91Èȱ¬

Controller of CBeebies Kay Benbow has commissioned a new 40 x 15 minute wildlife series from the 91Èȱ¬'s famed Natural History Unit.

Showcasing the talents of Bafta-nominated CBeebies presenter Andy Day and utilising the NHU's stunning archive, Andy's Wild Adventures will use the latest digital CGI and green-screen technology to take Andy right into the very heart of the action and bring animal encounters vividly to life for CBeebies' young viewers.

Andy Day is a keeper at a large, busy animal park. Every day he does the rounds, chatting to the animals he sees along the way and doing his chores before reporting back to his trusty and curious sidekick, a puppet cat. Although he's a very knowledgeable keeper, Andy doesn't have the answers to all of his feline friend's questions, so together they decide that a Fact File mission – beyond the zoo – is what's needed to find out more.

Armed with the kit they need for their trip, Andy and his puppet pal squeeze into their high-spec, all-terrain vehicle and are catapulted into the heart of a wildlife hot spot. And so the adventure begins with Andy as the guide, and his trusted companion back at command central in the buggy...

Taking viewers where no other wildlife presenter has ever dared to go, Andy's Wild Adventures opens up a world of incredible wildlife images and jaw-dropping facts as they explore some of the wildest and most fascinating places on Earth.

"Andy's Wild Adventures is a wonderful combination of great CBeebies talent and amazing Natural History Unit expertise which will really inspire our youngest viewers to learn about animals," says Kay Benbow. "They're going to be transported right into the heart of the wildlife action, without leaving the safety of their sofas!"

Andy's Wild Adventures will transmit on CBeebies in 2012. The executive producer is Wendy Darke (Deadly 60) and the series producer is Charlotte Crosse.

Notes to Editors

CBeebies is dedicated to delighting and surprising its young audience and it remains the UK's most watched and most loved channel for the under-sixes.

Almost half of the target audience tune in every week (parents and carers with children aged 0-3 and four- to six-year-olds in digital homes) with 55 per cent saying it is one of their favourite channels. Its reach is around three times that of its nearest competitor.

Its most popular shows include In the Night Garden, I Can Cook, Something Special and Waybuloo. New shows this year include Rastamouse, Little Charley Bear, Mr Bloom’s Nursery and a brand-new series for CBeebies favourite Justin Fletcher.

The CBeebies website is also hugely popular with our young audience and their parents and helps extend the "learning through play" philosophy. Last year it averaged at just under 800,000 unique users.

CBeebies has just been crowned Bafta's Children's Channel of the Year and is also Freesat Children’s Channel of the Year.

BW2