Scholastic Media, The WotWots, iPhone

Scholastic Media will launch several new live-action and animated series at Mipcom and MipJunior this October:

In the live-action arena, Scholastic Media has two new properties based on books and an original series:
The Wedding Planner's Daughter, based on the book series by Coleen Murtagh Paratore, which follows Willa (17) on her mission to find love for herself and her commitment phobic mother.
Goddesses, stemming from Greek mythology the story revolves around three teen sisters who are mistakenly sent by their father, Zeus, to Athens ... Georgia instead of Athens, Greece. In Georgia, where they are unable to use their goddess powers, the teens must find their way to survive high school.
Additionally, Scholastic Media offers its original comedy Motor City, about three 20-something friends living in Detroit and dealing with all the firsts that being a young adult brings ... first loves, apartments and jobs.

For preschoolers Scholastic introduces three new animated projects
Chicken Socks - based on the Klutz activity book franchise, is set in a clubhouse and invites viewers on adventures of creation and learning.
Dragoonies - a preschool-aimed sing-along series that follows six little dragon pals as they head to school for the firs time.
Fuzz and Sparkle follows disco-loving aliens as they embrace their inner explorer with humor and music.

New episodes, new time slots, broadcast deals and toy launches for the preschool animated series The WotWots. The WotWots is produced by Pukeko Pictures and made at Richard Taylor's Weta Workshop (Lord of the Rings). In the UK Five's Milkshake! block is moving The WotWots to its new time slot at 8:35a beginning September 7, with all new episodes of the series debuting from October 13. In Australia, ABC1 & ABC2 begin screening new episodes this week at 9a and 12:40p weekdays, respectively. Meanwhile in New Zealand, TVNZ continues to air The WotWots weekdays at 8:50a. Hasbro is set to launch a new toy line (e.g. plush, figures, play sets, publishing) based on the WotWots this September in Australia and New Zealand and October in the UK. Additionally, ABC Commercial's International Program Sales group has sold The WotWots animated series to MTV Finland, Canal + 'Mini Mini kids channel' (Poland), Thai Public Broadcasting Thailand and Media Corp Singapore, with further deals to be announced soon.

Nickelodeon, which launched its first set of iPhone apps in February of this year, conducted a comprehensive study about how kids and families use the iPhone and iPod Touch, surveying 500 parents who have the devices in their homes. The study found that kids not only play games on their parents' devices but that they're also getting their own units to play with and that parents are cool with this.
A majority of parents surveyed consider the iPhone/iTouch to be appropriate for use by children under the age of 18. Perceived appropriateness skews older with the ages of 12+ where at least 50% of parents would begin to consider either device most appropriate to use
In comparing the two devices (iPhone vs. iTouch), the iTouch is considered more child-friendly (no usage charges to worry about)
Music, games, photos, and phone apps (iPhone only) are considered the most appropriate for children
Distraction (keeps the kids occupied), entertainment and education are the top benefits parents consider when allowing or thinking about allowing usage
Kids of all ages prefer games that have objectives scores and timers are viewed as important and add excitement

KidZui, Sesame Street

KidZui, which develops kid-targeted content for the web, launches ZuiTube .com, a free online video service that offers kid-friendly content. Initially ZuiTube.com is offering a library of 60,000 parent and teacher approved videos, with new content added daily, as well as allowing kids to upload their own video creations. ZuiTube is powered by YouTube, but is not affiliated with YouTube or Google. KidZui also operates the KidZui browser, which provides access to 2+ million kid-appropriate games, websites and videos.

Sesame Street launches its 40th season on TV on PBS this November 10 (check local listings). With a new show open and close, the new season features a nature-centric curriculum, My World is Green and Growing, including learning about the benefits of planting their own garden, as well as a new "block" format hosted by Word on the Street Muppet, Murray, from real locations around the world. Also new to the series will be the use of CGI animation in Abby's Flying Fairy School, a segment staring series regular Abby Cadabby. Of course there will be celebrity guests appearances as well as parodies of adult properties, this season except a take on Mad Men (minus the smoking and drinking no doubt). Additionally, in honor of the anniversary year November 1o will also see the release of a tw0-disc compilation DVD, Sesame Street: 40 Years of Sunny Days and the illustrated coffee-table book A Celebration: 40 Years of Life on the Street.

Hasbro, PBS, Nick Jr., Wildbrain

Hasbro appoints Stephen J. Davis to the newly created position of President, Hasbro Studios. The new LA-based studio will produce TV series based on Hasbro's brands, new branded content and produce programs from third party content creators. Davis will take up his new position in September. Many of the shows will run on the new yet to be named TV network created under a joint venture between Hasbro and Discovery Communications, which is slated to launch in fall 2010, as well as on channels in international markets. Most recently, Davis was CEO, Family Entertainment Group. He also managed a development and production venture between Southern Star and World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), and previously served as President/Mobile and Online Media, InfoSpace, and prior to that he was President, Granada America. Davis is also a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of NATPE and also serves on other boards. Additionally, Davis also serves as a producer on Young Buc's, a teen-centric scripted pirates series in development at ABC Family, among other projects.

Nick Jr. UK commissions the animated preschool interstitial series Alphabet Romp from Purple Frog Media, per C21 Media. Each of the 26 interstitials will feature a different letter in poems and raps and the like. Foolhardy Films will produce the animation for the series, which is slated to debut later this year. Purple Frog retains all ancillary rights to the property.

PBS launches season 9 of Between the Lions on PBS Kids on Monday, September 21 (check local listings). The 9th season of Between the Lions includes 10 new episodes that will focus on topics including jobs and construction vehicles, wind and weather as well as seasons and celebrations. In addition to an animated special, other new elements of the new season include several new characters such as The Beetles, who offer a rendition of the book Beetle Bop, and the rap duo Hip-Hoppopotamus and Rhymosaurus, and a new band, Phlounder, Also joining the regular cast are dinos Velociraptor and Brachiosaurus, who demonstrate several strategies to help kids read difficult words.

Wildbrain teams with Jack in the Box to launch a Yo Gabba Gabba! and Jack's Kid's Meal promotion. Beginning this week Jack in the Box restaurants will offer one of five Yo Gabba Gabba finger puppets with the purchase of one of its Jack's Kid's Meals. In addition, Jack in the Box customers can go to www.jackskidstoys.com to receive free Yo Gabba Gabba! downloads and discounts on series related merchandise at Ty's Toy Box.

PBS Kids Go, Cartoon One, Sundance Channel, TV One

PBS Kids Go unveils plans at TCA to launch the new series Wilson & Ditch: Digging America exclusively online at www.pbskidsgo.org this fall. Produced by The Jim Henson Company and targeted to K6-10 the series follows two humorous gopher brothers learning about American culture, history and geography make their way to famous and less so destinations across the country in their green-powered van. The series also features interactive games, original comics as well as blogs and podcasts featuring Wilson and Ditch. Created by Joe Purdy (story editor/Dinosaur Train, Sid The Science Kid) and Craig Bartlett (creator/Dinosaur Train, Hey Arnold), Purdy will pen the website content, with Bartlett directing the animated segments creating the site's comic strip material.


Cartoon One, a Rome-based indie animation studio, is completing production on the series Red Caps (26x26), a co-production with Epidem ZOT Finland. Targeted to K6-9, the action/comedy is designed to encourage kids to stand up for their rights and take responsibility for the planet and environment as the Red Caps set out on a different adventure in each episode. The series, which will be screened at MIPJunior, has been pre-sold to RTL 2 (Germany) and will also be broadcast in 2other countries across Turkey and the Middle East from September. A Red Caps 3D feature film, The Magic Crystal, will be completed next year. Additionally, a series of Red Caps books, online games and community as well as board games are slated for next year too.

Lands' End launches Packland an online world for kids where they can explore in four different environments, jungle, ocean, fantasy world or a spy lab where they can create their own virtual backpack. In each of the four environments, kids can Pack Art to add to their backpack (e.g. gear and gadgets) as well as changing the backpack's color, giving it a name and sharing their creations with friends or printing from the site too.


Sundance Channel premieres season three of the network's original eco-series Big Ideas for a Small Planet tomorrow at 8p. The 13-episode series airs within The Green, the network's weekly primetime block focused on environmental programming. The new season will provide further revelations and discussion surrounding green design, inventions and inventors and processes affecting our communities and everyday lives. This season several celebrities such as Jackson Browne, Thom Filicia, Cindy Crawford, Soleil Moon Frye and members of the Philadelphia Eagles will be profiled.

Continuing with the green theme, TV One introduces viewers to a new 30m eco-reality series starring actor/director/writer Mario Van Peebles and his family. Mario's Green House opens September 27 at 6p with eight new episodes airing weekly followed each Sunday at 630p by an encore presentation of the previous week's episode. Mario's Green House follows Mario, his wife Chitra and their five children as they begin a major eco-renovation of their existing home and embark on a green lifestyle makeover. The series is produced in collaboration with Equator HD by Hour One LLC.

Martha Speaks

PBS Kids launches season two of the animated series Martha Speaks with five new episodes premiering Monday-Friday, September 14-18 at 7:30a and 3:30p (check local listings). The first new episode finds Martha's adored and tattered napping chair winds up on the set of Antiques Roadshow, but will appraiser Noel Barrett recognize its true value? Ten additional new episodes will air on PBS Kids after January 2010, including a two-part Presidents Day episode, Martha in the White House, airing on Presidents Day, Monday, February 15. Additionally, January will also see Houghton Mifflin Harcourt will release of new books based the Martha Speaks TV series.

Squared Entertainment

A Squared Entertainment, a new kid's media company co-founded by former DIC Entertainment topper Andy Heyward and marketing veteran Amy Moynihan, has partnered with AOL on a slate of new edutainment animated webisodes (3-5 minutes each) including celebrities featuring Warren Buffett, Gisele Bundchen, Martha Stewart and Carl Sagan. The webisodes will premiere on AOL, which will also help distribute them. The webisodes include Secret Millionaire's Club, featuring billionaire Buffett, and GiGi & the Green Team, featuring Bundchen, are scheduled to debut on AOL this fall with Little Martha, featuring Stewart, and Kosmos, inspired by the late Sagan and created by Cosmos co-author Ann Druyan, set to launch in spring 2010. AOL has also teamed with MGX Lab to create interactive worlds for each property with games and activities.

kid programming rules

Here in the US the new US Federal Communications Commission Chairman (FCC), Julius Genachowski, announced at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing that he has opened a new inquiry into kid programming rules, and how "the FCC can best protect children in a digital age," while also taking into account current concerns and new opportunities in today's world. The effort, triggered at least in part by the ever-growing platforms where kids can access content, will also review the current FCC rules guiding kid's programming, and may require broadcasters to air more kid-appropriate educational and informational programming than the three hours they are currently compelled to offer, while also looking to include rules for cable, satellite, mobile video content and the web as well as video games. The current rules, under the Children's Television Act, were mostly established in the 1990s (there has been some modification since then) and also contain rules concerning limits on advertising, including the amount of ads, during kid-aimed programming. The Senate hearing also included discussion of the ability of parents/caregivers to identify and locate kid-targeted educational programming.

TV-Loonland and Demi

TV-Loonland inks deals for several of its properties with broadcasters in Asia, where the shows will launch this fall. Nickelodeon Asia acquires all format rights to Pat & Stan (39x7, 1x30 special, 350 shorts). Additionally Pat & Stan was recently picked up by Cartoon Network Korea, with EBS taking the terrestrial TV rights in South Korea, while discussions for the DVD rights in the region continue. Disney Japan picks up TV rights for Leon (52x3), with Cartoon Networks Japan adding Raymond (78x7) to its programming lineup. Additional deals closed this summer include ATV Hong Kong acquiring The Little Princess Seasonal Specials for fall and winter, and Well Go USA taking the Pay TV rights for Rainbow Fish in Taiwan.

Demi Lovato's (Sonny With a Chance, Princess Protection Program, Camp Rock) new album, Here We Go Again, premieres tomorrow on Radio Disney's Planet Premiere, hosted by Ernie D, at 7p. Also, the new album can also be streamed and heard online at RadioDisney.com from tomorrow through Friday, July 24. The Radio Disney premiere of the Hollywood Records album will include an interview with Lovato as well as playing songs.

Nickelodeon - Kai-lan's Great Trip to China

Nickelodeon premieres the new hour-long special, Kai-lan's Great Trip to China, on Friday, August 14 at 10a, and will be simulcast on Nickelodeon Mobile. Based on its animated preschool series Ni Hao, Kai-lan, the special follows Kai-lan and her pals to China where they visit her great aunt and attend the naming ceremony of a baby panda. Actress Ming-Na (ER, Joy Luck Club) lends her voice to Kai-lan's great aunt. The special will air on Noggin on Sunday, August 16 at 7p. Additionally, Nickelodeon will support the debut with content from Kai-lan's Great Trip to China across multiple platforms. From August 3 clips from the special and other new-to-VOD episodes of the series will be available on Nickelodeon On Demand; beginning August 10, Nick Jr. Video will stream a two-minute peek and clips from the special, as well as episodes from the series; and the two-minute peek will also be available via various wireless carriers from August 10.

PBS Kids Go!

Sesame Workshop's The Electric Company, targeted to K6-9, will strip Monday-Friday on PBS Kids Go! block on PBS beginning September 7, 2009. The Electric Company website, pbskidsgo.org/electriccompany, has had nearly four million site visits and over 11 million video clips played since its launch in mid- January 2009. Also this fall, The Electric Company will partner with local PBS stations, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and after-school organizations to bring a "Shock" to 20 cities nationwide with The Electric Company 2009 Circuit Tour. From August 8, The Electric Company's star beat boxer, Shock, will host a 90-minute event in each city beginning with a 25-minute multimedia, interactive show that will also include literacy-centric hands-on activities for kids. The Electric Company is part of PBS Kids Raising Readers, a national literacy initiative focused on using public media to improve the reading skills for K2-8, with an emphasis on children from low-income families.

Wizards vs. Vampires, Super Why

Wizards of Waverly Place Wizards vs. Vampires, a new four-episode programming event, debuts this month on Disney Channel beginning with the first episode on Friday, July 24, 8- 8:45p. The remaining three half-hour episodes will bow on successive three Friday evenings at 8p. The story arc revolves around the Russo family and what happens when a family of vampires opens a new competing sandwich shop.

Super Why and PBS Kids invites preschoolers to read this summer with Super Why Wonderrific Weeks on PBS Kids this August. Throughout the month four new episodes of Super Why will debut, each showcasing a different superhero from the series and that character's specific literacy skill. Each character and their respective literacy skills will be underlined all week long, Alpha Pig (August 3-8), Princess Presto (August 10-14), Wonder Red (August 17-21), and Super Why (August 24-29). Created and produced by Out of the Blue Enterprises, Super Why! is funded in part by a Ready To Learn grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the US Department of Education, in partnership with PBS.

All in the Family

The Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato return to camp later this summer when Disney Channel begins production on Camp Rock 2 The Final Jam, the sequel to the network's original movie Camp Rock (June 20, 2008). Set to premiere on Disney Channel in 2010, this time around the kids return to camp to find that some of their camp mates and counselors have defected to the new state-of-the-art music/performance camp across the lake and a rivalry with a musical showdown ensues. Of course there is also a love twist, this time Joe Jonas falls for the daughter of the owner of the rival camp. Camp Rock 2 The Final Jam will also feature new cast members Matthew "Mdot" Finley (an R&B musician) and Chloe Bridges (a classical pianist), as well as returning cast mates Meaghan Martin, Alyson Stoner and Anna Maria Perez de Tagle among others. Camp Rock 2 will be directed by Paul Hoen (Jump In!, The Cheetah Girls One World) with choreography by Rosero McCoy (Step Up) and a script by Dan Berendsen (Hannah Montana The Movie, Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie , The Cheetah Girls One World) and the writing team Karin Gist (One Tree Hill, Jump In!) and Regina Hicks (Girlfriends, Jump In!). The first Camp Rock movie was directed by Matthew Diamond and penned by Julie Brown, Paul Brown along with Gist and Hicks.

The kids are online, Cookie Jar and Zula Patrol -

Where are your kids? If they are 2-11 years old, more than likely they are online. US K2-11 are spending +63% more time online over the last five years, according to a new Nielsen report, from about 7 hours in May 2004 to 11+ hours online in may 2009. In May 2009, K2-11 comprised 16 million, or 9.5% of the online universe (a fairly split evenly between boys and girls). This is an increase over 2004, with the number of K2-11 online growing +18%. K2-11 are also outpacing the increase for the overall population, which was up by +36% over the last five years. Boys are spending 7% more time online than girls, but girls are taking in more content, viewing 9% more web pages than boys in May 2009. Meanwhile, in May 2009, boys led in viewing and time spent, consuming 61% of video streams among kids and comprising 57% of the time spent viewing videos.

Cookie Jar Entertainment is named as the exclusive North American licensing agent and program distributor for Mexican wrestling's Lucha Libre USA and the Lucha Libre AAA league. Cookie Jar plans to introduce a consumer products line (e.g. action figures, apparel, books, back-to-school and novelty/collectibles) initially targeting the Hispanic population and growing to include wrestling fans of all ages beginning in 2010. Cookie Jar will also launch the first English-language Lucha Libre AAA TV series in the US as part of its new primetime label, The Jar, in January 2010.


The kid's science animated series, The Zula Patrol, and Ohio's Center of Science and Industry (COSI) enter into a multi-year partnership to develop programs and resources for museums, schools, and other kid-and-family-centric destinations across the US. The partnership will focus on several initiatives including: The creation of curricula for Zula-themed workshops, birthday parties and overnight events for museums, camps, school etc; Development and distribution of Zula Science Stations portable interactive exhibits; and a marketing campaign to build awareness and subscriptions for ZulaWorld.com, the campaign will include a fundraising component for kid's museums and science/technology centers in the US.

Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! and Sesame Workshop, Hasbro, Ruff Ruffman, CBBC

The animated series Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! enters into cross-promotional food programs with a range of partners including Minute Rice, Darling Clementines, On-Cor Frozen Foods, Joy Cone Company, and Jolly Time Pop Corn. Several of these promotions, set for this summer and fall, will feature Wubbzy on their product labels, mail-in rebates redeemable for Wubbzy DVDs and a product purchase. Produced by Bolder Media, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! can be seen weekdays on Nick Jr. and Noggin as well as on www.nickjr.com .

Sesame Workshop unveiled plans to expand its Healthy Habits initiative with the help of a new gram from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation at the National Association for Family Child Care's (NAFCC) annual conference. Healthy Habits for Life aims to inform family childcare providers, parents and caregivers about ways to fold healthy nutrition and physical activity into daycare settings for preschoolers. Sesame Workshop plans includes conducting a study, in both English and Spanish, for a typically underserved community to assess the effectiveness and impact of the initiative's messages and strategies. Thirteen thousand bilingual Sesame Street Healthy Habits for Life: Child Care Resource Kits will be distributed through the NAFCC in Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee.


Brian Goldner, President and CEO, Hasbro will deliver a keynote speech at Mipcom on Tuesday, October 6, 2009. In his speech, Becoming a Branded Play Company, Goldner talk about how Hasbro has developed into the company it is now and will also discuss his vision for the new joint effort with Discovery Communications that will see the creation of a new kid/family-targeted TV channel, as well as Hasbro's ongoing involvement in feature films and video games. Digital gaming is a leading theme of Mipcom's conference program this fall, which focuses on rethinking traditional media in the battle for the digital living room.

The fourth season of the kid targeted science-centric series Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman launches on PBS Kids Go! with an all animated special on Friday, September 11, 2009 (check local listings). The new season of 20 new episodes of Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman will follow. Season four focuses on three science themes, green science/sustainability, sports and sound/light/heat and is supported with online content at www.pbskidsgo.org/fetch . Funded in large part by the national Science Foundation, Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman is produced by WGBH Boston.

CBBC unveiled two new commissions for kid-targeted series from BBC North, a sitcom and a factual series to be produced in Manchester, yesterday at the UK's annual Showcomotion Children's conference.
First up is Jinx (13x13), a sitcom based on the Lulu Baker book series by Fiona Dunbar about a modern-day teen Cinderella, her magical cookbook and the guardian of the book, Cookie, a mischievous imp. Set to begin production this month, Jinx is being produced by Kindle Entertainment.
The second project is the factual series This Kid Could Change the World (9x30). The show will feature kids from across the country and put their potentially world altering ideas to the test. Through a series of tasks two expert innovators and a mysterious benefactor 'The Big Cheese' will determine which ideas have the potential to succeed or fail in the real world. The series finale will include a live studio audience of kids that will decide which idea moves forward. The series is set to air in 2010 and will be produced by Shine North.
Additionally, new seasons of the CBBC's popular shows Prank Patrol and Beat the Boss will be produced in Manchester. Produced by Baker Media, the third season of Prank Patrol is comprised of 10x28 episodes, which will deliver later this year. Season five of Beat the Boss includes 5x28 episodes produced by Moray London.

The Assistants

Ever wonder what it is like to be an assistant in the entertainment industry? Hmmm wait a second most of us started that way didn't we? Well, tween/teens will get a chance to find out what it's like when The N premieres its new original live-action comedy The Assistants (13x30) on July 10, with two back-to-back episodes 8:30p-9:30p. The Assistants will air regularly Friday nights at 8:30p, following new episodes of Degrassi: The Next Generation. The Assistants comes from creators/writers/producers/show runners Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi, who also serve as executive producers on the series with The Tom Lynch Company (South of Nowhere, Secret World of Alex Mack among others and the upcoming The Troop). The series revolves around four showbiz assistants toiling for a big-time producer as they try to make it in Hollywood as a filmmaker, writer, actor and producer. McRobb and Viscardi have worked together for 15+ years including as the creators of The Adventures of Pete and Pete and KaBlam!, moving on to serve screenwriters of Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Tale of Despereaux, Snow Day and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging and the upcoming Big Brave Brian and Measle and the Wrathmonk. Content Films holds the international distribution rights to the series.

How Teens Use Media

The Nielsen Company's insights officially releases its new study, How Teens Use Media, later today at the 2009 What Teens Want conference in NY.  Traditionally viewed as fickle and quick to jump to new technology and away from anything old, the report finds that while Teens are involved in new technology but they haven't given up on media like TV, newspapers and advertising.  Spend any time with a teen and you'll know they are totally adaptable and easily downloading this and that trying out anything and everything at the same time they are texting/IMing (cell phone, computer), listing to music (various devices), surfing the net (on computers and cell phones), playing video games (handheld, consoles, cell phones), and are watching shows/movies/video on a range of devices and locations ... including on a TV.  The Nielsen study underlines that teens aren't just engaged in the new, in fact Teens are watching TV than ever, up by +6% over the past five years in the US.  That is good news for TV folks indeed. Further findings from the study include:
Teens spend less time browsing than adults: Teens spend 11 hours and 32 minutes per month online versus the average of 29 hours and 15 minutes.
Teens spend 35% less time watching online video than adults 25-34, but recall ads better when watching TV shows online than they do on TV.
US teens watch less TV per day than in most other metered countries.
Teens read newspapers, listen to the radio and Teens who recall TV ads are 44% more likely to say they liked the ad.
US Teens' favorite TV shows, top websites and genre preferences across media are mostly the same as their parents, with American Idol being the top show in 2008 and Google the top website.
In the US, nearly half of online Teens 1217 visited MySpace and Facebook in May 2009 (45% and 44%, respectively). All said, Teens 1217 accounted for 28% of MySpace's page views and 12% of Facebook's during the month.

ABC3

Australia's ABC TV will launch its new free-to-air kid/tween channel, ABC3, before Christmas 2009. Targeted to K6-15, with a core demographic of K8-12, ABC3 is designed to be multi-platform experience and world and will air daily 6a-9p.  ABC3 will offer programming content across genres both on-air and online (the website will also feature games, video and social interactivity.  ABC TV has launched Me On 3, a national search for hosts for the new channel - applications are due by July 17.  The end of the year will also see ABC TV shifts its daytime schedule on ABC2 to become a preschool programming block, ABCforKids, weekdays from 9a-6p and weekends from 6a-6p.  ABC1 will continue to offer programming kids including a selection of ABC3 and ABCforKids content in both morning and afternoon slots.  Focusing on Australian projects the ABC3 programming lineup will include a range of new projects:
After School Care, a comedy pilot, which is part of the Kids360 project - a joint initiative between ABC3, Film Victoria and the Australian Children's Television Foundation.

West Coast Kids - Western Australian producers will be invited to submit their proposals for a 13-part, character driven comedy series.  This is a joint project with Screen West and the Australian Children's Television Foundation.

Dead Normal (13 eps) - a drama series that follows the adventures of three beautiful, strong-willed teen sisters, who happen to be ghosts.  The series is a co-production between Burberry Productions and Coolabi.

News and Current Affairs - Produced by ABC TV's Behind the News team.
Extreme Sports and Culture - a show that explores the world of art, music and fashion centered on extreme sports.
Dance Academy (26 eps) - Six teen dancers have one year to prove they've got what it takes after winning a place at the National Academy of Dance.  A co-production between ABC3 and Werner Film Productions.

My Place  (13 eps) - an historical drama revolving around kids who live in one house in South Sydney over 130 years. Based on the book by Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawlins, the series is a co-production of ABC3 and Little Leaf Pictures.

CJ the DJ (52 eps) - the animated series follows CJ a spirited 13-year-old disc jockey, which will also feature an online DJ component. The series is an ABC3 and Kapow Pictures co-production.

Cake Entertainment makes its move into live-action production with its new mixed live-action/CG hybrid series pilot Cartoon Gene (26x30), which is a co-production with Galakids and Teletoon Canada.  The tween-targeted project revolves around Gene an average teen boy who happens to have cartoon DNA, the result of a computer generated action game star Mom and a computer geek dad.  Like all adolescents puberty changes Gene, but in his case it's a bit more animated with various cartoon-like reactions.  Cake will also distribute the series internationally.  Cartoon Gene is created by Louis Fournier and Natalie Dumoulin and directed by Adam Weissman (iCarly, Drake & Josh, Zoey 101).  In other news, Cake recently acquired the worldwide distribution rights to the live-action Irish series Aifric (26x30) from Telegael and live-action/comedy Dead Normal (working title).

The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop

Can video games be good for kids?  According to a report from The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop an investment in research-based digital games can improve kid's health and learning.  The report Game Changer: Investing in Digital Play to Advance Children's Learning and Health provides recommendations for a new framework to use games to help kids learn healthy behaviors, skills like reading and math, as well as critical thinking, global learning and programming design.  The report outlines 30+ examples of learning and health games and research projects.  It includes a list of federally funded game R&D projects in which the Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health and the Department of Education have invested.  The report is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Pioneer Portfolio, and was unveiled at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C.

a look at the numbers

Top 10 Combined Broadcast/Basic Cable shows among Kids 6-11 for the week of 6/8-6/14/09 , 6a-6a:
K6-11                                                 Total Delivery (000)
DSNY*:      Hannah Montana (6/14; 7:30p)                   1481
NICK:        iCarly (6/13; 8p)                                        1356
CARTOON: Total Drama Action (6/11; 9p)                     1347
DSNY*:     The Parent Trap (6/11; 8-10:20p)                1340
NICK:       Penguins of Madagascar (6/13; 10a)             1321
DSNY*:     Jonas (6/14; 8:30p)                                    1312
DSNY*:     Sonny With A Chance (6/14; 8p)                  1270
NICK:       SpongeBob SquarePants (6/13; 9:30a)         1254
NICK:       True Jackson, VP (6/13; 8:30p)                    1252
NICK:       Naked Brothers Band (6/13; 9p)                   1250
Source: Disney from Nielsen Media Research Data
*Disney Channel is not an ad supported cable network, unlike the others in this listing.
Source: Disney from Nielsen Media Research Data
*Disney Channel is not an ad supported cable network, unlike the others in this listing.

Lunch Lady, Muppets and more

Amy Poehler will star in Universal's big screen adaptation of author/illustrator Jarrett Krosoczka's forthcoming graphic novel series Lunch Lady, per THR.  Poehler will also exec produce the movie with Gotham Group's Ellen Goldsmith-Vein producing.  Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers, the graphic novel series debuts this summer with two titles, Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians and Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, with another set for release in December 2009 and more for summer 2010.

The Muppets from Sesame Street will be featured on the 29th annual A Capitol Fourth in Washington DC to celebrate America's 233rd birthday.  PBS will broadcast the event live from the West Lawn of the United States Capitol on Saturday, July 4, 8-9:30p (check local listings) and it will be simulcast via America Forces Radio and Television Network, and can be heard on NPR Member stations.  A Capitol Fourth will be hosted by actor Jimmy Smits and feature opening and closing performances by Barry Manilow with the National Symphony Orchestra, and performances by Aretha Franklin, Natasha Bedingfield, the cast of Jersey Boys, Michael Feinstein and pianist Andrew von Oeyen.  The event is a co-production of Jerry Colbert of Capital Concerts and WETA, Washington, D.C.

Disney Channel UK re-commissions Prism Entertainment to produce a second season of the live-action short-form series Life Bites, per Broadcast Now.  The new episodes (26x5) of the tween/teen-targeted the comedy bows on the network in the UK next month.

LeapFrog: Let's Go To School, LeapFrog's first DVD in four years, is set for release from Lionsgate Home Entertainment on August 18, 2009.  Targeted to K3-6 the back-to-school DVD features five sing-along songs, an interactive alphabet book, and a sneak peek at Math Adventure to the Moon.  Lionsgate will support the LeapFrog: Let's Go To School title with a mom-aimed TV, online and print marketing campaign, including through LeapFrog's email newsletter and on LeapFrog.com.

Annecy 2009 France Television

At Annecy 2009 France Television unveiled plans to launch a daily tween/teen-targeted afternoon animation programming block this fall 2009 on digital channel France 4, per C21 Media.  France Television's, which programs to kids on France 4, France 3 (morning) and France 5 (midday), new plan is to focus its energies on three different types of animated programming, edutainment, comics or kid's book adaptations, and short-form programming.  France Television commissioned edutainment series includes: Commander Clark from Go-N; Art Investigation from Normaal Animation; Gaston (78x7), based on the Gaston Lagaffe everyday life comic strip by Andre Franquin; The Little Prince based on Antoine de Saint Exupery's work and produced by Method Films; a new season of Marsupilmai from Samka; Les Dalton  a spin-off series of Lucky Luke from Xilam; and Moonscoop's new season of Titeuf.  The company also plans to experiment with new hybrid programming.

ZulaWorld.com

The creators of the CGI series The Zula Patrol have teamed with IBM to develop and launch ZulaWorld.com (www.zulaworld.com). Targeted to K6+/parents/teachers, the virtual world, like the series, encourages kids to be curious about science and discovery and use their critical thinking skills.  The site features create your own avatars and a range of games and activities where users can fly their own spaceship, discover how things work and problem solve in teams.  The basic levels of games on ZulaWorld.com are available for free, with a subscript service that offers additional levels also available ($5.99/month, $29.99/6 months, $49.99/year). The Zula Patrol airs as part of the qubo Saturday programming block on NBC and on public TV stations weekdays and weekends (check local listings).

Raymond

TV-Loonland and Gulli TV commission two more seasons of the K7-10 targeted animated comedy Raymond.  Produced by Paris-based Everybody on Deck, the newly ordered 52x7 episodes of Raymond will bring the total to 78 episodes.  The most recent broadcast deals for the series include those with Cartoon Network Japan, TV4 (Sweden) and International Francophone Channel TV5 Monde, which acquired the broadcast rights for air in Europe, North Africa, the Orient, Asia, the US, Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Defenders

Actor Masi Oka (Hiro on Heroes) has sold his family adventure movie project, The Defenders, to DreamWorks, per THR.  The movie will be produced by the Star Trek and Transformers movie writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, whose Kurtzman/Orci Productions is based at DreamWorks.  Gary Whitta (The Book of Eli) has signed on to pen the script with D.J. Caruso (Disturbia, Jack the Giant Killer) in negotiations to direct the movie.  The Defenders is based on Oka's concept, "what would happen if you had to live up to the person you created in the virtual world?"  The movie revolves around a group of teens from around the world that are simultaneously playing a multiplayer video game, their real identities protected behind their avatars, who are forced to join together in an adventure in the real world.

Lots and lots and lots of crossover promotion

Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato will serve as on-air hosts for the premiere weekend (Friday-Sunday, June 26-28) of their new Disney Channel Original Movie, Princess Protection Program (June 26 at 8p).  The new TV movie premiere will simulcast on Sprint TV and MobiTV, and will feature sneak peeks of a new music video, a new one-hour episode of Hannah Montana, a crossover episode of three series entitled Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana, and a behind the scenes look at Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie, with a new episode of Wizards of Waverly Place bowing right after the movie that night.  The following night (June 27, 8p) during an encore of the Princess production Program, the network will offer a Princess Password program where viewers who count the number of times the word "princess" is said in the movie can enter that number online to unlock new episodes of Wizards of Waverly Place and Sonny With A Chance.  A preview of Disney's upcoming animated movie The Princess and the Frog will be featured during the Sunday play of the movie (7p), with a new episode of Jonas following the movie.  Finally, The Princess Protection Program Royal B.F.F. Extended Edition will be available on Disney DVD, including an exclusive music video, a behind-the-scenes look at the movie, and a B.F.F. necklace set, from June 30.

Monster Safari, Sid the Science Kid

The Jim Henson Co. is set to produce a stop-motion animated feature film titled Monster Safari, which is based on a short film from stop-motion animation studio Screen Novelties, THR.  Monster Safari will be penned by the writing team of Craig Zobel and Matt Chapman, with Screen Novelties' Mark Caballero, Chris Finnegan and Seamus Walsh producing the stop-motion animation.  The movie revolves around two bumbling cryptozoologists trying to save the Earth's monsters from a ruthless hunter.

NCircle Entertainment will launch the animated series Sid the Science Kid on DVD this summer, with the first two DVD titles, Sid the Science Kid: Change Happens and Sid the Science Kid: The Bug Club.  Available on August 4, 2009, each DVD includes four episodes of Sid the Science Kid, the PBS Kids series that is co-produced by The Jim Henson Company and KCET Los Angeles.  Additionally, a limited supply of the Sid the Science Kid DVDs will have a special on-pack bonus DVD of Front Row Fun, that includes two hours of preschool shows including as Dive Olly Dive!, WordWorld, Hurray for Huckle, among others.

So Smart! Productions teams with Echo Bridge Home Entertainment to release the first six titles in its new DVD line, Baby's First Word Stories this September 22, 2009.  The releases are part of an exclusive distribution agreement between the companies that includes DVD and digital distribution rights to So Smart's! line of kid-targeted DVDs and CDs.  Additionally, nine DVDs from Baby's Beginnings and King Otis and the Kingdom of Goode series, as well as three CDs, will also release on September 22.  Further Baby's First Word Stories titles are set for release in early 2010.

The new Super Why toy line created by Learning Curve, and based on the PBS Kids preschool series, is set to debut at Toys "R" Us stores this month.  To mark the release of the Super Why toys, Toys "R" Us stores nationwide will host a two-hour Super Why event on Saturday, June 13 (12noon-2p), featuring storytelling, reading-focused games, activities and give-a-ways (while supplies last, of course).  Beginning in August, Super Why toys will roll out to other retailers nationwide.  The Super Why line also includes new product from other licensees, including Grosset & Dunlap (books), University Games (puzzles and games) and PBS Home Video (DVDs).  Super Why is produced by Out of the Blue in conjunction with Canadian-based Decode Entertainment Inc. and C.O.R.E. Digital Pictures Inc.

ZingZillas

CBeebies orders up a new in-house music-themed preschool series ZingZillas (52x22).  Featuring the Zillas, a group of musical primates that create the ZingZilla sound, the series showcases all sorts of music genres from rock to opera to help get toddlers moving.  Simultaneously BBC Worldwide acquires the global distribution rights for TV, merchandise, DVD and publishing for ZingZillas.  Set to launch on CBeebies in spring 2010, ZingZillas grooves into production this month through December 2009 at Pinewood Studios.

Disney's "Handy Manny" Shorts

The network commissions the new short-form animated preschool series, Handy Manny's School for Tools (20 shorts), and two primetime Handy Manny specials.  The short-form series is based on Disney Playhouse's Handy Manny series, which is currently in production on a third season (29 episodes) that will introduce a host of new tools.  Set to begin production this year Handy Manny's School for Tools will bow in 2010.  Meanwhile, this fall the network will debut the first of two primetime specials, Handy Manny's Motorcycle Adventure, which features four new songs performed by Los Lobos.

BBC Worldwide

BBC Worldwide continues to expand its US business and in so doing promoted Susanna Pollack to SVP/Children's and Children's Business Development and Matt Forde as EVP/Sales and Co-Productions. Susanna will head efforts to launch CBeebies, BBC's worldwide preschool channel in the US in addition to increasing the company's children's brands in North and Latin America. Matt will relocate to New York from London to supervise sales and co-production efforts for all genres in the US and Latin America.  

BIG moves from the CEO of Wildbrain

Michael Polis is appointed to the newly created position of CEO, Wildbrain Entertainment.  The move comes as President and CEO, Wildbrain and its subsidiary Kidrobot, Charles Rivkin steps down from those roles later this week, having been nominated as President Obama's candidate to serve as the US Ambassador to France.  Polis will report directly to Wildbrain's board of directors.  Diego Marchioni, CEO, Kidrobot, will remain in his post and will also report directly to the board.

KidMangoTV

KidMangoTV, a new syndicated K3-10 aimed TV programming block premieres today, June 1, 2009, on the MyFamilyTV network.  Launched by PorchLight Entertainment and ValCom, via its subsidiary MyFamilyTV, KidMangoTV debuts with a four-hour daytime block (Monday-Friday) and plans to expand with a primetime block and an educational/informational (E/I) Saturday morning block later this year.  At launch KidMangoTV features kid-targeted programming that is created and acquired by PorchLight, including Jay Jay the Jet Plane, Four Eyes, The Secret World of Benjamin Bear and My Goldfish is Evil.  Additionally, today also marks the debut of a corresponding website www.kidmango.com, will also offer kid/family-aimed content including programs such as WordGirl, Pocoyo and Doodlez, as well as games, comics and music among other things.  Moving forward, the plan is to expand with a primetime block and an educational/informational (E/I) Saturday morning block later this year.

Joshua Blake: The Agency

BKN International is launching a new animated project, Joshua Blake: The Agency, which it will present, including animation and scripts, this fall at Mipcom Jr.  BKN plans to deliver 40 episodes by spring 2011.  With a budget of approximately $13 million, BKN has already secured about $5 million in a deal with a Canadian company.  The project will qualify as Canadian Content.  Joshua Blake: The Agency revolves around Joshua Blake, a teen following in the footsteps of his older and well-known brother, has been trained by the government spy organization, known as The Agency.  Unlike his brother, Joshua will use the powers of The Agency to save the world from the forces of evil.  The series will be executive produced by Richard Ungar (Spiderman - The Animated Series, Biker Mice from Mars and X Men  Evolution), with Andy Briggs as lead writer (Hero.com and Rise of the Gargoyles).

Domo Animate

Big Tent Entertainment teams with GoAnimate.com to launch a new digital platform, Domo Animate at Domonation.com (www.domonation.com).  On the platform fans can create their own customizable animations featuring Domo.  Domo Animate marks the first time that GoAnimate.com has used its animation platform to create a completely customized site separate from the GoAnimate.com property.  Additionally, Domonation.com and Phase 4 Films are launching the Domo Animation Challenge, a competition where fans can showcase their original animated Domo videos created using Domo Animate (entries must be received by June 14, 2009).

Swine Flu, PBS, and Hasbro

The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) joins the Ad Council and Sesame Workshop to launch a national public service advertising campaign designed to encourage US families and kids to take simple steps to protect themselves from the 2009 H1N1 flu virus and continue to practice healthy habits.  As part of HHS and the Ad Council's campaign, Sesame Workshop produced a TV PSA featuring Sesame Street's Elmo and Gordon explaining the importance of healthy habits including washing your hands, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth and sneezing into the bend of your arm.  An extension of Sesame's Healthy Habits for Life initiative, the PSAs direct viewers to go to www.cdc.gov for information on how to stay healthy.  The Ad Council is distributing the PSAs to TV stations nationwide.

Hasbro and Discovery Communications complete Hasbro's purchase of a 50% interest in a joint venture that holds the Discovery Kids Network in the US.  Hasbro and Discovery plan for the joint venture to create a re-branded kid's/family entertainment aimed TV network.  Slated to launch in late 2010, the network will feature content based on Hasbro's portfolio of properties, and content from Discovery's extensive library kid's programming, as well as programming from third-party producers.

Giftventure

Sesame Workshop and Giftventure, a creator of personal treasure hunts for kids, enter into a licensing agreement that will create the Sesame Street Giftventure line.  The new Sesame Street Giftventure will include three illustrated poster-sized letters featuring a Sesame Street character chosen by the customer, such as Elmo or Big Bird, and a personalized game or puzzle, which when solved reveals the location of a hidden gift.

PBS and Panache

PBS and Panache, an ad-insertion platform for media and entertainment companies, partner to integrate Panache's platform into PBS's video management system.  This move will allow PBS Kids Go! producers to place interactive game elements within any video content on the programming block's website, which will let games run directly inside the PBS Kids Go video player, which offers show video clips and full-length episodes.  By enabling producers to assign and schedule game content over specific broadband videos within Panache's, which features specific reporting capabilities, PBS Kids Go will be able to track the effectiveness of their interactive elements.  The first series adding the Panache-enabled game interactivity to online videos include Arthur, Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman, Cyberchase and WordGirl, which will be followed by The Electric Company.

BillMyParents, battleship, L.O.S.E news

Here's a new way for tweens/teens to spend (more of) Mom and Dad's money online.  Socialwise, Inc. launches BillMyParents, a new online payment system that allows teens to buy things online and parents to later ok the purchase via an approval process.  After convincing their folks to sign up for the service, tweens/ teens can shop online either via BillMyParents enabled social networks, virtual worlds or online gaming sites. Once they pick what they want to buy (and maybe include a note to the folks), BillMyParents sends an email or text to their parent(s). Parents then review their selections and can approve or put the kibosh each request individually, or as a group, and then enter the credit card information.  BillMyParents has launched a shopping site powered by Amazon.com at www.bmpshopping.com, and also has set partnerships with a number of social networking sites including Artix Entertainment, Habbo, Outspark and RockYou!, among others.


Negotiations are underway for Peter Berg (Hancock, The Kingdom, Friday Night Lights) to direct an action-adventure movie version of Hasbro's Battleship game for Universal, according to THR.  Already signed on to pen the script is the brother writing team of Jon and Erich Hoeber (Whiteout, Red).  Universal is already in various stages of development for movie adaptations of three other Hasbro properties, Monopoly, Candy Land and Ouija Board.

Muhuhahaha!  Cartoon Network Asia picks up Nerd Corp Entertainment's animated series League of Super Evil (a/k/a L.O.S.E.).  The series will launch in 2010 on Cartoon Network in 25+ countries, including India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, China and several others in South East Asia.  Cartoon Network will handle all rights, including merchandising, for the 26x30 of the series. Additionally, Nerd Corps has created 30-second shorts tied to each episode for use as bonus on-air or online content of evil.  The League of Super Evil debuted in March on Cartoon Network US and YTV (Canada), as well as CBBC (UK), Jetix in Latin America and Canal +, Canal J and Gulli in France.

Sesame Workshop enters into a multi-year partnership with Yoostar, which will make some 160 classic and newer Sesame Street clips, featuring star Muppet characters (e.g. Elmo, Oscar the Grouch, Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie etc.), available over the course of the deal.  Fans can purchase and download the Sesame Street clips at Yoostar.com  beginning July 1, and at retail outlets from August 24.  The Yoostar system (retails for $169.95) includes the equipment and software to remove original actors from the scene and insert users in their place.

36th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards

The nominees for the 36th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards, a presentation of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) in cooperation with the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS), were announced yesterday.  As always the Daytime Emmy Awards include a range of kid-targeted programming, and this year the during the telecast the Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Sesame Street in celebration of its 40 years of educating and entertaining kids.  The awards will be handed out during the live 36th Daytime Emmy Awards from the Orpheum Theater in LA, on August 30, 2009 on The CW.  Some of the kid categories and the respective nominees are listed below.  I am happy to report that there are many kid programming categories and lots of nominees to fill them, as well as some nominees for kid-centric programming in non-kid specific categories  so many in fact that I can't list them all here.  For a full list of Daytime Emmy categories and nominees go to www.emmyonline.tv . Congratulations to everyone!

Children's Animated Program
Curious George (PBS)
Little Einsteins (Disney Channel)
Sid The Science Kid (PBS)
The Backyardigans (Nickelodeon)
WordWorld (PBS)

Children's Series
Adventure Camp (Discovery Kids)
Fetch! With Ruff Ruffman (PBS)
From the Top at Carnegie Hall (PBS)
Postcards From Buster (PBS)

Preschool Series
Between the Lions (PBS)
Johnny and the Sprites (Disney Channel)
Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies (PBS)
Sesame Street (PBS)
The Wonder Pets (Nickelodeon)

Animated Series
Back at the Barnyard (Nickelodeon)
Ben 10: Alien Force (Cartoon Network)
Handy Manny (Disney Channel)

New Approaches  Daytime Children's
Artopia (PBS)
Cyberchase (PBS)
Sesame Street (PBS)

iCarly the game

Activision Publishing and Nickelodeon enter into a global partnership to develop a new videogame based on the network's TV series iCarly.  Set to release in fall 2009 for Wii and Nintendo DS the iCarly videogame invites kids to help Carly and her friends create new webisodes in the iCreate mode of the show, which corresponds to the original storyline featured in the game, allowing them to add their own ideas by swapping out props, characters, color schemes, audio, intros, outros etc.  The game will also includes mini-games, presented as show skits.  Up to four players can compete in the Wii version of the game, where they can also earn 'Web-Cred' to purchase new items, props and so on.

The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That!

Dr. Seuss's The Cat in the Hat is headed to PBS Kids in the new animated preschool series, The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That! (40x30).  Currently in production and slated to premiere in fall 2010, the new series, the very first Cat in the Hat animated TV series, is the result of an agreement between Random House Children's Entertainment, in association with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, and producers Portfolio Entertainment and Collingwood O'Hare Productions, with PBS Kids.  Martin Short will lend his voice to The Cat in the Hat for the series.  The series will also air in Canada on Treehouse, premiering concurrently with PBS.  Developed for TV by Portfolio and Collingwood O'Hare, the animated series is based on Random House's Beginner Book franchise, The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library.  A series-based website aimed at kid and featuring activities will exist on PBSKids.org, while parent and teacher resources will be available at PBSParents.org and PBSTeachers.org.  Additionally, Random House Children's Books will publish a full line of original books to support the TV series launch.  Random House Children's Entertainment will oversee all licensing and merchandising.