Canadian regional nets City Saskatchewan and Knowledge Network have come on board as broadcasters of a new preschool series from co-producers marblemedia, based in Toronto, and The Jim Henson Company.

The live-action preschool series Hi Opie!, created by Barbara Slade (Angelina Ballerina, Rugrats), was originally commissioned by provincial pubcaster TVOntario.

Now the series is being cast and written in Toronto by marblemedia, with production of 39 x seven-minute episodes to start in March.

Hi Opie! will then debut later this year on TVOKids, City Saskatchewan and Knowledge Network.

The preschool series, targeted at kids two-and-a-half to five years old, features a puppet friend Opie, custom-built by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.

Opie and his real-kid classmates are in their first year of all-day kindergarten, and with each new day they learn more about Opie’s personal growth as he participates in, struggles with and inevitably succeeds in kindergarten activities.

Kate Barris is the showrunner, with Larry Mirkin (Fraggle Rock) producing, and Lowell Dean serving as producer/director.

The executive producer credits are shared by Mark Bishop and Matt Hornburg for marblemedia and Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford for The Jim Henson Company.

marblemedia’s Distribution360 will share TV, DVD and digital distribution with The Jim Henson Company, which will also oversee format rights, and merchandising and licensing rights worldwide.

From Playback Online