IT’s been a little over a year since top-ranking preschool series The Wonder Pets! debuted on Nick Jr. And with a CD and DVD just out, Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products is in the midst of putting together a full mass-market merchandise program for the TV property.

Division president Leigh Anne Brodsky and her team are taking the classic Nick approach to licensing a new IP. While the show is building an audience and ratings on air, product rollout will be supported by TV exposure and follow at a more measured pace in order to build demand. For example, the DVD and CD launch coincided with the broadcast of a special half-hour episode called ‘Save The Wonder Pets!’

The full product launch isn’t slated to take place until 2008, and Brodsky isn’t ready just yet to divulge the name of the property’s master toy partner. But she’ll be looking to augment the product offering with additional tentpeg category partners in the coming months, so you can expect the show’s stars, Linny, Tuck and Ming-Ming, to have a major presence on the Nick stand at Licensing Show next month.

Brodsky envisions the range of preschool product, aimed at boys and girls, focusing on the ensemble concept. ‘The things we’ll obviously want to capitalize on are teamwork, superheroes and saving the animals – three things our research shows us are really resonating with kids and their moms.’

The show, which also airs on Noggin, was created by Little Airplane Productions’ president Josh Selig and is currently in its second season. In terms of performance, The Wonder Pets! consistently ranks amongst the top three preschool shows on US commercial TV.