Cynopsis: Kids!

03/30/09

Good morning. It’s Monday, March 30, 2009, and this is your first early morning Kids briefing.

CCTV Animation, a noted Chinese animation studio, and PorchLight Entertainment ink a co-development deal to develop and produce the preschool series Snap! Let’s Go! (52×12).  Snap! Let’s Go! follows the preschool-centric adventures of a Chinese girl named Mandy, a western boy named Matt, their life-sized Panda bear mentor, and a mischievous dragon named Snap as they explore new locations and learn about each others’ culture.  Additionally, the series aims teach Chinese viewers English phrases and other viewers the same phrase in Mandarin Chinese.  This marks CCTV Animation’s first collaboration on the development of a long format animated TV series with a North American production company.

NEW PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

BBC Scotland’s kid’s department is producing OOglies (13×15), a sketch-comedy series with a range of noted animators that will use technology, including digital animatics, to produce the series.  Commissioned by CBBC, OOglies will feature 7o+ characters all created from everyday household items and food brought to life with a pair of googly eyes.  Additionally, bbc.co.uk/cbbc will launch an OOglies game, where kids can also view exclusive online animation among other things.  Produced in Glasgow, OOglies is slated to debut on CBBC this summer.

MORE KIDS STUFF

Nickelodeon handed its orange blimps during its 22nd Annual Kids’ Choice Awards, hosted this year by Dwayne Johnson, which aired on the network Saturday, March 28 (8-9:30p) live from UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion.  As always, kids voted for their favorites online and via the network’s new mobile website in 18 categories, this time numbering a record-breaking 90 million votes.  Highlights of scream-fest included slime dousings of Johnson, the Jonas Brothers, as well as Hugh Jackman and Sandra Bullock, while Will Ferrell slid in for the KCA’s first Slip n’ Slime Stunt.  Winners of Nickelodeon’s 2009 Kids’ Choice Awards include (and there are lots more):

Movie Favorites:
Movie – High School Musical 3: Senior Year
Animated Movie – Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Movie Actress – Vanessa Hudgens (High School Musical 3: Senior Year)
Movie Actor – Will Smith (Hancock)
Voice in an Animated Movie – Jack Black (Kung Fu Panda)

Music Favorites:
Music Group – The Jonas Brothers
Female Singer – Miley Cyrus
Male Singer – Jesse McCartney

TV Favorites:
TV Show – iCarly
TV Actress  Selena Gomez (Wizards of Waverly Place)
TV Actor – Dylan Sprouse (The Suite Life of Zack and Cody)
Cartoon – SpongeBob SquarePants

Favorites in other categories:
Video Game – Guitar Hero World Tour
Books – Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer

A new season of Horrible Histories premieres on CBBC and BBC One beginning Thursday, April 16, 2009.  The new season of the comedy features appearances by a range of UK celebrity talent such as Sarah Hadland (Confetti, Quantum Of Solace), Steve Punt (Mock The Week, Punt & Dennis) and Meera Syal (The Kumars). Horrible Histories is a Lion TV production for CBBC based on the series of books by author Terry Deary, who appears in cameo roles in the series, and illustrated by Martin Brown, and licensed by Scholastic Entertainment and published by Scholastic UK.

MIPTV 2009

BBC Worldwide signs two initial sales for Little Airplane’s photo-puppet animated series 3rd & Bird! (50×10, special 1×20).  Picking up the 3rd & Bird! is public service broadcaster SVT (Sweden) taking both the series and special and Al Jazeera (Middle East), which acquires the series.  BBC Worldwide (BBCWW) holds global distribution rights for the program, which currently airs on CBeebies (UK).  BBCWW launches 3rd & Bird! at MIPTV this week.

Fitz Roy Media acquires the local format rights to Armoza Formats‘ family-targeted reality game show, Revenge of the Geeks, for production and distribution in the US and Canada beginning April 2009.  Revenge of the Geeks presents 12 bright kids with a variety challenges in a search for the country’s next genius kid.  During the course of the season, as the contestants face each challenge reveal both how smart they are and yet how much they are kids.

TV-Loonland acquires the global home entertainment distribution rights, excluding the US and Canada, to the 2D animated special My Little Pony Twinkle Wish Adventure (1×44), which is currently in production, as well as the animated series Transformers Generation I (98×26) and G.I. Joe A Real American Hero (95×26) and the 1994 animated G.I. Joe movie.

Digital Rights Group (DRG) enters into a deal with the BBC Commercial Agency in the UK to handle worldwide distribution for a package of drama titles, which will all be launched at MIPTV this week.  The package includes the family movie, Framed (1×90).  Adapted from author Frank Cottrell Boyce’s the novel of the same name, Framed will air on BBC 1 as part during holiday 2009. 

MARKETING/LICENSING

RDF Kids & Family (RDF) signs nine new licensees for The Foundation’s new CBeebies preschool series, Waybuloo.  Waybuloo is set to launch on CBeebies this May 2009, with the simultaneous publication of Waybuloo Magazine, produced by BBC Magazines.  The new Waybuloo license deals include:  Samuel Eden & Son Ltd (Waybuloo socks); C&M Licensing (nightwear and underwear); Zap Ltd (soft furnishings); Kinnerton (confectionary); The Creative Cake Company (celebration cakes); Spearmark International (melamine and lighting); and Martin Yaffe International (wheeled toys, furniture and balls). Portico Designs Ltd and Gemma International (greetings cards and gift wrap); and Trademark Collections Ltd (bags, umbrellas and aprons).  Existing licensees, Fisher Price, Egmont and 2entertain will launch their ranges in fall/winter 2009, with the new licensees rolling out their lines from spring/summer 2010.

STONE SOUP

Weekend Box Office Estimates for kids/tweens/teens rated G, PG or PG-13; March 27-29, 2009:
Monsters Vs. Aliens (Paramount (DreamWorks)) PG               Opening Weekend $58.2m
The Haunting in Connecticut (Lionsgate) PG-13                   Opening Weekend $23.0m
Knowing (Summit Entertainment) PG-13                              $14.7m-2 wk total $46.2m
Duplicity (Universal) PG-13                                               $7.6m-2 wk total $25.6m
Race to Witch Mountain (Buena Vista) PG                           $5.6m-3 wk total $53.3m
12 Rounds (Fox) PG-13                                                    Opening Weekend $5.3m
Taken (Fox) PG-13                                                         $2.7m-9 wk total $137.1m
Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail (Lionsgate) PG-13               $1.1m-6 wk total $89.0m
Paul Blart: Mall Cop (Sony / Columbia) PG                           $825,000-11 wk total $142.5m
He’s Just Not That Into You (Warner Bros. (New Line)) PG-13 $470,000-8 wk total $92.5m
Source: www.rentrak.com

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Joan Lambur expands her role at Breakthrough Films & Television.  Lambur, who was tapped to head the company’s new live-action kid and family division in January, will now also lead its animation division.  In her newly expanded role, the creative Lambur will supervise development and production of all new animated and live-action kids’ and family series, as well as overseeing licensing and merchandising opportunities for Breakthrough’s properties.

Spin Master Entertainment appoints Jennifer Picherack as Executive Producer.  Based out of Spin Master’s Toronto headquarters, Picherack will work with EP Matt Wexler to develop and produce original content for the division, including TV and feature film development, production and acquisitions.  She most recently served as VP/Distribution and Sales Operations, Cookie Jar Entertainment.  Picherack was also a producer on animated series including Johnny Test, and toiled as a creative exec on shows such as Chop Socky Chooks, Naturally Sadie and Radio Free Roscoe.

RATINGS

Top 10 Combined Broadcast/Basic Cable shows among Kids 2-11 for the week of 3/16-3/22/09, 6a-6a:
K2-11                                       Total Delivery (000)
NICK:    SpongeBob SquarePants (3/16; 5:30p)   2622
NICK:    SpongeBob SquarePants (3/16; 5p)        2464
NICK:    SpongeBob SquarePants (3/18; 6p)        2436
NICK:    SpongeBob SquarePants (3/18; 5:30p)   2342
NICK:    SpongeBob SquarePants (3/21; 9a)        2296
NICK:    SpongeBob SquarePants (3/19; 5:30p)   2286
NICK:    SpongeBob SquarePants (3/21; 9:30a)   2279
DSNY*: Hannah Montana (3/22; 7:30p)              2241
NICK:    iCarly (3/21; 8p)                                   2144
NICK:    SpongeBob SquarePants (3/21; 11:30a) 2112
Source: Disney from Nielsen Media Research Data
*Disney Channel is not an ad supported cable network, unlike the others in this listing.

Top 10 Combined Broadcast/Basic Cable shows among Kids 6-11 for the week of 3/16-3/22/09, 6a-6a:
K6-11                                       Total Delivery (000)
DSNY*: Hannah Montana (3/22; 7:30p)              1863
NICK:    SpongeBob SquarePants (3/21; 9a)        1654
NICK:    iCarly (3/21; 8p)                                   1654
DSNY*: Suite Life on Deck (3/20; 8p)                  1596
DSNY*: Phineas and Ferb (3/20; 8:30p)              1588
DSNY*: Sonny with a Chance (3/22; 6:30p)         1557
NICK:    SpongeBob SquarePants (3/21; 9:30a)   1556
NICK:    SpongeBob SquarePants (3/16; 5:30p)   1540
DSNY*: Hannah Montana (3/22; 7p)                   1433
NICK:    SpongeBob SquarePants (3/18; 6p)        1421
Source: Disney from Nielsen Media Research Data
*Disney Channel is not an ad supported cable network, unlike the others in this listing.

Top 10 Combined Broadcast/Basic Cable shows among Tweens 9-14 for the week of 3/16-3/22/09, 6a-6a:
Tweens 9-14                             Total Delivery (000)
DSNY*: Hannah Montana (3/22; 7:30p)               1774
NICK:    iCarly (3/21; 8p)                                   1436
DSNY*: Sonny with a Chance (3/22; 6:30p)         1349
FOX:     American Idol (3/17; 8-10p)                   1312
DSNY*: Hannah Montana (3/22; 7p)                    1296
DSNY*: Suite Life on Deck (3/20; 8p)                  1288
DSNY*: Wizards of Waverly Place (3/22; 8:30p)   1236
DSNY*: Sonny with a Chance (3/22; 8p)              1205
DSNY*: Suite Life on Deck (3/20; 7:30p)             1176
FOX:     American Idol (3/18; 9-10:02p)              1163
Source: Disney from Nielsen Media Research Data
*Disney Channel is not an ad supported cable network, unlike the others in this listing.

Top 10 Combined Broadcast/Basic Cable shows among Teens 12-17 for the week of 3/16-3/22/09, 6a-6a:
Teens 12-17                                      Total Delivery (000)
FOX:       American Idol (3/17; 8-10p)                          1283
FOX:       American Idol (3/18; 9-10:02p)                     1162
FAM:       Secret Life of the American Teen (3/16; 8-9p) 1140
DSNY*:   Hannah Montana (3/22; 7:30p)                      1107
NICK:      iCarly (3/21; 8p)                                            878
DSNY*:   Hannah Montana (3/22; 7p)                             853
FOX:       Family Guy (3/22; 9p)                                     762
DSNY*:   Sonny with a Chance (3/22; 6:30p)                  702
DSNY*:   Sonny with a Chance (3/22; 8p)                       687
ADSM**: Family Guy (3/22; 11p)                                   677
Source: Disney from Nielsen Media Research Data
*Disney Channel is not an ad supported cable network, unlike the others in this listing.
**Abbreviation for Adult Swim, which airs on Cartoon Network

Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Thursday, March 26, 2009, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
NICKELODEON:         K2-11 1110; K6-11 522; TWEENS 9-14 391
DISNEY CHANNEL:     K2-11   816; K6-11 498; TWEENS 9-14 435
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11   530; K6-11 363; TWEENS 9-14 255
DISNEY XD:               K2-11   137; K6-11   90; TWEENS 9-14   66
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data

Answer to Yesterday’s Trivia Question:  Who am I?  I’m about 10 inches tall and stuffed.  I used to live in a Beech Tree, but since someone else moved in, I moved instead to my best friend’s house. My favorite food is Haycorns, and when I get nervous my ears twitch. Who am I?   PIGLET  Kudos to: Christopher Byrne-TimetoPlayMag.com/NY; Kerry Hughes-qubo/NY; Alexis Taylor-Discovery Communications/Silver Spring; Heidi Shin-WGBH/Boston; Heather Floore-KDAF/Dallas; Rebecca Rodriguez-Disney Channel/Burbank

Today’s Trivia Question:  According to the cartoon version of “The Tick” what speed is faster than light?  (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: Only the second four correct answers from each time zone will be mentioned; and once you’ve been mentioned in any of the Cynopsis editions, you can’t be mentioned again that calendar week.)

Later — Gwen
 Gwen Billings for Cynopsis Kids!
03.30.09

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