BRAND management group Chorion has forecast that Agatha Christie TV deals and increased demand for children's character Noddy would drive a substantial increase in annual profits.
The London group said its computer-generated TV animation series Make Way for Noddy had been successful in the UK and overseas.
It said that it had signed a deal with ITV company London Weekend Television for four new Agatha Christie dramas a year for at least four years.
Chief executive Nicholas James said: "This gives us unprecedented financial visibility and the confidence that we will deliver substantially increased profits at the year end," he said.
As well as owning the rights to the Noddy and Agatha Christie brands, Chorion has the TV and film rights to a portfolio of star literary names, including Maigret author Georges Simenon.
Chorion reported a 45 per cent fall in half-yearly operating pre-tax profits to £676,000, but blamed that on one-off revenues of about £800,000 in the same period last year. At the bottom line, pre-tax profits slipped to £522,000 from £1.2m last year.
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