TV Kids June 2022 TV Kids Summer Festival & Pre-Annecy Edition

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JUNE 2022/TV KIDS SUMMER FESTIVAL & PRE-ANNECY EDITION

Eco-Conscious Shows / Paramount Global’s Jules Borkent / ZDF Studios’ Jan-Frederik Maul The Jim Henson Company’s Halle Stanford / The Garcías’ Jeff Valdez

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12 TV KIDS

CONTENTS

Lost in a Digital Maze

GOING GREEN Children’s media executives discuss the important role that the TV industry plays in spreading awareness about the climate crisis.

I was navigating YouTube with the 7-year-old daughter of a friend recently. We were on a quest: find a fun, compelling, well-made show that would help her with her drawing skills.

Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher Anna Carugati Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani Editor Kristin Brzoznowski Executive Editor Chelsea Regan Managing Editor Jamie Stalcup Associate Editor David Diehl Production & Design Director Simon Weaver Online Director Dana Mattison Sales & Marketing Director Genovick Acevedo Sales & Marketing Coordinator Andrea Moreno Business Affairs Manager

Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development TV Kids ©2022 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website: www.tvkids.com

How hard could that be? As it turns out, really hard. Some skewed too old. Others weren’t fun enough, or the instruction not clear enough. Her mom turned to me and said, You know people in TV; why is this so difficult? I didn’t have an answer for her. And I had a boatload of my own questions after spending time on what a veteran children’s media exec I know referred to recently as “kid crack.” You know what I’m talking about: the independently produced shows on YouTube, made on a shoestring budget and often lacking in any kind of nutritional value.

The creator economy is certainly making a lot of people a lot of money, and it’s giving opportunities to a wave of talent who may not have been discovered by “traditional” media. But, well, Sesame Street it is not. Should we be worried? Perhaps if a child has a balanced media diet—a little bit of junk, lots of broccoli—not really. But parents are being asked a lot here. Keep your kids safe in the real world while also making sure that they’re not getting lost in the rabbit hole that is online entertainment. Can we as an industry do better? I hope so.

—Mansha Daswani

GET DAILY NEWS ON KIDS’ PROGRAMMING

PIONEER AWARD Paramount Global’s Jules Borkent, recipient of the TV Kids Pioneer Award, on his programming strategy.

LIGHTING A SPARK ZDF Studios’ Jan-Frederik Maul on the value of early involvement and localization.

FAMILY TIME Halle Stanford on The Jim Henson Company’s animation development pipeline.

JEFF VALDEZ Executive producer and showrunner Jeff Valdez talks The Garcías, HBO Max’s reboot of Nickelodeon’s The Brothers García.

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Australian Children’s Television Foundation First Day / Little J & Big Cuz / Barrumbi Kids First Day, following a transgender student as she navigates high school, leads the Australian Children’s Television Foundation’s highlights. The fourth season of Little J & Big Cuz, about two Indigenous Australian kids, is also on offer.

Barrumbi Kids sees 11-year-olds come of age in the Northern Territory. “With an increasing demand from international buyers for authentic storytelling on-screen with a focus on diverse representation, all three series are the perfect fit with their engaging narratives and authentic diversity,” says Roberta Di Vito, international sales manager.

First Day

“We love comedy, drama and stories with heart and that don’t shy away from difficult subjects when done in an appropriate way.”

—Roberta Di Vito

Pat Patagonia

Cisneros Media Deva Dives In / Pat Patagonia Cisneros Media is presenting two series from its Mobius Lab Kids unit, including Deva Dives In. The preschool series centers on an impetuous child who learns to work through conflict and understand his feelings by going through musical journeys. Pat Patagonia, meanwhile, aims to instill the spirit of adventure in its viewers. “As the characters explore the Patagonian wilds, they also learn much about their own identities and build resilience while solving mysteries as a found family and tribe,” says Ailing Zubizarreta, VP of content development and creative services.

“Mobius Lab Kids creates stories with purpose, rooted in universal values such as inclusion, diversity, curiosity and family unity.”

—Ailing Zubizarreta

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Big & Ridiculous

Cookbook Media Big & Ridiculous / Monkey Sing Monkey Do / Toof & Doof Cookbook Media’s catalog includes the animated comedy Big & Ridiculous, created by Greg Grabianski (Beavis and Butthead), based on his experience growing up in a blended family.

“Blended families are increasingly common and yet not often portrayed in loving, angst-free stories,” says Claudia Scott-Hansen, partner.

“When we read the scripts, we were completely charmed by them.” Monkey Sing Monkey Do explores social-emotional themes through song and dance. The nonverbal slapstick comedy Toof & Doof centers on two dinosaurs.

“We love that these three shows have heart and comedy at the forefront.”

—Claudia Scott-Hansen

Dandelooo A day with the dogs / Billy the Cowboy Hamster / The Upside Down River Dandelooo has on offer multiple new series based on books, including A day with the dogs. Adapted from Dorothée de Monfreid’s book series, the preschool show captures the daily adventures of nine dogs. Billy the Cowboy Hamster, inspired by Catharina Valckx’s novels, follows a hamster who wants to become a cowboy. “He’s a great little hamster in the making who knows how to spread joy and friendship around him,” says Emmanuèle Pétry Sirvin, partner. The Upside Down River, based on Jean Claude Mourlevat’s book, is also in Dandelooo’s catalog.

Billy the Cowboy Hamster

“These shows have relatable strong characters and fun relationships with unique settings in nature.”

—Emmanuèle Pétry Sirvin

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Distribution360 Lady Ada’s Secret Society / The Parker Andersons & Amelia Parker / Generation Mars Leading Distribution360’s slate, Lady Ada’s Secret Society follows the adventures of a girls’ computer club as its members rebel against their traditional boarding school. The Parker Andersons and Amelia Parker center on a girl who is selectively mute in response to trauma. Currently in development, Generation Mars is adapted from Douglas Meredith’s books. Each series “explores important and relatable themes for tweens and teens and offers strong female characters doing extraordinary things,” says Diane Rankin, senior VP of rights and executive producer, and A.J. Trauth, VP of kids.

Lady Ada’s Secret Society

“We have a strong focus on live-action programming across our third-party and original content slate.”

—Diane Rankin

eOne Family Brands Transformers: EarthSpark / My Little Pony: Make Your Mark / Power Rangers Dino Fury With Transformers: EarthSpark, eOne Family Brands introduces a new generation of kids to Transformers. The new series follows a human family as they bond with the first Transformers born on Earth. Also on the slate is My Little Pony: Make Your Mark, a CGI special follow-up to My Little Pony: A New Generation. Power Rangers Dino Fury features the first LGBTQ+ Ranger in the franchise’s history. “We are thrilled that we are creating shows that promote acceptance and celebrate diversity,” says Monica Candiani, executive VP of content sales.

Transformers: EarthSpark

“Our shows are full of heart, incredibly fun, and we keep our subject matter fresh and relevant.”

—Monica Candiani

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HappyKids

Future Today HappyKids HappyKids is the number one ad-supported kids’ and family channel on connected TV, delivering over 60,000 movies, TV shows and videos. With no subscriptions or accounts required, HappyKids is entirely free and COPPA compliant. Its portfolio includes My Little Pony, Angelina Ballerina, Transformers, Ricky Zoom, Geronimo Stilton and Cocomelon—with more on the way. “With our growing audience, we want to continue to meet demand with high-quality, original and exclusive content that keeps viewers engaged,” says David Di Lorenzo, senior VP of kids and family.

“We are constantly expanding the premium and brandsafe content we feature on HappyKids.”

—David Di Lorenzo

Gaumont Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles / Stillwater / Do, Re & Mi Adapted from Stan Sakai’s comic books, Gaumont’s highlight Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles found itself on Netflix’s topten lists around the world after its April debut.

“We are thrilled with the response it is getting from the original Usagi fans as well as kids and families experiencing it for the first time,” says Terry Kalagian, executive VP of creative content at Gaumont U.S. In addition to the preschool series Stillwater and Do, Re & Mi, Gaumont’s slate includes KB & JJ, created by The Black Eyed Peas’ Taboo, and Tiny Head.

Do, Re & Mi

“As always at Gaumont, we continue to develop and produce relevant, engaging stories across both film and TV series.”

—Terry Kalagian

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Guang Dong Winsing Company GG Bond: Kung Fu Pork Choppers / GG Bond: Ocean Mission / GOGOBUS Guang Dong Winsing Company has multiple GG Bond titles on offer, including GG Bond: Kung Fu Pork Choppers. The series centers on superhero pigs whose power lies in their Chinese kung fu abilities. The new animated feature film GG Bond: Ocean Mission, meanwhile, sees GG Bond help a friend search for his brother in the deep ocean.

GOGOBUS embraces the fascination that young children have with vehicles and centers on a school bus that has the ability to transform into different vehicle shapes in order to perform rescue missions.

GG Bond: Ocean Mission

Guru Studio Big Blue / Pikwik Pack / True and the Rainbow Kingdom Guru Studio’s Big Blue, created by Gyimah Gariba, shows children what it means to be part of a family. It “underscores the timely message of how caring for our planet and each other is the most important thing of all,” says Jonathan Abraham, VP of sales and business development. Pikwik Pack focuses on working together and sharing joy with those in our community. True and the Rainbow Kingdom aims to empower children to be mindful, courageous and respectful of all living things and has multiple seasonal and holiday specials on offer.

True and the Rainbow Kingdom

“It’s been a busy few months for Guru, with our roster of original shows generating a ton of fresh excitement from buyers.”

—Jonathan Abraham

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The Jim Henson Company Word Party / Splash & Bubbles / Doozers The Jim Henson Company’s Word Party introduces audiences to new words that help them describe their world, navigate their day and express their ideas and feelings. The Netflix original “has come off its broadcast holdbacks, and we are now talking to broadcasters worldwide about this preschool series that has been wildly popular with young preschoolers and their parents,” says Kerry Novick, VP of global distribution. Splash & Bubbles is available in Europe for broadcast as well as FVOD and SVOD rights. Doozers is generating new interest from both broadcasters and streamers.

Doozers

“Doozers is inspiring a whole new international audience with its solid STEAMbased ‘design-thinking’ curriculum.”

—Kerry Novick

I.M.P.S. The Smurfs CGI series / The Smurfs HD remastered The first two seasons of the new The Smurfs CGI TV series are on offer from I.M.P.S., an official licensor of the iconic brand. The series “is aimed at kids 5 to 10, and more generally at the whole family, with parents who will feel the nostalgia of their childhood,” says Nele de Wilde, head of sales, production and business development, audiovisual and music. The company is also presenting the classic The Smurfs series from the ’80s, produced by Hanna-Barbera and remastered in HD.

The Smurfs CGI series

“Season two of our widely popular new The Smurfs TV series is set to start airing in Q4 of this year, and season three is currently in development.”

—Nele de Wilde

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Magic Light Pictures

The Gruffalo

Pip and Posy / Superworm / The Gruffalo Magic Light Pictures has among its highlights Pip and Posy, a series that premiered in the U.K. last year and is now rolling out internationally. “Pip and Posy’s appeal comes from the strong, engaging scripts, the exquisitely detailed animation and the warmth and strength of the friendship of the two main characters,” says Muriel Thomas, director of international distribution. Also on offer from Magic Light are the half-hour films Superworm, The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child.

“Our entertaining half-hour films are renowned for the stand-out quality of the animation, coupled with great storytelling.”

—Muriel Thomas

Barbie: It Takes Two

Mattel Television Deepa & Anoop / Barbie / Monster High

The Mattel Television highlight Deepa & Anoop centers on 7-year-old Deepa and her best friend, Anoop, a color-changing elephant. Barbie: It Takes Two follows Barbie “Malibu” Roberts and Barbie “Brooklyn” Roberts as they pursue their dreams of musical stardom. “Netflix and our broadcast partners plan to release two new Barbie movies this fall,” notes Fred Soulie, senior VP and general manager. The Monster High franchise has a new animated series and a live-action TV movie musical.

“Mattel Television strives to tell inclusive stories in which children can see themselves.”

—Fred Soulie

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Mondo TV Group Annie & Carola / Monster Loving Maniacs / Agent 203 Mondo TV Group is highlighting Annie & Carola, as well as two shows that are part of the company’s partnership with Toon2Tango. Annie & Carola follows shy Carola and her outgoing best friend Annie, a robot that Carola built herself. “All of the episodes have a special focus on the needs and emotions of its main characters—and teens in general,” says Luana Perrero, head of content sales at Mondo TV. Monster Loving Maniacs is about three kids who are trained as monster hunters, while Agent 203 centers on a girl who protects the planet against alien invasions.

Monster Loving Maniacs

“The partnership with Toon2Tango has added many new high-quality shows to our production pipeline.”

—Luana Perrero

Paramount Rock Island Mysteries / Star Trek: Prodigy / Transformers: EarthSpark Featuring the backdrop of Australia’s Gold Coast, the live-action series Rock Island Mysteries tops Paramount’s kids’ highlights. “Family, friendship and adventure are universal themes in the show that resonate with kids around the world,” says Chris Rose, VP of international production and development for Paramount Kids & Family. Star Trek: Prodigy features a new motley crew of young aliens who are navigating a greater galaxy in search of a better future. Transformers: EarthSpark introduces a new generation of the robots, who are the first to be born on Earth.

Star Trek: Prodigy

“Nickelodeon has an exciting international programming lineup for the summer and beyond, with many more new and returning series launches.”

—Chris Rose

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Sesame Workshop Sesame Street Mecha Builders / Bea’s Block / Play to Learn Leading Sesame Workshop’s highlights, Sesame Street Mecha Builders reimagines Elmo, Cookie Monster and Abby Cadabby as robot superheroesin-training with STEM superpowers. Bea’s Block follows the titular 5-year-old and her two best block friends, who go on “kindness adventures” in their community. “Both series will include fully integrated educational curricula, engaging music and a whole lot of heart,” says Whit Higgins, senior VP of international media and education and distribution. A collection of animated formats, Play to Learn features playful early-learning content.

Bea’s Block

“Our series meet the moment to help broadcast and platform partners deliver real substance, with lots of furry fun, to their viewers.”

—Whit Higgins

Slap Happy Cartoons Liquid Shell / Funky Fins / Gary, Defender of Lint!

Liquid Shell, an action sci-fi comedy series starring two unlikely heroes, tops Slap Happy Cartoons’ slate. On a quest for riches, the heroes become entangled in an adventure that could change the world. In Funky Fins, three bottom-of-the-sea dwellers swim up and take in the wonders of the entire ocean. Gary, Defender of Lint! follows a boy whose belly button lint is the key ingredient to a spell that grants unlimited power. “This show will appeal to anyone who enjoys heart-thumping action and belly-busting laughs,” says Josh Mepham, partner and head of development.

Gary, Defender of Lint!

“Our development slate is full of great properties that we can’t wait to take to market.”

—Josh Mepham

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Studio 100 Media

FriendZSpace

Vegesaurs / FriendZSpace / SeaBelievers Studio 100 Media is spotlighting Vegesaurs, which takes viewers on mini-adventures led by Ginger, a young Tricarrotops, and her friends, the baby PeaRexes. Three best friends who seem like regular human kids are actually risk-taking deep-space friend makers in FriendZSpace. “Every alien kid wants to be friends in the end, but to get there will rarely be easy,” says Dorian Bühr, head of global distribution. “Different customs, funny alien biological quirks and pressing narrative events create comic complications that must be overcome.” SeaBelievers is an eco-tainment series.

“Our mission in the kids’ entertainment world is to bring brands to life that are content-driven and entertain kids and families, on every platform and wherever they are.”

—Dorian Bühr

ZDF Studios Theodosia / #LikeMe / Hoodie Theodosia, a series that centers on the teenage daughter of two Egyptologists, is among the three live-action kids’ titles that ZDF Studios is highlighting. Set in 1905, it “transports its audience in a universe full of magic, adventure, fantasy and mystery,” says Peter Lang, VP Junior, ZDF Studios. #LikeMe centers on Caro, a young girl who has to adjust after moving to the city from a remote village with her parents when her mother is diagnosed with cancer. A superhero series, Hoodie features a perfectly normal boy who has a talent for parkour and a passion for justice.

Hoodie

“At present, we have 20,000 episodes of live action and animation available in 25 languages—all ready to air.”

—Peter Lang

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APC Kids’ Go Green with the Grimwades.

GOING

GREEN

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Children’s media executives discuss the important role that the TV industry plays in spreading awareness about the climate crisis. By Jamie Stalcup

E

xperts have been sounding the alarm on climate change for years, but as the United Nations’ latest IPCC report indicates, the protections put in place have not been enough to slow the rise of greenhouse gas emissions. The TV industry plays an important role in spreading awareness about the crisis, and those in the children’s sector are doing their part, as evidenced by the boom in environmental and nature-based programming for young ones.

“We have come to terms with the fact that we need to do more than wait for institutions to protect our environment and solve climate change,” says Lionel Marty, managing director of APC Kids, which distributes the live-action family series Go Green with the Grimwades.

Dorian Bühr, head of global distribution at Studio 100 Media, holds the same sentiment: “The kids’ industry has a certain responsibility when it comes to inspiring kids, and it’s important that our industry contributes to making children understand what is going on in the world.” Studio 100 fulfills this responsibility with SeaBelievers, an animated series that takes kids on adventures to save the ocean and the environment.

Though some adults may want to shield children from major environmental issues, much of the programming comes about because “we have children of all ages reaching out and asking questions,” says Kenn Viselman, producer for North America of

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Studio 100 Media’s SeaBelievers is billed as an eco-tainment series.

MeteoHeroes, an animated series co-produced by Mondo TV Group and Meteo Operations Italia that centers on kids who have the power to alter the weather. “They are being bombarded on all their various screens with images of natural disasters 24/7.”

Rather than alarm children, the shows that address these issues, even in less direct ways, can ease their fears and empower them, demonstrating examples of how they can help change the world right from their own homes.

ONE WITH NATURE Among producers and distributors of environmental series, it is widely agreed that one of the most important features of their shows is that they do not put the responsibility on the children. In fact, in many of these shows, the main idea is just to get children in tune with nature. Camille Serceau, producer at Superprod for Me and My Compost, a new series that centers on the adventures of a giant compost man, notes that the show’s “idea is not to tell the children how to consume—they’re not the ones going to the supermarket.

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Mondo TV co-produced MeteoHeroes with an Italian weather-forecasting center.

It’s just to reconnect with nature—to let them see that nature is everywhere.”

Tara Hungerford, co-creator of The Gumboot Kids programs, which are distributed by Little Engine Moving Pictures and show preschoolers and their families mindfully exploring nature, concurs, noting that “it’s not putting it on the children to solve the problem. What our show does is just allows kids to connect and therefore love and care and respect their environment.”

Eric Hogan, co-creator of The Gumboot Kids, adds, “There are studies done that show that children who spend time in nature carry these attitudes of appreciation, conserving nature [and] loving the planet throughout their entire lives.”

“I’m not trying to sound overly simplistic about it, but the reality is, if a child feels nature in their body and soul and feels a connection, then they will care about the planet more,” Hungerford says. “They will make choices that are mindful and environmentally conscious.”

When the environmental shows do demonstrate ways for children to actively help save the planet, they offer simple solutions. For Me and My Compost’s Serceau, “The concept of

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A DIVISION OF World Screen

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IS GETTING

BIGGER!

TVKids.com

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Superprod’s Me and My Compost centers on a friendly monster made of compost.

the project is, how do you take care of the planet when you’re just a kid and you have your whole life ahead of you?” Her coproducer Aurélie Angebault, who produces on behalf of Vivement Lundi !, notes that composting is one of the few “ways kids can do something for the planet, because all other issues are adults’ problems.”

APC Kids’ Marty says Go Green with the Grimwades approaches the topic by offering an inside perspective of a real family, therefore showing viewers and their own families that change can start at home. The series demonstrates “through simple and efficient tools: the language Tim and Ella [Grimwade] adapt to their own children’s level, the catchy song and the key five ‘R’ words articulating their problem-solving: refuse, reduce, reuse, repair and recycle.”

No matter which path producers take—just helping kids connect with nature or offering active solutions—“the most

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important thing is that we treat our audience with respect,” MeteoHeroes’ Viselman says. “We never talk down to them. We use humor and make sure that each episode is factually correct, that we use terms that make them feel hopeful and that we tell a compelling story leaving the audience hopeful.”

LENDING SUPPORT Many of the shows offer additional materials to further children’s education and understanding of the planet. The Gumboot Kids has two spin-off series and educational material for North American classrooms, MeteoHeroes offers a variety of educational content and community outreach programs, and Me and My Compost will have an additional short-form web series that includes interviews with children around the world. SeaBelievers, meanwhile, poses a challenge at the end of each episode to encourage children to go out and connect the lessons they learn in the series with real life.

Paired with the messages already given during their episodes, the series are setting children— and our planet—up for a better future.

“In the end, everyone just wants to create awareness and provide options to motivate kids and families to be mindful and proactive,” Studio 100’s Bühr says. And with that, hopefully, comes the protection of our planet for The Gumboot Kids programs, distributed by Little Engine generations to come.

Moving Pictures, target preschoolers.

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TV KIDS PIONEER AWARD

Jules Borkent Paramount Global

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aving joined Nickelodeon in 1998, Jules Borkent has been with the company through many shifts in the kids’ programming industry. Today, he serves as the managing director and executive VP of international kids and family brands at Paramount Global, which puts him in charge of all aspects of content and business operations for Nickelodeon-branded channels and platforms internationally. This includes content for the Paramount+ streaming service, which is continuing its international rollout. For his role in so carefully shaping the programming that reaches young ones around the world, Borkent is being honored with the TV Kids Pioneer Award.

By Kristin TV KIDS: Tell us about the franchise strategy and how that is balBrzoznowski

anced against brand-new concepts coming to the screen.

BORKENT: We do have a lot of well-known and beloved franchises, including SpongeBob SquarePants and PAW Patrol.

We did a great spin-off called Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, where we went back to how SpongeBob and his friends

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first met at camp. It launched on Paramount+ in the U.S., and it was a fantastic success. While we launched it as a Paramount+ exclusive in the U.S., we very quickly transitioned it to the linear service as well, and it did phenomenally well there.

Nick Jr. is among the partners on eOne Family That showed us that our Brands’ Peppa Pig. audience will follow us wherever we bring the content. We did The Patrick Star Show, which was another SpongeBob spin-off. For PAW Patrol, we have announced a spin-off around Rubble, and we are bringing back Dora the Explorer. Dora is coming back in two iterations: one is a new CGI preschool series that updates all the old, famous, wellbeloved characters, but we are also in development on a show more in the tween space based on the Paramount movie we did a couple of years ago. The Dora live-action show will not be for the Nickelodeon linear channel; it’s very much for streaming. I am hoping for international that the Dora show will not just be on Paramount+ but can also find a home on linear after. We cross-pollinate our platforms, and these franchises are ideal for that.

Originals are also continuing. We are launching Rock Island Mysteries internationally this summer. We did it together with our partners at Network 10 and Fremantle in Australia. The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj, a new show that we’re doing with our partners at Viacom18, is also launching later this year.

That is one of the first Indian co-productions that we’ve done.

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With [the new] launches for Paramount+, we’re looking at local markets like France, Germany, the U.K. and Italy to find content that will build our platform internationally. We’ve had some great success recently with an acquisition, Barbapapa, which came out of France. The Smurfs is another franNickelodeon is developing new content chise that we did with our partners based on SpongeBob SquarePants. in Belgium and that launched this year with great success. We are about to go into the second season and are in development on a Paramount movie for that.

TV KIDS: What are you and your teams looking for in acquisitions and content partnerships?

BORKENT: We’re flexible. In the past, we were pretty prescriptive about what we needed: two 11s, 22 minutes, maybe some short-form. We’re looking for shows that still very much fit the Nickelodeon ethos: making the world a more playful place, comedy, laughter and grounded in reality for kids to recognize themselves. Mainly, what we will be looking for in the animation space is comedy. Action-adventure is also going to be of some interest to us, given that we are about to launch Transformers with our partners at Hasbro later this year. We’re looking for what more we can do in that space.

We’re looking at [Teenage Mutant Ninja] Turtles in a new iteration. We also announced Avatar Studios, where we are looking at the Avatar world and how we can bring that back for Paramount+ and potentially for linear services.

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TV KIDS: What areas of growth have you identified for the kids and family business?

BORKENT: We know our content is incredibly popular on YouTube, and we know kids are on YouTube in vast amounts. We’re really looking at YouTube as a platform to bring our content to [an even wider audience] in a different Nickelodeon is a global partner on The Smurfs. format. Gaming is another really important part. We’re doing a lot in that space, mainly around our key franchises. Pluto TV is a huge opportunity to dig into our library of content. Some of that content no longer lives on current linear services, but there’s still a real appetite for some of those shows on Pluto. From linear channels to streaming services to FAST services to YouTube, [we’re looking at] how we manage to make our content available to as many fans as possible.

TV KIDS: You’ve been in the kids’ business for a long time. What still excites you about serving this audience?

BORKENT: The content we create still to this day puts smiles on kids’ faces. They love our shows. Despite the proliferation of platforms, they still come to us and watch our shows. I’m really proud of my team and the people I work with and to be a part of this. I always say change is good. You have to be able to cope with change, and that’s tough sometimes, especially after the two years we’ve had, but that’s where you have to keep looking forward—there’s always something to look forward to.

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Lighting ZDF Studios’ The Bureau of Magical Things.

a Spark

ZDF Studios’ Jan-Frederik Maul on the value of early involvement and localization. By Chelsea Regan

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ermany-based ZDF Studios has been distributing series for preschoolers, kids aged 6 to 10 and tweens under its own name, for the ZDF channel or for third parties since its inception in 1993. Distinguishing itself in the kids’ content space, the company prioritizes early involvement in the titles that join its catalog. “Getting involved in top-quality kids’ programs, to us, comes first and is something that we just don’t compromise on,” says Jan-Frederik Maul, director in ZDF Studios’ junior department. “We invest in captivating stories with international appeal, which often are brand- or book-based.”

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Key to ZDF Studios’ strategy as a distributor is offering different language versions of the titles on its slate. “We have a campaign slogan: ‘We speak your language,’ and we take that quite literally!” says Maul. “As of today, we have 20,000 episodes of live action and animation available in 25 languages ready to broadcast.”

Brands such as “H2O—Just Add Water and The Bureau of Magical Things are deliverable in more than 20 languages,” he

“We have a campaign slogan: ‘We speak your language,’ and we take that quite literally!” —Jan-Frederik Maul

adds. Furthermore, ZDF Studios holds several hundreds of hours in specific languages for its key markets.

As part of its localization strategy, ZDF Studios’ junior department reinvests in dubs for its brands, supporting their marketability and extending their shelf life. “We leverage the overall number of distributable content and are able to generate sustainable revenue streams,” says Maul.

Taking a proactive approach, ZDF Studios’ junior department often handles producing language assets first to unlock potential.

“When it comes to TV and VOD sales, we are able to make our clients benefit directly from relevant cost savings in their dubbing budgets,” says Maul. “We have established ourselves as a reliable one-stop shop for localized, high-profile kids’ and family content.”

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Family Time The Jim Henson Company’s Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock.

Halle Stanford on The Jim Henson Company’s animation development pipeline. By Kristin Brzoznowski

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orking across preschool and prime time, Halle Stanford, the president of television at The Jim Henson Company, sees commonalities in delivering for these different targets. “Overall, the strategy when developing is: Is this transformative television?” she says. “Will this project be able to build a fan family?

Are we taking you away to a magical world that you can’t wait to go back to?”

In terms of the way The Jim Henson Company approaches development, Stanford says the team is always looking to work with creators and dreamers who want to bring their

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“hope-and-dream project” to life. “I don’t think there’s one show I have on the slate that isn’t somebody’s hope-anddream project, including my own. That is a must at Henson.

We approach it from: What is in your heart? What does your voice have to say in this world? Does it resonate with our company? And if it does, we’ll get behind it a thousand, million percent. That’s what we’re all about.”

“We always have our war cry: What do kids need now? That’s been our guiding star.”

—Halle Stanford In the kids’ department, the company is looking to develop unique voices and perspectives with its characters. “We always have our war cry,” Stanford says, “which is: What do kids need now? That’s been our guiding star. One of the things that kids need right now is to be able to come together and have meaningful conversations, even if they’re completely different in their identities. So, we’re looking for stories in this area.”

Stanford is also identifying programming that can grow up with kids. “Whatever our programming is, we need to have the next story for the next generation,” she says. “We need to constantly be giving everyone joyful, magical, thoughtful and entertaining experiences. If we can do that at all levels, from preschool all the way through prime time, we’ve done our job at Henson.”

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Jeff Valdez The Garcías

By Jamie Stalcup

he Nickelodeon series The Brothers García is credited with being the first English-language sitcom with an all-Latino cast and creative team. The groundbreaking show, which ended more than 15 years ago, has been brought to life again with its reboot, The Garcías on HBO Max. Set 15 years after The Brothers García, the reboot sees the García kids—played by the original actors—all grown up with children of their own. When the extended family travels to the Riviera Maya in Mexico, they go on a journey of self-discovery and learn what it really takes to be a family.

Jeff Valdez, executive producer and showrunner of both The Brothers García and The Garcías, talks to TV Kids about his push to bring the show back, what it was like to reunite the original cast and the importance of Latino representation on-screen.

T

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