For the first time in Canada, kids will help determine the next hit show in a new animated shorts showcase, FUNPAK, premiering on YTV Feb. 3, 2005, at 7:30 pm. FUNPAK is a 13x30 assortment of animated shorts created entirely in-house at YTVs sister company, Nelvana Ltd..
TV-Loonland recently announced sales of seasons II and III of its TV series, THREE FRIENDS AND JERRY, as well as the half-hour 3D Christmas special, DONNER, to Jetix Germany (formerly Fox Kids Germany).
For January 2005, Kids' WB! will see the exclusive U.S. premiere of POKÉMON THE MOVIE: DESTINY DEOXYS as well as the third season premiere of WHAT'S NEW SCOOBY-DOO?
DIC Entertainment (DIC) has inked deals with key international broadcasters for the six all-new animated STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE specials.
SCI FI celebrates 2004, with the channels highest-rated and most-watched year yet. This is the third consecutive year SCI FI has garnered recor- breaking primetime ratings. The channel also delivered its best-ever primetime rating, with 1.0 HH rating/1.2 million P2+ average for the year. Now fully-distributed to 84 million homes, SCI FI scored with viewers in nearly every key demographic, ranking within the Top 10 of all basic cable nets for ratings among P25-54, M25-54, P18-49, M18-49 and F25-54.
THE OFFICE creator and star Ricky Gervais is scripting an episode of THE SIMPSONS at the personal invitation of the toons creator Matt Groening, it was reported by VARIETY. Gervais will also lend his voice to the episode.
He will not reprise his role as an animated version of David Brent, the paper company regional manager who was at the center of THE OFFICE, a character retired after filming THE OFFICE Christmas specials.
Cartoon Network has positioned its new J-Pop inspired series, HI HI PUFFY AMIYUMI, center stage for a four-hour New Years Eve event for kids that features a brand new episode on Dec. 31, 2004. Real life singers Ami and Yumi will join FRIDAYS on-air hosts Tommy and Nzinga at 11:55 pm for the countdown to midnight that then launches into the mini-marathon with special CN series airing up to the countdown.
Bert Smets has chosen Telescreen to handle all commercial rights to his animated HOPLA series (104x5) so he can focus on the creative process.
Smets commends Telescreen for its, all round knowledge with regard to animation productions and licensing forms, making it the perfect combination with my own creative perspective. I am sure that we can mean a lot for each other.
World Editors has launched plans to turn Latino comicstrip CONDORITO into an animated TV series in the U.S., reports VARIETY. World Editors recently opened licensing and business development office in Miami. David Taggart and Brad Bushell, a licensing and syndication consultant for GARFIELD owners Paws Inc., will oversee the project. Chile-based Cineanimadores, producer of the animated feature OGU & MANPATU, will create the initial visual concepts.
Cartoon Network has acquired 26 episodes of the brand new animated adventure series, D.I.C.E., created by Bandai and animated by renowned animation studio, Xebec (a subsidiary of Production I.G.), to premiere in January 2005. The series features cutting-edge CG/cel animation for boys 6-11.
Santa may be wearing a red suit but hes got anything but a red attitude in the latest animation Bent Image Lab did for a TV Funhouse segment on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE (Dec. 18, 2004). The studio did an incredible looking stop-motion five-minute 'Rudolph'-type bit (written by Robert Smigel) poking fun at racial and political bias and intolerance.
The amazingly rich production took the studio just two weeks to complete.You may view the short at www.bentimagelab.com/video/qt/SNL-04smaller.mov and find it relevant for before and after Christmas sentiments.
Nickelodeon has ordered two new animated series, THE XS, a stylish series about a crime-fighting family who must thwart the forces of evil while still functioning as an average suburban family, and CATSCRATCH, featuring three fumbling felines who carry on in a world of humans. In addition, hit Nicktoon DANNY PHANTOM has been picked up for a second season of 20 episodes, bringing the total episode order to 40 and tween favorite MY LIFE AS A TEENAGE ROBOT has been picked up for an additional 14 episodes, bringing its total number of episodes picked up to 40.
MTV International and is making the holidays merrier by airing a HAPPY TREE FRIENDS half-hour holiday special produced by Mondo Media Productions. HAPPY TREE FRIENDS WINTER BREAK is running exclusively on 15 participating MTV Intl channels from Dec. 10-30, 2004. MTV 2 (U.S.) just came on board to air the holiday special six times, commencing Dec. 24.
John Canemaker and Peggy Stern have complete production on THE MOON AND THE SON, an HBO-Cinemax animated documentary, featuring the voices of actors Eli Wallach and John Turturro, with an original score by Ron Sadoff, and editing and sound design by David Mehlman. The film explores the difficult emotional terrain of father/son relationships as seen through Canemakers own turbulent relationship with his father.
The premiere of Sci Fi Channel's original miniseries LEGEND OF EARTHSEA averaged a 3.2 HH rating/3.677,000 P2+ over two consecutive nights. Sci Fi was the top network in cable prime (Monday-Tuesday 8:00-11:00 pm average) for HH ratings, P2+, P18-49s and P25-54s for entire run of the miniseries.
Clive Barkers horror series, HELLRAISER, has pinned a hour-long TV deal, reports VARIETY. Panacea Ent., Park Avenue Ent. and Blueprint Ent. will produce the project. New Worlds Larry Kuppin will exec produce with Eric Gardner. Dimension films still holds the feature rights, but Kuppin has repped the series since 1991.
The plot will follow a tabloid journalist who stumbles onto a diabolical plot between Pinhead and a zillionaire software exec.
PorchLight Ent. has added BAXTER to its 2005 animation development slate. Always curious and bounding with energy, Baxter the puppy interacts with nature like a child, in environments that are readily accessible to children for example, backyards and parks. Its a world that children can touch and feel through the eyes of their lovable friend and outside their back door.
DAVEY AND GOLIATH is making its return to television after a 30-year absence, in a new one-hour special, DAVEY AND GOLIATHS SNOWBOARD CHRISTMAS. The world premiere will air Dec. 19 at 12:00 noon (ET/PT) on Hallmark Channel, presented by Faith & Values Media. An encore broadcast of the program will air on Dec. 26 on Hallmark Channel at 12:00 noon (ET/PT).
Based Ursula K. Le Guin's sci-fi novel, Hallmark presents LEGEND OF EARTHSEA, a two-night miniseries airing on the Sci Fi Channel at 9:00 pm ET/PT. The fantasy adventure is directed by Robert Lieberman (TVs THE DEAD ZONE).
Visual effects credits include:* Visual effects supervisors: Lee Wilson, Anthem Visual Effects; Eric Grenaudier, Sam Nicholson, Stargate Visual Effects* Visual effects producers: Lisa Sepp-Wilson, Anthem Visual Effects; Shauna Bryan McLeod, Stargate Visual Effects
Kids' WB! is celebrating the holidays throughout the month of December with the tube sock named Holiday Sock hosting the programming block. On Dec. 11 (8:00 am - 12:00 pm ET), the network invites viewers to the fourth annual "Holiday Sock Party" from the North Pole. From more than 10,000 entries received, eight lucky kids will have their wishes granted.
The WB will bring viewers a few timeless holiday classics, including the exclusive broadcast network airing of the 1939 film, THE WIZARD OF OZ, on Dec. 19, 2004, from 7:30 to 10:00 pm for the third consecutive year.
Cartoon Network has decorated its December schedule with holiday premieres that will be telecast every as of Dec. 3, and ending with a two-day marathon of Christmas-themed shows, beginning at 7:00 am Dec. 24 and ending on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2004, at 11:00 pm.
The network promises the rest of the month will be stuffed with enough Christmas cheer to power Santa's sleigh, with four additional premieres of new holiday specials and the best old and new classics, including of course, the granddaddy of Christmas cartoons, DR. SUESS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS.
The holiday season's perennially popular original dancing snowman skates on the edge of danger in the 2D animated musical special FROSTY RETURNS, to be rebroadcast Dec. 3, 2004 at 8:30 pm on the CBS. This half-hour special is the follow-up to FROSTY THE SNOWMAN, the holiday classic special narrated by Jimmy Durante, to be rebroadcast as a lead-in at 8:00 pm.
With newly struck Germany-based deals, TV-Loonlands CONNIE THE COW will be licensed to Disney and East Ent. German firm East Ent. has also secured rights to SOMETHING ELSE and the animated feature film HEIDI.
Snow descends upon the eternal summerland of the cul-de-sac in the new, half-hour HOLIDAY SPECIAL ED, EDD N EDDY'S JINGLE, JINGLE, JANGLE, airing Dec. 3, 2004, at 8:00 pm on Cartoon Network.
