Category: Television

The first RUGRATS spin-off series and the TV series debut of the Oscar-nominated feature film JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS will headline five new animated series scheduled to launch on Nickelodeon during the 2002-2003 season. In addition to the RUGRATS spin-off ANGELICA AND SUSIE'S SCHOOL DAZE, and the premiere of THE ADVENTURES OF JIMMY NEUTRON: BOY GENIUS, Nickelodeon will also debut the comic tales of DANNY PHANTOM, a ghost-fighting kid superhero, MY NEIGHBOR IS A TEENAGE ROBOT, about, you guessed it, a teenaged robot and MAX AND RUBY, a new series for the Nick Jr. crowd.

Attention John K. fans! Adult Swim, Cartoon Networks programming block for adults, is presenting two classic John Kricfalusi shorts and one brand new one, based on the Hanna-Barbera series YOGI BEAR and THE JETSONS. In "Ranger Smith," the intrepid park ranger rules Jellystone Park with an iron fist. "Boo Boo Runs Wild" finds Yogi's sidekick shedding his bow-tie to get back to his ursine roots, much to Yogi's dismay.

MTV Networks, a division of Viacom Inc., is launching Nicktoons TV, a new 24-hour channel for kids, along with three new music channels -- MTV Jams, MTV Hits and VH1 Mega Hits. Nicktoons TV will offer 24-hours a day of Nickelodeon animation, featuring everything from classic Nick originals like DOUG and REN & STIMPY to more recent offerings like JIMMY NEUTRON. Nicktoons TV will replace Nick Too in some areas on the West Coast. Cablevision is the first operator to sign on for Nicktoons TV, adding it and MTV Hits to their digital service line-up.

As part of Oxygen's "Addicted To Love" week, the cable network will premiere BEHIND THE KISS, a one-hour special created by animator Corky Quakenbush. Created in stop-motion animation, this special features a spoof of talk show host Charlie Rose interviewing actors Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan, Barbra Streisand, Richard Gere, Ellen DeGeneres and Julie Andrews at the premieres of Hollywood movie parodies, including XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS DIARIES, ROMEO AND J. LOET, AN OFFICER AND A YENTLMAN, HANNIBAL: YOU'VE GOT MEAL and BITANIC.

To honor Chuck Jones (1912-2002) great cartoon legacy, Cartoon Network's all-classic satellite network, Boomerang will host a 24-hour tribute to the legendary creator beginning Friday, March 1, 2002. Featuring many of the beloved Looney Tunes shorts and characters he created over his 60-year career, the marathon will run 8:00 am Friday, March 1 to 8:00 am Saturday, March 2. In addition to screening his classic Warner Bros.

Animated battling robots series MEDABOTS will have its U.K. television premiere on Fox Kids UK starting February 18, 2002. The 52 half-hour episodes, produced by Corus-owned Nelvana Ltd. in association with NAS/Kodansha and TV Tokyo, are set in a technologically advanced future where every child owns a "Medabot," a pet robot fuelled with artificial intelligence and an arsenal of weapons.

Kids' WB! has announced it will pick-up five animated series for its fall 2002 line-up. Beginning its fifth season, 52 all-new episodes of 4Kids Productions POKÉMON: MASTER QUEST will air six days a week. Both Sony Pictures Family Entertainments JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES and X-MEN: EVOLUTION, produced by Marvel Studios in association with Film Roman, return for their third seasons, with 13 new episodes each.

Boomerang UK is adding more classic cartoon characters to its ranks. 30 half-hours of PRIME TIME PEANUTS SPECIALS and 18 half-hours of THE CHARLIE BROWN SHOW have been acquired by the network from Patrick Sinfield Ltd. The Charlie Brown series join Boomerangs recent acquisitions THUNDERBIRDS, THE PINK PANTHER and DANGERMOUSE. "This is another very valuable acquisition for Boomerang as Snoopy's appeal spans generations and is an extremely well-known franchise," said Jo Sweby, acquisition manager for Cartoon Network Europe. The shows will launch in August.

Disneys Classic Treasures Crosses The Alps. Buena Vista International Television has added Austrian terrestrial broadcaster ORF and Telepool Zurich in Switzerland to its list of licensees for the "Classic Treasures" package of Disney and Disney/Pixar films. For the first time, viewers in these territories will be able to watch popular animated films on terrestrial television. The package includes A BUG'S LIFE, MULAN, HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, TOY STORY and TOY STORY 2.

The January 26, 2002 episode of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, a rebroadcast of a November 2001 Gwyneth Paltrow-hosted show, will contain a new, never-before-aired cartoon by Wachtenheim/Marianetti Animation. "Harry the Embryonic Stem Cell," written by Robert Smigel and Louis C.K., is a humorous look at the debate surrounding this contentious issue. Designed and animated by Wachtenheim/Marianetti, the piece also spoofs Britney Spears. If you have ever wondered what a right-wing, Christian Coalition cartoon might look like, be sure to catch this episode of SNL!

A judgement was recently rendered by a Stockholm Chamber of Commerce arbitrator that Swedish animation house Happy Life violated copyright and was in breach of contract when it produced a second series of the animated show LISA. The dispute between LISA creator Magnus Carlsson and his former employers ended in his favor on December 21, 2001 after a six-month long arbitration process.

Kids' WB! announced the production and pick-up of ALL NEW SCOOBY-DOO! THE ANIMATED SERIES (working title) and OZZIE & DRIX, a new animated series based on the Warner Bros. feature film OSMOSIS JONES. The latest incarnation of the Scooby-Doo animated series from Warner Bros. Animation is a joint pick-up by Kids WB! and Cartoon Network and is slated to debut on Kids WB! in Fall 2002 and will air subsequently in the 2002-2003 season on Cartoon Network. Kids WB!