As part of Oxygen's "Addicted To Love" week, the cable network will premiere BEHIND THE KISS, a one-hour special created by animator Corky Quakenbush. Created in stop-motion animation, this special features a spoof of talk show host Charlie Rose interviewing actors Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan, Barbra Streisand, Richard Gere, Ellen DeGeneres and Julie Andrews at the premieres of Hollywood movie parodies, including XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS DIARIES, ROMEO AND J. LOET, AN OFFICER AND A YENTLMAN, HANNIBAL: YOU'VE GOT MEAL and BITANIC.

To honor Chuck Jones’ (1912-2002) great cartoon legacy, Cartoon Network's all-classic satellite network, Boomerang will host a 24-hour tribute to the legendary creator beginning Friday, March 1, 2002. Featuring many of the beloved Looney Tunes shorts and characters he created over his 60-year career, the marathon will run 8:00 am Friday, March 1 to 8:00 am Saturday, March 2. In addition to screening his classic Warner Bros.

Are you ready for more Smurfs? Because it looks like IMPS, the Belgian company that owns the worldwide license for Smurfs merchandising, is planning to create a new series of the cuddly blue creatures in Smurfy 3D. According to A&A computer systems, the technology provider to IMPS, the company is working on a pilot for a new Smurf series, which will possibly be produced in 3D. An IMPS representative stated that 3D "offers tremendous creative possibilities that have so far been unused in the Smurfs' cartoon world."

Animated battling robots series MEDABOTS will have its U.K. television premiere on Fox Kids UK starting February 18, 2002. The 52 half-hour episodes, produced by Corus-owned Nelvana Ltd. in association with NAS/Kodansha and TV Tokyo, are set in a technologically advanced future where every child owns a "Medabot," a pet robot fuelled with artificial intelligence and an arsenal of weapons.

Canadian network CTV has picked up a second season of the Studio B Productions’ series D’MYNA LEAGUES. The show chronicles the misadventures of a baseball team comprised of teenaged myna birds, and its new season will premiere on CTV Saturdays at 11:00 am (ET) beginning February 23, 2002.

Kids' WB! has announced it will pick-up five animated series for its fall 2002 line-up. Beginning its fifth season, 52 all-new episodes of 4Kids Productions’ POKÉMON: MASTER QUEST will air six days a week. Both Sony Pictures Family Entertainment’s JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES and X-MEN: EVOLUTION, produced by Marvel Studios in association with Film Roman, return for their third seasons, with 13 new episodes each.

A Fox network representative confirmed that FUTURAMA has not been renewed for the 2003 - 2004 season. The Annie Award winning comedy series from Matt Groening was renewed in January 2001 for 18 episodes and a 4th season. Those episodes have all been completed by production company Rough Draft and will air during the next year. The network says there is a possibility they will order more episodes, but the current plan is to air only what they have.

Boomerang UK is adding more classic cartoon characters to its ranks. 30 half-hours of PRIME TIME PEANUTS SPECIALS and 18 half-hours of THE CHARLIE BROWN SHOW have been acquired by the network from Patrick Sinfield Ltd. The Charlie Brown series’ join Boomerang’s recent acquisitions THUNDERBIRDS, THE PINK PANTHER and DANGERMOUSE. "This is another very valuable acquisition for Boomerang as Snoopy's appeal spans generations and is an extremely well-known franchise," said Jo Sweby, acquisition manager for Cartoon Network Europe. The shows will launch in August.

The Kids' WB! is planning a celebrity guest appearance and special two-part episodes of some of its most popular Saturday morning shows in the month of February. STATIC SHOCK will feature NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal in an animated guest appearance. In "Static Shaq," airing Saturday, February 16 (8:30 am ET/7:30 am PT), Shaq pays a visit to Virgil and his dad but a ruthless meta-human gang makes it difficult for Virgil to keep his Static status a secret from his new friend.

Disney’s Classic Treasures Crosses The Alps. Buena Vista International Television has added Austrian terrestrial broadcaster ORF and Telepool Zurich in Switzerland to its list of licensees for the "Classic Treasures" package of Disney and Disney/Pixar films. For the first time, viewers in these territories will be able to watch popular animated films on terrestrial television. The package includes A BUG'S LIFE, MULAN, HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, TOY STORY and TOY STORY 2.