Monster Distributes will bring the original half-hour model animated special APE to NATPE 2003.

Granada International will arrive at NATPE with two popular preschool series. Cosgrove Hall Films' ENGIE BENJY (26 x 10-minutes), already a hit in the U.K., features the vibrant and colorful world of Engie the engine doctor and his team as they make things better for sick planes and tired buses.

Vancouver-based Atomic Cartoons will be showcasing their animation wares at NATPE 2003 including two new series with cartoonist Adrian Raeside titled DYSFUNCTION JUNCTION and DOC SHOCK. Humor and bizarre experiments run rampant in DOC SHOCK, a series about a college professor who may be a whacked-out extraterrestrial. DYSFUNCTION JUNCTION follows a group of ill-fated dot-commers in a family that is movin’ on down instead of up.

Latin American distribution specialist Salsa Entertainment returns to NATPE 2003 with the exclusive Latin American distribution rights to three new animation series: SOMETHING ELSE (26 x 11-minutes), OLLIVER’S ADVENTURES (13 x 21-minutes) and METALHEADS (26 x 11-minutes). Based on the award-winning children’s illustrated book of the same title by Kathryn Cave and Chris Riddell, SOMETHING ELSE targets 5 to 8 year-old kids with the unpredictable adventures of long-nosed, orange and furry Something and small, blue and furry Something Else.

Vancouver-based computer animation studio Mainframe Entertainment, Inc. is bringing two new animated projects to this year's NATPE: ALIEN LEGION and MAXINE 5. ALIEN LEGION, based on the cult comic book series created by Carl Potts, follows the futuristic exploits of the Legion's Force Nomad and its multi-species ranks of alien legionnaires. Culled from the unwanted of three galaxies, legionnaires are the expendable shock troops and peacekeepers of the new intergalactic realm.

TechTV, a cable network dedicated to all things technology, recently launched ANIME UNLEASHED, a program block devoted to screening anime feature films and series, some never before seen on television in the U.S. ANIME UNLEASHED premiered December 30, 2002 with the series debut of CREST OF STARS, which follows a human boy whose life changes forever when an alien race invades his home planet, and currently airs nightly at 1:00 am EST. "ANIME UNLEASHED is a natural extension to our programming mix," said Greg Brannan, senior vice president of programming and production for TechTV.

THE WALKING WITH DINOSAURS specials are back on the BBC, with the premiere of THE GIANT CLAW and LAND OF GIANTS over the holiday season. For the first time in the WALKING WITH… series, the special effects on display include the integration of a human being into the prehistoric landscape. Zoologist Nigel Marvin, who hosts both shows, travels back in time to ancient Earth in search of a variety of dinosaurs.

VH1 and Mondo Media will debut their new special ROCKSTROLOGY on January 2, 2003 on VH1. The show features humorous animated interpretations of psychic predictions for the year 2003. ROCKSTROLOGY answers all those burning questions about today's hottest musicians and celebrities. Get the latest on Jennifer Lopez’s romance, find out what’s in store for Marilyn Manson and take a peek into the future career of Jack Osbourne.

Cartoon Network continues to branch into anime with the U.S. premiere of CHAR'S COUNTERATTACK during its Adult Swim animation block. The network recently announced it had acquired three anime series, LUPIN THE THIRD, REIGN and TRIGUN, to round out its Adult Swim block, which also includes anime series COWBOY BEBOP and INUYASHA. CHAR'S COUNTERATTACK is a feature-length film drawn from Yoshiyuki Tomino's MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM series.

Cartoon Network's Brak from THE BRAK SHOW and Carl from AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE are teaming up for a Cartoon Network Adult Swim New Year's Eve celebration. Airing "live" from Times Square on Tuesday, December 31 from 11:00 pm-3:00 am, Adult Swim's New Year's Eve Bash will include a world premiere episode of SPACE GHOST COAST TO COAST at 12 midnight.

Anime producer and distributor ADV Films is readying the launch of The Anime Network, with a mid-December launch as part of Comcast Cable's video-on-demand (VOD) initiative in the Philadelphia area. Comcast's VOD service is available to approximately 1.2 million customers in the Philadelphia area. The move will be phase one of the rollout of the network, which is the first television channel in North America dedicated to anime and anime-related content. Leadership at The Anime Network described the decision to launch phase one via VOD service as one of complementary strengths.

From KISS to clones, Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana Limited brings an eclectic slate of programming to NATPE this January. Gene Simmons, lead singer of the rock band KISS, has created MY DAD THE ROCK STAR, a 26 x 30-minute animated comedy targeted to 6-12 year-olds. The series centers on Willy Zilla, a 12 year-old kid who just wants to lead a quiet, normal existence.

International distributor Comarex will attend NATPE 2003 with a selection of animated series including FAIRY TALE POLICE DEPARTMENT (26 x 30-minutes), EM.TV's series about a special unit of the secret service that fights against crime in the fairy tale world; FLIPPER & LOPAKA, a 52 x 30-minute series that tells the story of Lopaka, Prince of Quetzo, and his dolphin friend Flipper; THE WORLD OF TOSH (26 x 30-minutes) revolves around nine year old Tosh, who has a talent for getting himself and others into trouble without

Kids WB! gives the Scooby Gang their first prime-time special this season with the debut of A SCOOBY-DOO CHRISTMAS. Based on the series WHAT'S NEW SCOOBY DOO?, which currently airs on Kids' WB! on Saturday mornings, the holiday mystery will air on Friday, December 13, 2002 at 8:30 pm. The Mystery Machine rolls into the town of Winter Hollow and the gang discover that Christmas is destroyed each year by the appearance of a headless snowman.

Fox Kids UK is including the new series ROBOROACH and MOVILLE MYSTERIES, as well as new seasons of returning favorites to its early 2003 line-up. ROBOROACH (52 x 11-minutes) follows the adventures of Rube, a cockroach who can transform himself into a superhero insect called RoboRoach, and his brainy brother Reg. The series was acquired from RTV Family Entertainment and is scheduled to launch on January 6, 2003.

If you haven't already succumbed to the TiVo phenomenon, now may be the time. During the month of December, TiVo will air exclusive promotional content from THE TWO TOWERS, the second installment in the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy. TiVo was given special access to the cast and crew of the film, and got first hand accounts of what went on behind the scenes of the epic feature's filming. Opening worldwide on December 18, 2002, LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS details the continuing saga of the hobbit Frodo Baggins and his quest through Middle Earth to destroy the One Ring of power.

Drew Barrymore stars as the voice of Olive, the dog that thinks she's a reindeer in the Emmy-nominated animated holiday special OLIVE, THE OTHER REINDEER, which makes its Cartoon Network debut on December 14, at 8:00 pm. The animation is based on the illustrations of J. Otto Siebold, who co-authored the titular book with Vivian Walsh. In other reindeer news, Cartoon Network will also screen GRANDMA GOT RUNOVER BY A REINDEER for the first time on that network on December 16 at 8:00 pm.

Canadian independent animation studio AurenyA Entertainment has completed production on the 3D animated half-hour television special, THE ELFKINS FIRST CHRISTMAS. Produced in partnership with Dinosaur Soup Productions, Beaver Creek Creations and Independent Moving Pictures, the show tells the tale of the Elfkins, mythic creatures who live in a parallel universe. When they learn of the existence of human children, the Elfkins discover the true meaning of Christmas.

Big Idea Productions brings its first public television special to the airwaves with the debut of VEGGIETALES: THE STAR OF CHRISTMAS. This animated holiday special features the well-known characters from the VEGGIETALES children's home-video series.

Kids' WB! will broadcast its Flash-animated comedy series ¡MUCHA LUCHA! with a Spanish simulcast, beginning on Saturday, December 14, 2002. The network, in conjunction with its affiliates, will provide Hispanic viewers the ability to watch the series in Spanish via Second Audio Programming (SAP). This irreverent comedy celebrates the Latin culture and explores the Mexican phenomenon known as "Lucha Libre." Kids' WB! recently announced it will pick up a second season of the series, which follows Rikochet, Buena Girl and The Flea as they study and live the "Code of Masked Wrestling."