National Geographic Television & Film’s (NGT&F) Kids’ Programming and Production unit has commenced production on the made-for-DVD animated special, TOOT & PUDDLE: I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS, also available to domestic and international broadcasters as a one-hour format. Based on Holly Hobbie’s TOOT & PUDDLE franchise and animated by Grand Slamm Children’s Films, TOOT & PUDDLE: I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS is scheduled to launch during the 2006 holiday season.

Barcelona-based Icon Animation has signed a raft of programming deals at MIPTV 2006 for its edu-tainment series VITAMINIX (www.vitaminix.tv). Panama free TV channel TV7 (Corp. Medcom), UEA cabsat channel E-Junior, TV Andorra and Digiturk in Turkey are the latest broadcasters to sign up for the animated healthy eating show aimed at kids. In addition, Icon Animation has signed an output deal with Al Sayyar Art Prod. for the Middle East and 33x26 animated series MIMI & MR. BOBO.

Cookie Jar Ent. enters the boy’s action arena with the launch of the 52 half-hour action-adventure series SPIDER RIDERS, a co-production between Cookie Jar Ent. and leading Japanese advertising agency, Yomiko. SPIDER RIDERS has made its debut at MIP-TV. Cookie Jar heads into the market with the company’s first sale to TELETOON, Canada’s all-animation channel, which will debut the series using an interesting mix of a movie premiere and weekly timeslots culminating in a daily strip show starting June 2006. animation is being produce by Japan’s Bee Train.

Prix Jeunesse 2006 finalist TOOPY AND BINOO is invading MIP-TV. An original production from Canada’s preschool broadcaster Treehouse, TOOPY AND BINOO is produced by Spectra Animation and distributed by Spectra International Distribution. The series has been airing for several months in both English and French.

During MIP-TV this week in Cannes, production company BRB Internacional has just closed the sale of its first CG series, BERNARD, to the BBC, which is likely to broadcast the series in 2007. Consisting of 52 episodes in the sketch genre, this series, co-produced by BRB, its creative studio Screen 21, EBS, M6 and RG, is entirely in High-Definition.

At MIP-TV 2006, Nelvana announced that Nickelodeon International (MTV Networks BV) has picked up 26x30 of the 2D-animated comedy WAYSIDE SCHOOL for broadcast in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Scandinavia, Benelux, Israel, Eastern Europe, Latin America, Asia and Australia.

“With its penchant for the irreverent, Nickelodeon is the ideal global partner on a cable basis for this madcap series from the creative and comedic mind of Louis Sachar,” said Scott Dyer, evp of production and development, Nelvana.

Taffy Ent. has signed a major licensing deal with Spin Master for debut show SAMSAM.

Launching at MIP-TV and represented by Taffy Ent., SAMSAM is a new comicbook based 3D animated television property produced by Bayard Jeunesse Animation in HD with a first season of 52x7. Toronto-based Spin Master Ltd. has been granted the master toy license for the U.S., Canada and the U.K. Spin Master will initially focus on figures, plush, role-play and activity toy categories as well as a range of its trademark Marshmallow foam furniture.

The weather is lovely in Cannes, the spring flowers are in bloom, lots of animation abounds, but many MIP-goes may not experience any of this due to an air traffic controllers strike in France that has cancelled most flights coming into Nice, the closest airport to the MIP market.

Those entered the Palais convention hall on Monday, April 3, 2006, saw a handwritten list of affected flights. While expected to be over before the weekend, this presents a hardship to those expecting to arrive and leave mid-market.

Nelvana comes to MIP-TV 2006 with a U.S. sale in tow for its new preschool property from the creative mind of author Dan Yaccarino.

Cake Entertainment and Hoek, Line & Thinker (HLT) have joined forces under a newly formed company, Cake Distribution Ltd. that will distribute HLT's current projects and joint future projects.