Comedy Central has ordered eight episodes of ODD TODD, an animated series about the plight of a modern day, unemployed character named Todd and his struggle to make ends meet. Its based on the real life adventures of creator Todd Rosenberg, who made webisodes of his predicament.
Following many suitors responding to the YOUNG SKUNK presentation at Cartoon Forum 2003, Cartoon Saloon has opted to team up with Telescreen as partner to produce a 26x30 series about a kung-fu-fighting skunk trying to protect a forest and his friends in China.
Late-night comedian Jay Leno is taking in on the chin in a very animated way, providing the voice of the Crimson Chin, a caped crusader, in THE FAIRLY ODDPARENTS BIG SUPERHERO WISH, the first FAIRLY ODDPARENTS special, which airs in primetime on Nickelodeon at 8:00 pm on Feb. 16, 2004.
The WB announced it has cancelled the BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER spin-off ANGEL after five seasons on the air. With nine episodes left in the season, the announcement was released early to allow "the show's creators time to wrap up the season appropriately." The cancellation doesn't spell the complete end of the character, which the network might give special movie events to next year.
Internet superstar and celebrity personality Cindy Margolis, has inked an agreement with Gang of Seven Animation (G7 Animation) to develop an animated TV series based around her persona, with an adult-oriented premise intended to capitalize on the burgeoning late night adult, male viewing market.
NBA All-Stars such as Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Francis and Jason Kidd - will team with animated shorts about sports during Cartoon Network's CARTOON NETWORK NBA ALL-STAR SLAM, airing, Feb. 15, 2004, from 1-5:00 pm. The players will give Cartoon Network stars like JOHNNY BRAVO, THE KIDS NEXT DOOR and DEXTER tips on how to handle themselves on and off the court.
On Feb. 14, 2004, Website www.JETIX.tv and TV networks ABC Family and Toon Disney will simultaneously launch "Jetix Cards Live!," the world's first trading card game that is played concurrently on TV and online. Web surfers and TV watchers will have the opportunity each weekend during the channels' new Jetix action/adventure line-up to play. The online trading card game, with skill levels designed for a range of ages, was developed by the New Media and Technology team at ABC Cable Networks Group.
Upon the success of the networks mini-series, SCI FI Channel has given the go ahead for the production of a new BATTLESTAR GALATICA TV series. Based on the top-rated December miniseries, which was based on the 1970s TV series, the one-hour drama is scheduled to begin production on 13 episodes in Vancouver next month.
Cartoon Network will air a 90-minute special to introduce the new series, DUEL MASTERS, on Feb. 27, 2004 at 5:30 pm. The series will then air Saturdays at 7:00 pm, starting March 13, during Cartoon Network's Saturday action/adventure programming block. CN acquired the series from Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro Inc.
Kids' WB! will be celebrating Valen-TEEN's Day on Feb. 14, 2004, with a lineup hosted by the TEEN TITANS
NBC has announced that it will premiere the new full-length trailer for SHREK 2 during its broadcast of the original SHREK on Feb. 15, 2004. As part of sweeps week, the trailer will be accompanied by behind-the-scenes footage of the making of the 3D feature. The film hits theaters on May 21 after debuting at the Cannes Films Festival May 15.
Vancouver-based Bardel Entertainment Inc. has landed a deal with Mega Bloks Inc. to develop the top-selling DRAGONS toy line for an animated TV movie, which will air on Canadas TELETOON.
Were very excited to work with Mega Bloks and bring the DRAGONS universe to the big screen, said Bardels ceo Delna Bhesania. These toys are already a huge hit and the evolution into a feature film is a natural progression. Kids are going to love this.
Nicktoons, Nickelodeons digital channel for kids favorite animated hits, will present the U.S. premiere of CORNEIL AND BERNIE, the hit animated comedy series from Europe. The half-hour series, produced by Millimages in France will premiere Feb. 21, 2004, at 8:00 pm with repeats at 11:00 pm on Saturdays, 9:00 am, noon and 7:30 pm on Sundays, as well as 8:00 and 11:00 pm on Wednesdays.
The caped crusader is returning in another animated TV series, THE BATMAN, produced by Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) for Kids' WB! and Cartoon Network.
This series picks up Batman's story in year three when the famed DC Comics hero is in his mid-twenties, just finding his way as protector, while balancing his public persona as billionaire bachelor Bruce Wayne. The new cartoon will feature a new range of experimental Bat-gadgets and amped-up Batmobiles and a theme song performed by The Edge from multi-Grammy Award-winning sensation rock group U2.
CBS NEWS SUNDAY MORNING is scheduled to broadcast a segment on the current state of the animation industry and what it sees as trends in TV animation on Feb. 8, 2004. The report will feature interviews with a number of key talents in the industry, among them J. J. Sedelmaier, of J. J. Sedelmaier Productions, representing the traditional 2D side of the business.
Good things must come in threes for AKA Cartoon Inc., the 10-year-old studio in Vancouver responsible for ED, EDD N EDDY on Cartoon Network. Animation maverick and founder Danny Antonucci gets to turn his three animated stars into three holiday specials.
Tiger Aspect Productions has signed a three-year deal with Nickelodeon U.K. for its hit series, animated MR BEAN, bringing the outlandish animated adventures of one of the worlds most recognizable comic figures to strip throughout the week on Nicktoons TV in February 2004.
Breakthrough Animation Inc. has sold ATOMIC BETTY to Cartoon Network in the U.S. The series, co-produced with fellow Canadian Atomic Cartoons and Tele-Images Kids in France, has cleared in a number of markets around the world, but creators were especially keen on bringing the cartoon to American TV viewers.
UPN's new comedy, GAME OVER, network prime time's first-ever CGI-animated series, will debut March 10 (8:00-8:30 pm ET/PT).
TRANSFORMERS: ENERGON, the newest installment of the legendary story matching the Autobots versus the Decepticons, joins Cartoon Network's Saturday lineup of action/adventure programming starting Jan. 31, 2004 at 7:30 pm.
International action hero Jackie Chan is celebrating the Chinese New Year during the third annual Jackies Chantastic Chinese New Year, and welcomes his good friend Lucy Liu as a guest voice on his Kids WB! hit anime- style comedy/adventure series, JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES, at 8:00 am on Jan. 31, 2004. In addition, Michael Rosenbaum of The WB's hit SMALLVILLE also makes a special guest-voice appearance.
Mumbai-based UTV has announced it will launch a Hindi language kids network. The channel will air dramas, comedies, movies, animation and documentaries targeted toward kids 4-19. This will be the first children's network from a company based out of India.
Recently, Turner Intl. India debuted its Pogo channel. Turner launched Cartoon Network in India in 1995.
One of the first new animated shows out the gate in the new year is DISNEY'S DAVE THE BARBARIAN, which premiered Jan. 23, 2004 with a five-episode mini-marathon at 5:30 pm on the Disney Channel. Produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, the series airs regularly on weekends with episodic premieres on Fridays.
USA Network has ordered production to begin on a new TV series, DEAN KOONTZ'S FRANKENSTEIN. Best-selling author Koontz will write the series and exec produce along with legendary film director Martin Scorsese and Flame Television's Tony Krantz. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE remake director Marcus Nispel will helm the project.
face2face animation will showcase its latest animated content, including recent work for Conan O'Brien as well as new children's animated characters, at NATPE 2004. New properties include SCRATCH TRIGGER ERROR, a first-person animated series pilot, as well as two new pilots that use face2face's proprietary "ghetto anime" style, which renders 3D images in a 2D approach.
