Category: Television

Twenty years after the first international Disney theme park opened in Tokyo and the Disney Channel debuted in the U.S., Disney will launch the Disney Channel Japan on cable and satellite in winter 2003/2004. Satellite platform Sky PerfecTV will offer the 24-hour channel as an á la carte option in winter 2003/4, with the channel also going into basic tier on Japanese cable networks around the same time.

The UK's Entertainment Rights has chalked up a number of recent licenses for its kids properties resulting from MIP-TV, in Europe and in North America, via its New York City office. The NYC office has placed several shows with U.S. and Canadian networks. Discovery's Hispanic channel has acquired CGI preschooler CUBEEZ for a 2003 launch and HAMILTON MATTRESS has been sold to HBO while TeleQuebec in Canada has taken PRESTON PIG, SHORT CUTS and MERLIN THE MAGICAL PUPPY. ER's new boy action series TRANSFORMERS ARMADA debuted well on Carton Network in the U.S.

The animated series MIMI & MR. BOBO will return to Spain's RTVE at 1:45 pm on May 7, 2003, which co-produced the series with MB Productions. It was a ratings success when it launched on the channel in September 1999. The re-broadcast is being managed by Icon Prods., the new production and distribution company recently created by Sergi Reitg and Myriam Ballesteros in February 2003 in Barcelona. MIMI & MR. BOBO features the misadventures of an enthusiastic girl and her gang of friends. While innocent looking these youngsters get into mischievous adventures. Storekeepers, mafiosos, rock stars and reality show hosts no one is safe when they decide to turn the town upside down.

Icon's animated catalog includes MIMI & THE GANG (26x6 or 7x26), THE LIVING FOREST (82 mins.), LOLA & VIRGINIA (52x11) and RIP XL (52x11). The distributor is also in negotiations with different companies regarding other properties. Before forming Icon, Reitg worked at Cromosoma for the last seven years, working in different areas, until becoming managing director. In 1992 Ballesteros launched MB Producciones. For more information on Icon, check out www:icon-productions.com

DECODE Entertainment has concluded a number of pre-sales for its illustrative digital 2D animated show FRANNYS FEET. The pre-school series features a little girl whose fantastic feet step into magical adventures when she tries on shoes in her grandfathers repair shop. Commissioned by Channel Five in the U.K. and the Family Channel in Canada, the 13x30 minute show will step onto the schedules at Discovery UK and ABC in Australia. DECODE is seeking licensing partners for all categories.

Discovery Kids will introduce animated series to its fall lineup, launching the REALTOONS block to air Saturday mornings on NBC in the U.S. and on the Discovery Kids Channel. Offering a mix of cool stories and real facts, the series TUTENSTEIN and KENNY THE SHARK are based on prototypical Discovery themes ancient history and sharks.

U.K. producer Passion Pictures joined forces with director Pierre Coffin at Tiger Aspect in London and Paris-based animation and post production house MacGuff Ligne to produce THE POLAR BEARS, a series of seven short films as new installments for the second series of LENNY HENRY IN PIECES airing since March 2003 on BBC1.

Cartoon Network is adding 3D animated series, SITTING DUCKS and PECOLA, to air weekday mornings, starting April 21, 2003. "PECOLA and SITTING DUCKS are both whimsical and sweet series that feature popular CGI animation. We think they'll be perfect additions to our weekday morning line-up," said Jim Samples, gm/vp of Cartoon Network.

NOGGIN, Nickelodeon's commercial-free, educational network for kids 2-5 launched three new series for spring, OOBI, TWEENIES and MIFFY AND FRIENDS on April 7, 2003.

Toronto-based CCI Entertainment, which just recently formed a cross-Atlantic partnership with Collingwood OHare in the U.K., now has a co-production deal with Australian production outfit Ambience Entertainment to produce ERKY PERKY, a (26x11) 3D animated series. The show was developed in-house by Ambience, a Sydney-based animation and broadcast design firm.

Vancouver-based animation company SecondSun Entertainment and Minds Eye Entertainment, will produce CREEPSHOW, a new half-hour animated series in development with YTV for an older 12-17 audience. "It will be a suspense thriller series with all kinds of bizarre characters and unique plot twists and turns to keep kids on the edge of their seats," series producer Chris Delaney. "We are confident that the series edgy and stylish content will appeal to teenage viewers in Canada and around the world," Minds Eye Entertainments executive producer Kevin DeWalt. SecondSun designer John Delaney (BATMAN, SUPERMAN, FUTURAMA) has created a stylish, hybrid look for the series that combines an anime style with North American design sensibilities. Delaney (CHRISTOPHER THE CHRISTMAS TREE, THE LITTLEST ANGEL) is developing the creative concept with consultants Ivan Cohen and Barney Cohen (FOREVER NIGHT, SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH). A teen character in each episode will encounter a seemingly normal, everyday situation that quickly turns into a variety of terrifying, suspense filled situations. It may be that a babysitter is attacked by 'monster' children or a robot comes to life and does battle with its owner. Aaron L. Gilbert brought the parties together who will executive produce the series with DeWalt. CREEPSHOW is licensed from Jim Dudleson's Taurus Entertainment (NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD). Minds Eye International, a division of Minds Eye Entertainment, will distribute the series worldwide. Production is expected to begin in Vancouver in the fall of 2003. Established in 1986, Minds Eye Entertainment (formerly Minds Eye Pictures) is a fully integrated production, post-production and distribution entity with offices across western Canada. Check out the company's Website at www.mindseyepictures.com. SecondSun Entertainment (secondsunentertainment.com) is a "transmedia" company specializing in the creation of animation based content for various media platforms, formed in May 2002 by the amalgamation of Brainchild Studios Inc. a 3D company, its interactive game division Furious Entertainment, and Delaney & Friends Cartoon Productions Ltd., a 2D animation company.

As SOUTH PARK approaches it's 100th episode on April 9, 2003, the demented duo who create and exec produce the Comedy Central hit animated series for adults have re-upped with the cable channel through the end of 2005 with an option for an additional year. The deal has Trey Parker and Matt Stone making 15 episodes of SOUTH PARK each year, giving them time to work on other projects during a summer hiatus. If they exercise their option in 2006, that would stretch SOUTH PARK to a 10th season, making it the longest-running primetime comedy series in basic cable history. A pretty long stretch for two guys who claim they never wanted to do animation and don't particularly like it. But it pays the bills and given them a certain cache to go after live-action dreams in their quest to become the next Monty Python. Anne Garefino, exec producer of the series since the beginning, renewed her deal with the network as well. Comedy Central president/CEO Larry Divney claims SOUTH PARK is a huge part of Comedy Central's current and future success. He said, "I really love working with Matt and Trey. They are brilliantly creative producers and I'm just thrilled to have them commit to continuing our relationship well into the future. It's great for our viewers, our affiliates and our advertisers." Parker and Stone's deal was negotiated by their attorney Kevin Morris of Barnes, Morris, Klein & Yorn and agents Mike Simpson and Gaby Morgerman of the William Morris Agency. Garefino's deal was also negotiated by WMA and she is represented by Chris Silbermann of the Broder, Webb, Chervin, Silbermann firm. Comedy Central is the only all-comedy network seen in more than 82 million homes in the U.S. The cabler is owned by Comedy Partners, 50-50 joint venture of Time Warner Entertainment Co. and Viacom, visit www.comedycentral.com.

While most of Nelvana's computer animated programs have been done with the assistance of outside studios, the Toronto-based production house, which is part of Corus Entertainment, turned out an entire 3D CGI one-hour special, ç, completely in-house, now airing on Nickelodeon. It premiered in primetime March 31 with rebroadcasts on April 1 and 14 at noon. The studio is becoming increasingly more self-contained, under the direction CGI pioneer and production chief Scott Dwyer. Based upon the best-selling book series by acclaimed children's author, David Kirk, MISS SPIDER stars Brooke Shields as the voice of a full-grown spider who discovers she doesn't know everything there is to know about being a terrific mom. Having been adopted herself when she was young, Miss Spider's lessons multiply when she and her young ones try to reunite an abandoned chicken egg with its mother. Nelvana used primarily Maya and combustion to create the rich, colorful natural environments and soft characters. The Nelvana production in association with Callaway & Kirk was exec. produced by Michael Hirsh, Dyer, Kirk, Nicholas Callaway and Nadine va der Velde. Pam Lehn served as supervising producer and Susie Grondin was producer. Mike Fallows directed the script by van der Velde while Mike Shiell was animation director. While animation remained at Nelvana, voice recording was done in Canada and the U.S. Tony Jay as the voice of the evil Spiderus was recorded at Voice Trax West in Los Angeles. Shields and Rick Moranis (the voice of her husband Holley) were recorded at Magno Sound in New York City. The majority of the voices were recorded at Studio 306 in Toronto under the direction of Jessie Thomson. Nelvana also produced in-house the ROLIE POLIE OLIE: GREAT DEFENDER OF FUN special last year that aired on Disney in the U.S. and CBC in Canada. MISS SPIDER'S SUNNY PATCH KIDS will air later this year on TELETOON in Canada. The special is sponsored by U.S. retailer Target, which just launched a lifestyle brand for children called Sunny Patch, in stores across America featuring images of Miss Spider and friends on clothing, garden tools and home décor.