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Category: Television

Animation Headline News

French Entrepreneur Starts Zagtoon Animation Production Company

Paris, 15th May 2009. Inspired by the worldwide success of animation giant Haim Saban (creator and producer of the mega-successful series POWER RANGERS amongst many others), passionate French entrepreneur Jeremy Zag announced today the creation of his media production company Univergroup and its subsidiary ZAGTOON. The holding company will oversee film and TV production and ZAGTOON will be dedicated to the production of animation programs for the international market.

Series Headline News

Fox Announces Fall Lineup -- Dollhouse, Human Target Among Pickups

Press Release from FOX

New York (Monday, May 18, 2009) -- Peter Rice, Chairman, Entertainment; and Kevin Reilly, President, Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company, today unveiled the FOX primetime schedule for the 2009-2010 television season to the national advertising community during its annual Programming Presentation at New York City Center.

Headline News

NBC Renews Chuck on a Budget

NBC has renewed sophomore action-comedy CHUCK, per VARIETY, but for a shortened 13-episode season with a smaller production budget.

The network and Warner Bros. TV struck the deal Sunday for the show, which has a relatively small, but passionate, audience of around 7 million viewers.

The renewal negotiations centered solely on whether the studio could cut costs, insiders said.

Super Headline News

Cartoon Network Acquires League of Super Evil

Press Release from Cartoon Network

HONG KONG (May 18, 2009) -- Taking another step forward in its quest for global domination, the LEAGUE OF SUPER EVIL, a.k.a. L.O.S.E., will now air across Asia, thanks to a far-reaching deal with Cartoon Network.

Studio Headline News

Aardman to Distribute Studio Baestarts' Log Jam

Press Release from Aardman Rights

Bristol, 18 May 2009. Leading independent Aardman Rights is expanding its portfolio of third-party properties, securing the distribution rights to Studio Baestarts' series of brand new short films LOG JAM.

Studio Baestarts has already concluded deals for the shorts with Nickelodeon for multiple territories and with Canal+ for France. Aardman will manage the remaining rights to LOG JAM for the rest of the world, covering TV, home entertainment, online, digital, mobile, in-flight and licensing.

Moonscoop Headline News

Moonscoop Scores Sales in Latin America, Caribbean

Press Release from Moonscoop

Paris, 18 May 2009 -- Moonscoop, the worldwide brand management and entertainment company representing properties from some of the leading animation producers across the globe has scored a raft of TV sales for its hit series in Latin America and the Caribbean, in advance of the LA Screenings.

Animated Headline News

Comedy Central Orders Ugly Americans, Foxx Toon & More

Comedy Central has announced its 2009-2010 development slate, which includes a seven-episode order for the animated series UGLY AMERICANS. Developed and exec produced by David Stern (THE SIMPSONS), UGLY AMERICANS (working title) is a half-hour animated series based on an original idea by illustrator Devin Clark, who will serve as a producer. UGLY AMERICANS takes place in an alternate universe New York City where creatures from horror, fantasy and science-fiction live among us as ordinary citizens.

Series Headline News

FOX Shuts Up Sit Down

Entertainment News International is reporting that FOX has given up on the new animated series SIT DOWN, SHUT UP! After a weak debut, the show was moved from the SIMPSONS follow-up spot at 8:30 pm to the 7:00 pm slot on Sundays. Now the series has been completely pulled, now replaced with reruns of KING OF THE HILL. Of the 13 episodes produced, only four aired.

Headline News

Decode Scores Further Asian Deals For Kid vs Kat

Press Release from DECODE Enterprises

Toronto, London 13 May 2009. Leading kids and family entertainment specialist DECODE Enterprises, the distribution subsidiary of DHX Media Ltd., has scored further deals in Asia for KID VS KAT (52x11' / 26x22'), an animated series produced by Studio B Productions in association with YTV Canada and Jetix Europe.

Headline News

Fox Picks up Human Target

FOX has picked up drama pilot HUMAN TARGET, per THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER's James Hibberd.

FRINGE's Mark Valley stars as a man who takes on a different identity every week to help others. DOLLHOUSE has a similar tone, but the network could choose to pick up both and run them together. DOLLHOUSE creator Joss Whedon has pitched season two and discussions have started between the studio and FOX about how to make the show financially viable.

HUMAN TARGET is based on a DC comic and also stars PUSHING DAISIES' Chi McBride and WATCHMEN star Jackie Earle Haley.

Kids Headline News

Nick's iCarly Hits Another All-Time High -- Proves More Popular than NBA

Press Release from Nickelodeon

NEW YORK, May 12 -- Nickelodeon's ICARLY took it to another level this week as the hour-long "iDate a Bad Boy" special (May 9, 8 p.m. ET/PT) was basic cable's overall top show among both sports and entertainment programming. ICARLY brought in 6.5 million total viewers (up +183% in delivery over last year's time period), which was +2% ahead of the number-two ranked basic cable program, the Los Angeles Lakers/Houston Rockets playoffs on TNT (Wednesday, May 6).

Eminem Headline News

Eminem & Stewie Host Animation Domination

Grammy Award-winner Eminem joins FAMILY GUY’s Stewie Griffin to host Animation Domination Sunday, May 17 on FOX. Interstitials featuring an animated version of the hip-hop star will air throughout the Sunday night lineup. Fans can tune in for an exclusive surprise MySpace Music announcement at www.myspace.com/music that evening for additional details.

“It was a thrill to work with Stewie,” said Eminem about the youngest member of the Griffin clan. “I’m a big fan of talking babies and their humor.”

Show Headline News

Pinky and Perky Back for More

The hugely successful PINKY AND PERKY SHOW is continuing to pull in the viewers with repeats of the first series scheduled across the BBC in the coming months.

The show is scheduled in special double-bill slots on Sundays on the CBBC Channel at 7.35 that will run until 5th July. The pesky pair are also scheduled Monday to Friday at 3.10pm on CBBC, from 5th May until 29th May, as well as being featured on Transmission Impossible with Ed and Oucho on BBC 2, which starts on Saturday 16th May. The first series is also now available on DVD.

Series Headline News

Robot Chicken Crew Readying Titan Maximum

Adult Swim announced its newest series, TITAN MAXIMUM, from the creators of ROBOT CHICKEN. Created by ROBOT CHICKEN producer/co-head writer/director Tom Root and ROBOT CHICKEN exec producer/co-creator/writer/director Matthew Senreich, TITAN MAXIMUM uses stop-motion animation to spoof '80s action cartoons. The series will premiere this September.

Exec Headline News

HBO's Fantasizes About Thrones Director

HBO has hired THE VISITOR director Tom McCarthy to helm its fantasy pilot GAME OF THRONES, based on George R.R. Martin's bestselling SONGS OF FIRE AND ICE series, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The project will reunite McCarthy with his STATION AGENT star Peter Dinklage. In the fantasy world Dinklage will play Tyrion, the mistreated brother of the Queen.

Headline News

Nicktoons Unleashes More Wolverine and the X-Men

Nicktoons Network has picked up 26 additional half-hour episodes of WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN from Marvel Animation for a total of 52 episodes. The new animated series, which follows Wolverine as he reunites the X-Men, clawed its way to the highest-rated original series premiere ever with kids on Jan. 23. The ratings success of WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN helped lead Nicktoons Network to its highest-rated April ever with all core demographics and total viewers. New episodes from season one of WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN will return on Fridays beginning May 22 at 8:00 pm ET.

Super Headline News

Research Proves Super WHY! Helps Children Learn to Read

Press Release from PBS KIDS

ARLINGTON, Va., May 6 -- Two new studies on the highly rated, award-winning PBS KIDS series SUPER WHY! prove that children, especially those from low-income families, are learning core early literacy skills from the TV series and its educational support materials.

Headline News

FX to Air Wolverine, Taken

FX has purchased the network TV rights to 20th Century Fox's X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, TAKEN and MARLEY & ME, per VARIETY.

The deal could be worth as much as $80 million, depending on how much WOLVERINE makes at the box office. Other films acquired in the transaction include THE WRESTLER, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, BRIDE WARS, 12 ROUNDS and STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI.

WOLVERINE is expected to show up on the cable channel's schedule in late 2011, about 30 months after theatrical release.

-- By News Editor Annemarie Moody

Moonscoop Headline News

Moonscoop to Co-Produce DQ's Jungle Book

The Moonscoop Group has signed on to co-finance DQ Ent.'s JUNGLE BOOK TV series, reports C21MEDIA, completing the $12.3M budget.

Other co-production partners are German-based ZDF Enterprises and ZDF Broadcasting and TF1 Group of France. NBC Universal will handle home video distribution in some Western and Middle East countries.

-- By News Editor Annemarie Moody

Series Headline News

Chorion Secures Olivia Deals

Press Release from Chorion

London, 5 May 2009: OLIVIA, the hit new pre-school animated series from leading family entertainment producer and distributor Chorion, is continuing its international rollout with more major broadcasters signing TV rights to the show.

Season Headline News

FOX Picks Up Second Season of Fringe

Press Release from FOX

FOX has renewed FRINGE, the No. 1 new series among Adults 18-49, with a full second season, it was announced today by Kevin Reilly, President, Entertainment for Fox Broadcasting Company.

"FRINGE proved to be a notable addition to our schedule all season and it really has fans buzzing as it builds to a fantastic season finale," said Reilly. "J.J. and the whole Bad Robot team have been phenomenal partners, and we look forward to years of making great television with them."

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