Following the triumphant return of the Flowerpot Men to television screens this month, BBC Worldwide is to launch a four-weekly Bill & Ben Magazine on February 19. The 24-page magazine, designed for children between three and five years old, will cost £1.35 and will come with a cover-mounted gift. The title will have an initial print-run of 100,000, and join a line-up of market-leading pre-school magazines from BBC Worldwide, including Teletubbies, Tweenies, Bob the Builder and BBC Toybox. Assistant publisher Siobhan Williamson says: "Like all our pre-school magazines Bill & Ben will be educational as well as fun. It will focus on exploring the natural world through the garden and the park, with some simple scientific experiments involving planting and growing, and activities which involve making things from natural elements, such as leaves." The first transmission of Bill & Ben on BBC1 was on January 4, and BBC Worldwide will soon announce the first phase of its merchandise ­ in addition to the magazine ­ designed to support the series of 26 10-minute episodes. Merchandise will include a 5x10mins Flobbadoba Fun video, two story books, a colouring activity book, a sticker book, pop-up book and an audio cassette. They will be available at the end of March 2001. {{CTN }}