HIT founder Peter Orton dies

[Traveling Matt]

Sad news, from Animation World Network...

Peter Orton, founder and chairman of HIT Ent., whose properties include BOB THE BUILDER and THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE, has died following a long battle with throat cancer, reports THIS IS WILTSHIRE and THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. He was 64.

A colorful entrepreneur and rugby enthusiast, Orton was responsible for a number of worldwide preschool TV franchises, including PINGU, ANGELINA BALLERINA and KIPPER. He started HIT with distribution rights to 60 episodes of ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS and built it into the U.K.'s leading preschool program producer, as well as a highly successful licensing and merchandising business. After HIT was sold to Apax Partners in 2005, Orton embarked on a number of charitable activities.

A private service will be held at St. Peter's Church in Clyffe Pypard, U.K., with a memorial service in London planned for a later date.

http://news.awn.com/index.php?ltype=top&newsitem_no=21663

Peter Orton, of course, was key to getting the current deal written between HIT and Henson, allowing them to distribute the Henson Family Classics (including Fraggle Rock on DVD).

http://www.muppetcentral.com/news/2004/040104.shtml

 

[Traveling Matt]

and from the Big Cartoon Database forum...

Peter Orton, founder and chairman of British children's entertainment company HIT Entertainment, has died following a long struggle with cancer, it was announced Thursday.

Orton, 64, was diagnosed with cancer 11 years ago.

After living up to its name by creating the animated series Bob the Builder (seen in over 150 territories worldwide) in 1999, HIT Entertainment became the leading pre-school program producer in Britain. The enthusiastic Orton was behind the launch of animated pre-school TV shows Pingu, Angelina Ballerina and Kipper, along with other franchises that reached around the world.

At first, HIT Entertainment was the distribution arm of the Jim Henson Company. Orton began the company when it gained distribution rights to 60 episodes of Alvin and the Chipmunks.

On that slim base, the entrepreneur built a wide range of pre-school TV shows. An associated licensing and merchandising business became a gigantic success, eventually driving the company's growth.

Between 1997 and 2002, HIT Entertainment invested some £40 million in producing British series that generated over £230 million in revenues. The majority of this investment was spent on employing British animators, composers, modelmakers, voiceover artists, editors, and many other people key to the production process.

HIT acquired Gullane Entertainment in 2002, bringing with it the classic Thomas the Tank Engine brand and Guinness World Records.

In the 15 years from its founding, Orton grew HIT from eight employees to over 420, with offices in Britain, the United States, Canada, Japan and Germany. This is in addition to the HOT animation studio in Manchester, studio space in Elstree and Maidstone, and a stand-alone television studio in Dallas. The company became one of the largest pre-school children's video distributors in the world -- second only to Disney in Britain and the fourth-largest in the U.S.

In 2005, HIT was sold to private-equity firm Apax Partners for 489 million euros. Orton then began to take part in a variety of charitable activities.

During his retirement, Orton developed the idea for the Children's Party on the grounds of Buckingham Palace, part of last year's celebrations for the 80th birthday party of Queen Elizabeth II. The party celebrated children's books written by British authors across the centuries, and saw 2,000 children being personally invited by the Queen to celebrate with her. In June 2006, the party was broadcast to record TV audiences on BBC1.

His work was recognized in the 2007 Honours List which saw Peter appointed to the Royal Victorian Order as a Commander (CVO).

Orton also received two Lifetime Achievement Awards from his industry. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) recognized him in 2002, and Marche Internationale de Television (MIP-TV) presented him with the award in 2005. The latter was the first Lifetime Achievement Award from MIP-TV ever presented to a Briton.

In July 2002, he was awarded an honorary doctor of arts degree by De Montfort University in Leicester "for his contribution to children's TV and support for higher education and encouragement of young people in the industry."

Born to Herbert "Harry" and Eva Orton on June 17, 1943 in Portsmouth, England, he was the youngest of four brothers. The family was moved out to Petersfield during the Second World War to avoid the bombing.

"He managed to be one of those very rare executives who could be creative- and business-minded," said Sophie Turner Laing, deputy managing director of British Sky Broadcasting. She started her career by working with Orton at Henson, and became one of HIT's original co-founders.

"Peter was incredibly dynamic; he could be very scary or very energizing," Turner Laing reflected. "The group of us who worked together (launching HIT) remained incredibly close."

Peter Orton lived on a farm in Wiltshire with Sue, his wife of 34 years. Their son Jamie, 26, works in property development.

http://forum.bcdb.com/forum/HIT_Entertainment_founder_Peter_Orton_dies_at_64_P83645/

 

[Brooklyn]

sad...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/10/db1001.xml

 

[stephenjlizard]

I saw that the other day too. Very sad.

 

[ravagefrackle]

Odd little tidbit ,

HIT was originally Henson International Television,

when Jim decide to close that part of the company, Mr.Orton asked if he could continue to use HIT for his new venture ,
just an interesting little tie to the JHC