Discovery Kids and WGBH are currently in production on an original new animated series, TIME WARP TRIO, that will debut on Discovery Kids on NBC this July. Kids television producer WGBH created the series, based on a popular book series, in association with Soup2Nuts.
Helen Blayney joins Celador International as senior sales manger, kids division, where she will be responsible for sales of the companys growing portfolio of childrens programming, including ROOBARB & CUSTARD and TALES OF THE RIVERBANK. Blayney reports to Cathy Laughton, who joined London-based Celador Intl in February 2005 as head of kids programming to champion of its new kids division, Celador International Kids.
Beginning Sept. 5, 2005, PBS KIDS JAKERS! THE ADVENTURES OF PIGGLEY WINKS will begin airing Mondays through Fridays. The Emmy-winning, CGI-animated program from Entara Ltd. has run on weekends for the past two years.
At MIPTV 2005, Nelvana confirm a raft of new television and home entertainment partners for musical adventure series THE BACKYARDIGANS as well as initial broadcast sales for JANE AND THE DRAGON.
Picking up episodes 1 to 20 of BACKYARDIGANS are Nickelodeon channels in Holland, Asia and Australia, Cartoon Network India, Discovery Kids Latin America, Teletoon Canada, KM Productions (Middle East), RTP 1 & 2 (Portugal), and Maori Television (New Zealand), while France 5 acquires the remaining episodes 11 to 20.
Comcast announced the start of something big for families of preschoolers with the launch of PBS KIDS Sprout On Demand, a new video-on-demand (VOD) service that makes some of the best-known and most-loved preschool television shows available at any time families want to watch them. In addition to the new VOD service, a 24x7 digital cable channel will launch this fall, making PBS KIDS Sprout. PBS KIDS Sprout was created as a partnership between Comcast, PBS, HIT Ent. and Sesame Workshop.
On April 2, Nickelodeon hosted its 18th annual Kids Choice Awards, which was hosted by Ben Stiller. For favorite cartoon, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS took home the prize. Winning favorite movie was Brad Birds superhero send-up THE INCREDIBLES. Will Smiths performance in DreamWorks SHARK TALE earned him the favorite voice from an animated movie. Though SHREK 2 lost out in the favorite movie category, the game SHREK 2 took home favorite game.
Discovery Kids on NBC this spring will feature new and old series feature animal encounters that include animated interstitials. The new lineup begins on April 2, 2005.
The new schedule as of April 2 is as follows: CROC FILES 10:00-10:30 am (ET) / 8:00-8:30 am (PT) JEFF CORWIN UNLEASHED - 10:30 11:00 am (ET) / 8:30-9:00 am (PT) SCOUTS SAFARI 11:00-11:30 am (ET) / 9:00-9:30 am (PT) TRADING SPACES: Boys vs Girls 11:30 am - Noon (ET) / 9:30-10:00 am (PT)
This month the Animation Pimp gets a little queer about the gay hysteria circling around various cartoons.
Nickelodeon has announced the nominees for the 18th Annual Kids Choice Awards, which will take place April 2 (8-9:30 p.m. ET/PT) and will be hosted by Ben Stiller.
Were thrilled to welcome Ben Stiller as a first-time host of Nickelodeons Kids Choice this year, said Marjorie Cohn, evp, Nickelodeon development and original programming. Hes hilarious, beloved by kids and a movie veteran of the kind of irreverent mayhem that is the hallmark of our slime-meets-stars Awards.
Veteran kids marketer Nibs Dearsley joins Turner Broadcasting as marketing director, overseeing U.K. commercial kids channels, Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Toonami. She will manage, develop and lead the U.K. marketing team, while reporting to vp of network services, Joanne Barlow.
Previously head of marketing at Jetix throughout Europe and marketing manager of Nickelodeon in the U.K., Dearsley had a solid track record promoting kids' brands before earning a place with the market leader.
This month the Animation Pimp gets a little queer about the gay hysteria circling around various cartoons.
While exhibiting at the American International Toy Fair in New York City, Nelvana Ltd. announced it has completed a pan-European direct-to-retail agreement with C&A to carry a carry a range of BABAR-themed infantwear.
Under terms of the direct deal a first for Nelvana in the international market C&A stores in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Russia and the Czech Republic will carry the BABAR baby line, which is expected to debut in June 2005.
They were transformed into babies, now they are futuristic heroes as Kids' WB! leads off its upcoming season with LOONATICS, featuring descendants of legendary Looney Tunes characters upholding justice and hopefully the networks high ratings. The new fall schedule for the 2005-2006 television season featuring three new series and four returning hits, striving to broaden audience appeal with dual-gender programs was announced today (Feb.
Ohm:tv has been licensed its latest animation series, BJORN BEAR, to U.K.-based Discovery Kids.
The 7x39 series, produced by Swedish Animation House Happy Life, is co-produced with WDR, which holds the rights for German-speaking territories and Swedish SVT, which holds the Scandinavian rights.
Karen Raugust looks at how networks and studios look to the Web to support on-air programming, enhance their brands and generate revenues.
Cartoon Network is creating an integrated PSA program to inspire young people to learn how they can join in supporting global efforts to provide relief to the millions of tsunami victims in southeast Asia. Favorite characters from its vast animation studios will be featured in a musical salute set against Give a Little Bit, by Roger Hodgson, formerly of Supertramp.
Cathy Laughton joins London-based Celador Intl in February 2005 as head of kids programming to champion of its new kids division (Celador International Kids) and will be responsible for sales of the companys portfolio of childrens programming as well as the development of new program acquisitions.
Laughton has 15 years experience in television distribution, which includes stints with Nelvana Enterprises (U.K.) Ltd, Jim Henson Co. and HIT Entertainment Plc.
BrainPOP's has created a new TSUNAMI movie to give kids the information they need to make connections and gain understanding of the devastation caused by natural disasters. The film is available for free distribution to every media company and Website.
Prism Ent. and Nickelodeon U.K., are rolling out their online kids environment the BIN WEEVILS into new territories in a far-reaching agreement with pan-European kids network, Nickelodeon Europe. From early 2005, children visiting the Websites of Nickelodeon channels in Sweden, Italy and Spain will all be able to join in the comedy-driven animated characters. To date, 281,632 children have registered as BIN WEEVILS at www.nickelodeon.co.uk and in November 2004 alone the site received 2,671,516 hits.
For the first time in Canada, kids will help determine the next hit show in a new animated shorts showcase, FUNPAK, premiering on YTV Feb. 3, 2005, at 7:30 pm. FUNPAK is a 13x30 assortment of animated shorts created entirely in-house at YTVs sister company, Nelvana Ltd..
Coinciding with the Christmas release of Foxs FAT ALBERT feature, UrbanWorks Ent. (in partnership with Entertainment Rights) has released two volumes of FAT ALBERT AND THE COSBY KIDS for the first time on DVD: FAT ALBERT AND THE COSBY KIDS THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION ($49.99) and FAT ALBERT AND THE COSBY KIDS ($14.99). Both contain best of collections of the popular, Emmy-nominated animated TV series from Filmation that ran on CBS from 72-84.
For January 2005, Kids' WB! will see the exclusive U.S. premiere of POKÉMON THE MOVIE: DESTINY DEOXYS as well as the third season premiere of WHAT'S NEW SCOOBY-DOO?
Anime expert Fred Patten reviews the latest anime releases including Gravion, Magical Play: The Complete Collection, Miami Guns, Shootfighter Tekken and Wolfs Rain.
Kids' WB! is celebrating the holidays throughout the month of December with the tube sock named Holiday Sock hosting the programming block. On Dec. 11 (8:00 am - 12:00 pm ET), the network invites viewers to the fourth annual "Holiday Sock Party" from the North Pole. From more than 10,000 entries received, eight lucky kids will have their wishes granted.
GameDAILY has announced that GameDAILY Kids, a new Website aimed at providing kids with information on videogames, has launched. Located at www.gamedailykids.com, GameDAILY Kids provides young gamers with reviews, previews and fun features on the videogames that are best suited to their age group.
