Showtime Networks Inc., and AtomShockwave Corp., announced Tuesday, April 3, the signing of a new licensing deal to bring up to 100 short films to the recently launched multiplex channel SHOWTIME NEXT. The short films, part of the catalogue of AtomShockwave's film and animation brand, AtomFilms, will debut on SHOWTIME NEXT, later appearing on other Showtime Networks Inc. channels and services. "Our agreement with AtomFilms is an ideal match for SHOWTIME NEXT," said Vice President of Acquisitions Gary Garfinkel.

Since Fox didn't air their usual Sunday animation block of THE SIMPSONS, KING OF THE HILL and FUTURAMA, there were only three shows that made their way to primetime this week. Tied with five other shows for 104th, WB’s THE PJS scored a 1.4 rating/2 share. Tied with four other shows for 110th, UPN's GARY & MIKE scored a 1.3 rating/2 share. Tied with four other shows for 115th, UPN's CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH scored a 1.2 rating/2 share. These ratings and shares represent primetime TV in the U.S. on broadcast networks for the week starting Monday, March 18 through Sunday, March 25, 2001.

DIC Entertainment and Riverdale Productions announced an agreement to co-produce, distribute and merchandise a new animated television series based on the JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS comic book. Riverdale Productions is the film and television arm of Archie Comic Publications and MultiModal Media Group.

UPN has ordered a pilot for an animated sketch series from Urban Entertainment. The untitled project will feature Webtoons bridged together by an animated host. Urban Entertainment plans to license some content from other sites for the series. Company founder and CEO Michael Jenkinson said to the DAILY VARIETY, "It will be a broad sweep of the best stuff that's out there on the Internet. It will be youthful and hip and will definitely have an attitude." This deal isn't the first between UPN and Urban Entertainment.

Visionary Media will offer 26 half-hour TV episodes of WHIRLGIRL, the Flash-animated Internet series, via Catherine Branscome of Branscome International. "WHIRLGIRL has been recreated for TV with more animation and greater frame rates than are seen online via FlashCast, a proprietary process developed in-house by Visionary," explained Visionary Media acting CEO Buzz Potamkin.

On Sunday Fox aired a rerun of THE SIMPSONS, which placed #34 for the week, pulling in a 7.7 rating/12 share. KING OF THE HILL climbed into 62nd place with a 5.6 rating/9 share. Fox aired two special episodes of THE SIMPSONS on Wednesday from 9 – 10 pm. The 9:30 pm broadcast finished 65th with a 5.4 rating/9 share and the 9 pm broadcast placed 71st with a 5 rating/8 share. FUTURAMA fashioned a 4.5 rating/8 share in the 76th slot. At 109th, THE PJS hocked a 1.5 rating/3 share.

BKN International has rolled out 52 episodes of the animated fantasy adventure series ULTIMATE BOOK OF SPELLS. The story begins when friends Cassy, Gus and Verne discover the Ultimate Book Of Spells, which takes them on a journey to Earth’s center, where they must use their special powers to thwart the evil wizard, Zarlak. The series was originally titled JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH and so far BKN has completed 26 twenty-two-minute episodes. "I’m tremendously excited about the prospects for this series," said Leslie Nelson, managing director, BKN Television Sales SAS.

German EM.TV has signed a co-production deal with Spain's Planeta 2010. Already EM.TV has signed deals on four series and negotiations are in progress on five additional shows including 13 new episodes of DRAGON TALES, which is co-produced with Children's TV Workshop and Columbia TriStar TV Group. The signed deals include: 26-episodes of kids' comedy MR. BABY; 13 episodes of PIGS NEXT DOOR, co-produced with Fox Kids Int. and Magma Films; THE WORLD OF TOSH based on a Swedish fable; and NICK AND PERRY, co-produced by Germany's WDR and France's Ellipse Animation and M6.

After slipping into the top twenty last week, THE SIMPSONS fell to #26 this week with an 8.7 rating/14 share. The special Monday 9 pm broadcast of THE SIMPSONS tied five other programs for 53rd, taking home a 6.1 rating/9 share. In a three-way tie for 63rd, KING OF THE HILL brought in a 5.6 rating/9 share. All alone in 73rd place, FUTURAMA racked up a 4.9 rating/9 share. In a three-way tie for 108th, WB's THE PJS piled up a 1.6 rating/3 share. At its new Friday 9 pm time slot, GARY & MIKE managed to scrounge up a 1.4 rating/2 share in a five-way tie for 111th place.

ABC has announced that a new Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen cartoon series will be joining the "Disney's One Saturday Morning" block in the fall of 2001. Mary-Kate and Ashley will play movie actresses who star in a different action/adventure, mini-movie each episode. The girls will host a live-action lead-in to each episode's animated exploits. The series will be produced by Dualstar Animation, a division of Mary-Kate and Ashley's highly successful Dualstar Entertainment Group, in association with DIC Entertainment. The Olsens will serve as executive producers with Robert Thorne.