 The idea to use classic children's books sprang from Thinnes' viewing of a two-minute demo of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol", which was produced by Walter Hucker's studio, Air Programs International (API), of Sydney, Australia.API was purchased later by Hanna-Barbera Studios after Thinnes introduced the owners of the studios to one another.After the series ran on CBS for nearly ten years, it was moved into local syndication by Sive's syndication department.