Roary has a pit stop at Toy Fair
Ahead of the show's launch on Milkshake and Nick Jr this spring, Vivid showed off its range - which includes Talking Big Chris with seven voices from the series and a remote control Roary, again with sounds and phrases - for the first time at ExCeL.
"We expect Roary to race into a top three position in pre-school by Christmas 2007," said Vivid's Emma Sherski. "The Chapman team have the midas touch and we are confident we can deliver a winning performance for retailers worldwide."
Set in and around Silver Hatch race track, Roary the Racing Car combines CGI and stop frame animation to convey the sense of speed in the 52 x ten-minute episodes.
As well as Vivid, Halsall will be producing wheeled toys, Bon Bon Buddies has confectionery and Cohen & Wilks has leisure wear.
International TV deals have also been inked in Germany, France, Norway, Denmark and Latin America. Discussions are also underway with broadcasters in Sweden, Finland, the Middle East and South Africa.
Val Fry, head of licensing at Chapman, said: "There has been a huge amount of interest in Roary both at home and abroad and we expect the Roary part of Vivid's stand to be very popular at Toy Fair. We are confident we have a second hit on our hands with this new boy-based property."