Dotcomix online hit SISTER RANDY will make her TV debut on BBC America, Saturday, October 21, 2000. SISTER is the second Webtoon to be licensed for TV broadcast on BBC America. Earlier this year the cable network began airing Mondo Media’s THUGS ON FILM. Like THUGS, SISTER will serve as interstitials between programming. As part of the deal, the Webtoons will also air on bbcamerica.com. "Sister Randy is sure to be habit-forming television.

One-time L.A. Laker cheerleader/singer/choreographer Paula Abdul and her Planet Paula Productions have signed a deal with Fox Kids Network to develop a new live-action/animated children series. The untitled show will follow a garage band's climb to success. Abdul is set to produce, choreograph and perform an animated character's voice or play a live-action character. The series idea was inspired by Abdul's work on her "Opposites Attract" music video, in which she interacted with an animated character named M.C. Scat Kat.

The hit British comedy program, MR. BEAN, is about to be transformed into an animated series. The live-action series’ production company, Tiger Aspect, will be producing the US$15 million animated television series, which will air on ITB. Rowan Atkinson, who plays the live-action Bean, will voice the animated character. In addition, Robin Driscoll, who served as the original writer on the live-action series, will be scribing the new toon version. Currently, Tiger Aspect is looking for an animation company to perform the physical production.

CBS’ Saturday morning ratings have been sky rocketing since beginning airing the Nick Jr. block, with shows such as BLUE’S CLUES and LITTLE BILL. On September 30, 2000, the Nick Jr. programming on CBS averaged a 3.8 rating/18 share among kids 2-5. The ratings were up 58% from the previous week and up 388% from last year. WB ran second in the same demographic with a 2 rating/9 share, followed by ABC with 1.9/10 and Fox .9/4.

For the third quarter, Cartoon Network has reported ratings 25% higher than a year ago. The toon channel drew an average of 1.26 million households, compared with just over a million in the third quarter of 1999. "Our original animated shows like POWERPUFF GIRLS and DEXTER’S LABORATORY have been doing very well, with POWERPUFF GIRLS giving us the highest ratings ever," said Cartoon Network executive vice president Tim Hall.

Barcelona-based Neptuno Films has signed a deal to co-produce, with Planeta 2010, a children’s series entitled PUSS IN BOOTS. Based on the classic tale of Perrault, the story is being adapted by Neptuno director Josep Lluis Viciana. Neptuno also produces THE UGLY DUCKLING, THE THREE BEARS, THE GRAVEDIGGERS SQUAD and BANDOLERO. This production will be the first in what both companies hope to be a long-term co-production relationship.

London-based rights holder Chorion is launching a new 3D animated children’s series entitled MAKE WAY FOR NODDY. Based on author Enid Blyton’s books, NODDY follows the Toyland gang as they try to teach children social values and simple life lessons. The NODDY books have sold over 200 million copies in forty languages worldwide. Chorion has commissioned Los Angeles-based SD Entertainment to produce the series, which will combine 2D and 3D animation. SD Entertainment is the animation house formed by former MGM Animation executives Paul Sabella and Jonathan Dern.

At MIPCOM, Cosgrove Hall Films has launched their new pre-school series FETCH THE VET. Based on an original concept by children’s author Stephen Thraves, FETCH THE VET tells the story of the day-to-day life of veterinarian Tom Fetch. The series was commissioned by CITV and is co-produced by Flextech Rights Ltd. and ITEL. Currently, 26 11-minute installments have been completed. In promotion of the series, Cosgrove Hall Digital has created a FETCH Website at www.fetchthevet.com.

ABC has secured broadcast rights for the classic holiday PEANUTS specials from rights holder United Media ending the specials’ 35-year run on CBS. The main reason for the switch was that the new deal was more lucrative for the rights holder. However no specific monetary details were released. The agreement also guarantees that IT’S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN and A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING will be aired each year, which wasn’t always an absolute on CBS.

ANGRY KID, the love-or-loathe-him ginger-haired horror from the home of WALLACE AND GROMIT, has proved so popular even the Internet isn't big enough for him. The SUNDAY TELEGRAPH paper reports that the Aardman Animations character is to make the move to television. At present, there are twenty-five different Webisodes, each about a minute long, available on the AtomFilms Website. The character is played by an actor shot frame-by-frame (pixelation), wearing one of Angry Kid's four hundred masks. The series was launched exclusively online on May 8, 2000.