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Aardman Animation, Cartoon Network, Nelvana and the National Film and Television School, U.K. film and animation school, have formed the Animation Committee to discover and support European animation talent. The organization will review toon shorts quarterly. The best of those shorts will be aired on Britshorts.com. Some of those shorts will be selected for further development in film and television.

Jumping up to the 40th spot, THE SIMPSONS scored a 5.4 rating/10 share. This is .5 better than it captured last week. The special Tuesday night airing of THE SIMPSONS grabbed a 4 rating/7 share for 69th place. Dropping from 57th to finish in 73rd, FAMILY GUY fashioned a 3.8 rating/6 share. In 77th place, KING OF THE HILL hitched a 3.6 rating/7 share. FUTURAMA racked in a 2.9 rating/6 share in 88th place. The U.S. universe estimate used for calculating ratings for the broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, UPN, PAX and WB) is equal to 100% of all TV households.

* Bill Plympton's Mutant Aliens West Coast Premiere: Wednesday, August 08, 2001, Los Angeles, California USA.

TV-Loonland has made several key sales to Kinderkanal, Germanys free children's television channel. CRAMP TWINS, THREE FRIENDS AND JERRY and YVON OF THE YUKON will premiere on Kinderkanal in November 2001. Directed by Becky Bristow and based on the graphic comic novels by Brian Wood, CRAMP TWINS is a story of two 10-year-old twins Wayne and Lucien Cramp, who are completely unalike. The series is a TV-Loonland, Sunbow Entertainment and Cartoon Network U.K co-production. THREE FRIENDS AND JERRY follows four ten-year-old boys as they struggle to get through adolescence.

Discreet has signed a licensing agreement with Microsoft Corp. to create, publish and distribute gmax game packs for multiple Microsoft game titles. The first confirmed title is MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR 2002: PROFESSIONAL EDITION, which is set for delivery in the third quarter of this year. With gmax and the FLIGHT SIMULATOR game pack loaded, users can import game content aircraft, buildings, trees and other 3D objects and customize those objects.

Alias|Wavefront, an SGI company, has announced that its Maya Complete software for Mac OS X is scheduled to ship on or before September 25, 2001. Beta tester and 3D artist, Kevin Baille, said, "All of us here at The Orphanage are ecstatic about the progress Alias|Wavefront has been making with the OS X implementation of Maya. Being a completely Mac-based visual effects and production studio, we are extremely impressed by how easily Maya for OS X fits into and enhances our existing production pipeline.

Atomic Cartoons has posted the Web series DOG IN A BOX WITH 2 WHEELS on their Website (www.atomiccartoons.com). The series is a co-production between Atomic Cartoons and Honkworm International. The five-show series features a justice-hungry, hind-legless canine with two back wheels. "We are very pleased to finally have the opportunity to showcase this wonderful little property," said Rob Davies, one of show's original creators. "This adds new life and energy to the dusty old dog!" Also new to the Atomic Cartoons Website is an all-Flash interactive studio tour.