Mighty mouse

Maisy (Pearl, 5.30pm) has not exactly been trumpeted by TVB's PR department; in fact when I called to enquire about the new kids show, they hadn't even heard of it.

This demonstrates a shocking ignorance because Maisy is not so much a character in children's literature, she is an industry. She started out as a simple mouse heroine in a series of pull-and-lift children's books, by the young British artist Lucy Cousins. The books have self-explanatory titles like Maisy Goes Swimming, Maisy Goes To The Playground, and Maisy Goes To Playschool.

Not madly original adventures, but somehow the mix of the real-life experiences like feeding the ducks, doing a painting, having a turn on the swing, combined with the bright simple illustrations and those thrilling little tabs to pull was irresistible to thousands of pre-schoolers.

More than two million Maisy titles have been sold around the world in 16 languages, and with that kind of success, merchandising spin-offs were bound to follow.

In our house we have five Maisy books, a Maisy notebook, two Maisy pencils, one pair of Maisy slippers, one Maisy badge, a 1999 Maisy calendar, three Maisy dolls, in three different outfits, and Le Maison de Mimi, a French version of the fold-out house Maisy game.

None of these were bought in Hong Kong, but it can only be a matter of time before the invasion begins.

A note to TVB's ever shrewd marketing people, not that they need the hint: be sharper than ATV were about Teletubbies and make sure the television station gets a cut of the local licensing agreement.