Breakthrough Animation Inc. has sold
ATOMIC BETTY to Cartoon Network in the U.S. The series, co-produced with fellow Canadian
Atomic Cartoons and Tele-Images Kids in France, has cleared in a number of markets around the world, but creators were especially keen on bringing the cartoon to American TV viewers.
Cartoon Network U.S. joins Cartoon Network in the U.K., Australia, Italy, South-East Asia, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe as licensees of the animated comedy, action/adventure. Breakthrough Animation, the newly-established animation production, marketing and distribution division of Breakthrough Films & Television, has licensed ATOMIC BETTY to more than 40 territories worldwide. The series is set to air soon on TELETOON (Canada), M6 (France), Teletoon (France) and ABC (Australia).
ATOMIC BETTY follows the adventures of Betty, a little girl with a big secret. To her friends and family, little Betty is the sweet and brainy girl next door, but when the galaxy beckons, she sheds her humdrum persona and becomes: "Atomic Betty, Galactic Guardian and Defender of the Cosmos." Atomic Betty zips across the galaxy on daring and valiant missions, from saving a race of space monkeys from a giant caterpillar invasion to rescuing a kidnapped ambassador from a ruthless king. If her parents ever found out about her double life, she’d be grounded for sure.
The series represents the first major original production for Breakthrough Animation Inc., which was formed in spring 2003 by television industry execs Kevin Gillis, Ira Levy and Peter Williamson. ATOMIC BETTY was created by ATOMIC CARTOONS and developed by Breakthrough Animation and Fresh Produce. An official Canada-France co-production, the series is produced by Breakthrough Animation Inc. and Atomic Cartoons with Tele-Images Kids with the participation of the Shaw Fund and the Canadian Television Fund.
Breakthrough’s head of distribution, Tanya Kelen, said her company is developing several animated projects for production in 2004. “As we continue to add to our lineup of prestigious broadcasters licensing ATOMIC BETTY across the world, it is also our objective to underscore Breakthrough’s commitment to providing the marketplace with a wide range of highly promotable original animated programming,” said Kelen.
Breakthrough Films and Television is a producer of popular children’s, factual, drama and lifestyle programming. Over the past 20 years, Levy and Williamson have produced more than 250 half-hours of programming in 2003.
