Nicktoons, Nickelodeons 24-hour animation network, announced that THE REN & STMIPY SHOW would return to kids television for the first time since 2002. Upholding their tradition of crude and rude misadventures from original creator, John Kricfalusi, THE REN & STIMPY SHOW will premiere on Nicktoons Network beginning August 2005.
TELETOON pays tribute to Canada and its great Canadian series with a full day of Canadian produced programs on Canada Day, Friday, July 1 from 11:00 am 9:00 pm. The lineup includes:
MISS SPIDERS SUNNY PATCH FRIENDS Fly Away Friends/Bedtime Stories 1:30 pmIn Fly Away Friends Squirt feels left out when his two winged siblings, Shimmer and Dragon, have high-flying fun that a little spider cant join in.
REN AND STIMPY has returned to the Nickelodeon airwaves and it now has a feline cousin in CATSCRATCH, a new series created by Doug TenNapel which resembles it remarkably in design, cartoony gags and character expressions. This is also not your typical kids fare and is appropriately scheduled in primetime, Fridays at 8:30 pm. The premiere episodes were broadcast back-to-back, 8-9:00 pm on July 9, 2005.
BRB and leading French producer Futurikon are about to launch DRAGON HUNTERS in the Spanish and Portuguese markets. The series recounts the misfortunes of Lian Chi and Gwizdo, two dragon hunters who have to take on more than 50 of these legendary monsters in a fantasy medieval world set in the future.
One week prior to the much anticipated premiere of the live-action feature film, Boomerang, Cartoon Network's exclusive 24-hour, commercial-free television home to classic cartoons, will present two primetime marathons of the original 1967 animated THE FANTASTIC FOUR, on Saturday, July 2 and Sunday, July 3, 8:00 pm 12 am (ET). This will be the first television tribute-spotlighting every episode from the original production without commercial interruption.
Animated stars resident filmmaker Ian Kelly (BEING IAN), and the funny Frenchman in underpants, Yvon Ducharme (YVON OF THE YUKON) will be hosting two hours of their favorite episodes on Canada Day, Friday, July 1, 2005. With original animation created by Studio B Prods. in collaboration with YTVs On-Air Promotions department, these two characters host the BBQ blowout from Ian Kellys backyard Canada Day party, with all the barbecue fixings and even some fireworks.
Discovery Kids is kicking off Independence Day in the U.S. with a sparkling new schedule on July 4, 2005, when the READY SET LEARN! commercial- and sponsor-free programming block will become READY SET SUMMER! featuring a special summer lineup that devotes the entire block each day of the week to a single series.
National Geographic Channel (NGC) selected Animetrics 3-Dimensional face imaging software to make the EXPLORER: "Search for Adam." (NGC's) signature series EXPLORER: Search for Adam premiered June 26 at 8:00 pm with a rebroadcast on June 29 at 2:00 pm and July 2 at 7:00 pm. It features renowned scientists as they follow the genetic DNA trail of mans ancestors in a quest to solve one of the greatest questions of all time was there actually an Adam, an ancient man that all men today are descended from?
The WAR OF THE WORLDS graphic novel from Best Sellers Illustrated is in development for television by producer Richard G. Murphy.
"This is an entirely fresh take on WAR OF THE WORLDS, which focuses on how a diverse group of New Yorkers fights back against the Martians," said Murphy, whose credits include UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: THE RETURN and TIMECOP.
Paul Giamatti (SIDEWAYS), David Hyde Pierce (FRASIER) and Molly Shannon (SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE) will lend their voice talents to SCI FI Channel's AMAZING SCREW-ON HEAD. Currently in production, this humorously quirky animated pilot is slated to premiere in 2006.
Nickelodeon has ordered 20 new episodes of MISS SPIDER'S SUNNY PATCH FRIENDS, a 3D animated co-production from Nelvana/Absolute Pictures, which airs weekdays on Nick Jr. at 10:00 am. The series is based on the beloved book series by David Kirk (published by Callaway & Kirk).
"Miss Spider's message of friendship and kindness to fellow bugs is an important one for all of us ... bug or human!" said Brown Johnson, exec creative director, Nickelodeon Preschool Television. "It's great to be working with Nelvana and David Kirk on another season of this beautiful series."
GERRY ANDERSONS NEW CAPTAIN SCARLET, the 3D-animated TV series currently airing in the U.K. and picked up for U.S. distribution by Sony Pictures Television, marks the first entertainment project completed with Vicons four-million pixel MX40 motion capture cameras.
Kids WB! has ordered 26 episodes of the anime/action/comedy series, VIEWTIFUL JOE, from Geneon Entertainment, which will air during the 2005-2006 broadcast season on Saturday mornings. VIEWTIFUL JOE is one of Japans hottest television series
NBC Universal will present an unprecedented motion picture preview as all nine of its networks simultaneously telecast the world premiere of the first trailer for Universal Pictures' KING KONG, on Monday, June 27, 2005, from 8:59:30-9:02 pm ET.
Issues about remarriage are sweetly addressed in a special primetime episode of Playhouse Disney's hit series for preschoolers, JOJO'S CIRCUS premiering June 20, 2005, at 7:30 pm on the Disney Channel. Erik Estrada is the voice of groom-to-be, Mr. Muscles, and sings an original song with lyrics written by Kathie Lee Gifford in this stop-motion episode A Circus Town Wedding.
Two short-form series, the new SHANE'S KINDERGARTEN COUNTDOWN (a spinoff of the popular SHANNA'S SHOW) and new installments of ADVENTURES IN NUTRITION WITH CAPTAIN CARLOS, premiered June 20 during Playhouse Disney's new "Breakfast with Bear" hour on Disney Channel. The programming block will now air weekdays from 7:00-8:00 am.
The art direction and gags in the new animated new comedy, DISNEYS THE BUZZ ON MAGGIE, from Walt Disney Television Animation, may leave viewers bug-eyed like the design of its insect stars in a series that is quite a departure for the Disney Channel. The show debuted June 17, 2005, at 8:00 pm and now airs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays on the channels weekend block at 5:30 pm.
Lucasfilm has sent out a letter to potential network buyers inviting bids for the TV broadcast rights to the STAR WARS film franchise, reports VARIETY. The price tag for the six-film series could go as high as $50 million.
FIREFLY, the critically-acclaimed space western from BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER creator Joss Whedon and Twentieth Television, is re-ignited on SCI FI. The channel will present the action adventure series 14 episodes, including three previously unaired in order, beginning July 22 at 7:00 pm. The show will lead into SCI FI's successful SCI FI Friday lineup.
Though short-lived, FIREFLY earned a devoted following which has resulted in the upcoming feature film SERENITY from Universal Pictures, slated for theatrical release on Sept. 30, 2005.
The Tampa-based animation studio Tri-Dimensional Animation Studio has completed production on THE STORY TELLER CAFÉ Episode 5 for the Christian Broadcast Network. THE STORY TELLER CAFÉ is the first of 10 episodes the network hired Tri-Dimensional Studios to continue production on, in its successful and award-winning childrens animated series.
Nicktoons has announced that Digital-Tutors has joined the lineup of sponsors for the 2005 NEXTOONS: THE NICKTOONS FILM FESTIVAL. Digital-Tutors, a creative training development company based in Oklahoma City, is providing several prizes to 2005 film festival winners and entries placing in the top 10.
Beginning June 13, 2005, Jetix will kick off a Super Summer of Heroes, an on-air and online programming event that includes the premiere of the popular 1990s animated series THE TICK and the return of FANTASTIC FOUR to ABC Familys Jetix block. Jetix airs evenings on Toon Disney and mornings on ABC Family, seven days a week.
PorchLight Entertainment will produce a new season of JAY JAY THE JET PLANE episodes that will include an interactive mystery element and a new Latina airplane character friend for Jay Jay.
The FAIRLY ODDPARENTS special to air June 10, 2005 at 8:00 pm on Nickelodeon will be music to the ears of big musical and series fans as the animated gang breaks into song after song for an hour in "Schools Out! The Musical." There is a ton of music in this ambitious special, 11 musical numbers, ranging from pop to rap to classic show tunes. The show takes place on the last day of school in Dimsdale, as Timmy Turner and his friends want to start summer vacation. The show repeats June 11 at 7:00 pm and June 12 at 4:00 pm.
FUNimation Prods. has acquired North American rights for the 24-episode BASILISK anime series produced by Gonzo Digimation, reports ICv2.com. Based on the manga by Futaro Yamada and Masaki Segawa published by Kodansha, the show mixes aspects of the ninja and horror genre with a ROMEO & JULIET romance between the leaders of two mutant ninja clans. Set in the early 17th Century, BASILISK can also be seen as a new take on the martial arts "tournament" genre since ten representatives from two ninja clans fight to the death.
