DHX Media and CBBC Announce New Series The Zoo

HALIFAX and LONDON, July 21, 2016 /CNW/ - A new CBBC series, The Zoo (working title), is set to star animals at the UK's Paignton Zoo. The world famous BBC Natural History Unit is collaborating with leading independent kids' content company, DHX Media, to produce thirty episodes of the new show, due to air in 2017 on CBBC, the BBC's kids' service. DHX Media will handle global distribution for the show outside the UK.

The Zoo is an observational documentary about real life at a zoo with a comedy spin. If you ever wanted to find out what makes our animal friends tick - thanks to the power of animation they can now tell us. Gorillas, penguins and giraffes will all take lead roles, and we find out that it's often the animals that have the last laugh over the staff. Paignton Zoo's animal characters will be given human voices and computer generated moving mouths.

Cheryl Taylor, Controller of CBBC, said: "This new series promises our young audience a fact-filled and fun packed series centered around the fascinating characters and everyday adventures at the zoo."

Josh Scherba, SVP Distribution of DHX Media, said: "We are delighted to once again be teaming up with CBBC on a new kids' show. Working with the wonderful staff and animals of Paignton Zoo, we think The Zoo promises to be a terrific and entertaining show from which kids worldwide can enjoy animal stories direct from the horse's mouth, so to speak."

Paignton Zoo Executive Director Simon Tonge said: "It's a pleasure to have the BBC with us. This show will blend animal science and conservation information with engaging character-driven comedy. It will reach a really important audience for us and do it in a way that is appealing and memorable."

Filming begins at Paignton Zoo in July 2016 and will continue over the summer.

The Zoo is commissioned by Cheryl Taylor, Controller of CBBC, and is produced by the BBC Natural History Unit in collaboration with DHX Media. The Executive Producer is Jonny Keeling and the Series Producer is Aaron Paul.

More information about Paignton Zoo and Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust: www.paigntonzoo.org.uk

About DHX Media
DHX Media Ltd. (www.dhxmedia.com) is the world's leading independent, pure-play kids' content company. Owner of the world's largest independent library of kids' and family content, at more than 11,500 half-hours, DHX Media is recognized globally for such brands as Teletubbies, Yo Gabba Gabba!, Caillou, In the Night Garden, Inspector Gadget, Make It Pop, Slugterra and the multiple award-winning Degrassi franchise. DHX Media is comprised of four main business units: DHX Studios creates high-quality original entertainment at its Vancouver and Halifax animation studios, its Toronto live-action studio, and in working with top international producers; DHX Distribution is a major provider of content to the global market; DHX Television, home to the Family suite of channels, is dedicated to delivering best-in-class programming to Canadian families; and DHX Brands specializes in creating, building and managing high-profile global entertainment brands within the children's and young-adult markets. DHX Media also owns the full-service international licensing agency, Copyright Promotions Licensing Group Ltd. (CPLG), which represents numerous entertainment, sport and design brands. DHX Media has offices in 15 cities worldwide, including Toronto, Vancouver, Halifax, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Barcelona, Milan, Munich, Amsterdam and Beijing. The Company is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the ticker symbol DHXM, and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbols DHX.A and DHX.B.

About the CBBC channel
CBBC's core audience is primary school children aged six to 12 years old.

CBBC is the home of one of the world's finest and most creative TV and digital experiences for children in all genres - Drama, Factual, Factual-Entertainment, Comedy, Entertainment and Animation.

We expect CBBC to be a one-stop destination for children to consume a wide range of top brands. Our constant aim is to reflect the diverse lives of our audience and open windows on a wider world with content that is brave, innovative, challenging, infectious and most importantly gets everybody talking. 

CBBC's tone is funny, energetic, unpredictable, upbeat, clever and most importantly infused with laugh-yourself-smart appeal.  We take our public service remit seriously and are proud that many of our most popular brands (Horrible Histories, The Dumping Ground, Operation Ouch, Millie Inbetween and Appsolute Genius) have clear public service spines. 

The CBBC Channel is on air from 7am to 7pm seven days a week with an exponentially increasing number of our viewers also using CBBC iPlayer to catch up on their favourite CBBC shows.  In any one month as much as 24% of overall viewing is now taking place via on demand services. Our audience wants to view CBBC content where and when they want it - including on our website and the CBBC YouTube channel.

CBBC is for everyone, everywhere. In an increasingly connected world we want to make an emphatic connection with our audience and facilitate connections between them - always in a safe environment.

To find out more about current CBBC programmes and individual genre opportunities please visit the CBBC What we want page.

Disclaimer
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" under applicable securities laws with respect to DHX including, without limitation, the production and delivery schedule of The Zoo, and the growth and business strategies of CBBC and DHX. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and are based on information currently available to the Company. Actual results or events may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations, among other things, include risk factors discussed in materials filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities from time to time including matters discussed under "Risk Factors" in the Company's most recent Annual Information Form and annual Management Discussion and Analysis, which also form part of the Company's annual report on Form 40-F filed with the SEC. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.

SOURCE DHX Media Ltd.

Trade Media: Aimee Norman at DDA Blueprint PR, [email protected], [phone]; Financial Media: Shaun Smith - Director, Corporate Communications, DHX Media Ltd., [email protected], [phone]; Investor Relations: Nancy Chan-Palmateer - Director, Investor Relations, DHX Media Ltd., [email protected], [phone]