Tag Archives: Children’s TV

Edutainment Licensing named distribution UK, Australian and New Zealand distribution partner for Tiny & Tony

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Edutainment Licensing has been appointed as the distribution partner for Riki’s Tina & Tony series in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, as well as worldwide for school and library digital platforms.

The 3D series for pre-school boys and girls follows the adventures of baby hippo Tony and baby elephant Tina, two best friends who love playing games together.

They live in Cookie village with their good friends Foxy, Rabbit, Bear, Piggy and Clever Mouse – this cozy world is a reflection of games which happen inside the children’s rooms, where they make their own rules and where their favourite toys come alive.

In each episode they invent a new game following their imaginations and discover themselves in situations similar to those of real life preschool children.

There is an emphasis on the warmth and trust between the two friends and how they worry about each other which helps children develop empathy for each other.

The series is voiced by children and each episode is a complete story containing an educational adventure from which both parents and children can take away a lesson.

Mondo TV Iberoamerica lands its first US broadcast deals for Sissi the Young Empress and Invention Story

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Mondo TV Iberoamerica – part of Mondo TV Group – has secured its first US sales of all three series of its popular animated hit Sissi the Young Empress, as well as the first series of its new action comedy Invention Story, via the English-language network, Primo TV.

Mondo TV Iberoamerica distributes Mondo TV’s animated catalogue in Spain, Portugal and both Latin America and the Spanish-speaking Americas. Its major new deal with the US Hispanic pay TV leader Vme Media grants Mondo TV Iberoamerica distribution of its series through Primo TV.

Sissi the Young Empress and Invention Story will be available for a two and-a-half-year period starting this year.The territories covered will include the United States, Puerto Rico and all US territories and possessions.

Primo TV is the first English-language network targeting US bicultural Hispanic Gen Z viewers (aged six to 16) and their families with inspirational and educational programming.

The star of Sissi the Young Empress is based on a real historical figure – a charming young empress who captured the public imagination well beyond her Austrian homeland. This animated version of her story offers its audience adventure, romance, mystery, intrigue and magic when Sissi discovers a magic bracelet, which leads to exciting and unusual adventures as she seeks to help her many animal friends.

The first two series of Sissi the Young Empress have been a big success with its target audience of young girls, and an established rating hit in over 40 countries. The third season launched this year with a new 3D 26 x 11’ format and new content, bringing more magic and adventure.

Meanwhile, Kit – an intelligent, thoughtful, footloose and creative fox – is the star of Invention Story. In each episode of this 3D CGI comedy he comes up with a new invention that impresses most of the rabbit residents of his adopted home Carrot Town – but inspires jealousy in a few.

This major pay-TV deal for the Americas will bring Invention Story to the US markets for the first time. Invention Story is also about to debut on free-to-air TV starting from April 2020 on Frisbee in Italy, Karusel in Russia and TV2 Kiwi in Hungary.

Maria Bonaria Fois, CEO of Mondo TV Iberoamerica, said: “The sale of Sissi, one of our most popular animated shows, and Invention Story, a brand-new series that is enjoying a very strong response, to Vme is a major breakthrough for Mondo TV in one of the world’s most important markets.

“Vme is recognised as a leading player in the Hispanic pay-TV market with a strong reach. We are thrilled to be able to announce this news and certain that both Sissi and Invention Story will be enormously popular with Vme’s vast audience.”

Nickelodeon ramps up Rainbow Rangers with increased broadcast of the pre-school hit

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Fans of Rainbow Rangers rejoice – Nickelodeon has upped the ante and increased the broadcast of the popular Genius Brands International original pre-school series to 26 airings per week.

Nick Jr. now airs Rainbow Rangers Monday to Friday with four airings per day, and six airings on the weekends.

The animated action-adventure series premiered on Nick Jr. in November 2018 with five airings per week and, according to the firm, has consistently achieved high ratings with its target demo of Girls aged two to five. The additional airings of Rainbow Rangers, which represents a five-fold increase (400+ per cent), are complimented by content available via video on demand platforms and the brand’s robust YouTube channel.

“From the beginning, we knew we had a special and unique new series for pre-schoolers that delivers values-based entertainment for children around the world. Needless to say, leading broadcasters like Nickelodeon don’t make schedule changes of this magnitude without good reason, and we are thrilled that they continue support Rainbow Rangers heading into year two,” said Andy Heyward, chairman and CEO, Genius Brands.

“The series is airing in the US and internationally, and we have several hundred product SKUs planned for rollout at retail in 2020. As I have said many times, we are on track to build a new heavyweight pre-school brand, which we anticipate to peak within the next two years.”

In the international market, Rainbow Rangers season one debuted last summer across Latin America on Nickelodeon LatAm, as well as  in Italy, on Cartoonito. Genius Brands is currently in negotiations with key broadcasters and licensing agents worldwide. 

Rainbow Rangers is a rescue-based series that follows the adventures of seven girls who are Earth’s first responders, protecting people, animals, resources, and the natural beauty of our world.

The series boasts a unique and highly-accomplished team of creators from the animated motion picture and television worlds, including Rob Minkoff (Disney’s The Lion King director), Shane Morris (Disney’s Frozen co-writer), Tim Mansfield, and New York Times Bestselling author and Emmy Award-nominated writer Elise Allen (Dinosaur Train, Lion Guard, Barbie specials),  who serves as head writer and co-creator.

Multiple Emmy Award-winning director Michael Maliani directs the series, and Genius Brands’ Chairman and CEO and multiple Emmy Award-winning producer, Andy Heyward, serves as executive producer.

Shaun the Sheep and The Snail and the Whale among winners at British Animation Awards 2020

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The talent behind some of Britain’s best animation over the past year, including The Snail and the Whale, The Tiger Who Came to Tea, The Adventures of Paddington, and A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon were celebrated at the British Animation Awards 2020 this week.

Held at London’s BFI Southbank, the BAAs was hosted by comedian and actor Miles Jupp who kicked off a ceremony dedicated to recognising all forms of animation and honour the achievements of the British animation scene from the past two years.

Top awards went to Sally Hawkins for her work on the animated adaptation of the Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler book, The Snail and the Whale, David Arnold for Best Original Music for The Tiger Who Came to Tea, and to Nick Jr for its pre-school series, The Adventures of Paddington.

Hawkins scooped up the award for Best Voice Performance for her portrayal of Snail in Snail and the Whale, Magic Light Pictures’ festive animation about a mollusc on an epic adventure.

Meanwhile there were three major awards for acclaimed studio Aardman Animations, which picked up the prestigious award for Best Long Form Animation for its hugely successful madcap caper A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmaggedon (directed by Will Becher and Richard Phelan), the Children’s Choice Award for an episode from its CBBC series Shaun The Sheep: Squirreled Away(directed by Carmen Bromfield-Mason), and Best Music Video for Coldplay’s “Daddy” (directed by Asa Lucanda).

Staying in the children’s TV categories, Adam Shaw and Chris Drew picked up the Best Children’s Pre-School Series award for their charming Nick Jr. series The Adventures of Paddington – which features the voice of Ben Wishaw as Paddington and a song written and performed by Gary Barlow.

Erstwhile awards and audience favourite The Amazing Adventures of Gumball added another two BAAs to its collection picking up Best Use of Sound and the Writers Award for Richard Overall, Mic Graves and Tony Hull.

Meanwhile, the Best Children’s Series was awarded to Gutsy Animations’ Sky One series Moominvalley (directed by Steve Box), which was praised by the judges for its “undeniable beauty” and “top-notch vocal performances”.

The Best Original Music Award went to multi award-winning duo David Arnold and Don Black for Lupus Films’ The Tiger Who Came to Tea.

 Some of the leading British animation courses were represented in both Best Undergraduate and Best Postgraduate Student film categories including nominees from Falmouth University School of Film and Television, University of Creative Arts in Farnham, Arts University Bournemouth and the Royal College of Arts London.

The winner of the all-female nominated Best Undergraduate Student Film category was Megan Earls from UCA, Farnham for Border/Line and the victor of the Best Postgraduate Student Film was Alex Widdowson, also from RCA, for his film Music and Clowns.

 In other categories: The Best Short Film was awarded to Jonathan Hodgson for Roughhouse, which the judges described as a “masterful piece of short form storytelling”. The Best Animation in a Commercial award went to Thomas Harnett O’Meara and Matthew Day for their charming take on The Wind in the Willows for The Wildlife Trusts; The Best Film or TV Graphic, Motion Design was awarded to Second Home Studios for its “varied and imaginative idents” for DaVinci Learning.

The Best Commissioned Animation was picked up by Moth Studio for the “beautifully delicate animation” in Conception: Catie & Jen: The Best Immersive Category was won by Marshmallow Laser Feast for We Live in an Ocean of Air, which was praised for “inspiring us to think about nature in a different way”.

Finally, in a new category for 2020, the Best Social Good Award rewarded Danny Capozzi for his animation for United for Global Mental Health – New Mindset.

BAA Director, Helen Brunsdon, said: “This is my first year at the helm of the BAAs and I was blown away by the quality of the entries this year. The BAAs are a brilliant way to showcase the incredible talent we have here in the UK and help cement Britain’s position as one of the leading countries in the world for animation.”

Held every two years, the British Animation Awards (BAAs) reward the very best new and established British animators across a variety of categories including short films, animated graphics for film and television, children’s series, music videos and commercials.

The awards themselves (the BAAs) are unique artworks, featuring sheep, created especially for the occasion by a range of leading international and UK animation artists: a measure of the world-wide respect felt for British animation.

Masha and the Bear to make debut on China Central Television

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Masha and the Bear is to make its debut on the Chinese broadcasting network, China Central Television, thanks to a new deal secured by the multination media and licensing firm, Animaccord.

From today (March 12) seasons one and two of the animated show will be released on the CCTV’s own children’s channel, CCTV14. The TV premiere in China follows the series’ earlier launch this year on one of the country’s most popular video streaming platforms, Xigua Video.

Animaccord is an International Licensing Company and studio, which specialises in worldwide distribution of content, consumer products rights and brand management. It has become globally recognised for its worldwide hit animated family property, Masha and the Bear.

The series itself has been included in the top five favourite kids’ brands in Europe and Latin America, and the first Russian animation project to have hit 10 million views on YouTube.

In 2019, the episode Recipe for Disaster was included in the Guinness World Records as the most watched cartoon on YouTube.

Keith Chapman’s new Netflix pre-school series Buddi brings in licensing big guns

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Keith Chapman – the much-loved name behind the likes of PAW Patrol and Bob the Builder, has turned his attention to the early pre-school audience, having joined forces with Unanico Studios and creator, Jason Jameson to develop a new animated pre-school series for Netflix.

Called Buddi, the show is aimed at the early pre-school audience. It will launch on Netflix worldwide on March 20 this year, delivering youngsters a sensory world of imagination and exploration.

Raydar Media, led by managing director Alison Rayson, is managing all rights to Buddi in collaboration with Unanico, Keith Chapman, GCI Film, FroG-Land Productions, Shanghai Motion Magic, and Spider Eye Studios. 

Raydar believes the show’s stunning visual style, coupled with it being non-verbal and early pre-school sets it completely apart from other pre-school series.

A consumer products programme – managed by broadcast licensing expert Valerie Fry – is already in the early stages of development and will be introduced to potential licensees over the coming months; the expectation is that it will deliver a vibrant range of lines where there is currently a gap in the younger preschool market.

Buddi features five friends or Buddis, called Iso, Cini, Vihi, Puna, and Kelta, each distinctively bright and colourful in their own way. The Buddis rejoice in their differences as friends, and explore the nuances of their natural world, caring for their environment as they go along. Together, they discover the wonder of snow, sand, rainbows and mud-fights, and meet many fascinating creatures that test their senses and inhabit the landscape of their home, Buddi Kotti.

Buddi aims to emphasise emotional intelligence and feelings through the imaginative use of music and sound. The melodies of Buddi showcase homemade instruments, so kids can play along to their favourite song. The Buddis express themselves with giggles, squeaks, and coos, which transcend nationalities and cultures, allowing the characters to connect instantly with everyone.

Xilam Animation scoops double win at César Awards for hit animated film I Lost My Body

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Xilam Animation scooped a double win at the 45th César Awards this year, when it took home the Best Animated Film and Best Original Score for its popular animated feature I Lost My Body.

These latest wins follow I Lost My Body’s most recent awards and festivals success, which has seen the critically acclaimed feature take home 30 awards to date including three Annie Awards, a double win at Annecy International Animated Film Festival and the prestigious Critics’ Week prize at Cannes Film Festival.

A self-funded Xilam Animation production, I Lost My Body is an adaptation of Guillaume Laurant’s novel ‘Happy Hand’. Directed by Jérémy Clapin who also co-wrote the feature with Laurant (Amélie) and produced by Xilam’s Marc du Pontavice, I Lost My Body premiered to critical acclaim during Cannes Film Festival 2019 and launched on 29 November 2019 on Netflix.

Marc du Pontavice was also honoured at Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2019 as he received the MIFA Animation Industry Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the animation industry.

Marc du Pontavice, CEO at Xilam Animation, said: “We are thrilled and deeply humbled by these wins, which is the perfect way to finish what has been an amazing ride over the awards season. To see a small, independent film win at France’s most prestigious awards ceremony against such brilliant contenders, is not only an immense privilege but also demonstrates an extraordinary inclination from the César Academy for innovation in animation.

“These awards are also testament to Xilam’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of animation and nurturing game-changing talent who we know will forge new and ground-breaking paths in the genre.”

Set in Paris, I Lost My Body sees Naoufel fall in love with Gabrielle. In another part of town, a severed hand escapes from a dissection lab, determined to find its body again. During a dangerous expedition across the city, it remembers its life together with Naoufel up until the accident. After an eventful journey, they reconnect in the most unexpected and poetic way.

Second season of Rainbow’s 44 Cats debut in Italy this week, with global roll out to follow

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44 Cats, the popular children’s series from the European animation powerhouse, Rainbow, is ready to launch its second season to the global stage, making its debut on Italy’s Rai Yoyo channel this week.

Pay TV partners Discovery Kids and Nickelodeon will begin broadcast of the second season to audiences across Latin America and the rest of the world, respectively, from Q2 and Q3 this year. The show will later land on free to air broadcasters from autumn this year.

The first season of 44 Cats established record ratings since its very first launch in November 2018, and it’s proving a sensational success: 44 Cats is on air in over 100 countries and in more than 20 languages. According to Rainbow, the series is ‘conquering major kids networks,’ such as Carousel Russia where it is currently the number one show in the country for ratings and share.

Meanwhile, CCTV 14, China’s major kids’ content channel, the show launched early in February with ratings that confirm 44 Cats a leading show on the channel.

Produced by Rainbow in collaboration with Antoniano and Rai Ragazzi, the series is billed as a growing hit for ratings and web interactions, while making a significant impact on the licensing sector. Currently, more than 100 partners from across the world and a number of product categories have signed with 44 Cats, across both national and multi-territorial deals.

“Already on air on the major pay and free to air TV networks in the world and on leading digital platforms such as Netflix, Tencent and YOUKU in China, Start.ru and Yandex in Russia, 44 Cats is performing incredibly and turning into a true web phenomenon and a widespread success on YouTube, where the official channels have surpassed 320 million views in just 14 months,” said Rainbow in a press release.

The newest season comprises 52 episodes that follow the adventures of the Buffycats and Granny Pina as they are joined by new animal and human friends.

Rainbow added: “The explosive mix of action, comedy, friendship and great music makes 44 Cats a series that stands out worldwide, with a magnificent soundtrack of original songs by Antoniano.

After captivating TV, social media and the web around the world, the new chapter of the Made in Italy preschool classic by Rainbow is set to amaze again thanks to the great attention to product quality, universal values and educational content offer.”

Egmont is launching a new Milkshake! magazine for early years audiences

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Egmont Publishing is to launch a new Milkshake! magazine later this month, bringing Channel 5’s multi-platform pre-school brand back to the publishing sector.

During its day-part, Milkshake! is the top performing TV segment on a free-to-air channel and is currently experiencing a 15 per cent growth in kids’ viewership year on year.

A compilation magazine for all children who love Milkshake!, Egmont’s new title will be aimed at three to five year olds. In the new Milkshake! magazine, readers can learn and play with their favourite characters including Peppa Pig, PAW Patrol and Thomas & Friends, as well as their favourite Milkshake! presenters too.

All 44 pages of Egmont’s first issue of Milkshake! magazine will be full of pre-school fun, plus an extra eight-page Peppa Pig mini mag and an amazing Peppa Pig shopping set, so Milkshake! readers can extend the world of play and discovery beyond the magazine.

Through Egmont’s own research, Milkshake! magazine’s content will be rooted in Early Years Foundation Stage learning, delivered through fun and play, with Egmont’s Ages and Stages insight to make sure that each page caters to multiple skill levels and abilities.

Over the next twelve months, Milkshake! magazine will be promoted at the end of Milkshake! programmes on air. Milkshake! fans will also be in with a chance to win a year’s worth of the new magazine, as a competition to win subscriptions will run on air and online.

As well as social media advertising across Milkshake! and Egmont platforms, a website takeover for Milkshake! magazine will run on popular parenting website, UKMums.tv.

Kiran Vara, publisher of Milkshake! magazine, said: “We’re thrilled to be launching our take on Milkshake! magazine and to be offering a high-quality magazine to the segment’s 1.6 million monthly viewers.

“We’re sure that the package of Egmont’s lively and engaging editorial, vibrant, contemporary design and quality cover mounts will mean that this new look magazine is a big hit with Milkshakers!”

Issue number one goes on sale on February 12th and is priced at £4.99.

Entertainment One powers up for fifth series of PJ Masks

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Entertainment One is powering up for a fifth series of its global pre-school superhero show, PJ Masks, revealing that a new run of 52 episodes is scheduled to land in 2021.

Produced by eOne and Frog Box, in collaboration with Disney Junior and France 5, series five will see the show’s heroes, Catboy, Owlette and Gekko, explore new locations and take on new villains in all new adventures.

“2020 marks five years since PJ Masks first swooped onto TV screens and we’re absolutely thrilled to be announcing that a fifth series is in production,” said eOne’s Olivier Dumont, president, family and brands.

“PJ Masks has won a place in the hearts of families all over the world and has created many happy childhood memories for kids who have grown up with the characters. We look forward to bringing brand new adventures to the show’s fanbase and introducing the series to the next generation of pre-schoolers.”

PJ Masks has been off to a flying start since it debuted on Disney Junior US in 2015. It is now one of the top-rated broadcasts for pre-schoolers airing regularly on multiple FTA and VOD platforms around the world. Annual global retail sales now reach over $1.1 billion with consumer products programmes firmly established in 85 markets worldwide and a growing presence in Asia.

Series four of PJ Masks is currently poised to launch on Disney Junior globally, beginning spring 2020 and autumn on Okoo, France Télévisions kids platform will kick off with an epic 44-minute special episode giving fans a never before seen exciting introduction to new adventures.