AWN Headline News

Z.com announced it will preview the upcoming NBC animated series SAMMY on the Web. This deal coincides with the Internet entertainment programming companys recent acquisition of Comedy.com. The series is loosely based on the real-life experiences of creator David Spade and his father. The seemingly unfunny plot line centers on Sammy, a deadbeat dad who abandoned his son, but comes back into the childs life once the son has become rich. The toon premieres on TV, July 25, 2000, with actors Maura Tierney (ER), Andy Dick (NEWSRADIO) and Spade providing voices.

WireBreak.com, an Internet entertainment destination, announced the debut of its first slate of interactive animated series. "We are thrilled to launch into the animated world with three digital shows that are consistent with our vision of Internet programming that is interactive as well as bold and outrageous," said David Wertheimer, chairman and chief executive officer of WireBreak.com. FRASIER co-executive producer Jon Sherman will produce the first show, THE SHAPE OF THINGS. The series follows Graham, Wex and Ira, who are drawn as simple squares.

Warner Bros. has announced THE OBLONGS will hit the Net before the network. Warner Bros. On-line will produce 25 30-second sketches based on the characters that will appear in the TV series in early 2001. THE OBLONGS follows five friends who develop abnormal physical and emotional attributes after extensive exposure to a local industrial waste dump. The OBLONGS MOMENTS Webisodes will roll out on the newly designed Warner Bros. On-line next month. To coincide with the Web sketches, Warner will launch interactive games and behind-the-scenes info about the series.

France-based Alphanim Digital Corp. and Magelis - Pôle Image Angoulême have partnered to create verysmallcity.com. Magelis is an organization set up in Angoulême to help support and develop animation and technology in the city. The image center (Pôle Image) will hold shares in the new Net firm and help provide human and technical resources when Alphanim opens this new production division in Angoulême in July 2000. The new site will be targeted toward the 18 to 25 age group. Verysmallcity will feature short animation series and interactive fiction and games.

Vancouver-based EnterCor Entertainment Corp. has signed a deal with Johannesburg-based TV and film conglomerate, Sasani Limited. As part of the deal, EnterCor will represent Sasani in North America. EnterCor COO Ed Richardson said, "I think North Americans will be astounded to see the level of sophistication of the Sasani Group and the extent of their world-class facilities.

Britt Allcroft, producer and rights holder of THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE, has signed distribution deals that will send the little engine that could and other properties to Nickelodeon, Paramount and Disney. The deal with Nickelodeon will see THOMAS aired on the station daily and ties into the release of the feature based on the TV series entitled THOMAS AND THE MAGIC RAILROAD. A 15-year Paramount pact will bring 39 30-minute episodes of the pre-school animated MUMFIE to video.

THE RUGRATS ruled the May rating sweep by topping both of its Saturday morning time slots. The top toon, RUGRATS, gained 2.4 million viewers at 9:30 am and 2.1 million at 9 am, placing that episode in the second slot. Nickelodeon shows ROCKET POWER and SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS took the third and fourth spots respectively. ROCKET landed an audience of 1.8 million at 8:30 am and SPONGEBOB sank 1.8 million viewers into their couches at 10 am. The regular champion POKEMON slipped to 5th place, only luring in 1.74 million viewers for its 10:30 am broadcast.

In easily the biggest box office weekend of all time, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2 rode in atop the U.S. box office charts. In the four-day Memorial Day holiday weekend, the motorcycle-cruising crime caper grossed a phenomenal US$70.82 million. Since opening on Wednesday, May 24, the John Woo-directed actioner has exploded forth with a $91.82 million total. Disneys DINOSAUR has already slipped to second rustling up another $32.04 million.

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania senior Joe Gorski has won the first Chuck Jones Foundation Award. Speaking by telephone from his home in California, animation legend Chuck Jones announced the winner of the first ever Chuck Jones Award for Excellence in Student Animation to a standing-room-only audience at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Jones daughter, Linda Jones Clough, was on hand to present the award to Gorski. Jones created the foundation that bears his name to recognize, reward, support and inspire continued excellence in art and animation.