UPN has ordered thirteen episodes of DOOMSDAY from Film Roman for the 2000-01 season. As previously announced [Flash 8/17/99], DOOMSDAY is an animated sci-fi/comedy series. While the concept was created by writer/producer Tracy Torme, Howard Stern will play an integral role in the development of the script and in the production of the series, as well as provide the voice for the family dog. Several of Stern's celebrity friends will appear as special guest voices.
Fox Family Channel, which was launched on August 15, 1998 when Fox took over the Family Channel, hasannounced its fall schedule. The schedule includes four new animatedseries: WEIRD-OHS is about three kids uncovering the mysteries of life;KIDS FROM ROOM 402, based on the book, GRACIE GRAVES AND THE KIDS FROM ROOM402 by Betty Paraskevas, is about a classroom of ten year old eccentrics;ANGELA ANACONDA, a cut-out style animated series, is about an eight yearold girl and her elementary school problems; and MEGA BABIES, revolves
John Kricfalusi, creatorof Nickelodeon's THE REN AND STIMPY SHOW, returns to television with twolong-awaited half-hour specials featuring Yogi Bear, Boo Boo, and theirnemesis, Ranger Smith. In BOO BOO RUNS WILD, Yogi's pal Boo Boo transformsfrom a law-abiding cave dweller to Jellystone Park's greatest menace. Yogimust save his buddy before Ranger Smith stops Boo Boo for good. A DAY INTHE LIFE OF RANGER SMITH follows Ranger Smith on his daily routine as heattempts to enforce ridiculous rules and regulations on Mother Nature.
San Francisco-based Wild Brain, Inc. has joined with Munich-based EM.TV &Merchandising to co-produce POOCHINI'S YARD, a 26-episode series based onWild Brain's short, A DOG CARTOON. Wild Brain will manage all creativeaspects of the series which begins production this summer. Distributionrights are planned to be split between domestic for Wild Brain, andinternational for EM.TV. Wild Brain's credits include FERNGULLY 2: THEMAGICAL RESCUE, and current productions THE ADVENTURES OF ROCKY &
Disney's Whomptastic, the previously announced two hour cartoon programmingblock which is set to air daily on UPN beginning September 6, has beenchanged to DISNEY'S ONE TWO so that viewers will associate it with Disney'sother cartoon block, the ABC Saturday morning DISNEY'S ONE SATURDAYMORNING. DISNEY'S ONE TWO will present the premiere of SABRINA THE ANIMATEDSERIES, as well as include the already established shows DISNEY'S RECESS,DISNEY'S DOUG and DISNEY'S HERCULES.
Six new children's series based on popular titles from noted authors suchas Maurice Sendak, Rosemary Wells, Don Freeman and William Joyce will beproduced by Toronto-based Nelvana for distribution by the PublicBroadcasting Service (PBS) as a weekend block beginning in fall 2000. Thesix book titles upon which the new series will be based are: MauriceSendak's SEVEN LITTLE MONSTERS, William Joyce's GEORGE SHRINKS, DonFreeman's CORDUROY BEAR, Rosemary Wells' TIMOTHY GOES TO SCHOOL, Michael
Cartoon Network will offer two premieres on Saturday, August 21 and Sunday,August 22 at 9 pm. On both days at that time, one can see the premiere ofCOURAGE, THE COWARDLY DOG, created by John R. Dilworth, about a timid dogwho defends an elderly couple from paranormal threats. Immediatelyfollowing at 9:30 pm on both days is the premiere of Bill Wray's shortfilm, KING CRAB SPACE CRUSTACEAN, a parody of television science fictionseries. In the film the youngest crewmember of King Crab's intergalactic
Klasky-Csupo's latest TV series, ROCKET POWER, will premiere on Nickelodeonon Monday, August 16 at 8:30 pm (ET/PT). Set in the fictional SouthernCalifornia beach community of Ocean Shores, ROCKET POWER features theadventures of four extreme-sports loving friends who chase the ultimatewave, ramp, or slope in quest of an adrenaline rush. ROCKET POWER isco-created and executive produced by Arlene Klasky and Gabor Csupo,co-founders of Klasky Csupo, Inc. which also produces the extremely
Nickelodeon's PHRED ON YOUR HEAD is a show in which Phred, an originalanimated character who appears on the forehead of a different real kidevery day, and the kid whose forehead Phred appears on, introduce anirreverent collection of classic segments from such educational shows asSESAME STREET and THE ELECTRIC COMPANY, in addition to new material that iseducational and entertaining. Working from sketches provided by NewYork-based Data Motion Arts (DMA), Possible Worlds and MTV Animation
J.J. Sedelmaier Productions has completed a third season of SATURDAY NIGHTLIVE's TV FUNHOUSE. Segments included THE AMBIGUOUSLY GAY DUO in "Letters,"in which the duo answered questions about their crime fighting techniquesand costumes, and "Boys," in which the duo's interest in crime fighting istraced to their high school days.
Vancouver, Canada-based Mainframe Entertainment, Inc. has announced anoption agreement with Sirius Entertainment to develop a computer animatedtelevision and direct-to-video series based on comic book artist/writerJill Thompson's SCARY GODMOTHER comic books. SCARY GODMOTHER was firstpublished by Sirius Entertainment for Hallowe'en, 1997 as a hardcovergraphic novel. Since then Sirius has published a new graphic novel everyHallowe'en in addition to black and white one-shot comic books at other
Cartoon Network, the 24 hour all-cartoon cable service, has announcedseveral highlights on its fall schedule. These include: a TINY TOONMARATHON on Sunday, September 19, 12-8 pm; the premiere of new series MIKE,LU & OG, created by Chuck Swenson, Mikhail Aldashin, and Mikhail Shindel,on November 12; the premiere of new series COURAGE, THE COWARDLY DOG,created by John R. Dilworth, on November 12; the television premiere of thefeature-length SCOOBY-DOO AND THE WITCH'S GHOST on November 27 at 8 pm.
In 1992, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS) first launched its 24 hourall-cartoon cable service, Cartoon Network. Next spring, Turner will launcha second all-toon service, Boomerang. When Cartoon Network debuted sevenyears ago, it could have been called the Hanna-Barbera Network because itsprogramming consisted almost exclusively of the classic Hanna-Barberalibrary, which was also owned by Turner. But recently new shows such as THEPOWERPUFF GIRLS and DEXTER'S LABORATORY, produced by Cartoon Network
MTV: Music Television will premiere its newest animated series, MTVDOWNTOWN, which was created by New York-based School of Visual Arts alumnusChris Prynoski, on Tuesday, August 3, 1999 at 10:30 pm ET/PT, 9:30 pm CT.The 13-episode series will air regularly on Tuesday nights. MTV DOWNTOWNfocuses on the shy and thoughtful Alex, and his wild and crazy sister,Chaka. Many of the characters and situations are based on interviews withpeople around Manhattan.
BKN (Bohbot Kids Network) Bulldog Network, a programming block which debutsin the US on August 29, 1999, has acquired the programming and licensingrights for many worldwide territories for MONSTER RANCHER. The show willdebut as a lead entry on BKN as a daily Monday - Friday half-hour series.MONSTER RANCHER was originally developed in Japan as a Sony PlayStationvideo game by Tecmo, and the series is currently in production at TMS,Japan's largest animation house. The series is about an 11 year old boy who
Children's BBC has commissioned newly formed London-based Silver Fox Filmsto produce ANGELMOUSE, a 26-part series for the BBC. The series is about alittle mouse who has been sent down from heaven to help out. He's not verygood at his job, however, and whenever a good deed backfires, as oftenhappens, his halo dims or disappears. Graham Ralph is directing the serieswhich is slated to debut later this year. Graham Ralph recently formedSliver Fox after relinquishing his stake in London-based Hibbert Ralph
The CBS Television Network's 1999-2000 Saturday Morning schedule, whichbegins on October 2, includes three returning shows and three new ones, allproduced by Toronto-based Nelvana. The new series are RESCUE HEROES,BLASTER'S UNIVERSE, and NEW TALES FROM THE CRYPT. RESCUES HEROES is about ateam of international emergency response professionals, and is designed tointroduce young viewers to preparedness and safety techniques. BLASTER'SUNIVERSE is based on a series of CD-ROMs from Knowledge Adventure. Set in
"Shorties" is a series of two-minute animated shorts that re-interpret someof Hanna-Barbera's lesser known, but fondly-remembered characters such asAtom Ant, Jabberjaw, and Wally Gator. The shorts began to air in Junethroughout the day on Cartoon Network during breaks from regularlyscheduled programming. They feature original plots and different animationtechniques for each short, and aim to update these characters with anironic, post-modern twist. Techniques include cel animation, cut-outs,
The ABC network, which is owned by The Walt Disney Co., has ordered asix-hour miniseries based on the first two installments of James Gurney'sfantasy book series, DINOTOPIA which is about a world in which humans andhighly-evolved dinosaurs live together in harmony. With the exception ofStephen King projects THE SHINING and STORM OF THE CENTURY, DINOTOPIA marksABC's biggest miniseries time commitment since 1988's 30-hour WAR ANDREMEMBRANCE which starred Robert Mitchum. Some sources estimate the cost at
Eddie Murphy has rejoined the voice cast of Fox's Will VintonStudios-produced comedy, THE PJS, after angrily walking out on the showwhen Fox decided to hold it back for midseason rather than giving it a sloton the fall schedule. Murphy, a co-creator of THE PJS who has provided thevoice of lead character Thurgood Stubbs, had already recorded eight of nextseason's 22 episodes before he walked. Producer Imagine TV used Murphysound-alike Phil Morris for two episodes, but it's undetermined whether
Film Roman has joined Los Angeles-based Latino production company Sí TV toproduce a half-hour, English language animated pilot entitled STUCK IN THEMIDDLE which is intended for prime time. Written and co-created by Sí TVco-chairman Jeff Valdez, the pilot will feature the vocal talent ofco-creator and executive producer Cheech Marin (comedy team Cheech & Chong;NASH BRIDGES), who also serves on the advisory board of Sí TV. STUCK IN THEMIDDLE is about a twelve-year old whose home life in The Barrio contrasts
Data Motion Arts (DMA) has created the host character "Phred" for the new Noggin network. DMA's creative director Tony Caio was asked to create a character who is interactive, works on TV and on-line, and appeals to 6-to-12 year-olds. The result is a 2D character that appears tattooed on your forehead of different live-action faces. The PHRED ON YOUR HEAD show debuted on Nickelodeon on June 6th at 12:00 pm. You can view Phred on-line at www.noggin.com/build. Noggin is an educational TV channel and website, developed as a joint venture of Nickelodeon and Children's Television Workshop.
Beginning September 6, 1999, NODDY will air Monday through Friday on PBS stations in the US as part of PBS's "Ready to Learn" service. NODDY debuted in the US in the fall of 1998. The program's success has led to the production of 25 new episodes, bringing the total number of episodes to 65. The new episodes will begin airing in the fall of 1999. Based on the world-renowned children's books by Enid Blyton, NODDY, a show for children ages three to seven, is co-produced by BBC Worldwide, The Enid Blyton Company and Toronto-based Catalyst Entertainment, Inc.
Adding to the recently announced DOOMSDAY, being co-produced with HowardStern, and TIL THE FAT LADY SINGS, being co-produced with Norman Lear, FilmRoman has announced two more prime-time TV shows that it will be taking tothe marketplace this season. THE CABBISONS takes a hard look at today'ssociety through the eyes of a 1970's sitcom family who are typicallyAmerican--except for living in a cab. The Cabbisons travel through theworld in their cab, picking up fictional characters and celebrity fares
French production company Alphanim's RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT, a series,co-produced with Cinar, about a group of three friends who travel the worldseeking out paranormal phenomena, will begin airing on the Fox FamilyChannel on Wednesday, July 14, 1999. Alphanim, which was created in 1997 byChristian Davin, has announced a number of new television series that arein production or development.
In production:
SPACED OUT is a family sitcom created by P. Colin-Thibert and J.C. Islert,
