spun off into a new company, Urbium PLC 2002–2006: Growth By 2002, with the company focused solely on media production, Chorion began a period of expansion driven by the acquisition of new literary properties and developing new TV and film to unlock their value. The first steps in this new direction included a series of management changes which placed experienced executives from the world of television at the helm of the company. On 4 December 2002, Chief Executive Nick Tamblyn announced his immediate resignation. Waheed Alli was initially appointed as Non-Executive Deputy Chairman. Just a few months later, in April 2003, he stepped up to the position of Chairman. Alli remained Chairman until Chorion's sale of assets, although he now also holds the position of CEO. During this period, Chorion produced several new TV productions. In May 2002, the UK's Channel Five announced that it had bought 100 episodes of a new CGI-animated TV series based on Enid Blyton's Noddy, with the show Make Way For Noddy airing in September of that year. In November 2002, the company announced a four-year deal with major UK television network ITV to produce a few feature-length TV dramas based on the Agatha Christie novels. These began to broadcast on-air at the end of 2003. During this period, development and production also began on an animated cartoon series based on The Famous Five in collaboration with Disney Channel in France. The range of newly developed TV shows began to expand internationally, with Noddy becoming the most recognised children's character in France in 2003 and sold to Chinese publishers in 2004, and airing in the United States on PBS Kids in 2005. As well as the commission and launch of several new TV productions, the period immediately following Waheed Alli's elevation to the Chairmanship was marked by a series of high-profile acquisitions of new properties. In April 2004, after several months of negotiations, Chorion acquired the distribution rights to the Roger Hargreaves Mr. Men series for £28 million. This acquisition was followed up in May 2005 with total ownership of the Hargreaves estate and the rights to produce new TV series. In July 2005, Chorion made a major step towards becoming an international business when it bought UK-based Silver Lining Productions. Along with an office in New York City, this acquisition gave Chorion ownership of the media and merchandise rights to The Very Hungry Caterpillar