TV Kids MIPTV 2012

MIPTVEDITION

Toy Companies and ContentAdapting Properties to TVSpanish ToonsPOW!’s Stan LeeStudio 100’s Hans Bourlon& Gert VerhulstDisney Junior’s Nancy Kanterwww.tvkids.ws THE MAGAZINE OF CHILDREN’S PROGRAMMING APRIL 2012

KID_412_COVER_KID_409_COVER 3/13/12 4:14 PM Page 2

KIDS_0412_TOONBOX SPREAD_Layout 1 3/12/12 8:06 PM Page 1

KIDS_0412_TOONBOX SPREAD_Layout 1 3/12/12 8:09 PM Page 2

KIDS_0412_FREMANTLE SPREAD_Layout 1 3/9/12 2:32 PM Page 1

KIDS_0412_FREMANTLE SPREAD_Layout 1 3/9/12 2:32 PM Page 2

KIDS_0412_PGS SPREAD_Layout 1 3/13/12 11:13 AM Page 1

KIDS_0412_PGS SPREAD_Layout 1 3/13/12 11:14 AM Page 2

10 TV KIDS

258 World Screen 4/12

IN THIS ISSUEToy with MeToy brands areinfluencing the content business 34

Making the LeapProducers are adaptingbooks, comic strips,video games and more for TV 42

Spain Toons InA look at Spain’sleading animation companies 48

InterviewsPOW!’s Stan Lee 50Studio 100’s Hans Bourlon &Gert Verhulst 52Disney Junior’s Nancy Kanter 55FME’s Sander Schwartz 56Zodiak’s Nigel Pickard 58

Over the last few years, one of 4Kids Entertainment’sbiggest successes has been the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise. Thelast offering from the hit animation brand is Yu-Gi-Oh!Zexal. The 52-episode series “represents an entirely newcreative strand of programming built upon one of thegenuinely iconic characters of Japanese anime,” says BrianLacey, the executive VP of international at 4Kids. “Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal goes to the creative heart of the franchise—colorful fantasy-adventure programming targeted to the6- to 11-year-old viewing demographic. For thosebroadcasters who have been with Yu-Gi-Oh! for the past11 years, it provides an excellent opportunity to extendthis global brand.”

Lacey is also excited to be presenting the entire Yu-Gi-Oh! back catalogue. For new digital platforms and othermedia, the Yu-Gi-Oh! catalogue of 514 episodes providesa terrific opportunity to launch the brand to an entirelynew generation of kid viewers.” The episodes, Lacey says,“are available in more than 25 languages.” Other high-lights includeTai Chi Chasers and Dinosaur King.

• Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal• Tai Chi Chasers• Yu-Gi-Oh!

4Kids Entertainmentwww.4kidsentertainment.com

“The 4Kids catalogue representsa nice blend of new content, suchas Tai Chi Chasers, and popularseries such as Dinosaur Kingand others.”

—Brian Lacey

Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal

• Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood• Almost Naked Animals• Camp Lakebottom

9 Story Entertainment

Boosting its catalogue, 9 Story Entertainment recentlyscored the rights to two new animated series fromSkywriter Media: Camp Lakebottom, produced forTELETOON in Canada, and Vivi, a co-productionwith Mixer for TVO. 9 Story takes over all produc-tion and distribution for both series. Camp Lakebottomfeatures a 12-year-old mastermind and the most hor-rible summer camp in the world. Vivi follows theadventures of a 7-year-old girl who is taken onextraordinary adventures by her grandmother, a famousphotojournalist. Both will be featured at MIPTV, along-side the preschool animation Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhoodand season three of Almost Naked Animals. “Our slate hasnever been stronger,” says Natalie Osborne, 9 Story’sexecutive VP of business development.

Also on the slate are a new season of Wild Kratts andnew episodes of Arthur. “In addition, we are launchingthe first 9 Story–produced prime-time animated sit-com, Fugget About It.”

www.9story.com

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood

“Following the tremendous response to thepilot episode of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhoodat MIPCOM, we are bringing five newepisodes to MIPTV.”

—Natalie Osborne

*KID_412_UPFRONT_KID_1011_UPFRONT 3/16/12 2:36 PM Page 1

KIDS_0412_JIM HENSON_Layout 1 3/9/12 2:34 PM Page 1

12 TV KIDS


American Greetings Properties’ (AGP) veteran CareBears brand is being reintroduced to preschool viewerswith the new CGI series Welcome to Care-a-Lot. “TheCare Bears have been popular for decades and the newseries is sure to have global appeal,” says Gia Delaney,AGP’s VP of program sales. “The series will premiere inthe U.S. this summer.”

Delaney continues, “In addition to the Care Bears, a newseason of Strawberry Shortcake’s Berry Bitty Adventures willbe brought to the market. The second season of StrawberryShortcake introduces a brand-new character named CherryJam. She’s a rock star who has a hard time finding realfriends but quickly discovers true friendship with Straw-berry Shortcake and her pals in Berry Bitty City.”

New to the catalogue is The WotWots, produced by theAcademy Award–winning Weta Workshop of NewZealand. “The brand-new season finds a pair of brotherand sister aliens traveling to numerous scenic locationsand contains a beautiful mix of CGI and live action,”Delaney says.

• Welcome to Care-a-Lot• Strawberry Shortcake’s Berry Bitty Adventures• The WotWots

American GreetingsProperties

• Chuck Chicken• Harry & Bunny• My Ugly Little Brother

Animasia Studio

Animasia Studio is focusing its MIPTV slate on animated com-edy, led by the 52x11-minute Chuck Chicken, targeted to kids7 to 11. Currently in preproduction, the show is slated for com-pletion by mid-2013 and has already notched up several pre-sales, says Edmund Chan, the managing director of Animasia.

Animasia also has a new development project, Harry &Bunny, the Malaysian studio’s first non-dialogue series. “Weare scouting for potential buyers, co-production partnersand/or distributors to jointly develop this great concept,” Chansays. Also in development is My Ugly Little Brother, which isco-produced with China’s ZN Animation. Animasia is lookingfor potential partners to invest in the show.

“We are expecting good responses for our new shows,”Chan says, especially Chuck Chicken. “We also expect togather valuable information and feedback from potentialbuyers for Harry & Bunny and My Ugly Little Brother, as wehope the concept is acceptable to the buyers before we gointo full production.”

www.animasia-studio.com

www.agpbrands.com

Welcome to Care-a-Lot

Ricardo Seguin GuisePublisher

Anna CarugatiEditor

Mansha DaswaniExecutive Editor

Kristin BrzoznowskiManaging EditorMarissa GraziadioEditorial Assistant

Simon WeaverOnline DirectorMeredith Miller

Lauren UdaProduction & Design

DirectorsPhyllis Q. Busell

Art DirectorCesar Suero

Sales & Marketing Director

Terry AcunzoBusiness Affairs Manager

Vanessa BrandSales & Marketing

Assistant

Ricardo Seguin GuisePresident

Anna CarugatiExecutive VP &

Group Editorial DirectorMansha DaswaniVP of StrategicDevelopment

TV Kids© 2012 WSN INC.

1123 Broadway, #1207New York, NY 10010

Phone: (212) 924-7620

Fax: (212) 924-6940

Website: www.tvkids.ws

“The number onepriority for AmericanGreetings Properties atMIPTV is to secureworldwide placement ofthe much anticipatednew CGI Care Bearsseries, Welcome toCare-a-Lot.”

—Gia Delaney

“Our slate of projectsincludes trendy and up-to-date character designs,good story lines and excellent animation.”

—Edmund Chan

Chuck Chicken


KIDS_0412_ACTF_Layout 1 3/9/12 2:29 PM Page 1

• You’re Skitting Me • Dancing Down Under • Horace in Slow Motion

Australian Children’sTelevision Foundation

You’re Skitting Me

“These new programs, as well as the restof our catalogue, offer children of all agesa fabulous viewing experience.”

—Tim Hegarty

www.actf.com.au

The Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF) hasthree brand-new shows to offer buyers at MIPTV. There’sYou’re Skitting Me, which Tim Hegarty, international salesexecutive at ACTF, refers to as the “first-ever true sketch-comedy show aimed at 10- to 15-year-olds.” Dancing DownUnder is a “drama-filled observational series” following agroup of young Australians as they vie for the top prize inan Irish dancing contest. Horace in Slow Motion, meanwhile, isnow in its second season, continuing the adventures of a lov-able pig in a series of short-form (45-second) episodes.

“We most definitely expect to create considerableinterest amongst content buyers in our three newestshows,” Hegarty says. “At the same time we will endeavorto confirm sales for our programs launched at MIP Juniorlast year, which we have been corresponding with buyersabout over the last six months. We also hope to form newbusiness relationships with those we’ve not met withbefore, and introduce them to the ACTF’s award-winningcatalogue of programs.”

14 TV KIDS


KIDS_0412_LICENSING MACHINE_Layout 1 3/9/12 2:42 PM Page 1

In the animated comedy Fleabag Monkeyface, a man-madehalf-monkey, half-boy embarks on entertaining adven-tures with the two boys who created him, Gene andGerald. The series is one of several “high-quality andvery distinctive” shows CAKE is bringing to MIPTV,says Ed Galton, CAKE’s chief commercial officer andmanaging director.

Galton points to the breadth of the CAKE catalogue,which includes the recent addition Let’s Go Pocoyo, fromSpain’s Zinkia Entertainment. The preschool series is nowin its third season. CAKE also has a new show from the mak-ers of its global hit Angelo Rules. Plankton Invasion is aboutthree tiny sea creatures aspiring to world domination,without much luck. Other key offerings from the com-pany include the Total Drama franchise, the preschooler-targeted Tom & the Slice of Bread with Strawberry Jam &Honey and the live-action drama The Sparticle Mystery.Galton says he is looking forward to sealing “some greatdeals for us and our producers.”

• Fleabag Monkeyface• Plankton Invasion• Let’s Go Pocoyo

CAKE

“Our shows are high quality and verydistinctive. Plus there’s something foreveryone.”

—Ed Galton

www.cakeentertainment.com

16 TV KIDS

Plankton Invasion


KIDS_0412_NERD_Layout 1 3/9/12 2:37 PM Page 1

Cyber Group Studios has built up a catalogue of 368half-hours of high-definition programming catering tokids, tween and family audiences. “Cyber Group Studios’mission is to bring to children and families around theworld the best quality entertainment experience, thanksto the company’s pool of international top creative tal-ent, its breakthrough technology enabling it to bring the-atrical animation quality to TV, new digital platforms andits distribution organization giving access to top broad-casters worldwide,” says Carole Brin, the company’s headof international sales and acquisitions. At MIPTV, the cat-alogue of content available to buyers includes PatchPillows, a preschool show produced in CGI animation.Also for young viewers is Zou, featuring the adventuresof a lovable 5-year-old zebra and his extended family.Skewing slightly older on the Cyber Group slate is NutriVentures, a 2D HD series, encompassing 26 22-minuteepisodes, set in a world where certain types of food grantchildren superpowers.

• Patch Pillows• Zou• Nutri Ventures

Cyber Group Studios

“Cyber Group seeks partnershipopportunities withother producersaround the world thatshare its values.”

—Carole Brin

www.cybergroupstudios.com

18 TV KIDS

Patch Pillows


KIDS_0412_ZODIAK TICKETY_Layout 1 3/9/12 2:48 PM Page 1

• GON• Paboo & Mojies• Noonbory

Daewon Media

GON

www.daewonmedia.com/en

One of Korea’s leading animation producers, DaewonMedia, is focusing on two key properties at MIPTV:GON and Paboo & Mojies.

“We are excited to announce that after a long wait,TV Tokyo will be launching GON in April 2012 inJapan,” says Bul-Kyung Kim, director of the contentdivision of Daewon Media. “We have received manypositive responses for GON for its high-quality ani-mation and the action-based, super-fun stories.” Theshow, an action comedy for boys, focuses on adinosaur-like creature named GON.

Paboo & Mojies is a preschool series co-produced withSega Toys in Japan. “We are happy to have Nelvanajoined in this exciting project,” Kim continues. “Paboo& Mojies is a 2D animation with many interesting char-acters based on transforming alphabet [learning] toys.The show is very entertaining for preschool childrenwith a bit of educational sense to it.” Also on the slateare two seasons of Noonbory.

20 TV KIDS

“We hope to expand our relationships with otherrenowned companies.”

—Bul-Kyung Kim


KIDS_0412_ZODIAK EMILIE_Layout 1 3/9/12 2:48 PM Page 1


• Jonás • Never Ending Tales • Snails

Edebé Audiovisual Licensing

• Pajanimals• Sid the Science Kid: The Movie• The Doozers

The Jim Henson Company

“Our programs show a perfect balancebetween entertainment and education forchildren.”

—Ivan Agenjo

www.edebeaudiovisual.com

Founded in 2007, Spain’s Edebé Audiovisual Licensinghas put an emphasis on creating content that balanceskids’ entertainment and educational needs. “In a worldwhere kids spend lots of hours watching TV, we [give]them funny, interesting content that provides them withvalues and laughs at the same time,” says Ivan Agenjo, thecompany’s sales director. “And we also care about devel-oping ancillary products through our licensing depart-ment in a 360-degree strategy. We do not only produceanimation: we build branded entertainment.”

At the top of the MIPTV slate is Jonás, an animatedseries for children up to 8 years old. Edebé AudiovisualLicensing has also taken on animated titles from theGalician company OQO, Never Ending Tales and Snails.OQO’s “beautiful stop-motion products have won dif-ferent awards around the world, including a nominationat Annecy as best animation series in 2009 for Never End-ing Tales,” says Agenjo. “We recommend it to all channelsthat trust in educational properties for children.”

Topping The Jim Henson Company’s slate for MIPTVis Pajanimals, a music-filled show for preschoolers thatairs on Sprout in the U.S. “Pajanimals has proven to bea great success for us, for two reasons,” says RichardGoldsmith, the executive VP of global distribution.“One, it deals with two items that are really urgent toparents—how to put kids to bed and daytime routines,brushing your teeth, getting dressed, etc.” Two, Gold-smith says, “it has amazing music. It really resonates wellwith kids and with parents.”

New to the market is Sid the Science Kid: The Movie,which is being produced in 2D and 3D. “There’s really alack of new movies for young children,” Goldsmithnotes. “Broadcasters who have not licensed the series arebuying the film; if the film does well we expect they’llalso take the series.”

New seasons of Sid the Science Kid and Dinosaur Train willalso be on offer, as well as The Doozers, a CGI animatedseries that is a spin-off of the Henson classic Fraggle Rock.

Pajanimals

“Pajanimals, which has already securedTV sales in many global markets, hasbeen referred to as ‘Mom’s best helper,’and we believe it will continue to be a big hit with buyers this year.”

—Richard Goldsmith

22 TV KIDS

www.henson.com

Jonás


KIDS_0412_4KIDS_Layout 1 3/9/12 2:28 PM Page 1


• The Garfield Show• Quiz Time• Chicken Town

Mediatoon Distribution

• Gormiti• Dinofroz• Puppy in My Pocket

Mondo TV S.p.A.

www.mediatoon.com

The Garfield Show, the animated series featuring theworld’s favorite lazy, cynical, pudgy, orange tabby cat, isnow in its third season. Mediatoon Distribution has 15611-minute episodes of the Dargaud Media productionto offer the market. Targeting a similar age demographicis Chicken Town, a 39x8-minute series about an irrespon-sible but lovable rooster that is always busy encouraginghis chickens to lay eggs. The series was first introducedto buyers at MIP Junior, and Mediatoon will look toexpand the reach of the Ellipsanime production atMIPTV. Broadcast partners already include Canal+ Fam-ily in France, NRK Norway, Clan TV in Spain andCanal+ Poland. Another recent launch for Mediatoon isQuiz Time, an edutainment series from Ellipsanime andStudio Redfrog. The series of four-minute episodes, sold toDisney in EMEA, helps preschoolers learn about numbers,colors and more. Other titles in the Mediatoon catalogueinclude The Adventures of Tintin, The Magic Roundabout,Contraptus, Cedric and Taratabong.

In line with efforts to enhance its brand-managementactivities, the Italian animation giant Mondo TVS.p.A. is working with toy major Giochi Preziosi ontwo boy-targeted properties: Gormiti, which has 26half-hour episodes in 3D CGI, and Dinofroz, consist-ing of 26 30-minute episodes.

Mondo TV is also working with Giochi Preziosiand MEG Toys on Puppy in My Pocket, for whichthere will be new episodes available at MIPTV. Theshow targets girls aged 4 to 8.

Working with toy companies “is a smart way” todeliver a successful TV show and an accompanyinglicensing and merchandising campaign, says MichelineAzoury, Mondo TV’s head of international sales andbrand manager.

One of Azoury’s priorities at MIPTV is meetingmore buyers from the Middle East, now that MondoTV represents Turner Broadcasting’s kids’ cataloguein the Middle East and North Africa.

24 TV KIDS

www.mondotv.it

Quiz Time

Dinofroz

Puppy in My Pocket

Chicken Town


KIDS_0412_AG_Layout 1 3/9/12 2:55 PM Page 1


In six years, Nerd Corps Entertainment has grownfrom a 60-person operation to a 200-plus-person oper-ation, all the while maintaining its focus on deliveringhigh-quality animation that will resonate with kidsaround the world. Ken Faier, the president of the com-pany, highlights Nerd Corps’ efforts in “pushing theboundaries of 3D animation. We have a very stylizedlook. [We’re] trying to deliver the emotional connec-tion that 2D animation [brings], using the wonderfultechniques of CG.” As the production side has evolved,Faier notes, so has its TV distribution and licensing-and-merchandising divisions.

All those segments will be brought to bear in the roll-out efforts for two new series: Slugterra, which is slated topremiere on Disney XD, and Endangered Species. Faiersays Nerd Corps is also keen to produce new concepts.“[We] invite creators to bring us their best ideas so thatwe can help them bring their visions to life and takeadvantage of the wonderful opportunities that Canadaoffers as a place to produce.”

• Slugterra• Endangered Species

Nerd Corps Entertainment

• Champions • Laland

Nottingham ForestMedia Advisorswww.nottinghamforest.es

www.nerdcorps.com

Nottingham Forest Media Advisors is bringing twokids’ series produced by its fellow Spanish outfit KotocProduccions to MIPTV: Champions, a fantasy actionseries, and the music-infused Laland. “We expectMIPTV 2012 to be the best scenario for the worldwidelaunch of Champions and Laland,” says Laura GarcíaOrtega, the head of international sales. “The market isdemanding high-quality programs, with the careful tre-atment of art, animation and scripts” as well as multiplat-form potential, she says. “Both properties are [suited for]transmedia, so the kids can enjoy the content fully oncompanion devices.”

Champions, for example, orginated as an online gameon the RTVE website before premiereing on Clan TV,García Ortega says. Laland, meanwhile, “is being develo-ped using an innovative multiplatform technique thatallows production for different platforms at the sametime.... Also the writing, which is funny and straightfor-ward, and the music originally produced for the showmake this content suitable for every platform.”

Laland

“We will continue screening [Laland] tochannels and co-producers from all overthe world, in order to fulfill the budget andseek partners for future seasons.”

—Laura García Ortega

26 TV KIDS

Slugterra

“You have to focus on onlythe highest quality projects—the best writing, the bestanimation, and ultimately it’sgot to be funny and fun.”

—Ken Faier


KIDS_0412_STUDIO 100_Layout 1 3/9/12 2:41 PM Page 1


Bringing Charlie Chaplin’s iconic Little Tramp char-acter to audiences in a new way is Chaplin & Co., aMethod Animation production that PGS Entertain-ment will be looking to make new deals on atMIPTV. Also ready for delivery is The Jungle Bunch,about a penguin who thinks he’s a tiger and his mis-fit friends. Another highlight, according to PhilippeSoutter, PGS’s co-founder and president, is The LittlePrince. “The ratings are phenomenal,” Soutter says,noting that he wants to continue building the pres-ence of the show worldwide.

Alongside the newer properties are additional seasonsof hit brands like Marsupilami and League of Super Evil,both in season three, and Iron Man, now in season two.

Discussing the strength of the slate, Soutter notes thatPGS is one of the largest providers of 3D content, with78 half-hours available. In addition, he says, the companyprovides “high-quality animated programs with strongco-viewing opportunities.”

• Chaplin & Co.• The Jungle Bunch• The Little Prince

PGS Entertainment

• Julie & the Phantoms• The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!• Brilhante F.C.

Portfolio Entertainmentwww.portfolioentertainment.com

The Jungle Bunch

“We look forward to continuing to [work]with broadcasters…with our catalogue ofshows from the leading independent producersaround the world.”

—Philippe Soutter

www.pgsentertainment.com

In the tween live-action series Julie & the Phantoms, ateenage aspiring musician accidentally brings an ’80srock band back to life after playing a long-forgottenrecord on an old turntable. Julie creates a new groupwith the resurrected musicians—unfortunately, she’s theonly person who can see them. Produced in Brazil, the26x30-minute show “is doing really well on Ban-deirantes TV and Nickelodeon Latin America,” saysLouis Fournier, the VP of sales and acquisitions at Port-folio Entertainment, which is bringing the show toMIPTV. “It recently won the APCA award for best youthprogram in Brazil. We have full episodes available forscreening and lots of interest already.”

Fournier will also be closing up new deals on The Cat inthe Hat Knows a Lot About That!, which “continues to do verywell in the international marketplace with new sales to Ger-many (KI.KA), France (TiJi), Disney Italy and Disney Aus-tralia to name a few,” Fournier notes. “Twenty new episodesand a one-hour holiday special are currently in production.”

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!

28 TV KIDS

“There has definitely been an uptick in oursales over the last several months, and with arefreshed, quality slate, I certainly expectthat trend to continue.”

—Louis Fournier


KIDS_0412_DAEWON_Layout 1 3/13/12 10:59 AM Page 1


The German classics Maya the Bee, Vicky the Vikingand Heidi are being refreshed for modern audiences“using the latest state-of-the-art technology,” saysPatrick Elmendorff, the managing director of Studio100 Media. “We are delighted to offer strong brands,which have been available and recognized for overthree generations.”

Skewing older, meanwhile, is the hit teen series Houseof Anubis, which Elmendorff says combines “elementsof drama, humor and mystery.” The show originated inthe Netherlands and has since been adapted in Germanyand the U.S. Elmendorff is also excited to be presentingthe animated series The Woodlies, created by the chil-dren’s book author Cornelia Funke. The show is set ina “magical parallel world in the woods,” Elmendorff says.“It resembles the world of kids and has a strong eco-logical aspect, with a message that says protect yourenvironment and let there be harmony between humansand creatures in the woods.”

• Maya the Bee• Vicky the Viking• House of Anubis

Studio 100 Media

A fantasy and adventure series for girls, Mia and Me is the firstco-production for the German brand-management firmm4e. The show is among the top MIPTV properties form4e’s distribution arm, Telescreen, which is offering a 26-episode first season with a second season in development.Telescreen is also bringing to market the animated comedyAsk Lara and the educational show Pixi and the Magic Wall.

“Our biggest assets are a very strong and diversified backcatalogue with all kinds of animation as well as live-actionprograms, and a strong slate of new programs; some of themwere partially produced by m4e/Telescreen,” says SjoerdRaemakers, Telescreen’s general manager. In addition to ani-mated series, Raemakers will be meeting with buyers todiscuss Miffy the Movie, which is currently in production.“This will mark the first theatrical appearance of the popu-lar and famous character Miffy. It will have its theatricalrelease in the Netherlands in January 2013 in over 70 cine-mas (distributed by Warner Bros.) and will hit the big screensin many other territories as well.”

• Mia and Me• Ask Lara• Pixi and the Magic Wall

Telescreen

Maya the Bee

30 TV KIDS

Ask Lara

“With our extensive library of new andexisting programs on offer, we expect to sellour key properties into an increasing numberof European markets and internationally.”

—Patrick Elmendorff

“Our slate offers programming for various agegroups. Thus we expect our programs to findtheir way into the international market.”

—Sjoerd Raemakers

www.studio100media.com

www.telescreen.nl


KIDS_0412_M4E AG_Layout 1 3/9/12 2:35 PM Page 1


32 TV KIDS

Launched in 2011, Toon Goggles is a free portal wherechildren can enjoy an ever-growing library of program-ming that is pre-screened and determined to be safe andage-appropriate for kids under 13.Hundreds of content pro-ducers from around the globe are currently supplying ani-mated features, programs, series, clips, trailers and games toToon Goggles’ library of kid- and parent-friendly offerings. Allprograms are available to watch free of charge. Most recently,Toon Goggles added several new animated shows from Ger-man studio Your Family Entertainment to its library.

Toon Googles has now gone mobile, with the release of afree iOS app, available in the Apple App Store. The app givesviewers quick access to the Toon Goggles channel and itslibrary of more than 500 hours of programming.

Toon Goggles

The Canadian animation outfit ToonBox Entertainment isset to premiere its first stereoscopic animated feature, The NutJob, in 2013.At MIPTV, ToonBox will be looking to shore uppresales on a TV series version of The Nut Job. Also a prioritywill be closing deals on The Beet Party, a series of non-dialoguetwo-minute interstitials, “and establishing new co-productionpartners,” says Thom Chapman, ToonBox’s VP. Rounding outthe slate is the 90-minute animated feature Bolts & Blip: Bat-tle of the Lunar League. “We are really focused on family-friendly comedies,” Chapman notes.

• The Nut Job• The Beet Party• Bolts & Blip: Battle of the Lunar League

ToonBox Entertainmentwww.toonboxent.com

Vodka Capital has three projects at various stages of pro-duction and development to showcase at MIPTV. Cur-rently in production on a second season following itsstrong debut in 150 territories is the preschool 3D seriesJelly Jamm. Vodka Capital is working on the financing ofanother 3D preschool show, Pirata & Capitano. In develop -ment, meanwhile, is Bugsted, aimed at kids aged 6 to 12.“Bugsted is our first move into an older kids’ demographicwith an app-based property designed for the interactiveentertainment world,” says Steven Posner, the managingpartner of Vodka Capital.

• Jelly Jamm• Pirata & Capitano• Bugsted

www.toongoggles.com

Vodka Capital

The Beet Party

www.vodkacapital.com

“Our strength is producing high-quality entertainmentthat kids and parents will enjoy on various levels.”

—Thom Chapman

Pirata & Capitano

“We want to move the financing conversations for Pirata & Capitano tothe next stage.” —Steven Posner


KIDS_0412_EDEBE_Layout 1 3/9/12 2:31 PM Page 1

Ever since the beginning of children’s televi-sion—let’s say Howdy Doody in the United

States—toymakers and program producers havemarched hand in hand into the realm of chil-dren’s playtime and imaginations. Since the mid-1950s, when Kagran Corp.,

an RCA subsidiary, licensed Howdy Doody toysand paraphernalia, toy companies have played a

key role in kids’ TV, but usually offstage. Now, top toy companies around the world have jumped

with both feet into the ownership and, in some cases, distri-bution of kids’ TV shows globally, many of which are basedon existing toy lines.The most aggressive has been Hasbro, the world’s second-

largest toymaker, which, after launching its own productionhouse, Hasbro Studios, in 2009, created an international- salesdivision two years ago and, in October 2010, launchedTheHub, a U.S. kids’ channel in partnership with DiscoveryCommunications. By the end of 2012, Hasbro Studios willhave produced almost 600 half-hours, including TransformersPrime, My Little Pony and Scrabble Showdown. Earlier this year,the top toymaker, Mattel, no stranger to TV productionitself, closed a deal to acquire the U.K.’s HIT Entertainmentand its popular brands Thomas & Friends, Bob the Builder,

Angelina Ballerina and others. The Canadian toymakerSpin Master launched its entertainment division in 2008and has co-produced the boys’ action shows Bakuganand Redakai: Conquer the Kairu. This year it has plans to

enter into the preschool and family areas.And in Italy, producer- distributor MondoTV, which has had long ties withU.S. toymaker Morrison Enter-tainment Group (MEG) and theItalian toymaker Giochi Preziosi(GPZ), is bringing to MIPTVtwo new kids’ shows that are co-productions with GPZ, Gor-


34 TV KIDS

FME’s Max Steel.

ToyWithMe

The major toy companies are exertingtheir influence on the children’s

programming business. By Bill Dunlap

KID_412_TOYS_EUR_1006_ELLENDER 3/13/12 7:12 PM Page 1

35TV KIDS

With the boys: Mondois working with the toy

company GiochiPreziosi on the new

series Dinofroz.

miti and Dinofroz, and a new season of Puppy in My Pocket, aco-production with MEG and GPZ. Though Mondo TVis not an arm of MEG or GPZ, Micheline Azoury, MondoTV’s head of international sales and brand manager, says thecompany works closely with the companies in the devel-opment process. “We work along with our partners in tightbrainstorming meetings on a weekly basis, where the pro-duction team sits along with their creative team to work oneach little detail of any brand or character or story.”

UNCERTAIN PLAYING FIELDThere are two big questions about the larger role in program-ming that the toy companies are taking. First, will these newventures produce more popular and higher quality kids’ farethan has historically been the case when shows have beendeveloped from successful toy lines? Efforts like the showsbased on Hot Wheels from Mattel and the original PoundPuppies, then a Tonka line in the 1980s, come to mind.

Second, will the sales strategies involve discountedpricing to encourage a viewer base to support retailtoy sales, or will the toy companies and their dis-tributors, in-house and partners, seek market pricesto maximize program profits?

The answers to those questions and the impact ofsuch beefed-up players in the business, long- and short-term, aren’t easy to pin down, but so far executives atindependent companies in the toy business are taking acalm, wait-and-see attitude.

Olivier Dumont, the managing director of EntertainmentOne (eOne) Family, believes independents can compete.“One positive factor is that it makes you look good becauseyou’re coming in with an original property, maybe one thatis based on a book rather than made out of a toy. It helpsyou stand out from that perspective,” he says.

Another positive Dumont sees is that Hasbro’s par-ticipation in The Hub makes it a stronger platformthan the Discovery Kids channel that it replaced.“Quite a few independent companies have soldseries to them,” he says. “In a way it’s an additionaloutlet to sell content [to] and get revenue [from] in

the U.S., which is one of the countries in theworld where there are relatively few outlets.It’s a way to get your show in front of eyeballsif you do have a licensing program, but theproblem is they’re not yet really deliveringthose eyeballs.”

At the same time, Dumont fears that toy com-panies might be too anxious to cut deals, weak-ening an already depressed pricing structure.“Those companies are coming to market withproperties made from toys, so the broadcasters,regardless of the quality of the content, almost, doknow the toy companies absolutely need it onthe air at key times of the year,” he says. “Thescheduling of the show is absolutely crucial, soas a result they tend to get the shows for very lit-tle, if any, money, plus often a piece of the backend. Therefore they have brought the market[prices] down or they’re using time slots. Thatmeans fewer slots for independents.”

Josh Scherba, the senior VP of distribution atDHX Media, is confident his company can compete against thetoy companies. “Our focus is making great content and making

Playing your cards right: 4Kids’ Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal is the latest in the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, which started in manga before becoming a TV showand then a trading-card game.

4/12 World Screen 283


sure that that’s the focal point of what we’re doing,” he says. “Itisn’t coming up with a great idea for a toy and trying to cre-ate a show around it. We’ve seen it over and over again. If it’snot truly in the DNA to make great content it doesn’t end uprating on television.”Ancient history aside, Scherba says Mattel, Hasbro and Spin

Master are sending the right messages and may be successful.“We’ve seen it in the conversations, at least. They’ve got realcontent people in there now who are concerned about cre-ating a strong content experience from every aspect, televi-sion being the centerpiece of it.”

CONTENT FIRSTScherba still leans toward the traditional modus operandi ofputting the program first. “We’re looking to partner with toycompanies in most cases and we feel we can bring value tothe partnership. We know how to develop and make greatcontent for content’s sake, and if they can bring that addedpiece to how we ultimately turn this into a new experiencefor the viewer—where once they view the television showthey want to play with a toy based on it—that’s fantastic.”A plus for DHX is that it owns animation studios that do

service work for the likes of Mattel in Los Angeles and Has-bro in Vancouver. “It’s positive for that side of the business,”Scherba says. “When it comes to the more traditional devel-oping, making and selling of television shows, the impact ofthe toy companies is in two subgenres of the kids’ space, pre-school and boys’ action. Those traditionally have been thespaces in which you can have a consumer-products program.In some cases, we’ve seen some downward pressure on license

fees because the businessmodel for the toy companiesis certainly different frommaking and selling televisionshows and hoping you get aconsumer-products program.”Another believer that con-

tent rules all is Brian Lacey, theexecutive VP for internationalat 4Kids Entertainment. “I stillhold to the principle thatcontent is king,” he says. “Ifyou’ve got great content,you’ll find homes across allthe platforms. If you controla platform, a cable channel ora streaming platform, if thecontent isn’t good no one isgoing to watch it.”Lacey welcomes The Hub

as another U.S. outlet, but hethinks it will be a long, slowbuild to success. “As an inde-pendent, The Hub gives usanother platform to sell con-tent to. The challenge is that itdoesn’t reach a lot of viewers.As a distributor you want tosee all these channels healthy.”While Lacey does see some

downward pressure on pricesby the new players, he says top broadcasters look for qualitycontent rather than incentives and cut-rate pricing. “Thereare a number of broadcasters who, if they don’t believe a pro-gram will deliver for their channel, they don’t take it,” he says.“You can throw all sorts of money at TF1 in France orMediaset in Italy or CITV in the U.K.; it doesn’t matter.”

NATURAL SELECTIONFernando Szew, the CEO of MarVista Entertainment, seesthe toy company plays as natural developments. “I understandwhy the toy companies are shifting that way in the samemanner that I understand that a lot of entertainment com-panies are conceiving of things that end up being theme-parkrides. It’s just the nature of maturity of the marketplace whereyou have strong players going upstream and downstream toget close to the consumer and touch the consumer in asmany ways as possible. That’s what is at the core of it.”Szew believes being closer to product creation gives

toymakers an edge that maybe they didn’t have earlier withtoy-driven shows. “Hasbro in particular has been successfulat taking properties and getting very, very close, meaningthey’re in control of the creative process both in the featureworld and the TV world, understanding entertainment. Theyhave the guns to be successful, there’s no doubt about it.”For buyers, there are certain advantages and disadvantages,

Szew says. “They’re being careful in their approach. In myinteractions with broadcasters—some of the gatekeepers, so tospeak, in the kids’ business—I find everybody understands theimpact of making sure we’re not just putting a commercial onthe air for 11 minutes or 20 minutes. It has to have entertain-


36 TV KIDS

Powering up: Power Rangers, sold by MarVista, has becomemuch more than a TVbrand, with a hugeslate of products available at retail.


KIDS_0412_VODKA CAPITAL_Layout 1 3/16/12 3:23 PM Page 1

ment value. Those that succeed absolutely have entertainment value. Ifthat value can be expanded into play patterns, that’s the trick.”

TOYS ARE USFrom the toy company side, the executives in charge of creating suc-cessful television properties are pretty confident, and they have theresources to back it up.

Mattel, which closed its deal for HIT Entertainment in February,wasn’t available to discuss how the HIT team will fit into its develop-ment plans at press time, but it did announce that it had brought inthe former Disney executive Edward Catchpole to be the senior VPof HIT Brands. He has reportedly been visiting HIT offices around theworld, which suggests that the company will retain a role in distribu-tion, at least of the popular HIT brands.

Catchpole reports to David Allmark, the executive VP of Mattel’sFisher-Price unit. “This appointment clearly demonstrates Mattel’scommitment to own, develop and grow world-class brands,” Allmarksaid at the time. And it has been reported that Mattel has retained HIT’ssuccessful TV-development unit.

Prior to closing the HIT acquisition, Mattel reached a deal withFremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) to revive the boys’ action seriesMax Steel, based on a toy line that is one of Mattel’s top brands glob-ally, even though it isn’t especially big in the U.S. An earlier series ranthree seasons, until 2002.

According to Sander Schwartz, the president of kids and familyentertainment at FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME), the show hasn’tbeen seen much recently outside of Latin America, where it remainspopular. “Mattel decided they wanted to reinvent and relaunch thebrand both inside and outside of Latin America,” he says.

Schwartz adds that toy company participation has always been a part ofkids’ TV and that recent developments are just part of a natural evolution.

“The value of [a television show] now counts for a smaller piece of[a brand’s] value chain,” he says. “A greater piece of it is the homeentertainment, publishing, merchandising and licensing, and othersources of ancillary revenues. That being the case, the toy companieswould like to own as much of the IP as they can in order to partici-pate in the ancillary revenues derived from it. The toy companies areevolving and are becoming more like media, entertainment and IPcompanies, rather than just toy manufacturers and distributors.”

DHX was also bidding for the Max Steel series, and Scherba applaudsMattel’s approach. “Through that process it was enlightening as tohow they were approaching it, which was really to make a great tele-

The right buttons: Redakai: Conquer the Kairu was created by Spin MasterEntertainment and is sold by Zodiak Kids.


KIDS_0412_ANIMASIA_Layout 1 3/12/12 8:34 PM Page 1

vision show first,” he says. “Mattel had the concept, but wanted a part-ner to be able to influence it creatively and go out there and place itas a television series rather than use their ad-sales team to go out andforce it down people’s throats.”

TAKING A SPINSpin Master, founded 18 years ago, is a relative newcomer in the toygame. Around 2000, the company started looking for licensing oppor-tunities and building relationships with content creators and televisionnetworks, says Matthew Wexler, the executive producer for Spin Mas-ter Entertainment.

“We were seeking licensing partnerships but also in the back ofour minds contemplating jumping into the arena and creating some-thing original and great,” Wexler says. “We thought there was spacein the marketplace for us to create something original and collabo-rate with partners we’ve worked with on the licensing side for solong. That’s when the Bakugan opportunity came along. That was atoy idea that we thought was a great opportunity to build a story anda world around.”

Bakugan, a co-production with Nelvana Enterprises, Sega Toys andTMS Entertainment, launched in the fall of 2008. It’s on TELETOONin Canada and Cartoon Network and terrestr ial broadcasters inother markets.

“As on our toy side, Spin Master isn’t precious about where theideas come from,” Wexler says. “A lot of companies in the toy busi-ness have legacy brands. We don’t have legacy, multigenerationalbrands. We don’t have the problem or the opportunity of legacybrands yet. Being an independent company and producer, we canpartner with any writers, studios or networks in the world to cre-ate something we think will be amazing and original and will travelglobally and be around for years to come. We’re not just trying tospread the risk; we want people at the table who can add real cre-ative value.”

Spin Master’s second show, Redakai: Conquer the Kairu, was not based onan existing toy line, Wexler says. “We partner with people just looking forgreat ideas. The toys can come out of that. I’d say maybe a third of the thingsthat we develop come from a toy idea or a category inspiration. The restcome from writers, creators and producers from around the world.”

And as for selling shows at deep discount to achieve viewership,Wexler insists that that is not part of Spin Master’s business model.

“We don’t distribute our own shows outside of North America,” hesays. “Our aim is to be profitable. Our partners handle our distribu-tion and it’s not in their best interest for the shows to not be prof-itable. There are conversations [with Spin Master brand managers] butit’s the distributor who is making the deals. We’re not in the businessof making 22-minute toy commercials. ...The aim is to create greatcontent that will create great brands.”

Flights of fancy: eOne has a number of licensees on board for its preschool hit Ben and Holly's Little Kingdom.


KIDS_0412_GAIAM_Layout 1 3/9/12 2:33 PM Page 1

There’s an innate kind of risk aversion in the world of television. From drama tochildren’s TV, broadcasters prefer adaptations of well-known properties to originalideas. There’s no doubting the instant appeal of remakes in kids’TV and there areseveral good reasons for it. First of all, broadcasters are much more likely to lookkindly on an adapted children’s property (preferably based on a bestselling book thathas sold all around the world) because it gives them a kind of insurance policy.Adaptations are perceived as a safer bet than something new. Secondly, broadcasters’views are echoed by parents—important gatekeepers in the world of children’s TV.

“In a crowded market, it’s tough for channels to exist with 30 to 40 com-petitors,” notes Philippe Soutter, the co-founder and president of PGS Enter-tainment. “So programs that are adapted from well-known kids’ properties help thechannel define itself and, perhaps more importantly, they tell the parents what thechannel is about. They say to parents, ‘This is a safe environment we can trust.’”

Another important advantage of reversioning is that it cuts out a lot of thehard work in bringing properties to market. “If a property has already been dis-tributed as a book throughout the world, then it is pre-promoted and mucheasier to make a TV show out of,” says Hans-Ulrich Stoef, the chairman andCEO of m4e. “It brings an audience to the show and gives the broadcaster ahead start to get significant ratings.”

“It saves time,” adds Lionel Marty, the president of worldwide distribution atMoonscoop. “Establishing connections and building relationships with children

can take a long time. Original properties such as SpongeBob SquarePants andThe Simpsons took a famously long time to find their audience. With adap-tations, the big advantage is that the relationship between the viewer andthe property is already in place.”Tom van Waveren, the CEO and creative director of CAKE, hasnoticed a clear link between economic conditions and the popularityof remakes. “When the economy is down, broadcasters prefer pro jectsthat lower their perceived risk, which leads them to embrace the rein-vention or adaptation of known and popular characters,” he says.“When the economy is buoyant, new ideas are perceived as moreexciting. Obviously now, it’s more a case of the former.”

So if audiences have already embraced characters in a book orvideo game, then there’s reason to believe that a TV version will alsobe popular. The next step is getting those audiences to migrate. Exec-utives agree that the crucial first step in determining the success orfailure in any adaptation is to clearly identify and retain the ele-ments that resonate with kids.


42 TV KIDS

Producers are turning popular books, comicstrips, video games and more into hit TV series.

By David Wood

LeapMaking thePGS’s Chaplin & Co.

KID_412_ADAPTATIONS_3PAGES_EUR_1006_ELLENDER 3/13/12 7:22 PM Page 1

KIDS_0412_NOTTING FOREST_Layout 1 3/9/12 2:37 PM Page 1

“Ask yourself, ‘What do kidswant?’ ” says Caterina Vacchi, the sen-ior manager and an executive pro-ducer at Atlantyca Entertainment,which turned the children’s bookbrand Geronimo Stilton into a success-ful global TV show. “They want to beable to recognize themselves in thestory lines and have an emotionalinvolvement in the content.” Not all properties can make the leap

to TV, insists m4e’s Stoef. The mostsuccessful way to decide what willwork is to think hard about who thestory is aimed at. “You have to askyourself the question, Does this reallytranslate into TV content? There’s noquestion that in some cases, evenwith well-known properties, theappeal is lost in translation.”

BACK IN FASHIONAmerican Greetings Properties(AGP) has successfully recreated itsbiggest properties, Strawberry Short-cake and Care Bears, a number oftimes in the 30 years since they wereoriginally launched as characters for greetings cards. “In each iteration we’ve focused on different areas to inject

newness, yet what is core to the brand is always present,” saysRyan Wiesbrock, the VP of creative at AGP. “We try to always

look back to the very first version of the property andremind ourselves what is special, what works, and what

shouldn’t be tampered with. Next we look at thecompetition and try to see what is workingfor other properties. What are kids respond-ing to today? Who would our neighbors beon the toy shelf, or on a network? Where canwe fit in and do we fit in?... Lastly, we brain-storm on where we can innovate and comeup with something no one has ever seen thesecharacters do. We ask, ‘What can we do tospice up the storytelling, or change up thedesign aesthetics?’ ” Bringing something new to the table isoften an important way to make an adapta-tion stand out in today’s crowded kids’ mar-ket. But there is always the risk that a largenumber of CGI adaptations can end up

looking too similar. “Humor is often some-thing that can help make a property unique com-

pared to another,” suggests Moonscoop’s Marty.“Inaction adventure the risk is they all look a bit same-y, buthumor enables you to create a distinctive quality.” Sometimes success is just a question of working a littleharder to find the right approach. Van Waveren recallsthat this was the case with CAKE’s co-productionwith the French producer TeamTO on Angelo Rules,which was based on a series of French books.“The books were about a smart kid who findsways to really annoy people such as his dad. But the

initial scripts for the TV version didn’t work because in videoform that character appeared obnoxious rather than smart. Weworked out that it was the observations that Angelo made thatkids liked, so instead we made him into a child’s ideal best friend:a confident 12-year-old boy who reads people quite well and usesthat information to improve his life and the life of his friends. Itwas a subtle change to make him come alive on screen and tellthe story differently.” With PGS’s Chaplin & Co. from the French producer

Method Animation—which also produced the book-basedThe Little Prince—the challenge was to update Charlie Chap-lin’s much-loved Little Tramp character for a new generation.“Method’s approach was to go back to Chaplin’s slapstickroots in the Keystone Cops silent comedies, which kids findhilarious,” says PGS’s Soutter. “Our research showed that nineout of ten Dutch kids said that Chaplin & Co. was theirfavorite show.” The series works on a psychological levelbecause the Chaplin character is an adult who kids can easilyrelate to, explains Soutter. “Like when Dad spills food on hisshirt it’s really funny, because it connects with kids in that itsays to them: ‘Dad’s just like us, he makes mistakes.’ ” One frequent creative requirement in the reversioning of kids’

characters for TV is the fleshing out of more thinly sketched bookcharacters, cartoon strips or games. From CAKE’s Poppy Cat toCCI Entertainment’s Billy In B.E.T.W.E.E.N—based on acomic strip—the ambition was to develop a property withoutlosing the key elements that appealed in the original version. “The challenge with popular picture books or cartoons is

to retain the USP [unique selling point] of the books, be ittheir charm or humor, while expanding the characters tosustain a more complex TV version,” explains CAKE’s vanWaveren. “Even if it’s a really well-known brand, it needs to bewell developed with story and appealing characters first. With-out that it won’t work.”


Pretty in pink: Firstlaunched on greetingcards 30 years ago, Strawberry Shortcakenow stars in a CGIseries, StrawberryShortcake: Berry BittyAdventures, fromAmerican GreetingsProperties.

Colorful kitty: CAKE represents the Coolabi-produced Poppy Cat, adapted for Nick Jr. inthe U.K. from a British children’s book series by Lara Jones.

44 TV KIDS


KIDS_0412_PORTFOLIO ENT_Layout 1 3/9/12 2:40 PM Page 1

Allen Bohbot, the chairman and CEO of 41 Entertainment,argues that there is no mystery to successful adaptations. “Ifyou take an established character with historical success and con-temporize it using new technology, you can appeal to anexisting fan base—parents—and reach the kids, since to themit’s an all-new and very modern project.” Bohbot recommends giving remakes the stereoscopic 3Dtreatment. “Kids don’t want traditional 2D. To them, it is old anddated. By re-creating in stereoscopic 3D, content owners candeliver the established story line and designs while delivering abrand-new and very modern look and style.” That’s just whatBohbot is doing with the 3D reversioning of the Namco BandaiGames property Pac-Man.

TOY STORIESOf all the potential sources of IP for TV adaptation,the toy brands are the most challenging. AsArnie Zipursky, the president, CEO and co-chairman of CCI Entertainment, pointsout, while books carry an integrity thatlends them to adaptation, toy companyprojects are greeted with far more suspi-cion by broadcasters and by parents. Forthat reason alone, some producers anddistributors regard the development of toysinto TV properties a tabooarea. Of course, there’s noreason a toy brandcan’t be turned intoa very successfuladaptation. It’s justthat translating the appeal of a toy into a suc-cessful TV product can be complicated. “You have to be careful how you adapt, partic-ularly with the younger demographic,” says m4e’sStoef. “The view of the parents is important. Theyare the gatekeepers who control how their kidsconsume media. They want to see an educationaland entertaining product.” Stoef explains that inGermany, m4e’s domestic market, parents preferpublic broadcasters and don’t want their children towatch too many commercials. “The toy companies need to be grown upenough to realize that TV adaptations are notextended commercials for their products. Thesecomplications mean that for us, preschool con-cepts based on toys are a no-go.” Producers and developers have traditionally found bookfairs across the world to be a useful source of content. Nowthat search has widened to the world of games and the Inter-net, which is proving to be an increasingly important sourceof ideas. Recent examples of digital brands making the jumpto television include the YouTube hit Annoying Orange, nowbeing turned into a series for Cartoon Network. The gamesdeveloper Rovio is adapting its wildly popular Angry Birdsfor television, while Mind Candy’s social-networking brandMoshi Monsters has been developed into toys and magazines,and there’s now a TV series in development. There’s no questioning the growing importance of digi-tal, says CCI’s Zipursky. “Both in terms of new ideas and branddevelopment, it’s critical. I can’t think of anything we are doing

where we are not thinking of it on multiple platforms. Whatstarted out as a marketing tool to promote television has nowcompletely flipped, so that development for mobile, the Internetor the iPad is paramount.” CCI Digital’s GeoFreakZ is one of the company’s leadingexamples of a multiplatform kids’ property. It’s an integratedsocial network, web and TV experience based around thetreasure-hunting family sport of geocaching. The online ver-sion of GeoFreakZ drives audiences to the TV adaptation,where they can find useful online clues for the game.

DIGITAL STOREExperiences like this are helping to expand an increasingly sig-nificant digital market for adaptations, underlined by recentstatistics that suggest that 64 percent of downloaded apps are for

preschool properties. With an estimated 52 percent ofkids under the age of 8 using devices such asiPods, tablets and mobile devices, perhaps it’sno surprise that 81 percent of the top bookpublishing apps on the iPad are for kids. “Kids just want more of everything—

TV, websites and iPad apps,” insistsAtlantyca’s Vacchi. “They want to getreally close to the characters and want toknow more about them.”As children’s properties nowadays have to

live on multiple digitalmedia and devices, there isa new onus on creativeconsistency acrossplatforms. As Vacchisays, the best way to

ensure this is to define abrand’s transmedia bible: a set of immutable rules atthe core of the brand that apply across all platforms.These would include the values and relationshipsof the characters, the kind of language they use,the design of the characters, and subjects to

avoid, such as religious references. Ironing out any content that might hinder aproperty’s international sales is an importantconsideration. Vacchi points out that one rea-son that Atlantyca’s Geronimo Stilton has trav-eled to 180 countries is that it contains noreligion and no violence that might haveimpeded its progress.

For Kristin Lecour, CCI’s VP of licensing and market-ing, the biggest challenge is finding properties with globalappeal. “Properties tend to be strong in some territoriesbut not all. All territories have IP that resonates with theirculture, but the best ones somehow manage to resonatewith all cultures. So you want to avoid content that is tooniche or too localized.” While there’s no doubt that the world of kids’ TV remakesis changing fast, two features of the marketplace remain con-stant. The most popular source of material is still the worldof book publishing. And the appeal of TV exposure remainsundiminished. As CAKE’s van Waveren concludes, “For all thechallenges of the growth of digital platforms such as onlineand the iPad, TV is still the leading platform where everybodywants to be.”


Open to ideas: Carlsen Verlag’s hugely popular Pixi books are thebasis for the Pixi and the MagicWall series (right),sold by m4e’s distribution arm, Telescreen.

46 TV KIDS


KIDS_0412_MONDO TV_Layout 1 3/9/12 2:36 PM Page 1

The Spanish animation industry’s vari-ety and vibrancy have earned inter-

national recognition. Spain ranks third inEurope and seventh worldwide in theexport of animated shows—to more than

150 countries—and animation houses derive 50 percent to80 percent of their revenues from international sales, com-pared with only 25 percent for companies producing fiction.

One of the brightest moments for Spain’s animation industrycame in 2009, when Ilion Animation Studios produced the ani-mated film Planet 51. It catapulted Spanish production to the bigleagues of the global industry. The movie cost some $70 millionto make and raked in more than $105 million globally.

The same success stories can be found in television. A pleth -ora of awards and distinctions have been showered on Spanishpreschool, children’s and teen animation. Each show is fueled bycreativity, a faithful rendering of its producer’s vision.

“We’re very creative companies, changing perspectives everytime we start a project,” says Carlos Biern, the executive VP

for co-productions and worldwide distribution atBRB Internacional. “In Spain, companies havedifferent backgrounds—Internet, video games,publishing, advertising—they come from manysectors, but when it comes to the brand, wefocus on two things: the international appeal of

our projects and working globally with every toolavailable for production.”

BRB Internacional is celebrating 40 years of produc-ing, distr ibuting and licensing family content, and overthe course of four decades it has made more than 1,800originally produced half hours. Its animated fare has trav-eled around the world. Currently, the company is work-ing on stereoscopic 3D and CGI animation with Canimals,Kambu and Suckers, among others.

There are several reasons for Spanish animation’s increasedpresence in the international space. “There’s marvelous cre-

ativity in Spain, there are many talented people, so it’s only


48 TV KIDS

With creativity and co-productionfinancing models, Spanish animation

companies are finding ampleinternational opportunities.

By Elizabeth Bowen-Tombari

Toons In

Vodka Capital’sBugsted.

KID_412_SPAIN-ALT_EUR_1006_ELLENDER 3/16/12 4:02 PM Page 1


49TV KIDS

natural that beautiful and creative ideas flourish,” says StevenPosner, the managing partner at Vodka Capital. “Since Spain isn’ta market that’s been highly subsidized, we’ve had to go interna-tional because the local market and [domestic television licensefees] are not enough to move a project forward.”

GLOBAL PLAYGROUNDDue to the financial crisis that refuses to loosen its grip, broad-casters have been tightening their budgets. In addition, newDTT channels have limited funds, which has had a severeimpact on investment in production. Thus, co-productionshave become the preferred financing formula for Spanishproduction companies who simply can’t fund their projectswith revenues from their domestic market. “Spanish producers are used to going to the international

market to to finance and sell their productions,” says LauraGarcía Ortega, the head of international sales at NottinghamForest Media Advisors. “Some of them, in the last ten years,have seen [their shows] broadcast in Europe, Asia and Amer-ica. Chances are this trend will become more prevalent inthe coming years.”Nottingham is representing two new properties from the

Spanish outfit Kotoc Producciones at MIPTV: Champions, a fan-tasy action series, and the music-infused Laland. Christophe Goldberger, the director of distribution and mar-

keting at Imira Entertainment, notes that there was a time inSpain when productions were financed locally with strong broad-cast partners like Televisión Española (TVE) or Televisió deCatalunya (TV3). It was possible to make a series without thepressures of having to compete in the international market.“However, this model collapsed and production outfits had tobecome creative and innovative in order to find funding for theirprojects and compete internationally,” he says. “This in turn cre-ated a new generation of producers that adopted new develop-ment techniques and HD production,” Goldberger continues.“The conditions in the media landscape have changed and forcedpeople to be more creative to find solutions and go to the inter-national market.” Imira Entertainment, along with TV3, RAI Fiction in Italy and

Top Draw Animation in the Philippines, have co-produced LuckyFred. It launched in Latin America last No vem ber on Nick-elodeon, then it debuted in Spain in February on DisneyChannel; TV3 will follow suit later this spring. Vodka Capital has had success both in Spain and internation-

ally with its series Jelly Jamm, which launched in more than 150countries last fall. The company is currently working on a newproduction, Pirata & Capitano, geared toward kids 3 to 5, and atransmedia project called Bugsted.“The reception for Pirata & Capitano has been excellent,”

comments Vodka Capital’s Posner. “It’s a very well done seriesand, I dare say, even better than Jelly Jamm in terms of creativeconcept, structure and story. What has surprised us is that manychannels have opted for presales, and I mean important Euro-pean channels, as well as international territories.”Eva Fontanals, the managing director at Edebé Audiovisual

Licensing, a division of the publishing company Grupo Edebé,points to Four and a Half Friends, an animated show based on abook series that has been successful in more than 40 countries. “The books are by German author Joachim Friedrich and

we were very familiar with them because we had published themin Spanish for Spain and Latin America,” Fontanals explains. “We

liked them so much we decided to make ajunior detective TV series and ZDF joined usas co-production partner. We got the Cana-dian outfit Yowza to co-produce as well.They’re a great company out of Toronto, very spe-cialized in production, and we were really impressed withthe quality of their work.” TV3 is also a co-production part-ner on Four and a Half Friends.Other titles in the Edebé catalogue that have done well

globally include the preschool series Let’s Play with Boom-chiki Boom!

MORE THAN ANIMATIONMotion Pictures, a producer and distributor set up in 1977,is also active in the licensing-and-merchandising segment. “We’re producing Pumpkin Reports with TVE,” says Xavi Mas,

the international sales and co-production manager at MotionPictures. “We have a few presale confirmations in France, Scan-dinavia and Asia, but we have yet to find a co-producer.”Mas says that they’re evaluating a number of options, with plans

to find not only financing but also a partner that can bring addedvalue to the project. Laura Tapias, the CEO of Aviatrix Entertainment, says the

company has three very distinct strategies for the year. “On theone hand, we’re buying preschool and kids’ content for CanalPanda. On the other, we’re offering the best Spanish and Latincontent to Latin America and Brazil. We’re also proud of the newproperty from Argentina, El payaso Plim Plim, that currently airson Disney Junior Latin America. And finally, we’re offering Appli-caster, a new VOD and live-streaming platform for all contentowners and broadcasters.” BRB Internacional is looking for new business opportu-

nities. “The first thing is content, high-budget feature filmsin 3D and stereoscopic 3D,” says Biern. “The first is Bernard,based on a well-known character around the world, which isbeing seen in over 150 countries.”The company is also working to find new and future audi-

ences. “We’ll be focusing on creating apps, video games and con-tent based on well-known brands for new devices. We think wecan work more with media agencies and not only networks.”

The right beat: Edebé’s slate of

successful showsincludes Let’s Play with

Boomchiki Boom!

KID_412_SPAIN-ALT_EUR_1006_ELLENDER 3/16/12 4:02 PM Page 2


Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, Iron Man and Thor are all charac-ters that started out in comic books and have since become multi-million-dollar franchises encompassing animated series, blockbusterlive-action theatricals, video games, toys and more. All of those, andmany others, were co-created by the legendary comic-book artistStan Lee during his long career at Marvel. Today, at 89, Lee con-tinues to churn out projects at his company, POW! Entertainment,where he serves as chairman and chief creative officer. He recentlyspoke to TV Kids about POW!’s new endeavors, which include fea-ture films for the Asian market and digital-media projects withVuguru, and the enduring appeal of the many superhero charactershe has created over the course of his long career.

TV KIDS: What are some of the new projects you’re workingon at POW! Entertainment?LEE:We’re developing four movies. We’re developing two TVseries. We’re developing a live rock-opera-style theatrical musi-cal called Yin Yang: The Battle of Tao. It’s a big live-action musicalin which the audience actually plays a role—that’s never beendone before. It’s so big we may open it up in a theater in

Macau, because there’s no theater in the Western Hemispherebig enough to handle this show! We’re also developing threenew superheroes—a Chinese superhero, an Indian superheroand a Latin [American] superhero. We feel we want to givethe rest of the world the same attention and privileges that wehave accorded to our own wonderful nation. Now on top ofthat, so you don’t think that we’re just sitting idly around, wehave done a book called Romeo and Juliet: The War. It’s one ofthe most beautiful graphic novels ever published. We’ve takenthe story of Romeo and Juliet and we’ve projected it 200 yearsinto the future. We’ve still maintained the love story, which isthe world’s most famous, but we’ve also played up the warbetween the Capulets and the Montagues. One of those [fam-ilies] is made up of cybernetically enhanced humans and theothers are super-powered humans. I believe it’s already on TheNew York Times best-seller list. And we have a series of children’sbooks called Stan Lee’s Kids Universe, both traditional and digi-tal [media] titles. You can see I’m very shy and reluctant aboutusing my name in these things. [Laughs] We also have a StanLee’s World of Heroes [online channel] for YouTube. We’redoing that in partnership with Michael Eisner’s company,Vuguru, and we’re going to have all sorts of exciting pro-grams on there. We’re also doing a new series of comicbooks called The Mighty 7, and in order to make that differentfrom everything else, we’re thinking of them as realitycomic books, like reality TV shows. There are real charac-ters that we know from real life in these stories. Because Imanaged to overcome my shyness, I’m one of the charac-ters in the story.

TV KIDS: And you’re also a playablecharacter in a new video game?LEE: Oh, yes! I forgot about that. I’m aplayable character in Activision’s newSpider-Man video game. I haven’t seen ityet but I can’t wait to play me. [Laughs]We’ve also just launched [a website],TheRealStanLee.com. And that’s obvi-ously in opposition to the phony StanLee—we don’t want anybody to get that.

TV KIDS: You’re working in so many different mediums. Isyour creative process different when you’re approaching acomic book versus inventing a new superhero for a feature-film franchise?LEE: Not really. Basically, we think of ourselves here at POW!as entertainers in the most literal sense of the word. Everythingwe do must be entertaining. Whether we’re writing a comicbook, whether we’re developing a motion picture or a TV series,the only thing we look for is, the project has to be filled with sur-prises, the reader or the viewer must be seeing and enjoyingsomething that he or she has not seen before, and it should holdthe audience’s interest. It should seem fresh, new, exciting, and itshould be fun. Whatever we do, we want it to be fun.

TV KIDS: How do you think that iPads and other devices aregoing to change the way that people experience graphic novelsand comic books?LEE: The iPad and other tablets really allow the readersto interact with the stories in fascinating new ways. Thereare animated effects and games that they can play within

50 TV KIDS

By Mansha Daswani

Stan Lee!

KID_412_STANLEE spread_alt_DOC_0407_NIGHT cb 3/16/12 5:14 PM Page 2

the story. There are even a few applications where you canhear me read the story of a Marvel superhero to you. Itcreates an entirely immersive reading experience and itmight help readers form an even stronger bond with thecharacters. But above and beyond all of that, it still [hasto be about the] story telling and making the stories asentertaining as possible.

TV KIDS: Looking at some of thecharacters you’ve created, did youever think that they were going tohave the kind of longevity thatthey’ve had, and that they would berein vented in feature films andvideo games and other platforms?LEE: I’d love to say I knew all thetime how great these things were,but I didn’t have the slightestidea! I don’t think any of usdid—the artists or the letterersor the colorists. All we werehoping was that the comicswould sell and we’d keep ourjobs and be able to pay therent. We never looked muchfarther than that.

TV KIDS: What was yourapproach to creatingsome of the characteris-tics of these classicsuperheroes?LEE: Basically, if you’veread my stories you knowI’m very scientific minded. For example, I didn’tjust have Spider-Man gain a spider power miraculously, I didit as scientifically as possible—he was bitten by a radioactivespider. It could have happened to anybody. When the Hulkbecame the Hulk, it just didn’t happen casually—there was agamma-ray bomb that exploded. If you ask me what a gammaray is, I would have no idea at all, but it sounds very scientific,I think. The Fantastic Four, they gained their powers from cos-mic rays, of which I know as little as I do gamma rays, but theysound impressive. At that point I ran out of rays, so when Ihad to do the X-Men, I took the cowardly way out, I said,well they’re just born that way, that’s all. They’re mutants. Thatgot me off the hook there. I can give you a very clear and definite understanding as

to why I and the people at POW! and at Marvel are somuch more scientific than the competition. Here’s theexample. You’ve seen Superman flying on the screen, haven’tyou? What is his means of propulsion? What makes him fly?He doesn’t have a jet engine, there’s nothing pushing him,he just sort of assumes a horizontal position, lies on the airand off he goes. When I wanted a character to fly, such as theSilver Surfer, I gave him a flying surfboard—perfectly scien -tific, perfectly understandable, and not the least bit as frus-trating as wondering how Superman does it. So as you cansee, science is really something I’m very much into andevery factor of our stories is as scientifically accurate as I canmake them.

TV KIDS: Can you tell me more about the new internationalsuperheroes you’re creating?LEE:We’ve [started with] a superhero who is Chinese. Hisstory will bring him to America and the climax of the storytakes place back in China. This is not a movie merely for theChinese audiences—it’s a movie for people worldwide. Whatwe are trying to do, and I think we’re accomplishing it mag-nificently, is to get heroes who are not all Americans. [We

want them to] represent people from all over

and show not only that any personof any nationality or any race can be a superhero,but we can make these stories [compelling] enough that peo-ple around the world will be interested in them. That’s whatour objective is. The fact that we’re a business, that’s just a front—we’re a social

organization that’s striving to make this a better world, and we’rehoping at some point the world will realize that and we won’thave to pay taxes! [Laughs]

TV KIDS: You attend a lot of fan conventions; is that stillfun for you? LEE: Oh, I love it! I just love it. All my life I’ve done it andpeople at other companies used to say, “Why do you wastetime spending so much time with the fans?” And I used tosay, “You guys are crazy that you don’t do it. These fans are theones who are keeping you in business and when you talk tothem and they tell you what they like and what they don’tlike, it’s the greatest education you can get for the work thatyou do.” To me the fans are the most important. In fact I’veeven formed a brigade, and I, of course, am the beloved gen-eralissimo and all of my fans are brigadiers. I can’t tell youwhat our plans for world domination are because I’m swornto secrecy, but it’s become a very big thing!


51TV KIDS

A web of ideas: One of Stan Lee’s

best-known creationshas a new animatedseries on Disney XD,

Ultimate Spider-Man.

KID_412_STANLEE spread_alt_DOC_0407_NIGHT cb 3/16/12 5:07 PM Page 3


When Hans Bourlon and Gert Verhulst founded Studio 100, in1996, they had one main goal in mind—to create high-qualityentertainment for children. Fifteen years later, the company isinvolved in TV shows, films, graphic novels, music, live showsand theme parks. One show in particular, House of Anubis,which they made originally for Nickelodeon in the Netherlands,has become a hit on Nickelodeon in the U.S. and elsewhere.Bourlon and Verhulst tell TV Kids how their original commit-ment to quality has paid off.

TV KIDS: House of Anubis has been very successful. Tell usabout the original show.VERHULST:The original show was made for Nickelodeon inHolland and we started almost six years ago, in September 2006,with the first episode. The first season was very, very successfuland we made a second season. Because of the huge success inHolland and Belgium, we produced a version for Nickelodeonin Germany, which was also very successful. That is why theexecutives from Nickelodeon in New York decided to make theshow for the States.

TV KIDS: What is it about the show that is able to appeal tochildren from different countries?BOURLON: First of all, there are recognizable charactersand some very recognizable relationships, love histories andso on. But the most important thing is the mystery, whichis in all of the series, and young people always like myste-rious stories that unfold.

TV KIDS: What kind of changes had to be made for theAmerican version?VERHULST: We didn’t have to make too many changesbecause all the Nickelodeon channels share the same pro-gramming values and production rules. As we had alreadymade the series that were suitable for Nickelodeon in Hol-land and in Germany, we didn’t have to change too manythings for the American series. BOURLON:We did make some changes for Anubis U.S. Forexample: we had the story of an American girl who enters anEnglish boarding school, which gives a kind of specific ten-sion to that series, while in the Dutch series, it is just a Dutchgirl entering a Dutch boarding school.

TV KIDS:What are the challenges, as writers and creators,to keep the series fresh year after year?VERHULST: The series is a mix of soap and mystery. Wetry to keep the soap interesting by adding some new char-acters, not too many, and to add new love stories. We alsotry to find new mysteries. It’s not always easy but I think wehave succeeded.

TV KIDS: There is a lot of competition in children’s televi-sion in many countries. Is high quality something that broad-casters are looking for?BOURLON: It is indeed not easy nowadays. In 2008, as partof our strategy, we acquired an immense European libraryof classic characters like Maya the Bee, Vicky the Viking andHeidi, which were popular all over Europe in the ’70s and’80s. We are now making new 3D animated programs ofthese characters, using the state-of-the-art techniques oftoday. We see that this is a very good way of entering themarket because there is a lot of nostalgia. It is a very impor-tant element these days because parents like to share thoseprograms and characters of their youth with their children,or grandparents with their grandchildren. This is workingout very well because it is not easy nowadays to come upwith a successful new concept. There are so many broad-casters that to make something that is popular with all ofthem is a really difficult task.

TV KIDS: And yet House of Anubis is an original idea.BOURLON: Yes, that is correct, and we are very thankful toNickelodeon in the Netherlands that they wanted to investin it and think with us about the content of the show. Andthe fact that it was popular in the Netherlands had a lot ofconsequences, because Nickelodeon is an organizationwhere all their channels in different territories are in con-tact with each other. They communicate, they learn fromeach other and that is the reason why we could breakthrough all those other territories. We are not only in theU.S. and Germany, but also in the U.K. and Australia andthe Dutch version has been dubbed and is broadcast in

52 TV KIDS

By Anna Carugati

Studio 100’s

Hans Bourlon &Gert Verhulst

Hans Bourlon Gert Verhulst

KID_412_STUDIO100_DOC_0407_NIGHT cb 3/13/12 7:07 PM Page 2


Scandinavia and the U.S. version is distributed all over theworld now in a dubbed version.

TV KIDS: Besides your strong catalogue, are there other fac-tors that have made Studio 100 successful in today’s verycompetitive market? VERHULST: In terms of turn over, television is only about15 percent of our business. We also make theater produc-tions. We are very active in producing songs and musicals.We have a graphic division; we write a lot of graphic booksand novels. We make feature films, we have made about 20up to now. And the most specific thing is that we own andexploit, for the moment, five theme parks in Europe, whichare [based on] our characters.

TV KIDS: So, if one activity perhaps isn’t doing very well, theones that are successful can compensate. BOURLON: Yes, it’s a totally integrated system because if you arein television nowadays, it’s not easy to have a breakthrough show,to be popular among the target audience group. But when youhave families who get into their cars, or take a train, and cometo a theater show, or come to one of our theme parks [you cangenerate revenues in many ways]. Books, shows, songs, theater

shows, theme parks and television, taken all together, these arethe content drivers that make a business successful.

TV KIDS: Are there any upcoming shows or projects youwould like to talk about?VERHULST: We are focusing on the 3D remakes of Maya theBee, Vicky the Viking and Heidi. We also have two animation stu-dios, one in Sydney and one in Paris, where we are creatingtotally new episodes. And we have TF1 from France as co- producer for these three shows and also ZDF from Germany asco-producer for Maya the Bee and Vicky the Viking.

TV KIDS: When you reintroduce a show for today’s genera-tion, besides making them in 3D, what elements need to beupdated for today’s children?BOURLON: We look at the stories. Those programs fromthe ’70s had a different look but also a different feel. Forexample, they were all 25 minutes in length, which todaylittle children are not used to watching. The characterswere also a bit more violent, there was more tension thanis usual nowadays. And the story writing is totally new.We only took the characters and the backgrounds and wemade totally new programs.

Class act: Nickelodeon in the U.S.

followed the lead of its Dutch and Germancounterparts, signing

on for its own versionof the tween soap

House of Anubis.

53TV KIDS

KID_412_STUDIO100_DOC_0407_NIGHT cb 3/14/12 8:52 PM Page 3

KIDS_0412_IATAS-EMMYS_Layout 1 3/12/12 7:55 PM Page 1


55TV KIDS

A little more than a year ago, Playhouse Disney was rebranded asDisney Junior, with a new look and feel for its preschool view-ers. In the U.S., Disney Junior recently expanded from a pro-gramming block on Disney Channel to a full stand-alone 24-hourservice. The channel is home to many characters near and dear topreschoolers’ hearts, including Mickey Mouse and MinnieMouse, but also features some new faces, such as DocMcStuffins. Nancy Kanter, the senior VP of original programmingand general manager for Disney Junior Worldwide, talks aboutextending the Disney heritage to a new generation of viewers.

TV KIDS:Tell us about the rebranding and rollout for DisneyJunior. KANTER: On February 14, 2011, we transitioned what hadbeen Playhouse Disney to Disney Junior. Playhouse Disneywas already a 24-hour stand-alone channel around the world,but in the U.S., we were just a programming block on Dis-ney Channel. From a brand perspective, there was an oppor-tunity to think about what we wanted to be for preschoolersand for their families, to redefine our image and our message.We wanted to make it crystal clear that what set Disney Juniorapart from every other preschool service was the essence ofDisney, the part of Disney that makes it so unique, the char-acters, and, really importantly, storytelling with heart. Whenyou think about a Disney movie that you’ve gone to yourselfor you’ve taken your child to, going to the theme park, havingthat first Disney book, it really touches you in a very specialway. We wanted to make that [connection] really prominentand the essence of our brand. So we transitioned the name andthe look and extended our demo a bit to include 2- to 7-year-olds, offering more programming that the whole family canenjoy together. We redid our look to really reflect all the Dis-ney heritage and magic and recognized that in the U.S., wehad the opportunity to be more than just a block. The audi-ence was there. We’d certainly heard many times in focusgroups and talking to moms, “I wish we had Disney pro-gramming on through out the day, not just in the morningand the early afternoon.” So for us it was a real opportunity tofulfill the need that we’d been hearing about.

TV KIDS: How have you gone about filling all the slots forthe 24-hour channel?KANTER: All the shows that were on the block are on thechannel. Because we have 24 hours, we also have the oppor-tunity to program shows that had been on Playhouse Dis-ney, but that we had taken off because we had limited slots.In preschool television you get a brand-new audience everytwo or three years, so we can reintroduce these shows to anew generation of kids. We looked at the library, and someof those series that were made with Disney characters willfind their way back on air. We’ve acquired some new shows aswell that seem to complement and work well with our brand.

We’re also hard at work producing new shows, both long-form and short-form, so we have a rich pipeline of contentfor the new channel.

TV KIDS: What’s your focus for Disney Junior’s slate oforiginal content?KANTER: We have seen that shows like Mickey Mouse Club-house and Jake and the Never Land Pirates, which have thoseclassic Disney heritage characters, can really work if youmake a good, smart show that makes sense for today’s kids

around the world. Sowe looked back at thehistory of charactersthroughout the Disneylegacy. Minnie is oneexample. Minnie hasbeen part of MickeyMouse Clubhouse, andher episodes are power-ful and appealing, so we

thought she deserved her own moment in the spotlight. Shenow has Minnie’s Bow-Toons.

We also have new original characters; it’s not only aboutthe heritage characters. Doc McStuffins, which justlaunched in the U.S., features a brand-new character forkids, and we are also in production on a show called Sofiathe First. Sofia is a little girl who becomes a princess whenher mom marries the king. There’s a chance for us toembrace what we know girls love about princesses—thepretty shoes and ball gowns—but also go a littledeeper in terms of message and offer storiesthat go to the heart of what it means tobe a princess. We’re also in productionon a preschool western. We’re look-ing at archetypes and genres ofstory telling that have been around formany years and [looking] at themthrough the lens of what a pre-schooler might enjoy watching.

TV KIDS: What core values doyou look for when introducing anew Disney character?KANTER: The most important thingwhen we’re looking at developing a newshow is the quality, the depth and the rich-ness of the characters and the storytelling. That’sreally what defines Disney. It is that very special kindof storytelling that has an emotional connection. Youleave that experience thinking about those charac-ters and being touched by them. Whether it’san older heritage character or a brand-new original character, we want tosee if we can imaginetelling multiple storiesaround this world andhow we will buildthose stories intosomething that willreally resonate fora child.

Disney Junior’s

Nancy Kanter

By KristinBrzoznowski

KID_412_KANTER_DOC_0407_NIGHT 3/14/12 8:53 PM Page 2

When FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) decided to expand intothe kids’ entertainment business in 2009, it turned to Warner Bros.Animation veteran Sander Schwartz to lead the new division. Asthe president of FME Kids & Family Entertainment, Schwartzhas been building up a roster of partnerships with broadcastersand producers worldwide.

TV KIDS: Why was it important for FME to enter the chil-dren’s programming business?SCHWARTZ: The decision was taken after a great deal ofthought and market analysis before my appointment. FMElooked at a range of opportunities in television and related media,and children’s and family entertainment worked out to be themost logical extension of their business. The FME infrastructurealready included many of the components to service the sector,including program distribution, merchandising and licensing,home entertainment, as well as all of the back-office functions(such as legal and business affairs) required to manage the busi-ness—it was the perfect setup for a kids’ and family-entertainmentdivision. All they needed to enter the fray were experts in thefield. Hence my arrival on the scene, followed closely by the hir-ing of Bob Higgins and, over time, the rest of our team.

Of course you might say that it’s already a very crowded busi-ness and the economic times weren’t very good [in 2009]. But, bythe same token, when there are challenges in the marketplace, it

creates an opportunity for there to be new entrantswho can react to the market conditions, adapt

to the changing business and be wellpositioned to take advantage of anevolving landscape.

TV KIDS: What factors have driventhe growth of the division over the

past two years?SCHWARTZ: The commit-

ment of FME to support the busi-ness has been paramount to what

we’ve been able to achieve. Secondly,the reputation of FME as a great

packager, producer and distributor ofshows, as well as a world-class distributor

of the ancillary rights, this attracts talent and potential partners.On top of that, I’ve learned a little something about kids’ con-tent in my 30 years of business (as has Bob Higgins in his 20years), and that experience, coupled with many long-term rela-tionships, has given us an advantage. Putting those three factorstogether we were able to quickly assemble a portfolio of projectswith key producers and networks, such as the BBC in the U.K.,ABC in Australia, and Nickelodeon and Disney in the U.S.

Our buyers are well aware that independent producers and dis-tributors have been having a hard time surviving in recent years.So when you have a new player coming in, saying, “We want tobe in this space, we want to partner with you, and we haveresources to contribute”—you get a warm reception and areembraced by the business.

TV KIDS:Who are some of the producers you’re working with?SCHWARTZ: We’re working with Fresh TV, the creators of theTotal Drama franchise. We work with them on the tween seriesMy Babysitter’s a Vampire, which was the number one prime-time cable show for kids (airing on Disney Channel) in theU.S. last summer. It has opened to great results in key territo-ries around the world, including in the U.K. and Australia. Wealso have Really Me, a live-action comedy, [with Fresh TV]. Weare also working together on an all-new animated series calledGrojband. This has been greenlit and will launch next year.

We have been lucky enough to establish partnerships with keybroadcasters, producers, writers, around the world. In Australia,Sticky Pictures is our producer on Bindi’s Bootcamp with BindiIrwin. We’ve announced one show with Animation Collective inNew York, Alien Dawn. We have The Aquabats! Super Show!—by The Magic Store, the co-creators of Yo Gabba Gabba!—whichwill be coming to The Hub soon; and we have Monsuno pre-miering on Nickelodeon and Nick Toons. We’re working hard tobuild a very diverse slate of programming, with top-quality tal-ent attached, in all segments of the business—preschool, kids’comedy, boys’ action adventure, and teen and tween.

TV KIDS: The kids’ content market has faced some difficultchallenges over the last few years. What opportunities do yousee going forward?SCHWARTZ: From the time that we started this [division atFME] I set as our goal to become the leading independent devel-oper, producer and distributor of kids’ and family fare in theworld. It’s a high and a lofty goal, but one that the companyreally supports internally and one that our content partners haveembraced. The kids’ business, although it’s changing and has forsome time been going through challenging times, is vibrant andwell. From all of the dislocations and changes in recent years, therehave come great opportunities for directors, writers, creators, pro-ducers, to sell their shows. Never has it been easier to get a showseen by an audience because there are more channels than everbefore. On the other hand, financing those shows is more chal-lenging than ever, as a more fractured audience means more frac-tured license fees, and [as a result] funding new series [is] morecomplicated. For those who can figure out how to put togetherthe patchwork quilt of funding required to finance televisionseries today, there is great opportunity. The future of the businessas a whole is quite bright and I believe has turned a corner. It’sup to the creative community out there to rise to the challengeand to get as creative on the business side of the equation as theyhave always been on the creative side of production.

56 TV KIDS


By Mansha Daswani

FME’s

Sander Schwartz

KID_412_SCHWARTZ_DOC_0407_NIGHT 3/13/12 7:18 PM Page 2

KIDS_0412_CYBER GROUP FP1_Layout 1 3/12/12 8:15 PM Page 1

58 TV KIDS

Having spent time at CITV and CBBC, Nigel Pickard has firsthandexperience of what kids’ broadcasters are looking for. He hasbrought this experience to bear at Zodiak Media Group, where heserves as the CEO of the U.K. Kids and Family division. On theboard of the Zodiak Kids group and the chairman of the British pro-duction outfit The Foundation, Pickard is working to make sure thatthe company’s British output, which includes hits like Waybuloo,will resonate with children worldwide.

TV KIDS: Zodiak Media owns a number of kids’ businesses;how do you all work together?PICKARD: There’s The Foundation [in the U.K.], which I chairand look after on a day-to-day basis, and two major kids’ pro-ducers, Marathon and Télé Images, both in France. We retain ourproducer identities. That’s the case across the whole group. ZodiakRights represents all these companies in the international market.We created, within Zodiak Rights, a specialist group calledZodiak Kids, which is only responsible for the exploitation of ourshows and for raising co-production [financing]. The Zodiak Kidsboard includes me, Philippe [Alessandri, from Télé Images],Marathon’s Vincent [Chalvon Demersay] and David Michel, andZodiak Rights’ Karen Vermeulen and Matthew Frank. We discussexploitation and strategy, but we all have our own developmentslates. We all do our own individual pitching and we try not tocompete with each other, but sometimes we overlap.

TV KIDS: How do you ensure that your British commis-sions at The Foundation will have enough internationalappeal that they can then be sold worldwide by Zodiak Kids?PICKARD: Clearly, the principal commissioner in the U.K. isthe BBC. By the nature of their public-service obligations, theirshows serve British kids. Some of those shows won’t travel—

not because they’re bad shows but because they are justifiablyparochial in reflecting local kids. Then there are shows that areclearly developed from the outset with having internationalappeal. Preschool has quite an international following and Britishpreschool programming probably has led the world for the lastten years. A lot of preschool, because funding is quite difficult, hasan international perspective from the outset. Animation is obvi-ously the global language of kids’ television—it’s easy to dub, itappeals to lots of people, it works for the audience—so that’sanother area that’s obviously always developed with an interna-tional view, not a local view. And then you have local program-ming, which you may get some post-production sales on, butyou probably didn’t make them with an international viewpoint,you were making them very much for your lead broadcaster.

TV KIDS: Zodiak’s Fort Boyard format has been remade for theU.S. What potential do you see for the kids’ formats business?PICKARD: I think there are opportunities. We’ve got to be quiteselective about what those formats are. We’re looking at two[models]. One is hub production, where you make a show foreverybody [using a set] in one territory—Fort Boyard is the origi-nal production hub; it’s very difficult to move a Napoleonic fortanywhere else! And then we have a magic format, Tricky TV,which ran on ITV for several years, that Cartoon Network pickedup and made an Indian version of. You’re starting to see [broad-casters] recognize great formats but they want to make it them-selves in local territories. You are seeing people wanting tolocalize their shows and they don’t want to just buy a dubbedversion. I don’t think it’s going to be the high-end shows, the veryexpensive shows; [it’ll be the] shows that are financially manage-able and lend themselves to being transferred.

TV KIDS: What do you see as the major issues facing the Britishchildren’s market today and how are you navigating them?PICKARD: While some doors [have] closed, others haveopened. Three years ago, for The Foundation and Zodiak tohave a couple of shows on the U.S. kids’ networks—thatwould not have happened. That may be about how we’vegrown, but it’s also much more about how the networks havechanged the way that they’re buying programs. The position in the U.K. has changed for various reasons.

There’s no public-service obligation for ITV. There was aban on advertising fatty foods. And we’ve seen the growth ofthe digital channels. Producers in the U.K., although it hasbeen tough, have adapted to thinking more internationally.Last year we made shows in Korea, Australia, the Middle Eastand France. Five years ago that would’ve been newsworthy,now it goes with the territory that you have to take a farmore global approach to the business.

TV KIDS: What areas are you focusing on in the next 12 months? PICKARD: Continuing to be innovative in the preschoolmarket because, although it’s very crowded and very compet-itive, the preschool market offers the most reward if you canget it right. We are excited about our forthcoming series TicketyToc for Nickelodeon. Clearly the 7-plus audience is somethingwe need to focus on growing. We’ve done a lot of these live-action entertainment formats like Fort Boyard, Escape from Scor-pion Island. We’ve got a couple other shows in that genre thatthere’s quite a lot of interest in. Narrative fiction is still anarea [that we’re focusing on], both comedy and drama.


Zodiak Media Group’s

Nigel PickardBy Mansha Daswani

KID_412_PICKARD_DOC_0407_NIGHT 3/16/12 3:39 PM Page 2

KIDS_0412_TOON GOGGLES_Layout 1 3/12/12 8:43 PM Page 1

KIDS_0412_CYBER GROUP_Layout 1 3/9/12 2:29 PM Page 1

TV Kids MIPTV 2012

Documents

Transcript of TV Kids MIPTV 2012