Disney Channel has announced two programming deals with UK producers as part of a drive to increase local production.

The US-owned station has optioned the rights to a live action and animation mix comedy from Coolabi, with the working title of The Shaila Show, and an animated comedy from Blue-Zoo Productions, provisionally called Clever Clogs.

The deals are the first made by the London-based Global Original Programming hub, set up in April to develop live action and animation outside North America, for both European and global distribution.

The announcement comes as many children's broadcasters are feeling the squeeze from new restrictions on food advertising which have raised concern over a decline in homegrown British children's programming.

Robert Gilby, managing director of Disney Channel UK, said the initiative was not in direct response to the concern over children's TV but was "timely".

"There's clearly concern about the volume of production of kids' television in the UK and our contribution is that we are looking to produce more in the UK," Gilby said.

He added that Disney was in a unique position as the only commercial broadcaster that doesn't carry advertising. The channel, which is available on Sky, Virgin Media, Top Up TV and HomeChoice, is funded wholly by subscriptions.

The Shaila Show is about a young girl who solves her problems through an alternate reality where she is the host of her own anarchic talk show.

Clever Clogs is aimed at the tween market and follows the adventures of a character called Milly, a normal girl in a very unusual family, with comic writing by Bob Baker, author of three of the scripts for the Wallace & Gromit films.

Disney Channel also has a few UK productions that predate the establishment of the hub. Pre-school puppet show Bunnytown, produced at Elstree Studios by Baker Coogan, premiered on Playhouse Disney in both the UK and the US earlier this month.

The channel is also working with rights company Chorion on an updated, animated version of Enid Blyton's Famous Five, coming in 2008.

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· This article was amended on Thursday November 22 2007.