Munich-based TV-Loonland has a two new series and pilots to unveil at MIPCOM and screen at MIPCOM Jr. Its U.K. production house, Telemagination, has completed production on its brand new, madcap animated series, METALHEADS, according to David Ferguson, coo, operating out of TV-Loonlands London office.
A co-production with German broadcaster ZDF, in conjunction with CBBC, this 2x11 series cleverly mixes zany comedy with the medieval mayhem as five unlikely kids train to be true knights in shining armor. Directed by Chris Hermans, known for his directorial work on RUGRATS and ROCKETPOWER, METALHEADS debuts fall 2003 on the BBCs coveted Saturday morning lineup. TV-Loonland and ZDF will handle the distribution of all worldwide rights.
Set in the Middle Ages, the story centers on a motley crew of five young kids who, through a chance encounter, enroll themselves in the prestigious Metalheads Academy for future honorable knights. With none of the qualifications for admission, these bumbling misfits have to try and keep up in an institute that is primarily designed for a very select few boys of both skill and nobility something these five medieval lads are sorely lacking in. METALHEADS is an imaginative combination of Monty Python and knights of the roundtable, mixed with a whole heap of mud and medieval mirth for kids 6-11.
METALHEADS is a fabulously quirky story, with a subject matter that has a true universal appeal, said Ferguson. The knights of medieval times have been glamorized and stylized in countless films and television programs over the years, but rarely has the subject been approached from such a fun angle for kids. It was a pleasure working again with ZDF on this series, as well as having the fabulous support of BBC. We cant wait for everyone to see it.
TV-Loonland will present its first CGI series, DRAGONS ROCK. A co-production with Germanys Super RTL, DRAGONS ROCK tells the story of a family of dragons named the Hoppers a regular, scaly-skinned, fire-breathing family of five just trying to make ends meet and cope with the chaos of daily life. Scheduled to be delivered by March 2004, this new 26x22 minute series is a visually impressive, high-budget feast of colors and truly original 3D characters, aimed at family audience.
Pilot series in the offering are SAM HAMWICH, SUPERHERO SANDWICH (26x11) and RUDI (26x11). Starring the worlds first superhero sandwich, SAM HAMWICH, SUPERHERO SANDWICH is aimed at kids 7-12 and follows the comic adventures of Superhero Sam as he takes on unappetizing evildoers. RUDI is a delightful pre-school series featuring the mischievous raven, Rudi, and his best friend, Trudi the kitten. Both have trailers and pilot scripts ready for viewing.
TV-Loonland will debut the second series of its worldwide smash hit, THE CRAMP TWINS, at MIPCOM 2003. Other animated offerings include SOMETHING ELSE, a 26x11 series produced with Studio B Prods., in Canada, for kids 5-8, and PETTSON & FINDUS, a 13x13 series produced with Happy Life Prods., in Sweden, for kids 5-9.
Highlighted by both the return of our hugely popular THE CRAMP TWINS series and the debut of our hotly anticipated DRAGONS ROCK series, TV-Loonland is returning to MIPCOM this year with a great and varied lineup of programming, said Ferguson. We are really looking forward to showing off all of our hot new properties to all of our broadcasters, while we are equally excited about discussing our future co-productions with some top partners. It should be a great market for TV-Loonland.
TV-Loonland will be exhibiting at booth 09.19. Executives in attendance include:Peter Völkle, president/ceoDavid Ferguson, cooMarion Edwards, md, TelemaginationSuzanne Berman, vp, creative affairs, North America, Sunbow Entertainment Jerry Diaz, evp, Salsa EntertainmentNatalie Gordon, sales manager Jamie Lynn, sales execBernhard Stephan, sales manager merchandisingJennifer Upton, development execDominique Neudecker, producerIlona McLean, director of press & investor relationsAna Smith, marketing manager
