Cynopsis: Kids!

05/15/08

Good morning. It’s Thursday, May 15, 2008, and this is your first early morning briefing.

Hasbro, Inc. takes back all worldwide distribution rights to the Sunbow Library of Hasbro Classics programming from TV-Loonland for US$7 million.  TV-Loonland had acquired The Hasbro Classics library, which includes brands such as Transformers, My Little Pony and G.I. Joe, and properties like Mr. Potato Head and Connect Four, from Sony BMG in December 2000. Under the agreement Hasbro takes control of about 2,000 episodes, which covers 30 different brands.  Simon Flamank, CEO, TV-Loonland, explains the company plans to use the funds to pay back a majority of all of its outstanding debt and move the company forward.  TV-Loonland is also in the midst of selling its UK distribution subsidiary Metrodome to its shareholders.

Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group and Group M are on the verge of a significant upfront agreement that is reportedly valued at $300+ million, per AdAge.com.  According to the report, the upfront deal will encompass Nick’s kids and adult brands (Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Noggin and Nicktoons).  Group M’s media agencies represent clients including AT&T, Ford Motor Co., Burger King, ConAgra, Hasbro and Warner Bros.

NEW PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

Nickelodeon Latin America inks a pact with Illusion Studios to co-produce the La Maga y el Camino Dorado, a new series based on The Wizard of Oz, specifically the 1939 movie musical.  The mixed live-action and 3D animated fantasy series is set to being production in Buenos Aires next month.  Dori Media Group will distribute La Maga y el Camino Dorado.

Boo! Columbia Pictures inks a deal with Scholastic Media for the feature films rights to R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series, according to Variety.  Producing the movie will be Scholastic’s Deborah Forte and Neal Moritz (I Am Legend, Prom Night, Evan Almighty an Fast and Furious among many others) under his Sony-based banner, Original Film.  With 50+ Goosebumps books out there, can you say movie franchise?

MORE KIDS STUFF

Disney Channel’s new Original Movie, The Cheetah Girls One World, will premiere on Disney Channel US Friday, August 22 at 8p, followed shortly thereafter by its debut on Disney Channels around the world.  To support the premiere of The Cheetah Girls One World, which was filmed on location in India, the network will feature a 12-part making of series of segments, The Road to The Cheetah Girls One World, set to bow Friday, May 16 at 8p on Disney Channel and www.disneychannel.com .  New segments will premiere biweekly in May, June and July, and weekly in August.

TV Cultura (Brazil) picks up the animated TV series, Caillou and Mona the Vampire, from Cookie Jar Entertainment.  The channel plans to premiere both series this year.

BRB International heads to DISCOP next month where it will showcase several series.
Making its first visit to this market BRB will offer Papawa (104×7 or 52×13), its K6-10 targeted cut-out animated series, which is co-production of Screen 21, Televisio de Catalunya (TVC) and 2 Minutes. Additionally BRB will also offer a second season of Bernard, and will kick of the 25th anniversary of the animated series Around the World with Willy Fog kicks off at the market.  The series is based on Jules Verne’s classic book Around the World in 80 Days.

MARKETING/LICENSING

Jesse McCartney and Cody Linley (Hannah Montana) have signed on to lend their voices to Frank and Joe Hardy for the upcoming PC game, The Hardy Boys: The Hidden Theft.  The game comes from JoWooD and DreamCatcher Games, working in conjunction with Resnick Interactive Development, LLC.  Developed by XPEC Entertainment Inc., The Hardy Boys: The Hidden Theft is slated to be available this fall.

Chapman Entertainment has tapped Telescreen as licensing agent for its pre-school property Roary the Racing Car in the Benelux.  Telescreen plans to expand the Roary licensing program into a range of categories.  Bandai holds the master toy license for the property.

For the SpongeBob fan that has everything, prepare to rock out with a new line of SpongeBob SquarePants branded electric guitars, ukuleles, and other real musical instruments under a Nickelodeon UK license deal with John Hornby Skewes & Co.  The new set of instruments will be available at retail beginning June 2008 in the UK and Ireland, and then online at the Nick Shop (UK) in July.

Elsewhere in the UK, Cartoon Network Enterprises adds new licensees for its series Ben 10 for release in 2008, signing on are: Blueprint Collections (stationery, pencil cases, gadgets and school sets/June); Flair Leisure (jigsaw book, shakermaker, comic-maker, pocket etch a sketch); Pyramid (posters, badges, key rings and calendars); Gemma (cards, wrapping and tags); MV Sports (bikes, scooters, skates, pads and helmets); Mr. Lucky Bags (activity, toy and confection filled Ben 10 Lucky Bags)

Correction: It was indeed Speed Racer Enterprises that entered into a licensing and merchandising deal with BKN International for Speed Racer: The Next Generation and Speed Racer Classic across Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the Middle East.

STONE SOUP

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan will open its new exhibit Adventures with Dora and Diego next week.  Based on the Nickelodeon’s preschool series Go, Diego, Go! and Dora the Explorer, the bilingual exhibit features a multi-sensory environment and interactive elements to educate visitors about Latino culture, science and animals.

EXECUTIVE MOVES

The Toy Industry Association names Elizabeth Borrelli as Executive Director of its Toy Safety Certification Program and VP/Corporate Responsibility.  Borrelli previously served as TIA’s Director of Standards and Regulatory Affairs and Secretary of the International Council of Toy Industries from 1992 to 1998. 

RATINGS

Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Tuesday, May 13, 2008, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
NICKELODEON:         K2-11 949; K6-11 387; TWEENS 9-14 351
DISNEY CHANNEL:     K2-11 678; K6-11 405; TWEENS 9-14 339
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11 490; K6-11 284; TWEENS 9-14 201
TOON DISNEY:           K2-11 113; K6-11   69; TWEENS 9-14   47
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data

Answer to Yesterday’s Trivia Question:  Sketch characters Judge Trudy, Penelope Taynt and Tony Pajamas were seen on what show?  THE AMANDA SHOW (Nickelodeon 1999-2002)   Kudos to:  Sonia Mendez/Charleston, SC; John Carlo-Channel One Network/NY; Julie Stowell-Tribune Media Services/Glens Falls, NY; Andrea Blain-Andrea Blain Public Relations/Skokie, IL; Richard Quan-Imaginary Time/San Francisco; Sherry McLeod-Corus Entertainment/Toronto

Today’s Trivia Question: On the Disney Channel show Even Stevens, what was the nickname that the Stevens’ have for their neighbor who’s real name is Bernard?    (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!
05.15.08

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