Starz Sets Steamboy TV Premiere Feb. 11
STEAMBOY, directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, sees its world television premiere on Starz Cinema, Feb. 11, 2006 at 10:00 pm.
Category: Television
CBS Comforted by Aardman’s Creatures
CBS has ordered from Aardman Animations Ltd. an American version of the hit British television series CREATURE COMFORTS.
Based on the original Academy Award-winning short film created by Nick Park and Aardman, Aardman Animations will produce the half hour stop-motion animated series in Los Angeles and at its Bristol, England studios.
YTV & Treehouse Focus February on Love, Snow & Debuts
YTV and Treehouse are focusing their February lineups around themes of love and snow as well as premiering new series.
On Feb. 17, 2006, CAPTAIN FLAMINGO will premiere in The Zone at 4:30 pm.
Bardel Crafting Anton’s World to Life for TV Ontario
Bardel Ent. heads to the upcoming Kidscreen Summit (Feb. 8-10, 2006, in New York City) with an animation series in development with TV Ontario featuring the colorful characters of ANTONS WORLD; a new sitcom for kids based on Bardels award-winning Christmas special, THE CHRISTMAS ORANGE.
Wulin Warriors: Legend of the Seven Stars Debuts on Cartoon Network
Epic puppet saga WULIN WARRIORS: LEGEND OF THE SEVEN STARS debuts on Cartoon Network during Toonami on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2006, at 8:00 pm. In this new action series produced by Animation Collective and distributed by Broadway Video, hand puppets meet kung-fu movies in an original, humorous and bizarre take on the traditional action series, inspired by anime and martial arts classics.
New Line Television to Produce Blade TV Series for Spike TV
Spike TV has greenlit a television series based on Marvel superhero BLADE for the network's first original scripted series to premiere in June 2006. The network has ordered 11 hour-long episodes, in addition to the previously announced two-hour kickoff episode, to be produced by New Line Television, set to commence production in Vancouver this spring.
HIT Strikes Super Deal with German Broadcaster
HIT Ent. Ltd. (HIT) has concluded a six-year landmark licensing deal with German TV station SUPER RTL for a number of its properties, it was announced by Alison Homewood, evp of worldwide television distribution for HIT and Frank Dietz, head of acquisitions and co-productions for Super RTL.
Super RTL has also secured the worldwide phenomenon, THOMAS AND FRIENDS, licensing series 1 through 5 and series 800 and 900 and the special, CALLING ALL ENGINES. Super RTL will also debut series 5 (26x11) of FIREMAN SAM.
CBS Greenlights Ultra Comic Pilot
CBS has greenlit a pilot for a new live-action TV program based on the comicbook, ULTRA, reports VARIETY. JOAN OF ARCADIA creator Barbara Hall will exec produce the pilot. CBS Paramount Network TV is producing the show.
The comic is a spoof of celebrity magazines and follows a female superhero who must balance saving the world, advancing her career as super model, Pearl Penalosa, and developing a love life.
David Engel and David Alpert are co-exec producers on the project.
VIZ Media Serves Up U.S. & Int'l Menus at NATPE
VIZ Media Llc., one of the entertainment industrys most innovative and comprehensive manga and animation licensing and publishing companies, has brought an array of new shows for both U.S. and international broadcasters. VIZS is located at booth 1344 in the Kids Town grouping the anime specialist has sponsored during NATPE at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas.
For U.S. broadcasters, VIZ is offering MÄR, ZOIDS GENESIS, HIKARU NO GO, THE PRINCE OF TENNIS, FULL MOON, GRANDPA DANGER and CROKET.
For International broadcasters, VIZ is offering:
In Anime, Television, Anime, Television | Headline News | Special Events: NATPE | Geographic Region: All, Asia, North America, South America
Disney's The Emperor's New School Premieres on Four Platforms
Disney's animated comedy series, THE EMPEROR'S NEW SCHOOL, premieres on four platforms Disney Channel, Disney Channel on Demand, Toon Disney and the ABC Television Network's ABC Kids, beginning Jan. 20-30, 2006. Based on the 2000 theatrical movie, THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE, the comedy/action series is the first to premiere across the four kids' TV platforms.
Oxygen Breathes Life Into Angry Little Girls Toon
The book/web comic strip ANGRY LITTLE GIRLS has snagged a pilot order from Oxygen, reports VARIETY. GHOST WHISPERER star Jennifer Love Hewitt is set to exec produce the show.
The weekly comic strip centers on the exploits of a group of girls living in an increasingly angry world.
ANGRY LITTLE GIRLS was created by Lela Lee in response to what she found to be insulting Asian characters in other cartoons. Lee has appeared in shows such as CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, WILL & GRACE and SCRUBS.
Cinamour Sells Forbidden Warrior at NATPE
Producer and distributor Cinamour Ent. announced at NATPE that it signed fours deals for its martial arts film, FORBIDDEN WARRIOR. Cinamour sold the 90-minute film to Rainbow Media's VOOM HD Channels, Eurocine (Spain and Andorra), Brand View Media (China Home Video) and DAAR Communications (Nigeria). The fantasy-adventure film follows the adventures of a female Asian mythical hero.
In Television, Visual Effects, Television, Visual Effects | Headline News | Special Events: NATPE | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Europe
New England Quarterback Tom Brady Scores Guest Position on Family Guy
New England quarterback Tom Brady joins the animated lineup of on FOX Jan. 29, 2006, doing a guest voice appearance on a special football-themed episode of FAMILY GUY at 9:00 pm.
MTV Networks Latin America Offers Sneak Looks at NATPE
MTV Networks Latin America announced a slate of new acquisitions from Paramount, Sony Studios, Warner Bros. and NBC Universal, among others, to further bolster its 2006 program schedule as the network prepared for this weeks National Association of Programming Executives Conference, NATPE, in Las Vegas. The new acquisitions span a variety of genres and styles and will air in the region on Nickelodeon, VH1 and LOGO.
In Television, Television | Headline News | Special Events: NATPE | Geographic Region: All, North America, South America
Cartoon Network Inks Second Season for Boondocks
Cartoon Networks Adult Swim has ordered 20 new episodes of THE BOONDOCKS, the new hit series from creator Aaron McGruder, based on his award-winning comic strip of the same name.
The second season, to debut in winter 2006, will be produced by McGruder's production company, Rebel Base, in association with Sony Pictures Television (SPT). Ten episodes of the initial 15-episode order have already aired this season.
Showtime Honors Masters of Horror with Second Season
Showtime Networks has ordered a second season of IDT Ent.'s anthology series, MASTERS OF HORROR. Thirteen new, one-hour episodes, to be produced by IDT Ent., will feature the most prominent directors in the horror genre and will premiere in Fall 2006.
Cartoon Network Runs With Marathon’s Team Galaxy
Cartoon Network has pre-bought Marathons forthcoming animated series, TEAM GALAXY. The two-season package (52x26) is budgeted at $16-17 million, making it one of the most expensive productions outside a major studio. Set to start airing in the fall, the series has also been picked up by France 3, Italys RAI, Jetix and Canada's YTV.
"It is a huge sign of confidence in us that Cartoon Network has chosen the project without having seen a single episode," said Marathon president Vincent Chalvon Demersay.
Monster Distributes Gets Ready for a Busy NATPE
Monster Distributes will be taking its animated preschool series PICME to NATPE for the first time. From Irish-based Jammedia, PICME is an award-winning interactive animation where a child literally stars in his/her own cartoon. Commissioned by RTE, PICME creates an interaction between broadcaster and audience. Great emphasis is put on the stories themselves, so that children who are not in the story also get huge enjoyment out of it.
In Television, Television | Headline News | Special Events: NATPE | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Australia, Europe
DIC to Provide CBS Saturday Morning Lineup for Fall ‘06
CBS and DIC Ent. will partner to launch an all-new, Saturday morning branded kids programming block, CBSs Secret Saturday Morning Slumber Party, in fall 06.
As part of the multi-year deal, CBSs Secret Saturday Morning Slumber Party, will feature three hours of FCC-compliant childrens programming and serve as a platform to introduce new kids programs created by DIC.
In Television, Television | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Australia, Europe, North America
Cartoon Network New Saturday Morning Lineup Favors Int'l Toons
Cartoon Networks new Saturday 9-11:30 am lineup, launched Jan. 14, 2006, includes three new shows produced outside of the U.S. New series include BEN 10, ROBOT BOY, DRAGON HUNTERS and ZIXX, along with the second season of hit series, THE LIFE & TIMES OF JUNIPER LEE.
4Kids Ent. Licenses Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles New Season to ITV
4Kids Ent. Inc. has finalized a broadcast agreement with ITV Network for Season 4 of the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, one of the most successful action brands in global kids TV entertainment. Season 4 of 26 animated episodes is expected to launch on ITV Network in early 2006.
In Television, Television | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America
Pixel Pinkie Set to Become Tasmania's Biggest Animated Endeavor
Hobart, Tasmania-based animation firm Blue Rocket Prods. is planning a $9 million, 26-part animated series based on the character Pixel Pinkie, reports ABC.net. If the project gets off the ground it would be Tasmania's biggest film or television production.
The State Government has already ponied up $500,000 towards the series, which has attracted interest from the Nine Network.
The series follows tween Nina as she gets into crazy situation after crazy situation when she discovers that a digital being named Pixel Pinkie lives inside her new mobile phone.
NBC Adds Interactivity To Golden Globe Awards Telecast Jan. 16
Film and television fans will be able to make their opinions known and test their trivia skills during this year's telecast of the 63rd Annual Golden Globe Awards Monday, Jan. 16, 2006, 8-11:00 pm (ET) on NBC. For the first time the show will feature an engaging online interactive television (ITV) experience on NBC.com, which can also be accessed at www.NBC.com/The_Golden_Globes/.
SCI FI Greenlights 12-Hour Spielberg Miniseries Event
SCI FI Channel will team again with Steven Spielberg, screenwriter Les Bohem and DreamWorks Television, for the ambitious 12-hour miniseries event NINE LIVES, it was announced Jan. 12, 2006, at the Television Critics Press Tour. The group's last collaboration was 2003's groundbreaking, Emmy Award-winning 20-hour miniseries, Steven Spielberg Presents TAKEN. NINE LIVES is slated to air in 2007.
SCI FI Unveils '06 Production & Development Slate
SCI FI Channel unveiled its production and development slate for the new year at the Television Critics Press Tour (Jan. 12, 2006) that includes both scripted and reality projects with top Hollywood talent and production companies.
