Maybe it's MIP, but there's a lot going on...

PBS debuts a second season of national lifestyle series Moment of Luxury this Thursday at 730p (check local listings). The series, with 13 half-hour episodes, features award-winning international designer Bill Stubbs as he interjects comfort and luxury for any American budget encompassing home design, food, culture and art. The series is shot in hi-def and is presented nationally by WLIW in association with WNET.ORG.

Public television station KCET, serving Southern and Central California and Charter Communications announced V-me is now available throughout Southern California on Charter Digital Cable. V-me offers a combination of original content, exclusive premieres and acquisitions and public TV shows adapted for the American Latinos.

NBC has a new family-focused in-studio game show called Perfect 10 on tap for US audiences and for the international marketplace. The game encompasses 10 seemingly simple games that must be completed by contestants in 60-seconds or less each in order to win the $1 million prize. Universal Media Studios in association with Friday Television is producing eight 60m episodes and the format will be launched at MIPCOM next week. Prior to going into production, 50 games will be available at nbc.com and via on-air promotions for viewers to test at home. The official rules of each contest will also be posted on the show's website.

Breakthrough Films & Television was commissioned by TELETOON Canada to produce a new family comedy for primetime titled Crash Canyon. Thirteen 30m episodes have been ordered from Breakthrough who is working with Joel Cohen, co-executive producer on The Simpsons and the series creators Jam Filled Entertainment. Crash Canyon is about the Wendells who take a nose dive off a cliff and end up in a canyon where they can't escape. The Wendells meet other odd people living together in a community they created called Crash Canyon.

Vooz and BRB Internacional are partnering to co-produce the new preschool series Canimal (52x5). Set to be available at the end of 2010, Canimal revolves around a group of small curious gnome-like 3D animated characters, shaped like a tin can and with the face of a cad, dog etc., which find something new in every object. Vooz and Screen 21, BRB's creative division, will present the property this week at Brand Licensing Europe and next week at MipJunior.


Domo comes to 7-Eleven stores this fall in a new in-store and online promotion, which includes collectible Slurpee cups filled with Fuji Frost by Fanta, special Slurpee characters straws and Bit Bite hog dog containers, coffee cups and Domo Attack! Energy drink as well as themed candy displays, collectible Domo Qee, Domo Manga, plush characters and t-shirts and caps among other products. The promotion is being supported with a three-part stop-motion webisode, which will debut weekly from October 1, can be found at www.slurpee.com and www.somonation.com. Big Tent Entertainment, the marketing/licensing company for Domo, helped bring the 7-Eleven deal together. Domo was created by Japanese illustrator/director Tsuneo Goda as the mascot for Japanese TV station NHK in 1998, eventually becoming a pop icon.

Nielsen Online

Nielsen Online identified an interesting new online category: Power Moms, a group of Moms who collectively make up 19% of the total online population who increasingly turn to the web to network, learn and provide information and advice to other parents. Among the top 10 sites ranked by unique viewer composition percent in February 2009, eight featured predominantly kid's programming, indicating that moms are seemingly keeping up on what their kids watch and play online, as many of these sites also offer games and/or activities.

Top 10 Online Destinations for "Power Moms" by Unique Viewer Composition Percent
Site Unique Viewer Unique Viewers (000)
Composition Percent
PBS Kids 24.5% 241,000
Noggin 22.2% 121,000
Nick Jr. 21.7% 492,000
Playhouse Disney 20.7% 199,000
Kohl's 18.3% 203,000
Disney.com 17.8% 710,000
PBS 17.4% 125,000
DisneyChannel.com17.2% 689,000
Nick 16.2% 415,000
Source: Nielsen Online VideoCensus, Feb. 2009
Women 24-54 with at least one child in the household, sites with a min. of 100k unique visitors

Gator Group, Dr. Helen Boehm

Gator Group, a new licensing agency, including product design and development, manufacturing and marketing, opens its doors. Founded by a group of former execs from global marketing services agency, Cresta, Gator Group's client list includes Paul Frank Industries and the newly launched Tales 4 Tomorrow ( www.tales4tomorrow.com ), the latter of which was created in partnership with Conservation International. With headquarters in Dana Point, California, Gator Group also has offices in LA, Paris and Hong Kong.

Dr. Helen Boehm is named as an advisor to the US Department of Education, where she will assist in the development of the Ready-to-Learn kid's video initiative for preschool and elementary school students. Boehm also continues to write and consult on kids' media and certify educational programming content at www.FCCReady.com .

Corus Entertainment and MTV Networks International and social media

Canadian broadcaster Corus Entertainment and MTV Networks International (MTVNI) have inked a new deal that will see the two launch a 24-hour localized Nickelodeon channel on Monday, November 2, 2009 at 6a. Corus and MTVNI's multi-platform agreement includes exclusive TV rights in Canada to all current Nick animated programming as well as live action series and all digital rights for Nickelodeon and related brands. So, the stand alone Nickelodeon channel will offer Nick programming, including the Canadian premieres of the new animated series Fanboy and Chum Chum, and the live action series The Troop, as well as Nick's other shows (e.g. SpongeBob SquarePants, iCarly, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Dora the Explorer etc.) and special events such as Kids' Choice Awards, as well as original Canadian shows like Grossology, Max & Ruby, Storm Hawks and My Friend Rabbit. Corus already owns the kid-targeted YTV and Treehouse services in Canada, as well as the animation studio Nelvana, which worked with Nickelodeon on a range of projects over the years.


9 Story Entertainment takes on a commission from YTV (Canada) to produce the animated series Almost Naked Animals (52x11). Targeted to K6-11, the series is based on the eponymous website created by Noah Z. Jones, and is slated to bow in fall 2010. Almost Naked Animals follows the adventures of a group of underwear-clad animals that run a beach-front hotel and are always looking for fun. The top dog/hotel manager, Howie, who has the attention span of an 11-year-old gamer, leads the pack. 9 Story will feature the series next week in Cannes.

Social media users may be less likely to click on banner ads than visitors of non-social media sites. But they interact with those banners at a higher rate, and in a more meaningful way when it comes to video - particularly with regards to campaigns for products in the entertainment industry, according a new a report from social ad platform Lotame, based on data from over one hundred campaigns. The upside of Lotame's findings is that advertisers have plenty of opportunities to reach social media users if they think beyond simple click-through metrics. Lotame's recommendations include:
For higher interaction rate, focus on Expandable formats instead of click-through formats, both video and non-video, and avoid in-page ads that don't offer video
For higher interaction rate, consider focusing additionally on leaderboards (728x90) as the primary ad size for the campaign's rich media format creatives
For higher video completion rate, consider in-page video formats over expandable formats

PBS, WordWorld, Valemont

PBS is unveiling a new multiplatform brand package around the tagline "Be More" this fall. It features more than 600 elements including promo opens and closes, video bumps for IDs and support messaging and web elements. PBS stations will debut the new package in conjunction with the Sept. 27 premiere of Ken Burns' The National Parks: America's Best Idea.


WordWorld launches its first iPhone application, Build A Word ($3), at Apple's iTunes store. The Based on the PBS series WordWorld, the Build A Word app helps kids learn about reading, spelling and writing and make words come to life with the help of WordFriends from the series.

Tomorrow, MTV premieres Valemont, a new short-form scripted series centering on a supernatural mystery. The co-branded, multi-platform series begins tomorrow night and the two and a half minute episodes will air over six weeks in the commercial pods before The Hills at 10p and following The City at 1030p. Twenty-three further episodes of Valemont will be available via MTV.com and on V Cast Video from Verizon Wireless including other bonus footage. Valemont is about 18-year old Sophie, played by Kristen Hager as she infiltrates Valemont University to discover why her brother Eric disappeared. The series is co-produced with Electric Farm Entertainment.

BBC, Marblemedia

The BBC unveils plans to spend at least $41 million on kid's programming over the next three years! Additionally, BBC's will up its spending for BBC Two dramas by 50%, the channel also becoming the home for BBC Films. The news came in a speech by Jena Bennett, Director/BBC Vision at BBC Vision Forum, an annual event for in-house and indie producers. Bennett explained the move comes in response to the recommendation from the BBC Trust that BBC strengthen its original kid's programming output in the UK and explained, "This additional funding, derived from efficiency savings, once again recognizes the particular pressures facing this genre and it will be used to reinforce the creative strength of BBC Children's, and help the CBBC channel maintain its position."

Marblemedia acquires the rights to the 1980s TV game show, Just Like Mom. Marblemedia plans to produce an updated version of the series with new elements including an interactive portion, and changing the series name to Just Like Mom ... and Dad. The series will be showcased at Mipcom next month. The original Just Like Mom series, which aired on CTV from 1980-85, featured three mom/kid teams working together to prove they knew each other best through quests/answer rounds and The Bake-Off Challenge. Catherine Swing, a creator and co-host of the original series, will serve as creative consultant on the new incarnation of the show.

Chocolate Liberation Front, Hasbro Studios

The recently launched Toronto-based Chocolate Liberation Front is developing is initial property titled, The World of Infinite Curiosity. A family-targeted multiplatform project, The World of Infinite Curiosity is currently being developed as a videogame with funding from Telefilm Canada and Screen Australia, and in the exploration process for a primetime TV series. The World of Infinite Curiosity is a fantasy world based on the imagination of Decklin, an 11-year-old boy, influenced by Leonardo da Vinci's numerous inventions.

More executives named for the newly launched Hasbro Studios, which will produce TV shows based on Hasbro's brands, new branded content and produce programs from third party content creators. Some of the new shows/content will be part of the new (and still unnamed) TV network from the joint venture between Hasbro and Discovery Communications, which is slated to launch in fall 2010. The new hires were announced by Stephen J. Davis, who was named as President/Hasbro Studios last month, and include:
Bob Boden is appointed Head/Reality and Game Show Development and Production. Boden is currently SVP/Programming and Production, Fox Reality Channel and formerly served as SVP/Programming, Game Show Network.
Michael J. Vogel takes on the role of Head/Boys Animation. He is currently Director/Animated Programming, Sony Pictures Television.
Brian Charles Lenard joins as Head/Story Development, from RDF Media Group, Pangea Management Group and RDF USA, where he is Director/Scripted Development.
Mary Beth Bambridge, Head/Strategic Planning, William Morris Endeavour Entertainment, will be the company's Head/Finance,
Kevin Healy becomes Hasbro Studios' Head of Legal and Business Affairs, he had been Head/Business and Legal Affairs, Hasbro Entertainment and Licensing

Cookie Jar TV, BFC, Ink

This week marks MGA Entertainment's launch of ., a new doll line featuring a group of five characters, each with their own personality and background story. Designed to underline the importance of being part of a supportive group of friends and working together, each BFC, Ink. (Best Friends Club, Ink.) doll comes with various fashion items and interactive journals. There are two different BFC, Ink. categories within the doll line, the BFC, Ink. 18-inch dolls and BFC, Ink. Fashion Dolls. Each doll comes with outfits, accessories, a BFC, Ink. Book and lock and key and a special membership card, which can be used to unlock game content online. Additionally, there will be a tween-targeted line of fiction books, written in journal format, tied in with the property that produced in partnership with Parragon Publishing. The publishing effort also provides girls with various tools to create their own club with titles such as BFC, IN. Club Kit.


CBS and Cookie Jar Entertainment will launch Cookie Jar TV, a three-hour Saturday morning kids block, on Saturday, September 19 on CBS. The newly named Educational/Informational compliant block for the 2009-10 season will include episodes of Busytown Mysteries and Noonbory & the Super 7 as well as episodes of Sabrina: The Animated Series. The Cookie Jar TV schedule will generally look as it does below, though its day and times may differ market-to-market and in some markets CBS News' The Saturday Early Show will air 9-11a. Cookie Jar TV takes over for the Kewlopolis (2007-9) Saturday morning block that had been originally programmed by DIC Entertainment, which was subsequently acquired by Cookie Jar Entertainment. Kewlopolis replaced KOL Secret Slumber Party on CBS (2006-7), also programmed by DIC, which in turn took over for the Nickelodeon programmed Nick Jr. on CBS (2000-6) and which became Nick on CBS in 2002. Prior to fall 2000 CBS programmed its own kid-targeted Saturday morning block.

Cookie Jar TV from September 19, 2009:
7a Busytown Mysteries
7:30a Noonbory & the Super 7
8a Busytown Mysteries
8:30a Sabrina: The Animated Series
11a Busytown Mysteries
11:30a Noonbory & the Super 7
(different episodes in each time slot)

Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM), Frederator Studios

Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) - announced plans to team up to develop new methods to measure TV viewing across multiple platforms. The group plans to mine set top box data, measure internet video consumption and analyze cross-platform usage to gain a more accurate picture of how audiences now consume premium content. The companies have agreed to make contributions of at least $1 million combined to build new research apparatus. "The velocity of today's technology developments enables us to demand a more sophisticated measurement model that provides greater accountability and accuracy to increase the effectiveness of our clients' media and marketing investments," wrote Nick Brien, President and CEO, Interpublic Group's Mediabrands about CIMM's missions. "We can no longer subscribe to outdated perceptions of engagement."

In more animation news, Sony Pictures Animation announced a deal to develop animated features with Fred Seibert and his Frederator Studios studio, one of the founding Next New Networks micro-nets. Frederator's credits include Butch Hartman's The Fairly Odd Parents, Genndy Tartakovsky's Dexter's Laboratory, and Craig McCraken's The Powerpuff Girls.

Ian James Corlett, Skywriter Media and Entertainment Group and Atomic Cartoons are partnering to develop a new animated TV series, Elliott & Lucy, for a Canadian broadcaster. Based on characters from Corlett's book E Is for Ethics: How to Teach Kids About Morals, Values, and What Matters Most, the series follows the brother/sister duo as they learn about life and even have some fun. The book will be published by Atria Books/Simon & Schuster this December. A voice-over actor, Corlett also created the animated series Being Ian and was co-creator of Yvon of the Yukon.

Stella Takes the Stage, TATTARRATTAT, The Jim Henson Company, Chorion, FremantleMedia Enterprises

Little Airplane Productions and Spin Master Entertainment, a unit of Spin Master, enter into a partnership to develop a new preschool series entitled Stella Takes the Stage. Slated to be available from early 2010, the series will employ a new animation style called "Theatre Arts Animation", a mix of theatre stagecraft and computer animation developed by Little Airplane. Featuring an educational curriculum, Stella Takes the Stage is designed to encourage preschoolers to become more aware of personal qualities they posses or would like to have and help them identify new skills and potential career ideas.

SupperTime Entertainment, kid's book author/illustrator David Sheldon and Bix Pix Entertainment are teaming up to create a K6-11 targeted TV series and books and merchandise based on the TATTARRATTAT characters, which can flip, created by Sheldon. Under the arrangement, Bix Pix Entertainment is developing and producing the series with Sheldon serving as creative director/lead character designer, and SupperTime handling marketing and merchandising for the property. Bix Pix plans to produce the series using a style of animation that incorporates stop-motion and CG techniques. TATTARRATTAT is expected to begin production in early 2010 with initial distribution scheduled for fall 2011.

The Jim Henson Company will introduce the new series Pajanimals (26x30 or 78x7), which is currently in development, to potential co-production partners at Mipcom. Produced by Henson and 4Kids Entertainment, the short-form, live-action Pajanimals (10x2) music video series was commissioned by and airs on Sprout, as part of it's The Good Night Show programming block, in the US.

Chorion will introduce The Octonauts (50x11 and 1x22 special), a new HD CGI animated action/adventure preschool series, at Mipcom. Produced by Brown Bag Films, The Octonauts has already been acquired by CBeebies (UK), TF1 (France) and ABC Australia, which will all launch the series in 2010. The Octonauts follows a group of heroes that set out in their underwater adventures where they rescue sea creatures and explore underwater worlds.



Spain-based Imira Entertainment is heading to Mipcom/MipJunior where it will offer two new series:
Imira is representing the distribution rights to the live-action series Karku (76x26) across Europe. Imira will showcase the series at Mip Junior in October. Karku is produced by Chilean company My Friend Entertainment in co-production with Television Nacional de Chile. The series follows the adventures of 13-year-old Emilia, who is sent by her parents to live in Santiago, and her pals as they try all sorts of jobs and scheme to raise money to take a vacation together. Karku currently airs across Latin America on Nickelodeon Latin America, TVN (Chile), Ecuavisa, Senal Colombia, Televisa in Mexico and Brazil, as well as in the US, in Spanish, on Sorpresa.
Imira will also showcase the flash animated series Sandra, the Fairytale Detective (52x13). The series is co-produced by TVE and DQ Entertainment, with presales already inked with TF1 (France), Disney Channels in France, Italy, Germany, Spain and India and RTP (Portugal). Sandra, the Fairytale Detective revolves around Sandra, a 10-year-old that uses her detective skills as she travels to a parallel world inhabited by fairytale characters and lots of what ifs (e.g. what if someone steals Cinderella's glass slipper?).


FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) signs new license deals for the design property Rebecca Bonbon. Rebecca Bonbon is the French bulldog created by designer Yuko Shimizu (Hello Kitty). Picking up the brand are: US apparel company Kids Headquarters - young ladies and junior products across categories including apparel, accessories, jewelry, sleepwear and loungewear, as well as a pet line; UK-based Blueprint - young lady-aimed stationery including storage products, notebooks, stationery sets and pencil cases and novelty items for launch in the UK in spring 2010; France's MOA the retailer will offer co-branded Rebecca Bonbon products including, jewelry, watches, hair/apparel accessories, mobile phone accessories, sunglasses, t-shirts, bags and footwear, among others, at MOA shops and MOA-branded areas in stores across France, Monaco and Andorra, Spain, Russia, Romania, Hungary and Greece.