Category: Television

John Leguizamo, the Emmy Award-winning actor/writer/comedian, is creating ZILCH & ZERO, a 30-minute adult animated special to air on the new Spike TV (formerly The New TNN), the first network for men, according to Albie Hecht, president of Spike TV.

Kids' WB! plans to introduce a new generation of kids in the United States to one of the most beloved anime icons, ASTRO BOY, in its Saturday morning schedule in the 2003-2004 season. Sony Pictures Television and Tezuka Productions are producing the new series based on the original 50-year-old toon from Manga master, Osamu Tezuka.

To celebrate Mother's Day on Sunday, May 11, 2003, Cartoon Network gives birth to a seven-hour tribute to that modern Stone Age matriarch, Wilma Flintstone. During the Mother's Day Wilma-Thon, which airs from 12:00-7:00 pm (ET/PT), viewers will see Wilma Flintstone through the years as she and Fred first court, during her pregnancy, as a new mother and, finally, as she becomes a grandmother.

Canadian animation Studio B Productions has hit one into the U.S. network ballpark, scoring a slot on Kids' WB! for a toon about baseball-playing birds that will debut in September 2003. This original production by Vancouver-based Studio B, features the adventures of a team of birds who barnstorm the circuit of D'MYNA LEAGUES playing baseball, and learn a lesson or two along the way. "We're very excited to break into the U.S. with the first ever baseball cartoon series," says Blair Peters, creator and executive producer. "I think kids will really dig the unique combination of traditional 2D characters and 3D backgrounds that capture the exciting on-field action. And adults will get a kick out of the nostalgic tributes to the likes of Shoeless Joe Jackson, Harry Carey and Babe Ruth." D'MYNA LEAGUES already has a strong batting average in its home territory of Canada, with success on both CTV (it was the broadcaster's first venture into kids programming), and kids network YTV. The show, which is distributed by Sony Pictures Television International globally, also airs in territories from Venezuela to Singapore.

Comedy Central is testing a new animated show from comic Denis Leary and Jim Serpico's Apostle studio via a series of interstitial spots pulled from the HOUSE ARREST pilot. The spots started airing on May 1, 2003 and offer animated interpretations of classic stand-up routines from comedians such as Jay Mohr, Leary, Dane Cook, Fitzsimmons, Patrice Oneal, Jeffrey Ross and Janeane Garofalo.

Kids' WB! will offer a special sneak-peek of its new adventure series TEEN TITANS on May 3, 2003. The series, coming to Kids' WB!'s 2003-04 season, is produced by Warner Bros. Animation and will be offered in conjunction with Cartoon Network. TEEN TITANS features Robin The Boy Wonder (without Batman) and fellow teens Cyborg, Beast Boy, Starfire and Raven - five superheroes, each with special powers, who unite to form a defensive force to protect the Earth from a new generation of villains as well as the tribulations of being a teenager. An eclectic group, their powers complement each other while their personalities often clash. Discovering how to control their powers, these Teen Titans must learn to work and grow as a team despite their stylistic differences. The series is produced by WBA under the guidance of Glen Murakami and is based on the DC comic book series. The series will debut on Cartoon Network in August 2003 and re-launch on Kids' WB! in mid-season 2004.

Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the writing/producing team behind MTV's animated comedy CLONE HIGH USA, have landed at two-year seven-figure deal with Twentieth Century Fox Television to develop live-action and animated fare, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Fox TV president Gary Newman said the pair have the "fresh and twisted view of the world" his network looks for and they will also work on existing projects. CLONE HIGH, which features a high school populated with teenage clones of historical figures like Abraham Lincoln, John F.

A guest appearance by Lil' Romeo on April 19, 2003 sparks up the third season of STATIC SHOCK on Kids' WB! with the super rapper starring as an animated version of himself. In "Romeo In The Mix," the hip-hop musician joins forces with Static in an attempt to defeat The Leech - a metahuman that is stealing metahuman powers. The music-driven episode also will feature two of Lil' Romeo's hot songs - "Play Like Us" and "Bring It" from his most recent hit album, GAME TIME.

Third time's a charm? The Nashville Network started in 1983, was renamed the New TNN when it was bought by Viacom in 2000 and will now be called Spike TV, as of June 16, 2003, reflecting its new brand positioning as the first network for men. The network's new logo will be unveiled at the MTV Networks upfront presentation in New York City on Tuesday, May 6, 2003, according to network president Albie Hecht. "Spike TV captures the attributes and essence of what we want the first network for men to be," said Hecht. "It's unapologetically male; it's active; it's smart and contemporary with a personality that's aggressive and irreverent. It's a name we feel our audience will get and make a connection with. I like Spike! This is a first major step in our journey to super-serving men in a way no one has done before."

After a hiatus from primetime animation, NBC and DreamWorks are jumping into the genre again with a 13-episode order for a CG animated series, FATHER OF THE PRIDE, from DreamWorks TV about the lives of the family of lions who perform in Siegfried & Roy's Las Vegas magic show, it was reported by THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER and confirmed by a DreamWorks spokesman.

MR. BEAN, the eccentric character created by British writer/actor Rowan Atkinson, is set for his U.S. animated television debut on American Public Television (APT) in April 2003 and will launch on home video in fall 2003 via a full-scale retail release by A&E Home Video. "We have quite a few stations who have committed to airing this series," an APT spokesperson said. They expect high carriage from this series especially since "adult animation is quite a hot topic at the moment." APT has U.S. distribution rights from April 1, 2003 through March 30, 2004.