In 1992, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS) first launched its 24 hour
all-cartoon cable service, Cartoon Network. Next spring, Turner will launch
a second all-toon service, Boomerang. When Cartoon Network debuted seven
years ago, it could have been called the Hanna-Barbera Network because its
programming consisted almost exclusively of the classic Hanna-Barbera
library, which was also owned by Turner. But recently new shows such as THE
POWERPUFF GIRLS and DEXTER'S LABORATORY, produced by Cartoon Network

BKN (Bohbot Kids Network) Bulldog Network, a programming block which debuts
in the US on August 29, 1999, has acquired the programming and licensing
rights for many worldwide territories for MONSTER RANCHER. The show will
debut as a lead entry on BKN as a daily Monday - Friday half-hour series.
MONSTER RANCHER was originally developed in Japan as a Sony PlayStation
video game by Tecmo, and the series is currently in production at TMS,
Japan's largest animation house. The series is about an 11 year old boy who

Children's BBC has commissioned newly formed London-based Silver Fox Films
to produce ANGELMOUSE, a 26-part series for the BBC. The series is about a
little mouse who has been sent down from heaven to help out. He's not very
good at his job, however, and whenever a good deed backfires, as often
happens, his halo dims or disappears. Graham Ralph is directing the series
which is slated to debut later this year. Graham Ralph recently formed
Sliver Fox after relinquishing his stake in London-based Hibbert Ralph

"Shorties" is a series of two-minute animated shorts that re-interpret some
of Hanna-Barbera's lesser known, but fondly-remembered characters such as
Atom Ant, Jabberjaw, and Wally Gator. The shorts began to air in June
throughout the day on Cartoon Network during breaks from regularly
scheduled programming. They feature original plots and different animation
techniques for each short, and aim to update these characters with an
ironic, post-modern twist. Techniques include cel animation, cut-outs,

The CBS Television Network's 1999-2000 Saturday Morning schedule, which
begins on October 2, includes three returning shows and three new ones, all
produced by Toronto-based Nelvana. The new series are RESCUE HEROES,
BLASTER'S UNIVERSE, and NEW TALES FROM THE CRYPT. RESCUES HEROES is about a
team of international emergency response professionals, and is designed to
introduce young viewers to preparedness and safety techniques. BLASTER'S
UNIVERSE is based on a series of CD-ROMs from Knowledge Adventure. Set in

Eddie Murphy has rejoined the voice cast of Fox's Will Vinton
Studios-produced comedy, THE PJS, after angrily walking out on the show
when Fox decided to hold it back for midseason rather than giving it a slot
on the fall schedule. Murphy, a co-creator of THE PJS who has provided the
voice of lead character Thurgood Stubbs, had already recorded eight of next
season's 22 episodes before he walked. Producer Imagine TV used Murphy
sound-alike Phil Morris for two episodes, but it's undetermined whether

The ABC network, which is owned by The Walt Disney Co., has ordered a
six-hour miniseries based on the first two installments of James Gurney's
fantasy book series, DINOTOPIA which is about a world in which humans and
highly-evolved dinosaurs live together in harmony. With the exception of
Stephen King projects THE SHINING and STORM OF THE CENTURY, DINOTOPIA marks
ABC's biggest miniseries time commitment since 1988's 30-hour WAR AND
REMEMBRANCE which starred Robert Mitchum. Some sources estimate the cost at

Film Roman has joined Los Angeles-based Latino production company Sí TV to
produce a half-hour, English language animated pilot entitled STUCK IN THE
MIDDLE which is intended for prime time. Written and co-created by Sí TV
co-chairman Jeff Valdez, the pilot will feature the vocal talent of
co-creator and executive producer Cheech Marin (comedy team Cheech & Chong;
NASH BRIDGES), who also serves on the advisory board of Sí TV. STUCK IN THE
MIDDLE is about a twelve-year old whose home life in The Barrio contrasts

Beginning September 6, 1999, NODDY will air Monday through Friday on PBS stations in the US as part of PBS's "Ready to Learn" service. NODDY debuted in the US in the fall of 1998. The program's success has led to the production of 25 new episodes, bringing the total number of episodes to 65. The new episodes will begin airing in the fall of 1999. Based on the world-renowned children's books by Enid Blyton, NODDY, a show for children ages three to seven, is co-produced by BBC Worldwide, The Enid Blyton Company and Toronto-based Catalyst Entertainment, Inc.

Data Motion Arts (DMA) has created the host character "Phred" for the new Noggin network. DMA's creative director Tony Caio was asked to create a character who is interactive, works on TV and on-line, and appeals to 6-to-12 year-olds. The result is a 2D character that appears tattooed on your forehead of different live-action faces. The PHRED ON YOUR HEAD show debuted on Nickelodeon on June 6th at 12:00 pm. You can view Phred on-line at www.noggin.com/build. Noggin is an educational TV channel and website, developed as a joint venture of Nickelodeon and Children's Television Workshop.

Adding to the recently announced DOOMSDAY, being co-produced with Howard
Stern, and TIL THE FAT LADY SINGS, being co-produced with Norman Lear, Film
Roman has announced two more prime-time TV shows that it will be taking to
the marketplace this season. THE CABBISONS takes a hard look at today's
society through the eyes of a 1970's sitcom family who are typically
American--except for living in a cab. The Cabbisons travel through the
world in their cab, picking up fictional characters and celebrity fares

French production company Alphanim's RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT, a series,
co-produced with Cinar, about a group of three friends who travel the world
seeking out paranormal phenomena, will begin airing on the Fox Family
Channel on Wednesday, July 14, 1999. Alphanim, which was created in 1997 by
Christian Davin, has announced a number of new television series that are
in production or development.


In production:


SPACED OUT is a family sitcom created by P. Colin-Thibert and J.C. Islert,

Protozoa, a leading real-time 3D character animation studio, is producing
BBC Choice's new breakthrough kids series, THE DOG & DINOSAUR SHOW. In
production now, Protozoa, which did the real-time motion-capture animation
for live TV show guest appearances by M&M's Crispy character (Will Vinton
Studios created and animates the CGI character in the live-action
commercial campaign), will produce 26 segments of the show using its
proprietary performance animation software, ALIVE. Asked why he chose

Oxygen Media, Geraldine Laybourne's media company founded to provide
content for women, will undertake cable television's first original
animated prime-time series specifically targeting women. Machi Tantillo
will be Executive Producer. "Our goal is to create the first animated
television series for women, exploring issues from a female point of view.
We also wanted to build an outlet specifically for female animators, whose
distinctive voices will help us develop a unique Oxygen animation style and

Continuing to build upon the rapid growth of its television division's
development slate, Film Roman Inc. has teamed-up with television
writer/producer Norman Lear to develop TIL THE FAT LADY SINGS, an animated
prime-time comedy series. According to Norman Lear, the series will take an
irreverent look at infirmity and old age, but also celebrate life and
living. The show revolves around characters who gather at a senior
citizen's recreation facility and who cope with the challenges of old age

Cartoon Network has announced that I AM WEASEL will premiere on June 10 at
8 pm (ET/PT). This show is a spin-off from David Feiss' currently airing
COW AND CHICKEN series. Creator, writer, and director David Feiss' series
will follow the exploits of the internationally famous I.M. Weasel and his
insanely jealous arch-nemesis I.R. Baboon. Each half-hour show will consist
of three 7 minute shorts. 52 shorts that were originally shown as part of
COW AND CHICKEN will be joined by 27 new shorts have been created for the

Film Roman Inc. has entered into an agreement with Howard Stern Productions
and writer/producer Tracy Torme to create the animated sci-fi/comedy series
DOOMSDAY. While the concept was created by Torme, Howard Stern will play an
integral role in the development of the script and in the production of the
series, as well as provide the voice for one of the characters. Stern will
invite a number of his celebrity friends to appear as special guest voices
on
the show. DOOMSDAY tells the story of the Bradley family who travel in a

SP0NGEBOB SQUAREPANTS, a new animated series which is being produced at the
Burbank Nicktoons Studio, will premiere on Nickelodeon on July 17 at 10:00
am ET/PT in the USA, becoming Nickelodeon's first original Saturday morning
cartoon. A preview of the cartoon appeared on Nickelodeon on May 1, and
received a 6.3 rating and a 25 share when it was watched by 6.9 million
viewers. The cartoon features the adventures of SpongeBob, a hopelessly
optimistic and earnest sea sponge whose good intentions often lead to bad

Fox has announced their US Fall prime-time lineup and it includes some
surprises. For one, Toon Tuesday is no more. The closest to it is Toon
Sunday. Fox's confidence in FAMILY GUY appears to be high, as it has been
moved to Thursday night where it will stand out as the only animated
series, sandwiched between two new live-action shows, MANCHESTER PREP and
ACTION, shows that seem to be geared to the male 18-49 demographic group.


The schedule, which begins in September, is as follows:


Thursday

9:00 FAMILY GUY

This weekend's syndicated episode of SISKEL AND EBERT AT THE MOVIES, Roger Ebert's weekly movie review show in the US, is an animation special entitled "That's Not All Folks!," during which the film critic will explore the past, present, and future of animation.