Category: Television

Hot Wheels, Mattel's top vehicle property in the U.S., will be developed into a new animated television series. The new series, entitled HOT WHEELS: BATTLE FORCE 5, will feature CGI animation by Corus Ent's Nelvana and Nerd Corps Ent., and will premiere fall 2009 in Canada on TELETOON in the network's Sunday morning action block and on Cartoon Network in the U.S. as part of its Saturday morning lineup.

CBBC is acquiring a second season of cartoon comedy FRANKENSTEIN'S CAT.

Voiced by comedian Joe Pasquale, the slightly stinky but strangely lovable fall-apart Cat launched on CBBC in February 2008 and is a hit with viewers as well as the schedulers, featured in BROADCAST Magazine's Top Ten Children's Shows when it aired on BBC One in the summer. The new episodes are slated for delivery in late 2010.

FRANKENSTEIN'S CAT is a co-production between Mackinnon & Saunders and Kayenta Production, Paris, and is distributed by Toronto-based CCI Ent.

This month, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and sister networks Nicktoons Network and NOGGIN are treating kids to spooky marathons and chill-filled new episodes of their favorite hit shows. Additionally, two of Nickelodeon's kids' websites, Nick.com and Nicktropolis, will feature new Halloween-themed online games to complement "Shocktober" programming.

Cartoon Network announced its latest live-action/CGI movie based on the bestselling young adult Harper Collins book TIGER'S APPRENTICE by Lawrence Yep. Oscar-nominated screenwriter David Magee (FINDING NEVERLAND) adapted the award-winning book into a feature script optioned by Cartoon Network.

Jane Startz (TUCK EVERLASTING, INDIAN IN THE CUPBOARD) will exec produce the project. Set to premiere in 2010, TIGER'S APPRENTICE is now in pre-production with staffing and casting currently underway at Cartoon Network Studios in Burbank, California.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS puts a new shine on a very recognizable part of STAR WARS lore as the Y-wing bombers make their debut in "Shadow of Malevolence," a new episode of the animated series premiering at 9 p.m. Friday, October 10, on Cartoon Network.

In the second of a three-episode arc, "Destroy Malevolence" finds Anakin Skywalker, his Padawan Ahsoka Tano and Jedi Master Plo Koon utilizing long-range Y-wing bombers to lead a bold strike on General Grievous' warship, the Malevolence, and its destructive ion cannon.

For the first time, the 81st Annual Academy Awards are allowing movie advertising, per VARIETY.

In a Tuesday night vote, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences board of governors decided to ease a 58-year ban on movie advertisements during the Oscar telecast. The rule was implemented when the Oscars first were aired on TV in 1950 to avoid any controversy over studio money influencing the voting outcome.

Playhouse Disney has recruited six U.K. production houses to develop a series of short animated films that help teach preschoolers about the environment in a fun and playful way. The interstitials form part of Playhouse Disney's "Playing for the Planet" campaign, which aims to help the next generation of preschoolers to grow up green. The project brought together production companies Bermuda Shorts, Artillery, Mr & Mrs Smith, Fold7, Studio AKA and Partinzan Lab.

KidsCo, the joint venture channel owned by media companies NBC Universal, Cookie Jar Group and Corus Ent. will begin to air THE WIGGLES on their Asia Pacific/Sub-Saharan African feed in November 2008.

LATV, Latino Alternative Television, the U.S.'s first bilingual entertainment/music network distributed via digital multicast, will add first-run movies and web animated shorts phenomenon VIDEOS CON HUEVOS to its fall programming schedule.

VIDEOS CON HUEVOS (VIDEOS & EGGS) will debut October 20 exclusively in the U.S. on LATV. VIDEOS CON HUEVOS is a series of web-based, Flash-animated comedic shorts starring a group of outspoken eggs who satirize just about anyone and anything. Their laugh-out-loud humor has created a worldwide fan base of over 100 million.

Ten episodes of TASTY TIME WITH ZEFRONK, a new animated short-form healthy foods series for preschoolers, parents and caregivers, will premiere during Playhouse Disney, Saturday, November 8 (6:25 a.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel.

The healthy lifestyles-themed Playhouse Disney programming event continues that morning with new episodes of preschool series MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE, MY FRIENDS TIGGER & POOH, IMAGINATION MOVERS and BUNNYTOWN.

Sci Fi Channel has greenlit production on the new investigative adventure series RELICQUEST (working title), hosted by British documentary filmmaker Bruce Burgess. With a six-episode commitment and production slated to begin in October, the one-hour show will premiere in early 2009.

Third quarter ratings highlights for Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.

Adult Swim