Cynopsis: Kids!

09/22/09

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, September 22, 2009, and this is your first early morning Kids briefing.

A new superhero sized wrinkle in Disney’s $4 billion acquisition of Marvel Entertainment.  The family of comic book artist Jack Kirby, he created/co-created numerous characters and stories for Marvel’s X-Men, Fantastic Four, Iron Man, among many others, filed “45 notices of copyright termination” to both Marvel and Disney, not to mention paramount, Sony, Fox, Universal and other companies that have used his characters, per the NYT.  Kirby’s heirs plan is to reclaim the copyrights to some of Kirby’s work beginning in 2014.  The family is using the same law firm that recently won a ruling that returned a portion of the copyright of Superman to Jerome Siegel’s family; he helped create the man of steel character.  The report quotes a Disney spokesperson saying, “The notices involved are an attempt to terminate rights seven to 10 years from now and involve claims that were fully considered in the acquisition.”  Kirby worked with writer/editor Stan Lee to develop many of the characters in question.  Kirby died in 1994, he was 76.

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MORE KIDS STUFF

The recently launched Toronto-based Chocolate Liberation Front is developing is initial property titled, The World of Infinite Curiosity.  A family-targeted multiplatform project, The World of Infinite Curiosity is currently being developed as a videogame with funding from Telefilm Canada and Screen Australia, and in the exploration process for a primetime TV series.  The World of Infinite Curiosity is a fantasy world based on the imagination of Decklin, an 11-year-old boy, influenced by Leonardo da Vinci’s numerous inventions.

Australian V8 racecar champion Craig Lowndes joins the cast of Chapman Entertainment‘s Roary the Racing Car as the voice of Conrod, the throaty new V8 Aussie car.  Lowndes will be featured in the second season of Roary the Racing Car in the UK and Australia and then elsewhere around the world.  The new season debuts first in Australia on ABC 1 and ABC 2 in early 2010.  The series already stars British racing legend Sir Stirling Moss, as the narrator, with veteran voice of motor racing Murray Walker, set to play himself in the new series.

DQ Entertainment (DQE) is heading into production on a second season of the CGI animated series The Penguins of Madagascar for Nickelodeon.  A spin-off from DreamWorks’ animated movie, Madagascar, the second season of The Penguins of Madagascar will slated for completion in early 2011.

We all know someone who suffers from allergies, some the average seasonal type and some more life threatening.  Nickelodeon‘s Nick News with Linda Ellerbee will take a look at what life is like for kids who live with the life threatening type of allergies on I’m Allergic to My World, premiering on Sunday, September 27 at 8p.  The episode explores different types of allergies and features kids talking about how their allergies impact their lives and the ways they must to advocate for themselves and others need to respect their needs.

Co-distribution and production partners, Atlantyca Entertainment and Moonscoop, ink a slate of international broadcast deals for the new animated series Geronimo Stilton (26×22).  Based on the eponymous kid’s book series, the Geronimo Stilton TV series has been picked up by: TV2 (Norway), MTV 2 (Finland), Nickelodeon Northern Europe International taking the rights for Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland, meanwhile in Iberian markets Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Boing Channels have acquired the series for Spain with sales also signed with RTP and Canal Panda in Portugal.  Geronimo Stilton is set to bow on Nickelodeon channels in Belgium and The Netherlands this month, followed in November in Denmark and Sweden.  The series made its world premier on Rai (Italy) last week, which pre-bought the series along with M6 (France).

Nelvana heads to Mipcom where it will feature several properties:

• Beyblade: Metal Fusion (51×30) – targeted to Boys 8-12, the series is co-produced by Nelvana and Japan’s d-rights.  There is also a newly re-vamped Beyblade toy line.
• Babar  and the Adventures of Badou (26×30 or 52×11) – aimed at K4-7, the series introduces King Babar’s grandson Badou and his pals.  The new series is a Canada/France co-production from Nelvana and TeamTO, with first broadcast window deals already in place with TF1 (France) and YTV (Canada).
• Detentionaire – a new K6-12 aimed pilot about a teen falsely accused of a high school prank and forced to serve a full year of detention.  The TV pilot is produced by Nelvana Studio in partnership with Teletoon.

Lincoln Butterfield Animation plans to unveil three new series concepts next month at MipJunior and Mipcom.  The series are available for animation, with at least two also available for live-action production:

• When Whinn Situation – the tween-targeted comedy follows Windsor Winn (12) who winds up in a Freaky Friday kind of situation, when his granddad’s experiment goes haywire Windsor ends up share his body with his jock brother (17) and his precocious sister (7).  Created by Robert Hughes (Phineas and Ferb) and developed by Mitch Schauer (The Angry Beavers), When Whinn Situation is for either animation or live-action.
• Loving Mustard – the kid-aimed concept revolves around two completely different sisters.  The sisters share one thing in common, their love for Mustard, a plush toy that can hush their bickering ways.  Mustard can speak, but only viewers can hear his humorous commentary about the sisters.  Created/developed by Schauer, the series is available or animation or live-action.
• Big Buff Tuff Dudes – a tween-targeted action/adventure concept about a boy that unearths the subterranean headquarters of a team of superheroes who enlist him as their control room cadet to assist in their intergalactic adventures.  The animated concept was created/developed by Schauer.

4Kids Entertainment will showcase its new family-targeted Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles special, Turtles Forever (1×90), at Mipcom.  The animated special celebrates the 25-year history of Mirage Studios‘ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and takes a look at the property from its beginnings as a comic book (1984) through its first TV series (1980s/90s) and of course the current incarnation of the animated series.

The Fremantle Corporation heads to Mipcom with the new animated comedy, The Last Flight of the Champion (1×90).  The movie follows the young crew of the last Cosmic Marshal ship, The Champion, as they journey through the galaxy to bring justice and safety to the universe.  Irv Holender, Principle Director, The Fremantle Corp. is hoping to develop The Last Flight of the Champion as a long-form series.  They will also be looking for merchandising partners as well.

Program Call: If your company is attending MIPCOM or MIP JR in early October with programming to sell, Cynopsis Media is producing our annual MIPCOM Shopping Guide available to all Cynopsis and Cynopsis Kids subscribers on Thursday, October 1. To have your programming included, please send only the following info for your top 5 shows: title, availability date, number of episodes, length, type (i.e., movie, series, special, etc.), genre and your terms (barter, cash, etc.). To be included in this free and highly-viewed special edition, please send details to [email protected] by Friday, September 25, 2009.

MARKETING/LICENSING

Mad Catz Interactive, a third-party interactive accessory provider, inks a license from developer/publisher Sega of America to produce branded videogame accessories based on Sonic the Hedgehog.  Under the deal Mad Catz holds the North American rights to a range of accessories for all current videogame platforms.

EXECUTIVE MOVES

More executives named for the newly launched Hasbro Studios, which will produce TV shows based on Hasbro’s brands, new branded content and produce programs from third party content creators.  Some of the new shows/content will be part of the new (and still unnamed) TV network from the joint venture between Hasbro and Discovery Communications, which is slated to launch in fall 2010.  The new hires were announced by Stephen J. Davis, who was named as President/Hasbro Studios last month, and include:

• Bob Boden is appointed Head/Reality and Game Show Development and Production.  Boden is currently SVP/Programming and Production, Fox Reality Channel and formerly served as SVP/Programming, Game Show Network.
• Michael J. Vogel takes on the role of Head/Boys Animation.  He is currently Director/Animated Programming, Sony Pictures Television.
• Brian Charles Lenard joins as Head/Story Development, from RDF Media Group, Pangea Management Group and RDF USA, where he is Director/Scripted Development.
• Mary Beth Bambridge, Head/Strategic Planning, William Morris Endeavour Entertainment, will be the company’s Head/Finance,
• Kevin Healy becomes Hasbro Studios’ Head of Legal and Business Affairs, he had been Head/Business and Legal Affairs, Hasbro Entertainment and Licensing.

Abu Dhabi-based media content funding group, twofour54 ibtikar, appoints Jane Smith is appointed as GM/ibtikar commercial.  Smith, who had most recently led Entertainment Rights, will be responsible for all content and intellectual properties created by twofour54 and its divisions as well as distribution (local and international) across multiple formats.  ibtikar commercial will be involved with a range of content genres across kid’s, drama, factual, and live action programming, and natural history.  Smith will play a key role in developing twofour54 ibtikar’s first project Driver Dan’s Story Train, an animated preschool series produced by 3Line Media, which will be screened at MipJunior.  Driver Dan’s Story Train is set to debut on CBeebies (UK) in spring 2010.

Spin Master names Jeff Hurst as VP/Canadian Sales and Marketing.  The move marks Hurst’s return to the company after an absence of 15 years, during which time toiled in the toy industry in Canada for companies including Hasbro, Leapfrog, and most recently MGA Entertainment.

Big Tent Entertainment appoints Amy Jarashow as Director/Brand Development.  Jarashow grow licensee sales and retail for entertainment brands including Domo, Discovery Kids and Telemundo.  Jarashow joins Big Tent Entertainment from eTagz, a digital hangtag company, where she was VP/Strategic Partnerships.  She previously toiled for Random House and Golden Books in licensed publishing, retail marketing and sales.

RATINGS

Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Friday, September 18, 2009, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
DISNEY CHANNEL:     K2-11 953; K6-11 682; TWEENS 9-14 574
NICKELODEON:          K2-11 924; K6-11 428; TWEENS 9-14 315
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11 485; K6-11 284; TWEENS 9-14 198
DISNEY XD:               K2-11   75; K6-11   58; TWEENS 9-14   55
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data

Answer to Yesterday’s Trivia Question:  Here’s the quote – you give me the TV series title:  “This is the world. With a 196 million square miles. If I covered a hundred square miles an hour, every hour for the rest of my life, I still wouldn’t see half of it.”  MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE Kudos to: Ayme Yaiser/NYC; Mark Rodriguez-MDR Entertainment, LLC/Valencia; Elize Morgan-Slainte Development/Toronto

Today’s Trivia Question:  Who’s famous catch phrase was “And that’s the truth!” ?  (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!
09.22.09

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