The new 52 x 11 CGI animated series fills the void for a naptime and bedtime brand

London, England – September X, 2025 — Independent licensing company Bulldog Licensing has been appointed to manage licensing and merchandising in the UK and Ireland for the new preschool TV animated series BeddyByes. The deal was made on behalf of Thunderbird Brands and Thunderbird Distribution, the show’s global media distributor and consumer products brand manager.

BeddyByes is a visually rich and uniquely tactile series that supports positive sleep routines to help the very young get ready for sleep.  Designed to soothe and calm children during the crucial pre-naptime and bedtime periods, it is one of the few shows in recent years that directly addresses the challenges of getting little ones to settle down. BeddyByes is leveraged by research from child development specialist Dr. Jacqueline Harding, who worked with the show’s team to ground the series in sleep science.  The series underscores the importance of establishing a routine for children to wind down, from playtime, mealtime, bathtime, storytime and finally, bedtime.

The series is the creation of JAM Media, the successful Dublin-based, multi-award-winning producers of animated and live action content for preschool and children’s audiences. Each episode features a different theme, with an engaging but gently paced storyline. The series follows the charming characters MeMo and BaBa through their own daily routine on Planet BeddyByes. They interact with welcoming friends in a colourful but soothing landscape on their calming journey towards sleep, preceded, of course, by a bedtime story from show narrator Gramma Leeba (voiced by the iconic Dawn French).

BeddyByes was commissioned by BBC Children’s and education and first aired on CBeebies in June 2025, with an earlier launch on BBC iPlayer at the end of May. Ireland’s RTE (the show’s co-producer) and public broadcasters DR of Denmark, YLE Finland and SVT Sweden have already signed up to broadcast the series. BeddyByes has secured a prime slot during the CBeebies Bedtime Block.

BBC iPlayer showings are expected to be accessed at naptimes during the day as well as early evening to support daytime sleep routines.

Thunderbird Brands, part of Vancouver-based Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc, a global award-winning, full-service multiplatform production, distribution and rights management company, is maximizing the licensing potential of the series, with global toy and publishing opportunities.

For the UK and Ireland markets, Bulldog is bringing its many years of experience managing top brands including Care Bears and Sesame Street, to bear on building a comprehensive licensing offering to meet what is expected to be strong demand from children, parents, grandparents and care-givers. In addition to toys and publishing, early categories targeted will include bedding, bathtime products, apparel, personal care and sleep aids.

Richard Goldsmith, President of Global Distribution and Consumer Products at Thunderbird Entertainment, says: “BeddyByes has been crafted and researched with enormous care to be a genuinely appealing addition to the sleeptime routine – one that both entertains and soothes children and supports parents, with its heart, humour, and fun. We are sure it will be welcomed by television platforms, parents and little ones alike, ushering in strong licensing opportunities across many categories.”

Rob Corney, CEO of Bulldog Licensing, says: “BeddyByes fills a real gap in the market for an engaging series designed to help very young children and their parents with sleep routines. And it’s not just viewers who will welcome BeddyByes and its colourful and likeable characters. This is a show that many broadcasters and streaming platforms have been waiting for – one with a real point of difference that will also attract a wide range of licensees. We anticipate a great deal of excitement.”

John Rice, CEO of JAM Media adds “We’re delighted to partner with Bulldog Licensing to introduce BeddyByes to families across the UK and Ireland. From the outset, we wanted BeddyByes to feel like a warm, comforting blanket that kids could happily wrap themselves up in and parents can trust. We’ve crafted the series carefully, not only to gently ease children into bedtime but also to genuinely entertain and engage them along the way. With Bulldog’s deep expertise and creativity, we’re excited to extend the joyful, reassuring world of BeddyByes into daily routines through products families will play with, enjoy, and love.”

Collectible rubber ducks and designer watches join licensing programme

Bulldog Licensing, the independent licensing agency representing Beano, has announced two new collaborations as part of the Dennis the Menace 75^th Anniversary celebrations in 2026, underlining the diversity and wide age range of the brand’s appeal.

Duck World, the home of iconic and collectible rubber ducks, will be joining the 75^th Anniversary campaign with special limited edition Dennis and Gnasher character ducks. One thousand of each will be on sale through the company’s sites in the UK and online from Q1 2026, featuring a unique design and specially created packaging from the creative team behind the Beano comic, with a wide target audience ranging from toddlers and children to gift givers and people who just like rubber ducks.

For an adult audience that likes its designer watches to have an unmistakable point of difference, there’s another limited edition collectors’ range, this time from Mr Jones Watches, a maker of unusual and high-quality watches. Mr Jones’ inspired take on Beano will celebrate Dennis turning 10 for the 75^th time with 750 limited edition watches. The watches tell a specially commissioned comic story across an animated watch face, bespoke straps and packaging. The watches will launch in June 2026 ahead of Father’s Day and will be available on the company’s website and in its Covent Garden store.

With over 700 varieties of the best rubber ducks, Duck World is the British home of iconic and collectible rubber ducks. Its offer includes over 250 models of designer rubber ducks carefully curated from British and European designers. From the iconic Shakespeare Duck and Charles Duckins to the regal Queen Duck and Royal Guard Duck, and now Dennis and Gnasher, each duck is a true work of art that will bring joy to your life.

Mr Jones Watches was born in 2007 when Crispin Jones began designing watches as a one-man band from his home in London. Over 18 years and hundreds of designs later, it now has two workshops in London, from which every single one of its watches is sustainably produced in-house. Every colour in Mr Jones watches has been mixed by hand and printed layer by layer, before being assembled and time-tested by the company’s talented team. Mr Jones also has a super-cool shop in Covent Garden.

Both of these distinctive companies are working with a property that itself stands out in its field: the world’s longest-running weekly comic that over 28 million people of today’s UK population have enjoyed in one form or another and has entertained generations of children for nearly 90 years.

The phenomenal brand recognition of Beano has inspired not just a strong comic and annual circulation but also millions of fans and audiences across a range of touchpoints (which includes Beano.com, YouTube, FAST TV channels, and an animated TV show), not to mention an ever-expanding range of fiction titles and activity books.

Beano is a gateway into reading for fun, sparking creativity and imagination across all platforms and channels, remaining a top ten kids’ publishing brand in the UK, selling a comic every eight seconds and always topping the annuals sales charts.

Dennis the Menace, Beano’s master of mischief and most iconic character, will celebrate 75 years since his debut in the Beano comic in 2026. Beano will mark his anniversary through a year-long celebration of high-impact activations and marketing moments in ‘The Year of Mischief’, and a collection of new products and experiential collaborations. For every generation, Dennis embodies the fun, carefree childhood everyone remembers. Dennis is leading the charge, catapult in hand and Gnasher by his side. Growing up can wait!

Driven by its humour and iconic characters, it has a growing licensing list that includes publishing, apparel, toys and games, greetings cards, costume characters and dress-up, including an established presence in location-based licensed events. This year’s BLE will highlight multiple opportunities at Bulldog’s stand (A202) for potential partners as Beano gears up for Dennis’s 75th anniversary in 2026, and the brand’s 90th anniversary in 2028.

A growing adult market is now a strong focus of the Bulldog campaign, which is supported by a comprehensive adult-focused Beano style guide.

Irina Fedotova Duck World says: “Our customers love our character-inspired rubber duck collection, where classic figures meet playful design. And Dennis and Gnasher will be a worthy addition to the many classic British names we celebrate through our designer ranges. We’re thrilled to be working with these iconic characters.”

Emily Weston Mr Jones, says: “Instantly recognisable but uniquely itself, Beano is a one-of-a-kind UK brand that both boasts classic status and is fresh, funny and modern – a perfect inspiration for our aim to produce statement watches that tell a story, start a conversation or simply make you smile.”

Bulldog Brand Manager Sophie Yates says: “The addition of Duck World and Mr Jones to Beano’s licensing programme underlines the broad appeal of Beano as both a classic brand and a modern, funny and exciting property that can inspire original and distinctive products that appeal to a fanbase spanning multiple generations. It’s been a delight working with these two unique companies and we’re looking forward enormously to seeing their highly original take on one of the world’s great comic brands.”