News Release

Toronto/Calgary, Canada, July 17, 2006

BBC Worldwide and CCI Entertainment Announce Major Children's Co-Production
BBC Worldwide and CCI Entertainment recently began production on DinoSapien, a major international and inter-provincial children’s co-production in association with Discovery Kids and CBBC to be broadcast next spring. Principal photography runs from May 29 – July 31 in Alberta, Canada. 

DinoSapien is a 15 x 30 minute landmark children's series for the tween audience that integrates life-like CGI dinosaurs into contemporary live-action scenes. Set in the Canadian badlands, it tells the story of 15 year-old Lauren (Brittney Wilson from Nickelodeon’s Romeo!) whose father mysteriously disappeared on a fossil expedition in the badlands. While Lauren struggles to come to terms with his death, she and friends Courtney (Mackenzie Porter), Kit (Bronson Pelletier) and Chris (Jeffrey Watson) work at a Dinosaur Camp run by her mother, Dr. Hillary Slayton (Suzanna Hamilton). The mystery of Lauren’s father deepens when she encounters a live, seemingly intelligent dinosaur she calls Eno. How is this even possible? While Lauren and Eno form a cautious bond, Lauren tries to solve this riddle and manages to keep multiple secrets as she protects Eno from the dangerous Diggers – dinosaurs that are tracking Eno and trying to kill him – and from the strange paleontologist Dr. Clive Aikens (James Coombes) who is trying to find Eno for his own purposes.

Overseeing the production are CCI Entertainment’s Jim Corston and Rick Siggelkow of BBC Worldwide who have joined forces on numerous children’s programs over the last decade including Ace Lightning, Noddy and Shining Time Station. On this project, they are partnered with Alberta Filmworks’ Tom Cox and Jordy Randall.

The series will launch on Discovery Kids and BBC Kids Canada in March 2007 and on the BBC in May 2007.

“The series premise, which is about evolved dinosaurs interacting with present day kids, is  both original and scientifically accurate, says Siggelkow. “And like any good story, DinoSapien tells us as much about the dinosaurs as it does about the kids who encounter them.”

“This ambitious project combines the sophistication of high-end CG with great storytelling,” adds Corston. “Because we are shooting in HD, it will really accentuate the exotic Alberta environment. It’s just the kind of series we feel kids will connect with.”

DinoSapien is a BBC Worldwide, CCI Entertainment and Alberta Filmworks production in association with BBC Kids Canada, CBBC and Discovery Kids and the participation of The Alberta Film Development Program of the Alberta Government, The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, Ontario Film & Television Tax Credits, Ontario Media Development Corporation, the Shaw Rocket Fund, and Worldwide Children’s Co-Production.

For more information:

Kristin LeCour,  CCI Entertainment (416) 583-2905

klecour@ccientertainment.com

Fran Watson, Unit Publicist, (403) 244-7774

fran@franandcompany.com

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