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HIT Entertainment

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Hit entertainment flash site intro 2004 by c e studio ddepm7a-fullview

Mattel Television (HiT Entertainment during business with The Wiggles; Mattel Creations in 2016-2019) is a British-American production company/distributing company that was founded in 1983 and originally the international distribution arm of Jim Henson Productions called Henson International Television (later reincorporated as "HiT Communications plc."). However, the subsidiary was later sold to its division-head Peter Orton, in 1989.

HIT Entertainment began releasing The Wiggles VHS tapes in the United States and Canada on October 16, 2001, after a merger with their previous distributor Lyrick Studios. DVD releases followed on April 9, 2002. On April 4, 2006, they began distributing through 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, starting with Wiggle Around the Clock, at which time previous DVDs and some VHS tapes were re-released with the 20th Century Fox logo on the label. HIT Entertainment's contract with The Wiggles for DVDs in the United States and Canada expired on May 19, 2007.

In 2005, they began releasing The Wiggles VHS tapes and DVDs in the United Kingdom and Ireland and continued to do so until 2012.

USA and Canada Releases[]

Retail releases[]

All VHS releases from Hoop-Dee-Doo! It's a Wiggly Party up to Here Comes The Big Red Car were available in small plastic clamshell cases in the United States, and larger clamshell cases in Canada (Yule Be Wiggling was in a large case in both countries). In the US, cardboard slipcase versions were also sold of all VHS except Yule Be Wiggling and Wiggly, Wiggly World!.

Many DVDs released in both countries after 2003 also contained a Canadian Rating "G" symbol on the back of Canadian copies that the American releases lack. All DVDs except Wiggly, Wiggly Christmas and Santa's Rockin'! were re-released in 2006 with the 20th Century Fox logo and copyright notice on the disc art.

Canada Only[]

3-Packs[]

Lyrick Studios VHS re-releases[]

In Canada, some of the VHS released by Lyrick Studios in large clamshell cases were re-released with the HiT Entertainment logo added to it in 2002. In America, all of Lyrick's clamshell VHS releases continued to be printed by HIT Entertainment unchanged through 2006 (aside from Dance Party, which was re-released on VHS with HiT's logo in 2003). However, some of these titles were released by HIT in cardboard slipcases around 2003 to 2004, sold at the same time as Lyrick's original clamshell releases as an alternative to them. Toot Toot!, and possibly others, were re-released again in 2006 with the 20th Century Fox logo on the tape.

Rental Videos[]

Two videos on one tape or disc were made available exclusively for renting at places like Blockbuster. The DVDs contained no menus or special features.

Screeners[]

Some VHS and DVDs were available ahead of official retail release for screening purposes. These exclude the trailers included in the final releases and contain the HiT Entertainment logo in the corner of the video throughout. Some of these were released in unique packaging, while others used the final retail packaging with a sticker on the back reading "Not for Individual Sale" (please note that a release containing this sticker is not necessarily a screener, as it was also used for VHS and DVDs released in multipacks). The ones listed are ones where photo or video evidence exists online (i.e. YouTube uploads of opening/closing), but there may be more out there.

NOTE: These did not have formal release dates. Please do not add any unless you can cite a verifiable source, or else you may be banned.

  • Yule Be Wiggling
  • Wiggly, Wiggly World!
  • Hoop-Dee-Doo it's a Wiggly Party
  • Wiggly Safari
  • Magical Adventure! A Wiggly Movie
  • A Wiggly Music Sampler

    • United Kingdom and Irish Releases[]

    3-Packs[]

  • Top of the Tots - 4/24/06

    • Trivia[]

    • A 4:3 cropped version of the CGI logo can be found on some Wiggles UK DVDs.
    • HIT released the DVDs that were originally on VHS by Lyrick (specifically the pre-Maton guitar videos)
    • The first four US tapes were released around the same month and year as four of the Barney tapes, as both Barney and Wiggles tapes each had trailer of each other stating that they're available now.
    • HIT also represented The Wiggles in the US, as they helped them with many of their North American products such as toys, books, party supplies, American tour programs, and other products besides videos, DVDs, and CDs, as a result, many of The Wiggles' products from 2003-2006 had text saying "U.S Representative" below the HIT Entertainment logo.
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