WHAT HAPPENS when three typical Beverly Hills girls get catapulted headfirst into the dangerous world of international espionage? Sam, Alex and Clover definitely get a crash course in Totally Spies! - an animated television series from Marathon.

Totally Spies! is a fresh, fast-paced and fun television show that depicts three girlfriends with an attitude, who have to cope with their daily lives at high school as well as the unpredictable pressures of international espionage. Primary target audience is girls 6-12 years old, with boys of the same age as the secondary. In Plus Licens territories, the series is seen on the Jetix channel and has also been sold to TV 2 Denmark, MTV 3 in Finland, RUV on Iceland, LNK in Lithuania, TV Markisa in the Slovak Republic, MTM-SBS/TV 2 in Hungary, TNT in Russia, Inter TV in Ukraine and Luxor in Serbia and Montenegro.

© TF1 - MARATHON ANIMATION. All rights reserved.

With hip music by Brian Higgins (producer of Cher's hit Believe), saturated, flashy colors and more than 1.000 cool outfits designed for the series by top trend agency Promostyl, Totally Spies! was created to generate maximum appeal especially among pre-teen girls. The espionage themes, the high-energy action and the technical gadgets are likely to broaden the attraction for even wider target groups.

The series was awarded with a Silver World Medal in the "Children's Programs" category at the 44th International New York Film Festival in 2002. The series has also won the first Kidscreen's Gemmies Award in the girl's category in 2002.

Totally Spies!, directed by Stéphen Berry, is an international co-production between Marathon, TF1 (France) and ABC Family/Fox Family Channel/Fox Kids Europe. The series has received great press and publicity coverage and very impressive ratings. It was the #1 kid series on ABC Family and the first episode aired on TF1 in April 2002 realized 41,8%.

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It all started when the three best friends decided to room together in their Beverly Hills "dream house". Life couldn't get cooler than this - until they discover they've unwittingly made their home right above the Underground Secret Services Center for operations on the West Coast. Not so cool. To prevent a catastrophic security leak, the Center Chief Jerry has no choice but to take on Sam, Alex and Clover as special agents.

To the outside world, they are still normal high school girls. But they're actually on permanent call to the Center, who can (and does) regularly hijack their day-to-day and send them to all corners of the world on top-secret missions.

Whether the girls are laying low on a secret island off the coast of Japan, on hands and knees deep within the sewers of Paris or crouched in the baggage hold of a private jet over the Bermudas, they confront the most intimidating - and demented - of villains, each with their own special agenda for demonic, global rude behaviour. The three friends each use their specific talents to help save the world, while stressing about next week's algebra final or finding a decent prom dress on time.

Plus Licens represents Marathon for merchandising, publishing and promotional rights to Totally Spies in the Nordic countries and Eastern Europe.