Cynopsis: Kids!

05/22/08

Good morning. It’s Thursday, May 22, 2008, and this is your first early morning briefing.

The UK’s CBeebies will televise LazyTown Extra (26 episodes), a new magazine style show aimed at the K3-6 set, exclusively on the CBeebies digital channel.  Co-produced by Lazytown Entertainment and BBC Children’s Scotland, LazyTown Extra will feature locally produced segments featuring LazyTown puppet character Ziggy talk with kids from around the UK about their favorite activities.  Each themed episode will be 14-minutes long and will feature all of the regular LazyTown characters, including Sportacus introducing an exercise of the day, Trixie and Stephanie creating SportsCandy recipes, while Robbie Rotten does his worst.

Corus Entertainment is developing its book series Scaredy Squirrel, by author/illustrator Melanie Watt, into a multi-platform property.  Combining the efforts of Corus’ Kids Can Press, Nelvana Studios and Nelvana Enterprises the plan includes: publishing additional books titles, the fourth title is set for spring 2009; Nelvana Studios will develop and produce an animated TV series (26 episodes) and animated shorts for on-air, online and mobile distribution, the latter beginning production this summer; and an international licensing and merchandising program.  Nelvana Enterprises will be responsible for worldwide broadcast and distribution sales as well as the international merchandising and licensing program for the property.

MORE KIDS STUFF

Nick Jr. invite preschoolers for a week of swashbuckling pirate-themed programming Monday June 9-Friday June 13, beginning with the premiere of a new The Backyardigans special Pirate Camp (1×30), June 9 at 9a, followed by the debut of a new episode of The Wonder Pets, titled Save the Pirate Parrot! at 10a.  Nick Jr.’s pirate-centric week will also feature additional episodes of The Backyardigans, as well as episodes Dora the Explorer, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! and Max & Ruby.  To support the debut of Pirate Camp, Nick Jr. Video will begin streaming clips of the special from June 2.  Additionally, a two-minute sneak peek of Pirate Camp and other pirate-themed clips of Nick Jr. sows will be available via wireless carriers.

Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and Parent Teacher Association (PTA) in conjunction with HP have launched a digital video service, which allows families to purchase age-appropriate digital content.  Created and managed by Harmony Digital Media Consortium with support of the Motion Picture Association of America, the effort aims provide families with the ability to make informed media selections from appropriately rated movies (a selection of G, PG and for the PTA site PG-13 rated movies).  Consumers can purchase content on one of the two online video stores powered by HP, www.ptavideostore.com and www.bgcavideostore.com. Video gift cards also are available on these sites, as well as at Circuit City (BGCA cards) Office Depot (PTA cards).  The program helps raise funds for the non-profit organizations, BGCA and PTA.

AT New Media, an interactive games and content licensing agency, is appointed as the in-house new media licensing consult for Granada Ventures, ITV’s merchandise, licensing and publishing division.  In addition AT Brands has begun developing opportunities for interactive game publishers and developers across the ITV/Granada Ventures brands, which includes kid-targeted properties such as Numberjacks and Bella Sara, and youth/family classic titles like Thunderbirds.

MARKETING/LICENSING

Also in the UK Five’s preschool TV programming block, Milkshake!, has partnered with event producer Dan Colman Ltd to present the Milkshake! Live my First Concert tour.  Milkshake presenters will take turns hosting the sing-along tour, which will also include characters from the blocks’ series (e.g. Rupert Bear, Peppa Pig, Little Princess, The Mr. Men Show etc.).  The tour is currently set for 60 concerts at 15 regional theaters across the UK from June 28-August 30. 

Screenlife, LLC, creator of Scene It? The DVD Game, is set to offer four mini-Scene IT? games through Wendy’s Kids Meal Bags.  Based on the regular DVD games: Scene It? Jr. Edition and Scene IT? Nickelodeon Edition, each game includes custom content discs, game board and tokens.  The four mini-Scene It? games are available in Wendy’s Kids Meals through June 22.

Cartoon Network Enterprises (CNE) and Segal Licensing, CNE’s Canadian licensing agent for the Ben 10 brand, announce the signing of four new apparel licensing partners for the property, which join the host Ben 10 products already available in Canada: new products from KidQuest (t-shirts and other apparel), Adorable Kids (sleepwear and underwear), X-Treme Worldwide (stickers and sticker activity sets) and Midway Industries (licensed bags, cold weather gear and headwear) will roll out through the end of 2008.

Whistlefritz, producer of the Spanish for Beginners series of Spanish immersion DVDs for children, releases its new CD of Spanish songs called A Bailar! Let’s Dance!  Comprised of a original and traditional Spanish music, the CD aims to make learning Spanish easy by introducing them to the Spanish words for numbers, letters, colors, parts of the body, directions, activities and so on all in Spanish.  A Bailar! Let’s Dance! Is available now via www.whistlefritz.com and www.amazon.com .

STONE SOUP

In an effort to prevent kids from losing their reading skills over the summer vacation, commonly known as the “summer slide,” Scholastic launches its Scholastic Summer Reading Buzz! online site this week. At the site kids and parents can find age appropriate kid book lists in English and Spanish, interactive book-themed activities and an opportunity to donate books to charity.  Armed with research that shows kids that read four + books over the summer are less likely to experience summer slide, this summer for every four books a kid reads and logs on the site Scholastic will donate a book to Room to Read, a nonprofit that sets up libraries in underprivileged communities in the developing world.

In other Scholastic.com news, the site has launched the Parent Activity Center (P.A.C.), a place where parents can go with their young kids (infants to 8-year-olds) and play and learn together.  In addition to providing parents with age-appropriate and educational content, featuring Scholastic characters, for use with their kids, P.A.C. offers parent specific tools and resources, including expert articles, tips and informational videos.

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Mahesh Ramachandra is named Global Director/Entertainment, Galleon Holdings.  Ramachandra will oversee Galleon’s convergent media strategy.  Ramachandra joins the company from Cellcast plc, where he served as VP/International & Product Development.

RATINGS

Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Tuesday, May 20, 2008, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
NICKELODEON:         K2-11 1036; K6-11 492; TWEENS 9-14 366
DISNEY CHANNEL:     K2-11   675; K6-11 437; TWEENS 9-14 335
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11   494; K6-11 282; TWEENS 9-14 187
TOON DISNEY:           K2-11   116; K6-11   53; TWEENS 9-14   29
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data

Answer to Yesterday’s Trivia Question:  Peppermint Fizz, Ginger Snap, Custard the Cat and Tea Blossom are just some of the characters that appeared in what series of TV specials that began running in the ’80s? STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE  Kudos to:  Lisa Petitmermet-Hasbro/Providence, RI; Marnie Fish-MTV Mobile/NY; Tricia Dunn-Disney Media/NY; Len Appel–Screenvision/NY; Benjamin Streeter-Disney Online/San Francisco; LeNea Ricks-KIDK/Idaho Falls, ID; Eric Covert-Disney ABC Networks Group/Burbank; Pat Brady-Cunningham*Escott*Slevin*Doherty/LA      

Today’s Trivia Question: What is the name of the little girl who lives at 64 Zoo Lane?    (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!
05.22.08

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