Children's entertainment brand Hit Entertainment has done its first ever direct sale with Sri Lanka.

Hit Entertainment brand director Asia Sheetal Merchant said, "We have sold the Barney series 4-9 to Sri Lankan broadcaster Art TV as well as the classic Jim Henson puppet animation series Fraggle Rock. Both these series and characters from this are very well known in Sri Lanka. I am delighted to have established this relationship with Art TV and we hope to build our relationship further moving forward into 2006."

In January this year Hit Entertainment had launched its licensing business in India in conjunction with Licensing Plus - India (LPI) as its licensing partner. The first show was Bob The Builder.

Now Merchant says that Excel Video, which is Hit's home entertainment partner in India, is launching its first ever direct to video special called Snowed Under for Bob the Builder and this will be available exclusively on video only for the time being as it has not been broadacast on Cartoon Network. It is a 50-minute special.

"Excel is launching the first VCD/DVDs of Barney in India and they will be launching 20 December with four titles including Let's Play School, Rhyme Time Rhythm, Night Before Christmas and Sing & Dance with Barney. Sterling Publisher will also be launching the Barney books in December."

Meanwhile, another popular character from the Hit stable Thomas is celebrating his 60th anniversary this year as the original books on which the television series is based were first launched in 1945! Excel video will be lauching the VCD/DVD and Eurokids will be launching books of this classic next year in India.

Talking about shows that are being broadast in India, Merchant pointed out that Angelina Ballerina launched on Cartoon Network's Half Ticket Express pre-school block last month. Angelina Ballerina can be seen at 11:30 am and at 1:30 pm from Monday to Friday and at 11:30 am on Saturdays.

"There are seven series in total currently on air on Half Ticket Express and Tiny TV on Cartoon Network and Pogo respectively. These include Bob the Builder, Oswald, Pingu, Kipper, Thomas, Barney and Angelina Ballerina," pointed out Merchant.