Cynopsis: Kids!

06/04/08

Good morning. It’s Wednesday, June 4, 2008, and this is your first early morning briefing.

Canada’s Decode Entertainment is teaming with Australia’s mememe productions to co-produce the new preschool music series dirtgirlworld (52×11 or 26×22).  Commissioned by the ABC (Australia) and CBeebies (UK) and CBC (Canada), dirtgirlworld, Decode Enterprises will handle worldwide distribution and merchandising and licensing for the series, excluding the UK and Australia where the series will be repped by BBC Worldwide and mememe productions respectively.  Created by mememe’s Cate McQuillen and Hewey Eustace, with Jenny Lalor, dirtgirlworld features a mixed animation/photomontage/illustration style produced by Hackett Films (Australia).  Aimed at preschoolers 3-7, dirtgirlworld revolves around Dirtgirl, a gumboot-wearing gal that grows vegetables, drives a big orange tractor and hangs with her friends.

Disney Channel UK has ordered a new tween-targeted sketch comedy Life Bites (16×5) from Prism Entertainment.  Slated to bow later in 2008, Life Bites revolves around the adventures of two siblings.  Versions of Life Bites air on Disney Channels in and countries and languages.

MORE KIDS STUFF

Canadian producer CarpeDiem officially sets up its new studio, Animation Station Inc., in Montreal.  Led by the newly appointed Studio Manager, Francois Vachon, Animation Station Inc. will serve as the production entity of the new animated series My Life Me (52×11 or 26×30), a co-production between CarpeDiem and TV Loonland, as well as the mobile and interactive components.

The animated reality series Total Drama Island joins Cartoon Network with its premiere this Thursday, June 5, at 9p, immediately following the series launch of new animated series The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack at 8:30p.  Simultaneous to the series debut on the network, the Total Drama Island interactive website will launch, a site where kids can make their own series avatar, get downloads, play games tied to the current week’s challenges. From Cake Distribution, Total Drama Island follows a group of 22 teens that sign up to attend a totally rundown summer camp where they face various challenges as they compete for $100,000.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, the Playhouse Disney preschool series, goes Goofy with a week of Goofy-themed episodes, Monday, June 23-27, each day at 8:30a on Disney Channel.  That Friday, June 27, will feature the premiere of a new episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

MARKETING/LICENSING

Warner Bros.‘ inks a deal for its Looney Tunes with the Safeway supermarket chain and its new line Eating Right Kids food and beverages, according to Variety.  With this deal Warner Bros. says that its Looney Tunes characters will only be featured on healthy food packaging, with the exception of some ice cream products and birthday cakes per the report.  The Eating Right Kids products, which include 100+ items in 30 categories, are set to roll out beginning this summer.

Following a media review, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. awards its media planning and buying responsibilities to Prometheus, part of the Omnicom Media Group network.  Konami’s game franchises include DanceDanceRevolution, Castlevania and Karaoke Revolution among many others.

LucasArts Entertainment and TT Games launch Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures game title this week for Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2 and 3, Xbox 360, PSP, and Windows.  Developed by Traveller’s Tales, the same folks behind the Lego Star Wars series, Lego Indiana Jones is a tongue-in-cheek take on the first three Indiana Jones movie adventures (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom and the Last Crusade).

Capcom Entertainment and Neopets are partnering to develop a new multi-platform game, Neopets Puzzle Adventure (working title), for the Wii, Nintendo DS and PC.  Currently being developed by Capcom and Infinite Interactive, the game is slated for a holiday 2008 release.

Bob The Builder On Site: Houses & Playgrounds premieres on DVD August 26, 2008 from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment.  A new season of Bob the Builder  Project Build will bow on PBS Kids this September 2008.

McDonalds teams with DreamWorks Animation to launch a new Kung Fu Panda centric Happy Meal promotion across North America June 6 – July 3, followed by a global rollout, to coincide with the release of the movie this Friday.  Kids will receive one of eight different Kung Fu Panda character figures in their Happy Meals.  The promotion continues online at www.happymeals.com, which features information about pandas and their environment, provided through a partnership with Conservation International, which includes a “panda-cam” that offers visitors a look at pandas in their natural habitats.  The site also features Kung Fu Panda themed games, adventures, activities and dance demos.  Additionally, a special digital code featured on the McDonalds trayliners will open new moves in the You Kung Fu online activity.  A humorous TV ad, created by Leo Burnett, featuring two kids going head-to-head in a kung fu match competing for the last Chicken McNugget will support the promotion.

HOUSEKEEPING NOTE

All of the four daily editions of Cynopsis are now available as RSS feeds – the subscribe/click options show up at the end of this email, and will daily from now on.  In the meantime and to move things along for you, here are the tags you’d need to subscribe to any of our daily editions:

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EXECUTIVE MOVES

American Greetings Properties (AGP) adds two new members to its marketing team, both of whom will be based in NYC.

• Julie Davis is appointed Sr. Brand Manager.  She will focus on building awareness, developing and managing marketing efforts specifically for AGP’s Care Bears, Holly Hobbie, and Maryoku Yummy properties.  She previously served as Sr. Manager/Brand and Marketing, DIC Entertainment, where she managed marketing for Strawberry Shortcake, an AGP property licensed by DIC.
• Matt Schweitzer joins AGP as Brand Manager.  Schweitzer will develop and execute merchandising plans for AGP’s proprietary brand, with specific focus on Strawberry Shortcake, Sushi Pack, Twisted Whiskers and Madballs.  Most recently, he was Sr. Manager/Merchandising and Media, Ragdoll USA Inc.

RATINGS

Weekly Top Ten Basic Cable Ad Supported networks, Total Day and Primetime Rankings among K2-11 (000) 5/26-6/1/08 :
Total Day     (000)   Primetime       (000)
NICK°:           1218    DSNY*:             1116
DSNY*:            769    CARTOON:          687
CARTOON:       580    NAN**:               563
NAN**:            309    NOGGIN:            280
ADSM**:          175    ESPN:                157
NOG/THE N:     219    TOON DIS:          129
TOON DIS.:      105    NICKTOONS:         98
NICKTOONS:      73    DISCOVERY:         85
ESPN:                49    MTV:                    74
MTV:                  48    THE N:                 65
Source: Disney Research from Nielsen Media Research Data Live + SD Data
*Disney Channel is not an ad supported cable network, unlike the others in this listing.
**Denotes a network that broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24hr day.
°Nickelodeon Total Day 6a-11p

Weekly Top Ten Basic Cable Ad Supported networks, Total Day and Primetime Rankings among K6-11 (000) 5/26-6/1/08 :
Total Day        (000) Primetime       (000)
NICK°:              705    DSNY*:             862
DSNY*:             523    CARTOON:         488
CARTOON:         382    NAN**:             428
NAN**:             248    ESPN:                100
ADSM**:           124    TOON DIS:           71
TOON DIS.:         55    DISCOVERY:         63
NICKTOONS:       48    NICKTOONS:         62
NOGGIN:             40    THE N:                 56
MTV:                   35    MTV:                    56
DISCOVERY:        33    NOGGIN:              54
Source: Disney Research from Nielsen Media Research Data Live + SD Data
*Disney Channel is not an ad supported cable network, unlike the others in this listing.
**Denotes a network that broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24hr day.
°Nickelodeon Total Day 6a-11p

Weekly Top Ten Basic Cable Ad Supported Networks, Total Day and Primetime Rankings among Tweens 9-14 (000) 5/26-6/1/08 :
Total Day   (000)   Primetime      (000)
NICK°:          533     DSNY*:             741
DSNY*:         452     NAN**:             494
NAN**:         345     CARTOON:         359
CARTOON:     269     MTV:                 153
ADSM**:       176     ESPN:                139
MTV:               98     COMEDY:             99
COMEDY:         57     DISCOVERY:        83
ESPN:              55     BET:                    74
DISCOVERY:     49     THE N:                61
THE N:             42     TLC:                    52
Source: Disney Research from Nielsen Media Research Data Live + SD Data
*Disney Channel is not an ad supported cable network, unlike the others in this listing.
**Denotes a network that broadcasts less than 51% of minutes in a 24hr day.
°Nickelodeon Total Day 6a-11p

Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Saturday, May 31, 2008, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
NICKELODEON:           K2-11 1454; K6-11 1007; TWEENS 9-14 746
DISNEY CHANNEL:       K2-11   984; K6-11   600; TWEENS 9-14 479
CARTOON NETWORK:   K2-11   601; K6-11   406; TWEENS 9-14 319
TOON DISNEY:             K2-11   146; K6-11     78; TWEENS 9-14   64
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data

Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Sunday, June 1, 2008, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
NICKELODEON:         K2-11 1299; K6-11 908; TWEENS 9-14 684
DISNEY CHANNEL:     K2-11   860; K6-11 586; TWEENS 9-14 452
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11   569; K6-11 380; TWEENS 9-14 241
TOON DISNEY:           K2-11   120; K6-11   57; TWEENS 9-14   54
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data

Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Monday, June 2, 2008, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
NICKELODEON:         K2-11 1352; K6-11 753; TWEENS 9-14 563
DISNEY CHANNEL:     K2-11   890; K6-11 630; TWEENS 9-14 550
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11   566; K6-11 340; TWEENS 9-14 237
TOON DISNEY:           K2-11   139; K6-11   75; TWEENS 9-14   54
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data

Answer to Yesterday’s Trivia Question:  Who provides the voice of Bessy the Cow on Nickelodeon’s Back at the Barnyard animated series?  WANDA SYKES   Kudos to:  Vince Piotti-Nickelodeon/NY; Earl Dozier-Boardroom, Inc/Stamford, CT; Brenda Rodriguez-Nickelodeon/NY; Richard Quan-Imaginary Time/San Francisco; Pat Brady-Cunningham*Escott*Slevin*Doherty/LA

Today’s Trivia Question: was the name of the cartoon turtle that raced against Bugs Bunny three times in a traditional Hare vs. Tortoise race?    (Email Joanne@cynopsis.com 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!
06.04.08

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