Australia’s ABC and China’s China Central Television (CCTV) have announced for a co-production, Hoopla Doopla!, with  a ceremony held in Beijing on April 23. Hoopla Doopla! is being produced by Melinda Wearne and Ron Saunders from Beyond Screen Productions Pty Ltd and the China Central TV Screen Drama Production Centre. The Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF) provided script development investment to the series from its early stages and will now distribute the series worldwide on behalf of the Australian and Chinese partners.

The directors of the series are Mark Barnard (Australia) and Liang Tong (China) who would be working hand-in-hand with an Australian and Chinese cast and crew.  The scripts were written in Australia while the shoot is set to be carried out in a studio in China. Post-production will be done  in Australia.

At the signing ceremony Janet Holmes à Court, Chairman of the ACTF said, “There is a great story in its own right about all of these organisations working together to realise and build on an original idea. The Australian Children’s Television Foundation is very proud to be involved and is looking forward to taking this production to the world. We have sold Australian children’s television productions to more than 100 countries in the world, from Austria to Zimbabwe, France to Mexico.  And from what I have seen today I am sure that little children everywhere will be wanting to get inside their TV sets to visit the wonderful world of Hoopla.”