Cartoon Network U.K. is producing SKATOONY, the worlds first animated game show with real life kid contestants. It is scheduled to premiere in October 2006.
Hosted by animated characters Chudd Chudders and The Earl, the 13x30 series is animated entirely in-house by the Cartoon Network team at its London headquarters. Each week real-life and cartoon contestants will play each other through three rounds of challenges, with the final contestant taking everything in an against-the-clock challenge.
Will one of the kid contestants make it through or will a cartoon character take the plaudits and the prize? The series is written, produced and directed by the team at Cartoon Network. Leading independent producer Talent Television, creators of hit kids reality show BEST OF FRIENDS, will manage and shoot all live elements.
SKATOONY has alien invasions, winged freaks, gladiators and giant gorillas and theres always one contestant who manages to bring the whole show to the brink of disaster!, said James Fox, the shows creator/director. Its very exciting to use the kids natural reactions as direction for the cartoon characters, instead of the other way around. It gives the show a live edge not seen in a regular cartoon.
Chudd and The Earl are great comic creations and the extremely witty scripts will make the show popular with kids and adults alike. SKATOONY has already been picked up by our pan-European and Australian channels as it pokes fun at the game show genre recognized around the world, said Finn Arnesen, head of original animation and original development for Turner Broadcasting.
It is a fantastic challenge to work with the team at Cartoon Network helping to deliver SKATOONY the worlds first cartoon versus kids game show. We are delighted to be part of this breakthrough project, says Annie Miles, exec producer/director of Talent Kids.
At Cartoon Network, the producer is Kevin Narrainen and the writer is Richard Brookes. At Talent Television, Amanda Browning is the producer and John A. Marley will direct all the live-action for the show, filmed at MTV Studios Camden facilities.
Chudd Chudders and The Earl first appeared in 2000 on Cartoon Networks website hosting a game and their hilarious and irreverent double act shot the pair to stardom through hosting a series of SKATOONY specials and the long running TRUCKATOON show.
Cartoon Network is a 24-hour a day cable network dedicated to animated programming. Since launching as a pan-European channel in 1993 Cartoon Network now has localized services throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa in 14 languages, where it is available in 41.3 million homes. Channels are operated by Turner Broadcasting System Europe Ltd., a Time Warner company.
Talent Television (part of Talent Group plc) is a leading independent U.K. format creator and producer of television, video and interactive programming. Talent Kids, the childrens division, aims to develop programming for kids.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
