DHX Media’s Decode Entertainment and Spain’s Neptuno Films are joining forces for the first time to produce the new animated preschool series Poppets Town, the companies announced on Wednesday.

The 2D series has already been presold to broadcasters including France’s Canal J, and Disney International for its channels in countries including the U.K., Spain, Italy and Taiwan. Canadian broadcast partner is Télé-Québec.

Production is underway on the 26 x 30 show, a 60/40 Spanish/Canadian copro, for broadcast in January 2009.

Decode EVP of production and development Beth Stevenson says the company has had its eye on a European partner for a while, noting that a copro with a country there makes the show more appealing for European Disney channels.

‘The copro would enrich it, and we always wanted to work with Neptuno, so it all fell into place,’ Stevenson tells Playback Daily. Poppets Town is produced in association with Japan’s OLC/Rights Entertainment, where the original concept was born.

The show follows the adventures of characters including Scooter, Patty and Bobby as they help the citizens of Poppets Town overcome different challenges and answer a variety of questions.

Stevenson says scripting, voices, some design elements, post and music will be done in Canada, while the animation will be completed in Spain.

Neptuno will handle international sales for Spain, Portugal and Latin America, while OLC will distribute in Japan. DHX Media’s distribution arm Decode Enterprises will handle the rest of the world.