Baby Bright is a half-hour video developed for newborns to one-year-olds (at the mature end of the demo). It’s the first in a planned line of programming produced by Abbey Home Entertainment, which was acquired in September by U.K.-based Just Entertainment. Anne Miles, CEO of Abbey Entertainment, noted a number of concepts developed for this age group, but also noticed a paucity of expert input or partners. For the project, Abbey partnered with Professor Annette Karmiloff-Smith, the head of Neurocognitive Development at the Institute of Child Health, based at the Great Ormond Street Hospital (who will receive royalties from all sales).

Budgeted at around US$1 million per ep (one half-hour video right now, which launched in September), the project consists primarily of live-action content and some CGI. Parents should use the video-and subsequent programming-like a book or a toy, says Miles. A CD has been developed as well, containing what Miles calls nurturing sounds, like babies gurgling and brooks babbling. The plan calls for books and toys to be spun off from the original programming initiative, all in cooperation with Karmiloff-Smith.