of Chuggington will be revealed, inviting audiences to join the well-known trio of young, trainee trains, the eager Wilson, loyal Brewster, and daring Koko, as they embark on exciting adventures and learn valuable lessons about teamwork, friendship, and fun. A series of 26 x 1.5’ animated/live-action hybrid shorts will be simultaneously produced in support of the new season to allow for increased audience interaction with the world and characters of Chuggington.
Fan engagement for Chuggington is high across digital with over 1.5 billion watch time minutes on YouTube and 22% year-on-year growth. Over 45 million apps have been downloaded to date. HES has developed plans to extend the brand's reach by leveraging both its global fan base and Herschend's portfolio of media, themed entertainment, and experience-based businesses.
Chuggington complements HES's inaugural preschool property Splash and Bubbles, the hit PBS KIDS series, produced in partnership with The Jim Henson Company. HES is also developing The Keys to the Kingdom, the New York Times bestselling seven-book series by author Garth Nix, to which the company acquired film and TV rights.
About Herschend Entertainment Studios.
Launched in 2016, Herschend Entertainment Studios (HES) is the media arm of Herschend Enterprises. HES develops and produces wholesome entertainment for television, film, publishing and other media. Its current media properties include Splash and Bubbles (in partnership with The Jim Henson Company) and Chuggington, and The Keys to the Kingdom.
About Herschend Enterprises.
Herschend Enterprises is a family of companies focused on family entertainment. Operating companies include Herschend Family Entertainment, Herschend Live, Herschend Entertainment Studios and Pink® Adventure Tours. Herschend's companies entertain over 14 million guests annually. For nearly six decades, Herschend Enterprises has operated with the purpose of bringing families closer together by Creating Memories Worth Repeating®. For more information, visit, www.herschendenterprises.com.
About Alpha Group
Built on a foundation of Toys and Animation, Alpha Group US is redefining the traditional to deliver the great play and entertainment experiences for kids of all ages. We are a wholly owned subsidiary of Alpha (Guangdong Alpha Animation and Culture Co., Ltd), one of the largest and most successful animation, toy and entertainment groups in Asia. Our state-of-the-art design, manufacturing and animation facilities deliver unparalleled innovation and content to support our toys and licensed products. With a true global footprint and distribution network that few others can tout, Alpha has and will continue to see aggressive growth. We are the new global player in toys and entertainment.