Television
Mouseworks. © Disney. All Rights Reserved
Mickey Mouse Is Back! For
the first time in 40 years, Mickey Mouse will be animated in new cartoons
by Disney. Walt Disney Television Animation in Toronto is launching production
of a new series called Mouseworks, which will package new cartoons
featuring Mickey, Donald Duck, Daisy, Goofy and Pluto, into weekly, 22-minute
episodes scheduled for release in January 1999. In the development of the
show, Roy Disney (currently vice chairman of the board of the Walt Disney
Company) has been working closely with Disney TV's L.A.-based senior vice
president Barry Blumberg and executive producers Roberts Gannaway and Tony
Craig. As in the early Mickey Mouse "Silly Symphony" cartoons,
music is being established as the driving force to provide reference for
character motion and movements. In fact, the animator's term "Mickey
Mousing" refers to the process of using music to accent on-screen
actions of animated characters. "This is more than a return to our
company's roots - it's the restoration of a staple of cartoon entertainment,"
said Roy Disney, "We feelthere's no more appropriate time to make
this announcement than on the [69th] anniversary of Mickey's creation."
Disney Toons In New, All-Animation Channel. Disney/ABC Networks announced
plans to launch a new 24-hour cable network devoted exclusively to animated
programming. Toon Disney, as it is named, will be offered to cable operators
which already carry The Disney Channel, starting with a launch date of
April 18, 1998, which coincides with the 15th anniversary of The Disney
Channel. Programming for Toon Disney will be culled from more than 2,200
episodes of Disney's existing animated TV series, such as Darkwing Duck,
Gummi Bears and New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Animated
shorts from the early Disney days, which The Disney Channel began airing
on December 5, in a 5:00 a.m. program block called "Vault Disney,"
will also be shown. The remaining 25% of programming will be exclusive
to Toon Disney. It has yet to be determined whether Mouseworks, Walt
Disney Television Animation's recently announced animated series starring
Mickey Mouse and friends, will air on the new network, The Disney Channel,
or in syndication. Although ratings have proven Disney's animated features
to be a big draw for audiences, Toon Disney programming plans do not yet
include any of Disney's original theatrical features or direct-to-video
films. In addition to sharing 75% of it's programming with its sister network,
Toon Disney will be run by the same staff as The Disney Channel, which
is overseen by Anne Sweeney (president) and Rich Ross (senior vice president
of programming and production). Sweeney said, "Toon Disney is the
next step towards expanding the cable presence of the Disney brand."
Disney/ABC Cable Networks president Geraldine Laybourne added that the
network "further enables us [Disney] to target a niche audience."
The announcement of Toon Disney came at the kick-off day of the California
Cable Association's Western Show, which took place last month in Anaheim,
California.
An Insektors Christmas. Fantôme, the Paris-based studio that
produces the 3-D computer animated TV series, Insektors, created
a special Christmas episode titled Pas de Kadeau pour Noël.
The 26-minute special was completed in four months with a budget of 2.2
million francs. It was broadcast on the France 3 network on December 25
at 4:25 p.m., a premium television viewing time slot. More information
about Fantôme and The Insektors Christmas Special can be found
on Animation World Network at
http://www.awn.com/fantome/english/fr_noel.htm
Steven Spielberg Presents...Nickelodeon?
DreamWorks Television Animation has entered a non-exclusive, co-production
deal with Nickelodeon to develop several animated action/adventure series
to air on the Nickelodeon cable network. Action/adventure is a departure
from Nickelodeon's staple family-oriented animated fare such as Rugrats
which appeals to younger children. DreamWorks founding partner Steven Spielberg
will executive produce the new series', as he has on signature "Steven
Spielberg Presents" Warner Bros. shows such as Animaniacs and
Tiny Toons. He said, "We are extremely pleased to be in business
with Nickelodeon. They have always pushed the envelopeand I am really looking
forward to working with them on stretching the boundaries of the animated
action/adventure genre." DreamWorks' first animated series, Steven
Spielberg Presents Toonsylvania, is slated to debut on Fox Kids Network
in January and Kids WB! in March 1998.
Brothers Flub To Land On Nick. New York-based production company,
Sunbow Entertainment has sold their original animated series, The Brothers
Flub, to Nickelodeon for broadcast in the 1998-99 television season.
Sunbow will work with German studio Ravensburger to co-produce the 2-D
animation for the series' 20 half hours. The Brothers Flub was created
by David Burke and designed by Lazlo Nosek of Klasky Csupo. It tells the
story of two quarrelsome siblings who travel the universe, delivering unusual
cargo to different planets. Sunbow president C.J. Ketler said, "Nickelodeon
is the perfect destination to reach kids with this unique property because
of its commitment to character-driven, innovative animation."
Nicktoons To Speak Italian. Italian broadcaster RAI will air a block
of Nickelodeon programming, starting next year, on its new children's channel,
RAISAT2: Ragazzi, which is available via cable and satellite. Seven Nickelodeon
programs, new to Italian audiences, will be dubbed in Italian and broadcast
three hours per day. The line-up includes the animated series Rugrats,
Rocko's Modern Life and Hey Arnold!
Cartoon Net Greenlights Antonucci & McCracken Series. Cartoon Network
has announced their latest lineup of new and acquired programs for fall
1998. Among the ten series being added to the slate are two new, original
series: Ed, Edd `n' Eddy, created by Danny Antonucci (Lupo the
Butcher), and The Powerpuff Girls, created by Craig McCracken,
which will be the fourth series to emerge from the World Premiere Toons
series of shorts. Ed, Edd & Eddy tells the story of three suburban
kids facing the throes of puberty, and will be produced by Antonucci and
his Vancouver, Canada-based company, a.k.a. Cartoon. The Powerpuff Girls
will be produced by Hanna-Barbera, like the three other series developed
out of the World Premiere Toons pilot shorts: Dexter's Laboratory, Cow
& Chicken and Johnny Bravo. In addition to the two new series,
Cartoon Network has also selected eight existing series from the library
of sister company, Warner Bros.: Batman, Beetlejuice, Alvin and the
Chipmunks, The Fantastic Voyage of Sinbad, The All New Gumby, Road Rovers,
Super Friends and Waynehead. In addition, Cartoon Network has
acquired several animated features from Universal, including Balto,
Fievel Goes West and the Land Before Time package.
Beavis & Butt-head Are Dead. Huh-huh-heh-huh. The final episode
of Beavis and Butt-head aired on MTV (U.S.) on November 28 and 29.
Titled Beavis and Butt-head are Dead, the episode depicts classmates
and teachers assuming the characters are dead when they don't show up at
school. The program was preceded by a special, Beavis and Butt-head
Do Thanksgiving With Kurt Loder, on October 27. Though series creator
Mike Judge is no longer working with MTV on the production of new episodes,
the network will re-run the library of Beavis and Butt-head episodes
indefinitely. Also, in January, the fifth annual "Butt-Bowl"
special will air during the Super Bowl half-time. So, while Beavis and
Butt-head may be pronounced dead, it looks like they will not be forgotten.
Spawn Of Spawn. HBO is preparing a second season of their adult
animated series, Todd McFarlane's Spawn. The first six episodes
began airing on the U.S. cable network in May 1997, as the debut original
series produced by HBO Animation. The second series of six episodes will
air in spring 1998, and additional episodes are also in the works. Missed
the first season? Viewers had a chance to catch all six episodes again,
on HBO December 19 and 26, or you can buy the video from HBO Home Video.
Back to the News Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Feedback?
Past Issues
[about | help
| home | info@awn.com
| mail | register]
© 1998 Animation World Network