December 7th 2006
Metrostar brokers three new TV tie-in books

Metrostar, the licensing and literary agency specializing in TV and entertainment, recently celebrated the publication of three books inspired by series from their clients, Kudos Film & Television and Hat Trick Productions.

From award-winning drama producer Kudos, there is 'Spooks: Behind the Scenes' (Orion) the inside story of the hit BBC spy series, and 'Life on Mars: The Official Guide' (Simon & Schuster) a detailed account of the making of the cult cop show, with features on life in the 1970s.

Hat Trick's 'Help Yourself With the Kumars' (Orion), is a hilarious self-help spoof written by the infamous chat show hosts themselves. It includes everything from sexual positions (The Kumar Sutra) to their version of Su Doku (So Don't Que) - particularly useful for the January sales.

Metrostar was formed in 2004 by ex-BBC Worldwide Marketing Director, Claire Potter who brokered all three deals. And to further develop its publishing business, Metrostar hired Stuart Cooper, a Senior Commisioning Editor from BBC Books, in September this year.

Metrostar goes further than is usual in creating publishing proposals by working with writers and designers to visualize their ideas.

Daniel Isaacs, Commercial Director at Kudos comments "Metrostar have an imaginative and energetic approach to TV tie-in publishing. Their proposal for the Life on Mars book was extremely creative - they really "got" the brand and as a result we had the luxury of choosing between three great offers from major publishers."

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Contact Claire Potter, Managing Director, Metrostar,
07989 940181

Notes to Editors:

Metrostar
Metrostar specialises in helping TV companies to generate new revenue streams by licensing their programme brands into consumer products formats. Metrostar also creates and manages web shops which sell TV programme merchandise.

Metrostar’s clients include Hat Trick Productions, Kudos Film and Television, Eye Film & Television and 12 Yard Productions.

The programme brands Metrostar represents include ‘Have I Got News For You’, ‘The Kumars at No 42’, ‘Father Ted’, ‘Homes Under The Hammer’, ‘Spooks’, ‘Hustle’, ‘Life On Mars’, ‘Eggheads’, ‘Most Haunted’, ‘Celebrity Poker Club’, ‘Derek Acorah’s Ghost Towns’ and ‘The Secret of Eel Island’.

Publishing projects include : ‘Most Haunted’ The Official Behind-the-Scenes Guide (Penguin, July 2005), ‘Help Yourself with The Kumars’ (Orion, October 2006), ‘Life On Mars’ The Official Guide (Simon & Schuster, November 2006) and ‘Spooks’ Behind-the-Scenes (Orion, September 2006)

Claire Potter
Claire's background is in brand management. After completing her law degree, Claire joined Unilever's graduate training scheme with Brooke Bond Foods where she led the team which launched ‘Chicken Tonight’ cooking sauce in the UK.

She then held senior marketing positions with Golden Wonder and Ladbrokes before joining BBC Worldwide as UK Marketing Director for their combined publishing businesses. Whilst there she worked on TV brands as diverse as ‘Teletubbies’, ‘Delia Smith’, ‘Top Gear’, ‘Only Fools and Horses’, ‘Walking with Dinosaurs’ and ‘Gardeners' World’.

She left the BBC to join the Guardian Media Group as Marketing & Product Development Director of their recruitment web site, Workthing. In 2004, she formed Metrostar. Her passion for brands and consumer understanding underpins Metrostar's planning processes.

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