Cynopsis: Kids!

10/31/07

Good morning. It’s Wednesday, October 31, 2007, and this is your first early morning.

BOO

The Troll Company, the Danish based company that owns the Good Luck Troll doll, has responded to DIC Entertainment’s lawsuit, filed last week, with a countersuit.  Filed in LA Superior Court, Troll Company’s suit claims that DIC “fraudulently obtained licensing rights to the Troll” by concealing its “dire financial straits,” and alleges that DIC re-launched the Good Luck Troll brand without appropriate funding to support the property.  Furthermore, Troll Company claims that DIC had always intended to use the funds it did have to launch the new Trollz property, which was created under a 2003 deal between the two companies, and not the classic Good Luck Troll brand.  DIC’s suit similarly charged that Troll Company’s fraud and negligent representation and abundance of counterfeit Troll products together has compromised the value of the Good Luck Troll and Trollz properties.  Each suit seeks damages of $20 million. 

NEW PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

DreamWorks Animation announced plans to release Master Mind (working title) a superhero movie spoof in fall 2010.  Master Mind is being produced by Ben Stiller’s Red Hour Films. Additionally, fourth Shrek movie is titled Shrek Goes Fourth and is slated for theatrical release on May 21, 2010.

Actor/producer Antonio Banderas’s Green Moon Producciones has partnered with the animation company Kandor Graphics, to establish his own animation studio, per Variety.  The ten-year plan for the new animation studio, which has not yet named selected a name, includes production five animated feature films, the first of which is titled the Missing Lynx, according to the report.

MORE KIDS STUFF

4Kids Entertainment completes license deals with broadcasters around the world for its animated series Viva Pinata, including with Mexico’s Televisa, which is set to launch the series in November 2007.  New episodes of Viva Pinata have been acquired for air on TV3 (New Zealand), Animax (South Korea), Momo Kids TV (Taiwan) and Kids Central (Singapore). 

Correction: Nickelodeon’s premiere of the first SpongeBob SquarePants TV movie, SpongeBob’s Atlantis SquarePantis, on November 12 at 8p, will be followed by the 15-minute making of special, Behind the Pantis How We Made Atlantis SquarePantis at 8:45p, and not the title that as printed here yesterday.

MARKETING/LICENSING

Activision and DreamWorks Animation releases two new video game titles this week, Bee Movie Game and Shrek: Ogres and Donkeys, based of course on the animated films Bee Movie, which opens this week, and the Shrek movies respectively.  Both rated E for Everyone, the Bee Movie Game is available for Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and a PC version, while Shrek: Ogres and Donkeys is available exclusively for Nintendo DS.  This week Electronic Arts bows another video games based on an animated property with the release of The Simpsons Game in North America and in Europe.  Created in partnership with Twentieth Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising, Twentieth Century Fox Television and Gracie Films, The Simpsons Game features an original script from the writers of the TV series.  The game is rated T for Teens and will be available for PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 2, PSP, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii.

D3Pubisher of America debuts the new video game Ben 10: Protector of Earth this week.  Based on Cartoon Network’s animated series, Ben 10, the game is available for Wii, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS and PSP.  The Wii and PS2 versions of the game offer 2-player co-op gameplay, while the DS version features multi-player Junkyard Fury challenges.  1st Playable Productions developed the Nintendo DS version of the Ben 10 game, while High Voltage Software developed all other versions. The DS version carries an ESRB rating of E for Everyone, with the other versions rated E 10+ (Everyone 10 and older).

In other Viva Pinata news, Microsoft Game Studios, 4Kids Entertainment, and game developer Krome Studios release the video game Viva Pinata Party Animals solely for Xbox 360 this week.  Another video game, Viva Pinata, release earlier for Xbox 360, will be available for Windows XP and Windows Vista from November 6.

Daywind Music Group picks up the worldwide home entertainment rights for the preschool series The Wumblers from The Giddy Gander Company.  A range of Wumblers based products, under various deals, will begin to rollout from Q1 2008.

Entertainment Rights has launched its UK online store.  The new e-commerce website will focus ER’s key properties including Rupert Bear, Postman Pat, basil Brush and Jim Jam & Sunny, with products including toys, games, apparel, DVDs, stationery and a range of other consumer products.  Digital Stores designed the new ER UK online store.

STONE SOUP

Cynopsis Weekender College Edition returns on November 15th!  Here’s how it works — if you’re currently a college student here or abroad, submit to Cynopsis your essay of 350 words or less on any topic relating to television.  If your essay is one of four chosen as the most insightful, original, humorous and/or well-written, it will included in a special College Edition of Weekender.  All four winning essay writers are awarded $350. Entries must be emailed no later than Friday, November 9th to me at [email protected], subject Weekender College Edition.  Students – be sure to include your name, age, college, college year, and major (if you know it), and how you can be contacted.   Good luck!

EXECUTIVE MOVES

Alison Dexter is upped to EVP/Production, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group.  Dexter, who reports to COO, Sarah Kirshbaum Levy, supervises production of live-action and animated programming and on-air promos for Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Noggin, Nicktoons Network and The N, including production facilities planning, physical production and technical personnel, as well as managing production budgets.  She also oversees day-to-day operations of Nickelodeon’s production studios including its Animation Studio in Burbank, Nickelodeon Studios Florida and the Nick on Sunset in LA.  Dexter joined the Nick 16 years ago and prior to this was SVP/Production.  Previously, she worked for Universal Studios Florida and prior to that for Sanrio Puroland in Japan.  Congrats to you Alison.

Sesame Workshop names Janet Boye Jenkins as VP/Creative Services.  She will oversee and guide creative development of brand, marketing and Identity programs for Sesame Workshop properties.  Jenkins will report to Suzanne Duncan, VP/Workshop Marketing and Brand Strategy.  Jenkins had been with Nike Inc. where she served as Image Design Director heading designers of product graphics, packaging and marketing communications, and she also oversaw the creative process for Nike’s Asia Pacific retail graphic communications.  Previously, Jenkins worked for Sony Music, Red Herring Design and Elektra/Atlantic Records.

RATINGS

Cartoon Network scared up some pre-Halloween ratings over the weekend with its two-day Goosebumps marathon, which ran on both Saturday and Sunday, October 27 and 28 (10a-9p), concluding with a special pop-up version of the movie The Haunting Hour: Don’t Think About It. The programming event upped the network by +54% among Tweens 9-14 versus the same time last year, as well as +30% with K6-11 and +18% with the K2-11 demo.

Weekly Top Ten Basic Cable Ad Supported networks, Total Day and Primetime Rankings among K2-11 (000) 10/22-10/28/07 :
Total Day     (000)  Primetime     (000)
NICK°:           1153   DSNY*:           1369
DSNY*:            869   CARTOON:        704
CARTOON:        608   NAN**:            509
NAN**:            290   TOON DIS:        196
ADSM**:          189   ESPN:               116
TOON DIS.:      140   DISCOVERY:       89
NOG/THE N:     108   NICKTOONS:       88
DISCOVERY:       61   MTV:                  81
NICKTOONS:      48   COMEDY:            66
ESPN:                41   ANIMAL PLANET: 57
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) 10/22-10/28/07 :
Total Day    (000) Primetime     (000)
NICK°:           620   DSNY*:           1031
DSNY*:          548   CARTOON:        508
CARTOON:      407   NAN**:            397
NAN**:          217   TOON DIS:        113
ADSM**:        135   ESPN:                67
TOON DIS.:      78   DISCOVERY:       64
DISCOVERY:     43   NICKTOONS:      62
NICKTOONS:    34   MTV:                  52
MTV:                24   COMEDY:           48
ESPN:              22   ANIMAL PLANET: 35
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) 10/22-10/28/07 :
Total Day   (000)   Primetime  (000)
DSNY*:        454     DSNY*:          872
NICK°:         447     CARTOON:      469
CARTOON:    318     NAN**:          425
NAN**:        257     MTV:              138
ADSM**:      178     COMEDY:       120
MTV:              76     DISCOVERY:    94
DISCOVERY:   61     ESPN:             85
COMEDY:        51     TOON DIS.:     71
TOON DIS.:    49     BET:                49
ESPN:            43     NICKTOONS:    43
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

Monthly Year-to-Year Comparison: Total Day Rankings among K6-11 (000) 10/1-10/28/07 vs. 9/25-10/29/06, Cable Networks Only:
Network:                (000)     %diff
NICK° :                      607        +4%
DSNY:                       564         Flat
CARTOON** :             378        -6%
NAN* :                       182        -4%
ADSM** :                   121       -16%
TOON DIS.:                 76        +58%
DISCOVERY:                40        +48%
NICKTOONS:               37        +28%
ESPN:                         25         -11%
MTV:                           23        -26%
NOGGIN/THE N***:     21         +31%
BET:                           18         -18%
ANIMAL PLANET:          17        -37%
COMEDY:                    17         +17%
TLC:                           15         -17%
°Nickelodeon Total Day 6a-11p
*NAN Total Day 9p-6a
**Cartoon Network & Adult Swim share channel space ADSM airs Sat.-Thurs. 11p-6a
The networks listed are mostly those cable networks that regularly appear on the K6-11 weekly ranking charts.
***NOGGIN and THE N share channel space, NOGGIN 6a-6p, THE N 6p-6a daily.
Source: Disney Research from Star Media Multitrak Reporting System Live+7 Blended with Live+SD from 10/16/2006 to date; Data prior to 12/26/2005 is based on Live Viewing

Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Saturday, October 27, 2007, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
NICKELODEON:         K2-11 1386; K6-11 915; TWEENS 9-14 642
DISNEY CHANNEL:     K2-11 1153; K6-11 750; TWEENS 9-14 596
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11   708; K6-11 552; TWEENS 9-14 478
TOON DISNEY:           K2-11   191; K6-11 115; TWEENS 9-14   63
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data

Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Sunday, October 28, 2007, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
NICKELODEON:         K2-11 1187; K6-11 830; TWEENS 9-14 627
DISNEY CHANNEL:     K2-11 1086; K6-11 666; TWEENS 9-14 531
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11   830; K6-11 600; TWEENS 9-14 493
TOON DISNEY:           K2-11   180; K6-11 113; TWEENS 9-14   60
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data

Live + Same Day Ratings Kids Cable Network Averages (000) for Monday, October 29, 2007, 6am-11pm, ranked by K2-11:
NICKELODEON:         K2-11 1288; K6-11 569; TWEENS 9-14 427
DISNEY CHANNEL:     K2-11   825; K6-11 488; TWEENS 9-14 409
CARTOON NETWORK: K2-11   486; K6-11 288; TWEENS 9-14 243
TOON DISNEY:           K2-11   158; K6-11   91; TWEENS 9-14   55
Source: MTVN Research from Nielsen Media Research Data

Answer to Yesterday’s Trivia Question: What was the real first name of Chubby from The Little Rascals (Our Gang) TV series? NORMAN Kudos to:  Howard Rosenstein-Meredith Integrated Marketing/NY; David Hughes-Bangup Productions/Southport, CT; Kimberly Keeley-Safety4Kids/Stamford, CT

Today’s Trivia Question:  On the children’s series H.R. Puf’n’stuf (1969-1971), what item was Witchiepoo obsessed with obtaining?  (Click here 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!
10.31.07

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JOB OPENING: EXEC PROD/BBC Prod/NY: mat leave Nov – March: Responsible for development/exp in female skewed reality TV/cable and network exp/ability to manage large teams. Apply to [email protected] (11/7)

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