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TVKIDS
WWW.TVKIDS.WS
OCTOBER 2016
MIPJUNIOR & MIPCOM EDITION
French Animation / Live-Action Shows / Book-Based Properties / Digital Extensions / Licensing Trends / Margaret Atwood
Turner’s Christina Miller / BBC’s Alice Webb / Richard Taylor / Jonathan M. Shiff / Craig Gerber / ACTF’s Jenny Buckland / Genius Brands’ Andy Heyward
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4K Media Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V / Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions The focus for 4K Media at MIPCOM is to promote the newest installment in the long-running Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise, Yu-GiOh! ARC-V. The show follows as Yuya Sasaki seeks to become the best “duel-tainer” in history. Fans of Yu-Gi-Oh! will also be introduced to a brand-new Pendulum summons in this latest series. The franchise also features Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, Yu-Gi-Oh! GX and Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s, along with Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL. The Yu-Gi-Oh! brand has been featured on broadcasters worldwide for more than 15 consecutive years now. 4K Media is looking to expand the European broadcast and digital presence for the property, in addition to eyeing additional opportunities throughout the Middle East, Russia and Latin America. The movie Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions is slated to hit theaters in 2017.
Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
9 Story Media Group 3 Amigonauts / Sweet Tweets A fast-paced comedy for 6- to 11-year-olds, 3 Amigonauts centers on a trio of friends attending a prestigious space academy. “3 Amigonauts’ characters are hilarious, quite endearing and universally lovable,” says Natalie Osborne, the chief strategy officer of 9 Story Media Group, which is presenting the title at the market. “In addition to the lovability of the characters, the show’s story lines are chock-full of visual gags and jokes, adding to its global appeal.” The company’s MIPCOM slate also includes a soon-to-be-announced liveaction musical dramedy for tweens, and the short-form series Sweet Tweets. “Sweet Tweets is adorable, featuring classic nursery rhymes and songs, as well as new original music,” says Osborne. “This content is a perfect selection for the younger end of the preschool demo.”
“3 Amigonauts features a highly unique look, which will stand out from other shows in the marketplace.” —Natalie Osborne 3 Amigonauts
41 Entertainment Kong—King of the Apes /Tarzan and Jane/Super Monsters Set in the future, Kong—King of the Apes sees the titular hero trying to save mankind from robotic dinosaurs controlled by an evil genius. “This story is an epic adventure that is perfect for buyers seeking a boys’ property with a well-known IP,” says Kiersten Halstead, the VP of sales and marketing at 41 Entertainment. “It’s a fantastic fusion of nature and technology that will get the audience hooked and wanting more.” Other MIPCOM highlights from the company include Tarzan and Jane, which puts a new spin on the classic tale about the jungle hero and his female companion, and Super Monsters, a preschool comedy. Halstead says that Super Monsters “introduces viewers to a world of pint-sized vampires, witches, werewolves and monsters who are descendants of infamous monsters.”
“Each of these properties brings something unique to capture the attention and hearts of the viewers.” —Kiersten Halstead Tarzan and Jane 218 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
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Animasia Studio Harry & Bunnie / Chuck Chicken / ABC Monsters The non-dialogue animated series Harry & Bunnie, one of Animasia Studio’s MIPCOM highlights, follows an aspiring magician and his mischievous stage rabbit. “Harry & Bunnie was launched recently on Disney Channels in Asia and will soon be expanding its broadcast reach to other regions,” says Edmund Chan, the company’s managing director. Animasia is also showcasing Chuck Chicken, about a bird who finds a golden egg that gives him powers to fight evil. “The show is performing very well on Disney Channels in Southeast Asia and also received an overwhelming response on China’s VOD platform iQIYI,” says Chan. There is also ABC Monsters, an alphabet-themed series targeting viewers between the ages of 4 and 6. “ABC Monsters has a growing broadcast presence on many channels worldwide,” adds Chan.
“Animasia is actively seeking strategic partnerships to create, build and monetize intellectual properties that can strike winwin benefits.” —Edmund Chan Harry & Bunnie
APC Kids Memories of Nanette / Zoli & Pokey / The Wish APC Kids is the children’s programming sales arm formed in a joint venture between About Premium Content (APC) and Lionel Marty of The Distribution Factory. “Besides managing the international distribution of a selection of shows, APC Kids is also helping producers in their search for financing on their new projects by gathering soft money, international coproductions and presales,” says Marty, the JV’s managing director. Among the highlights from APC Kids is Memories of Nanette, about a young girl spending a year on her grandparents’ farm. Zoli & Pokey is an animated show that Marty says “combines a unique and distinctive character design and the humor of a sitcom.” The Wish is a Christmas-themed liveaction series that mixes “heartwarming stories, adventure, a fantastic, talented cast and a contemporary tone.”
“Memories of Nanette has the ingredients to become the next evergreen classic series.” —Lionel Marty Memories of Nanette
Australian Children’s Television Foundation Little Lunch specials /Balloon Barnyard /You’re Skitting Me Two Little Lunch specials are on offer from the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF). “One special has a Halloween theme, and the other focuses on graduation day,” says Tim Hegarty, the company’s international sales manager. ACTF is also promoting the preschool series Balloon Barnyard, which follows two humble donkeys with superhero ambitions, and a new season of the sketch comedy You’re Skitting Me, featuring an all-new cast and a shorter format. “The three new programs launching at MIPJunior and MIPCOM are just about as diverse as they come, so whether buyers are at the market looking for content aimed at preschoolers, the 6-to-10s or the 10-to-15s, they’re sure to find that one of these shows meets their requirements,” says Hegarty.
“With everything from comedy to drama, shortform animation to documentary/ factual series, the ACTF has something to suit all broadcasters of children’s content.” —Tim Hegarty Balloon Barnyard 220 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
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BabyTV Charlie & the Alphabet / G-Rafa / OTT collection A follow-up to Charlie & the Numbers, Charlie & the Alphabet—one of BabyTV’s MIPCOM highlights—looks on as the titular character introduces each letter of the alphabet through stories and songs. G-Rafa, BabyTV’s newest production, follows five friends with character traits that are relatable to young viewers. “The series has been created with the help of childhood experts and will appeal to kids’ imaginations,” says Ron Isaak, the director of programming at BabyTV, which is also promoting its OTT catalog. “Our new OTT collection is a library of assets specially arranged for digital viewing,” says Isaak. “It provides hundreds of hours of short- and long-form episodes, featuring the characters and shows that our international audience knows and loves, and tailored for early-age viewing.” Isaak says that BabyTV has “the best quality content for its age group, crafted with expertise and cherished by kids and parents alike for over ten years, and guarantees a safe but G-Rafa fun environment.”
“BabyTV provides an unmatched service for families.” —Ron Isaak
Bejuba! Entertainment Flora of the Forest / Ruff-Ruff, Tweet and Dave / The Hive An animal-loving explorer who lives with her scientist mother is the central character in Flora of the Forest, on offer from Bejuba! Entertainment. “We are looking for co-pro partners and presales for this luscious preschool series,” says Emilie Pasquet, the company’s director of sales. Bejuba! is also presenting Origanimals, a CGI show meant to teach little ones about themselves and the animal kingdom, as well as the second seasons of Ruff-Ruff, Tweet and Dave and The Hive. “Both series are back and stronger than ever,” says Pasquet of the latter two titles, both of which have half-hour specials, including for Christmas and Halloween. “The series tell universal stories that will appeal to all kids,” Pasquet says. “They’re aspirational and fun. As some of the series are just delivering, we already have some global deals and other buyers have confirmed their interest.” She adds, “We’ve got some great new properties for sale, and are looking for new shows to grow the catalog Flora of the Forest and to co-produce.” 222 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
“These series tell universal stories that will appeal to all kids; they’re aspirational and fun.” —Emilie Pasquet
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CAKE Bottersnikes & Gumbles/ Tolibob/ Angry Birds content The book-based animated series Botter“Angry Birds content snikes & Gumbles, geared toward chilhas flown off the shelves dren between the ages of 6 and 9, is being since CAKE took over presented by CAKE to international buydistribution a year ago.” ers in Cannes. “Bottersnikes & Gumbles —Ed Galton follows the comic adventures of our three young Gumble heroes as they try to avoid getting tin-canned by their lazy, grumpy neighbors, the Bottersnikes,” says Ed Galton, the company’s chief commercial officer and managing director. Tolibob is an interactive preschool show that follows a group of young creatures as they play, explore and solve problems while combining shapes, colors and patterns to create new characters. Following the success of Angry Birds: The Movie, CAKE is promoting three new non-dialogue Angry Birds series: Piggy Tales: The Third Act, Piggy Tales: Piggy Street and Angry Birds Blues. Since CAKE took on distribution for the Angry Birds catalog a year ago, 25 deals have been signed that will see conAngry Birds: Piggy Tales tent airing in over 200 territories.
Creative Media Partners Sindbad & the 7 Galaxies / The Beach Crew / Miss Peas Among the MIPCOM highlights for inde“Sindbad & the 7 pendent content creator Creative Media Galaxies is boy-driven Partners is Sindbad & the 7 Galaxies, an but girl-inclusive.” adventure comedy about an everyday kid —Raja Masilamani who goes to school, plays sports—and saves the seven galaxies with his friends in his spare time. “The show has been created for global multiplatform consumption and has at its heart strong storytelling” and characters that kids will relate to, says Raja Masilamani, the company’s creative director. “Sindbad & the 7 Galaxies will appeal to kids 5 to 11, and is family-inclusive and without violence.” Creative Media Partners will also be showcasing The Beach Crew, a character-driven comedy following the adventures of Billy Boogie Board and Sammy Surf Board. Meanwhile, Miss Peas is a slapstick comedy in which four students play tricks on their teacher. “The show is pure entertainment with gags and jokes all the way, as Miss Peas tries to get to the end of the school day Sindbad & the 7 Galaxies without incident,” says Masilamani. 224 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
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Cyber Group Studios Mirette Investigates / Zou / Zak Jinks The adventures of a young zebra who lives with his extended family take center stage in Zou, the third season of which is being promoted by Cyber Group Studios. The animated series is meant for little ones between the ages of 3 and 6. The company is also offering up Mirette Investigates, which is aimed at children between the ages of 6 and 10. The animated comedy is about a 10-year-old girl who solves mysteries with some help from her feline assistant. “Zou is a worldwide franchise [and] Mirette is the firstever traveling detective comedy,” says Pierre Sissmann, the chairman and CEO of Cyber Group Studios. Another highlight from the company is Zak Jinks, which follows the adventures of its eponymous hero, who is a likable slacker. Cyber Group is also home to Zorro the Chronicles, which features the adventures of the famous masked hero on his quest for justice, and The Pirates Next Zak Jinks Door, about a family of pirates.
“Zak Jinks is a very funny school comedy for 6- to 10-year-old kids.” —Pierre Sissmann
DHX Media Space Ranger Roger / Chuck’s Choice / Fangbone! Created by Jeff Rosen, Space Ranger Roger is a 3D preschool series about a small alien, his squad of Ranger bots and his android dog. That title is on DHX Media’s MIPCOM slate, along with Chuck’s Choice, a 2Danimated comedy from creator Kervin Faria. “Through an intergalactic gift from the stars, Chuck is bestowed with what may be the greatest device in the universe, the U-Decide 3000, giving him the power to literally choose his next adventure,” says Josh Scherba, DHX Media’s senior VP of distribution. Then there is the comedy adventure series Fangbone!, a Radical Sheep production based on the best-selling graphic novels penned by Michael Rex. “DHX Media continues to bring an impressive slate of kids’ TV content to the market, offering buyers a variety of quality programming, from established, instantly recognizable titles like Teletubbies and Bob the Builder to brandnew shows like Chuck’s Choice and Fangbone!, both of which are already generChuck’s Choice ating considerable buzz,” says Scherba. 226 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
“These are original animated series with a huge wealth of creative and production talent behind them.” —Josh Scherba
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DQ Entertainment International 5 & It / The Jungle Book /The New Adventures of Peter Pan A group of children befriend a magical, wish-granting sand fairy in 5 & It, one of DQ Entertainment International’s highlights. The company is also showcasing the third season of The Jungle Book and the second season of The New Adventures of Peter Pan. “Our shows are based on iconic classics that have been revived, keeping their charm but making them more contemporary,” says Tapaas Chakravarti, the CEO of DQ Entertainment International. “They have drawn an enthusiastic response from children and parents alike, many of whom still remember the classic shows fondly and are entertained to watch them alongside their children. These shows engage and entertain not only children but the entire family, featuring first-in-class animation, comedy, adventure and universal appeal suited for global audiences.”
“With state-ofthe-art facilities, utilizing the latest production technologies, we deliver high-end animation with a lean production pipeline.” —Tapaas Chakravarti The Jungle Book
Entertainment One Family Three Little Ninjas Delivery Service /PJ Masks / Peppa Pig Produced by Belgium’s Creative Conspiracy, Three Little Ninjas Delivery Service is an animated comedy for 6- to 10-year-olds that is on offer from Entertainment One (eOne) Family. “We are looking for presales to finance the series,” says Olivier Dumont, eOne Family’s managing director. The company is also presenting the second season of the preschool show PJ Masks, which will debut on Disney Channel and Disney Junior in the U.S. in fall 2017 and in the rest of the world in early 2018. “We have great new stories lined up for our heroes, who will be confronted by new villains and locations in this season,” says Dumont. eOne Family’s slate also includes the seventh season of the global hit Peppa Pig and the 15-minute companion special Around the World.
“Entertainment One Family is looking for strong projects for the 6-to-9 age group in the action-adventurecomedy and ‘girl power’ genres.” —Olivier Dumont Three Little Ninjas Delivery Service
Federation Kids & Family Paris Opera / The Ollie & Moon Show / Love, Divina The daily live-action series Paris Opera is being promoted by Federation Kids & Family for international buyers at the market. “Paris Opera is the first high-end ballet drama for teens filmed and choreographed at the world-famous Paris opera house,” says Monica Levy, the company’s VP of sales and acquisitions. Federation Kids & Family is also offering up Love, Divina, a daily music-filled teen drama co-produced with Televisa and Pol-ka, and The Ollie & Moon Show, an animated upper-preschool comedy. “Love, Divina features global pop sensation Laura Esquivel, star of Patito Feo,” says Levy. “Ollie and Moon are BFFs with their own catchy recurring tune, who now and then break out into song and dance while on their world travels.”
“Federation is growing quickly with a catalog of exclusive, premium content we are very proud of, and we are always on the lookout for new and interesting projects.” —Monica Levy Paris Opera 228 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
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Foothill Entertainment Mother Goose Club / Toopy and Binoo / Rollie & Friends Meant to encourage movement and a love for reading, Mother Goose Club is an animated preschool show from Sockeye Media that Foothill Entertainment is showcasing at MIPCOM. “Infectious rhythms and melodies inspire children to get up and dance, while the emphasis on words helps young children learn early language skills, making the series hugely appealing to parents as well,” says Elizabeth Stephens, Foothill’s VP of sales and development. Also a preschool program, Toopy and Binoo is a gender-neutral evergreen classic that “engages and mesmerizes children with charismatic characters, humor and fun,” says Stephens. “While immensely entertaining, the series encourages children to be friendly, well-mannered and imaginative.” Rollie & Friends is a third preschool highlight, this one focused on a small roller coaster with big dreams.
“Although actively seeking to acquire new programming, we are also embracing the new media opportunities that have become available for our existing titles.” —Elizabeth Stephens Mother Goose Club
FremantleMedia Kids & Family Bitz & Bob / Danger Mouse / Tasty Tales of the Food Truckers The brand-new show Bitz & Bob and its companion series, Bitz & Bob Let’s Make It, are being presented by FremantleMedia Kids & Family. “Bitz & Bob is a comedy adventure show designed to inspire preschoolers from a really young age and [aims] to get girls into engineering, to [help them] understand the principles of STEAM and learn how to use them via a unique digital extension,” says Rick Glankler, the president and general manager of FremantleMedia Kids & Family. “The short-form, live-action companion show provides step-by-step ways to create interesting, fun, amazing, serious and silly things shown in the main series.” Other highlights from the company include the sophomore season of the successful Danger Mouse reboot, and the new animated comedy Tasty Tales of the Food Truckers.
“FremantleMedia Kids & Family has a history of working with our partners to create memorable stories and characters that connect with kids around the world.” —Rick Glankler Danger Mouse
Gaumont Animation Belle and Sebastian / Do, Re & Mi / Furry Wheels Set in the Alps, Belle and Sebastian is a reimagining of the classic story about the friendship between a young boy and his big white dog. Gaumont Animation is offering up that title at MIPCOM, along with Do, Re & Mi, a new multiplatform animated show produced with the actress Kristen Bell (Frozen). Do, Re & Mi “will take preschool viewers [on] a whimsical musical adventure of the quirkiest kind,” says Nicolas Atlan, the president of Gaumont Animation. “The series, which starts as an adventure and ends in a song, will feature original tracks performed by Bell, Jackie Tohne and other guests.” Then there is Furry Wheels, a comedy series combining sloths and fast cars that “continues to sell well around the world,” according to Atlan.
“Belle and Sebastian is a beloved classic tale known the world over.” —Nicolas Atlan Belle and Sebastian 230 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
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Genius Brands International Rainbow Rangers / Llama Llama / SpacePOP Rob Minkoff (The Lion King) and Shane Morris (Frozen) are part of the all-star creative team behind Rainbow Rangers, which Genius Brands International (GBI) is debuting to international buyers in Cannes. “We have identified a hole in the market for preschool content that targets girls with empowering messages, and we believe we are creating a truly unique property,” says Stone Newman, the company’s president of global consumer products, worldwide content sales and marketing. “With Rob Minkoff and Shane Morris behind the wheel, we know we have something special that will appeal to girls all over the world.” Also on the company’s MIPCOM slate are Llama Llama, a book-based preschool program featuring Jennifer Garner, and SpacePOP, a music-driven tween series that launched on YouTube over the summer.
“We want to work with the best partners in the business and produce the highest quality of entertainment and products for children that are in line with our mission to deliver ‘content with a purpose.’” —Stone Newman Llama Llama
Green Gold Animation Super Bheem / Six Cylinder Samurai / Mighty Raju A spin-off of the popular Indian kids’ series Chhota Bheem, Super Bheem sees the lead character travel to magical lands, where he and his friends fight fantastical creatures. Green Gold Animation is promoting the show at MIPCOM, along with Six Cylinder Samurai. In the series, a cobbled-together samurai robot made of salvaged auto parts and powered by a ’53 Corvette engine partners with a scientist—a disembodied head—to bring down ruthless land barons. The duo embarks on “exciting and nail-biting adventures,” according to Rajiv Chilaka, the company’s managing director and CEO. There is also Mighty Raju, which follows the adventures of a toddler superhero and his canine companion. “Mighty Raju is Aryanagar’s friendly superhero,” says Chilaka. “Brave, quick and intelligent, there is nothing this toddler superhero cannot do.”
“Green Gold is a pioneer in producing original Indian animation content.” —Rajiv Chilaka Mighty Raju
Guru Studio Justin Time Justin and his pals use their imaginations to travel around the globe and learn valuable lessons in Justin Time. This MIPCOM, Guru Studio is presenting the animated show’s new season, which will become available in 2018. “Justin Time has performed incredibly well around the world, [has] been nominated for an Emmy and won a Canadian Screen Award,” says Mary Bredin, the company’s executive VP of content and strategy. Guru is also showcasing a new preschool property with “inventive designs, an infectious hook and instantly lovable characters,” according to Bredin. There is also a new series in development with a leading Canadian broadcaster, the title of which will be unveiled at the market. The program features “a fantastic story with a multicultural cast of unique characters,” adds Bredin.
“From preschool to prime time, we’re looking for standout pitches and great partners.” —Mary Bredin Justin Time 232 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
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Hasbro Studios Transformers: Robots in Disguise / My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic / My Little Pony: Equestria Girls In 2017, Hasbro Studios will roll out the third season of Transformers: Robots in Disguise, “offering young Transformers fans around the globe all-new action-packed stories featuring their favorite Autobots and Decepticons,” says Finn Arnesen, the company’s senior VP of global distribution and development. Next year will also see the premiere of a new season of the hit TV show My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, as well as the release of the animated feature film My Little Pony: The Movie. “Hasbro Studios will also continue to expand our successful My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic spin-off series, My Little Pony: Equestria Girls,” says Arnesen. “Fans around the world will be able to enjoy three all-new specials in 2017 that feature the colorful characters of the Equestria Girls universe.”
“Putting storytelling at the heart of everything we do, we continue to take our brands to new places across the TV, digital and movie landscapes.” —Finn Arnesen My Little Pony: Equestria Girls
Imira Entertainment DinoCore / Hogie the Globehopper / Vroomiz The robot action comedy DinoCore is on offer from Imira Entertainment. “Its amazingly high-quality animation and entertaining storytelling is perfect for 6- to 9-year-olds, taking them on an adventure to save [an] island from an outerspace invasion,” says Sergi Reitg, the company’s CEO. Imira is also showcasing Hogie the Globehopper, which Reitg describes as “a delightful and fascinating series for 4- to 7year-olds that gives kids the chance to discover the world around [them],” and Vroomiz, “a great 3-to-7 target series with high-speed adventures that suggests a new way of problem-solving, leading kids to logical thinking through fun,” says Reitg. These highlights come from the company’s international catalog of more than 150 titles that make up 3,000-plus half-hours of programming.
“We will be presenting many new premium titles, all [of which have] universal appeal.” —Sergi Reitg DinoCore
IMPS The Smurfs / The Smurfs and the Magic Flute / From the World of Peyo to Planet Smurf Three titles featuring the Smurfs property are being promoted by IMPS at MIPCOM. The company is showcasing The Smurfs animated series, The Smurfs and the Magic Flute feature film and the documentary From the World of Peyo to Planet Smurf. “As the worldwide licensor for the Smurfs brand, we are in full preparation for the new fully animated Smurfs movie by Sony Pictures, coming to theaters March 31, 2017,” says Nele De Wilde, IMPS’s business affairs manager for audiovisual. “Our key partners for The Smurfs TV series will be updated about all activities to come around the movie and the brand, and of course this is the ideal time to welcome new broadcasters and digital media players to the Smurfs universe.”
“The continuing success of The Smurfs is due to its broad appeal across cultural, age and gender demographics.” —Nele De Wilde The Smurfs and the Magic Flute 234 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
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INK Group Mojicons / The Barkers / Masha and the Bear A mysterious digital villain steals the @ symbol and brings electronic correspondence to a grinding halt in the comedy series Mojicons, which INK Group is representing at MIPCOM. “Many a jaw will drop on both sides of the screen as the internet reveals its secrets to both the Mojicons and the kids watching their crazy adventures,” says Claus Tomming, the managing partner at INK Group. In season three of Masha and the Bear, the hyperactive young girl causes more trouble for her friend Bear. The company is also presenting Masha’s Spooky Stories, a spin-off of the series in which the titular character shows kids that typical childhood fears are nothing to worry about. A new season of The Barkers is also being offered in Cannes.
“All of these shows are projects that combine distinct originality with a really strong story.” —Claus Tomming The Barkers
Jetpack Distribution Kazoops! / Kitty is Not a Cat / The Wolf Who Aimed at youngsters between the ages of 2 and 6, Kazoops! is an animated show from Cheeky Little Productions that has been a hit on CBeebies in the U.K. and ABC Kids in Australia, and recently launched on Netflix internationally. Jetpack Distribution is showcasing the title at the market, along with Kitty is Not a Cat, which CEO Dominic Gardiner describes as “a hilarious cartoon tale of a kid who thinks she is a cat.” The BES Animation production will also have exclusive online content available for broadcasters. Then there is The Wolf Who, an animated book-based preschool series. “The Wolf Who always wants to change his life but realizes that it is often best to be who you really are,” says Gardiner. There are 78 seven-minute episodes of the 2Danimated series, targeted at 4- to 6-year-olds.
“We are continually searching the globe to find the most talented independent producers to bring [buyers] best-inclass kids’ series all curated into one place.” —Dominic Gardiner Kazoops!
The Jim Henson Company Splash and Bubbles / Dot. / Word Party This year’s MIPJunior World Premiere TV Screening is Splash and Bubbles, an upcoming animated program from The Jim Henson Company. “The series uses a combination of humor and Motown-themed music to expose 4- to 7-year-old viewers to marine life and the need to take care of the ocean,” says Richard Goldsmith, the company’s executive VP of global distribution. “Developed with an advisory panel of top marine biologists, Splash and Bubbles is produced using the Emmy Award-winning Henson Digital Puppetry Studio.” Splash and Bubbles debuts on PBS KIDS in the U.S. on November 23. Other highlights from The Jim Henson Company include Dot., a technology-themed show based on the book of the same name, and Word Party, a vocabulary-building series following four baby animals as they sing, dance and play.
“We have three great shows to present to buyers at MIPJunior and MIPCOM, all of which have their U.S. premieres in 2016.” —Richard Goldsmith Dot. 236 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
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Lacey Entertainment Kiva Can Do! A little girl with a big imagination is the star of the animated series Kiva Can Do!, presented by Lacey Entertainment. Along with her best friend, Saul, and her dog, Angus, Kiva conceives of fantastical adventures that bring them around the world and well beyond. “The stories and dialogue are playful and fresh, with just the right comedic touch that makes for compelling young children’s entertainment,” says Brian Lacey, the company’s president. “Kiva Can Do! features a colorful and multi-textured animation production design combined with magical storytelling that helps to ensure the series will deliver a strong and loyal viewing audience,” Lacey says. “The kid-identifiable characters living in their own worlds gently remind young viewers that like Kiva, anything you can dream, you can do.”
“Kiva Can Do! possesses the hallmarks of a classic young children’s property.” —Brian Lacey Kiva Can Do!
m4e/Telescreen Mia and me / Wissper / Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small Following the successful broadcasts of its first two seasons, the third installment of Mia and me is scheduled for completion by the end of this year, with a fourth season and feature film in development. The hit property is among the highlights for m4e/Telescreen at MIPCOM. “In more than 80 territories around the globe, the show is a huge ratings success, with a strong and successful licensing program in place in most territories,” says m4e CEO Hans Ulrich Stoef. Wissper is an animated preschool program about a little girl who talks to animals. “Wissper, our co-production with Absolutely Cuckoo, already launched very successfully in many markets,” says Stoef. m4e/Telescreen is also showcasing Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small, a 3D animated series based on the classic brand led by a female bunny.
“Our current topquality shows offer strong content that will appeal to all markets and deliver ratings to all broadcasters.” —Hans Ulrich Stoef Mia and me
MarVista Entertainment All Hallows’ Eve / Jessica Darling’s It List / Annabelle Hooper and the Ghosts of Nantucket Family features are at the core of MarVista Entertainment’s MIPCOM offering. In All Hallows’ Eve, a young girl who is celebrating her birthday on Halloween discovers she’s a witch when she accidentally summons a deceased relative who is intent on wreaking havoc on the party. The MarVista original Jessica Darling’s It List, based on the book series from New York Times best-selling author Megan McCafferty, is another MIPCOM highlight. There is also the family adventure Annabelle Hooper and the Ghosts of Nantucket, about a group of friends investigating a 200-year-old mystery. “Each story is driven by a strong female lead and delivers adventure, laughs and some very engaging situations kids everywhere can relate to,” says Vanessa Shapiro, MarVista Entertainment’s executive VP of distribution.
“MarVista consistently delivers entertaining movies that appeal to kids the world over; we’ve been doing that for over a decade.” —Vanessa Shapiro Jessica Darling’s It List 238 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
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Mattel Creations Barbie Dreamtopia / Thomas: Journey Beyond Sodor / WellieWishers Among the titles being promoted by Mattel Creations in Cannes is Barbie Dreamtopia, which follows the adventures of Barbie and her sister Chelsea. It marks the first time that Mattel has produced series content for this globally successful property, according to Alex Godfrey, the company’s director of content distribution for EMEA. “This is exciting because global partners will be able to have more flexible and frequent scheduling with plenty of Barbie content and stories to keep fans engaged and tuned in all year round.” Based on another iconic brand, Thomas: Journey Beyond Sodor is a feature-length production that aims to teach young viewers about friendship. Mattel is also highlighting WellieWishers, a new 2D-animated female-skewing show inspired by the successful American Girl property.
“Mattel Creations leverages the company’s iconic global brands to drive premium content across all platforms.” —Alex Godfrey Barbie Dreamtopia
Mediatoon Distribution Yakari / Miru Miru / Little Furry At MIPCOM, Mediatoon Distribution is presenting the latest season of Yakari. “Following the global success of the previous [season], France Télévisions and WDR commissioned 52 new episodes in CGI with a 2D rendering, adding a fourth season to this ever-growing and iconic franchise,” says Jérôme Alby, the company’s managing director. Mediatoon is also showcasing Miru Miru, a series for toddlers about the adventures of a sea otter, and Little Furry. “We’ll offer a sneak preview of Little Furry, the newest preschool series commissioned by Canal+ and RTBF’s OUFtivi,” Alby says. “These programs push the boundaries of the imagination in humorous and adventurous ways. This is all made possible by the wonderful power of animation that brings magic and comedy to day-to-day life!”
“Mediatoon is thrilled to bring three of our newest and most exciting shows to MIPCOM.” —Jérôme Alby Yakari
Mercis Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small The preschool series Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small is the central focus for Mercis at MIPCOM. “Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small embraces the charm of Dick Bruna’s artwork,” says Frank Padberg, business development manager at Mercis, which owns the rights for the Miffy brand. The show offers new story lines, locations and songs. “Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small is steadily becoming a global hit with an evergrowing list of major TV stations airing the series,” Padberg adds. “As the show is performing so incredibly well, we are already working on a 26-episode third season, set for delivery in the second half of 2017,” Padberg says. “Due to its strong ratings, Mercis is confident that Miffy will continue to grow further this year.” The series launched in North America on Nick Jr. earlier this month.
“This fresh new take on the classic Miffy character clearly stands out in the vast landscape of preschool shows.” —Frank Padberg Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small 240 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
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MISTCO Atishoo / Elif’s Dreams / Happy Toys Thanks to its extended partnership with Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), MISTCO arrives at MIPCOM with an enriched catalog of animated series that already have track records of success. Highlights include Atishoo, which tells of a curious and active girl going through adventures in each episode. Elif’s Dreams, meanwhile, is designed to help develop children’s instincts as well as their imaginations. There’s also Happy Toys, in which the heroes live together in a toyshop with Master Ayşe. “TRT is the one and only TV network that supports the Turkish animation industry aggressively and continually,” says Aysegul Tuzun, the VP of sales and marketing at MISTCO. “These animated series are competing with huge-budget TV shows in Turkey, and they achieve great success in daily ratings.”
“When it comes to Turkish animation, MISTCO will be the right [choice] for global buyers.” —Aysegul Tuzun Atishoo
Mondo TV YooHoo & Friends 3D Mondo TV and Aurora World have reported strong broadcast and licensing response for YooHoo & Friends 3D, the brand-new series based on the YooHoo & Friends line of plush toys made by Aurora World. More than 80 million plush toys have been sold since the worldwide launch of the line in 2007, and the global awareness has helped to drive interest for the show, which has a strong environmental theme. Key product licenses are close to being finalized in a number of categories for the brand, and discussions are under way in the master toy category. “This new series has everything: great characters, interesting and diverse guest stars, adventure, humor and a message everyone can identify with,” says Matteo Corradi, the CEO of Mondo TV. “It’s also beautifully designed and animated.”
“YooHoo & Friends 3D is a wonderful addition to Mondo and Aurora’s powerful offering of high-quality children’s entertainment.” —Matteo Corradi YooHoo & Friends 3D
Motion Pictures Entertainment Misha the Purple Cat / Pumpkin Reports / Glumpers Motion Pictures Entertainment recently picked up Misha the Purple Cat for worldwide distribution. “The preschool series has a great design, rhythm and positive, funny stories with some surreal elements,” says Jorge Patiño Donaggio, the company’s sales and co-productions manager. “The series is fresh, [making it] highly appealing to any buyer who wants to bet on something original and new.” Motion Pictures is also promoting Pumpkin Reports, a comedy that Patiño Donaggio says has been “sold on every continent to a wide range of clients. Any broadcaster looking for comedy for 6- to 10-year-olds should pay attention to Pumpkin Reports.” There is also the nondialogue, family-oriented slapstick comedy series Glumpers, which Patiño Donaggio notes has been a “tremendous success on SVOD platforms worldwide.”
“In the production field, Motion Pictures is Spain’s most active player in the kids’ industry.” —Jorge Patiño Donaggio Glumpers 242 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
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Rainbow Regal Academy / Maggie & Bianca Fashion Friends / World of Winx Regal Academy is an animated comedy for kids 4 to 8 that Rainbow is showcasing in Cannes. It has premiered in the U.S. on Nickelodeon and in Italy on Rai YoYo. Maggie & Bianca Fashion Friends, meanwhile, is Rainbow’s first live-action show. “Its uniqueness lies in its setting in the Milan Fashion Academy,” says Iginio Straffi, Rainbow’s founder and CEO. “Never before has a pre-teen liveaction series had fashion as the main feature, and this is part of our Italian legacy. On top of that, there is an international context (characters coming from all over the world), great original music and comedy.” Rainbow is also presenting World of Winx. “This is our first Netflix original series, a spin-off of the classic Winx Club TV show,” Straffi says.
“Rainbow aims to position itself as a specialist in the girls’ universe.” —Iginio Straffi Regal Academy
Rive Gauche Television Kid Diners Rive Gauche Television arrives at MIPCOM with the foodbased series Kid Diners. The show serves up a “wild and crazy tour of unique dining experiences from the perspective of two kids who love to eat,” says CEO Jon Kramer. Each episode sees the young hosts explore a different restaurant in a new city, with one testing a casual eatery and the other a fine dining establishment that most children would never try. The kids also go inside the kitchen with top chefs and discover where the ingredients of various dishes come from. “Kid Diners is appealing to the global buyer because it puts kids into adult situations in a fun and exciting way within the food space,” Kramer says. “Since we also have experience in children’s scripted programming, when we saw Kid Diners, we thought it was a great entry point for us.”
“It’s the opportune time for us to enter the kids’ genre, particularly through the food space.” —Jon Kramer Kid Diners
Saban Brands Power Rangers / Cirque du Soleil Junior: Luna Petunia / Popples Saban Brands is at MIPCOM with the classic Power Rangers franchise. “With more than two decades of success, the series remains a constant favorite with viewers of all ages and has developed a dedicated and passionate global fan base,” says Frederic Soulie, the senior VP of global distribution and coproductions for Saban Brands. The 24th season in the franchise, Power Rangers Ninja Steel, will premiere on Nickelodeon in the U.S. in 2017. Another highlight is Cirque du Soleil Junior: Luna Petunia, inspired by the Cirque du Soleil brand. Saban is also presenting Popples, which Soulie says draws a multigenerational audience and appeals to global buyers “due to its strong nostalgic appeal and built-in brand affinity.” Soulie adds: “We will also announce two exciting new co-productions.”
“In addition to our current portfolio of shows, we will debut five new series and a robust development slate.” —Frederic Soulie Popples 244 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
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Serious Lunch Art Ninja / Operation Ouch! / Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter Among the titles Serious Lunch is presenting at MIPCOM is Art Ninja from Dot To Dot Productions. The series, now in its third season, caters to kids interested in experimenting with modern art techniques. There is also the BAFTA-winning medical show Operation Ouch! from Maverick TV. Additionally, Serious Lunch is showcasing the animated series Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter, which won an International Emmy Kids Award for best animation. “These are lasting brands that can make a real impact for international broadcasters, [who can feel] fairly safe with the knowledge that they will be ongoing brands that will support their ratings,” says Genevieve Dexter, the founder and CEO of Serious Lunch. “We are announcing a few North American deals with some of these titles,” she adds.
“We are specifically looking for new content that we can put alongside these brands.” —Genevieve Dexter Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter
Splash Entertainment Kulipari: An Army of Frogs / Alpha and Omega / Meet Your Tooth Fairy The Netflix original animated series Kulipari: An Army of Frogs, which Splash Entertainment is showcasing, follows a young frog who dreams of joining the Kulipari Army. “This original series, filled with many interesting characters, brings a new world to life while telling the classic story of good versus evil,” says Mevelyn Noriega, the president of distribution at Splash Entertainment. The company is also offering three new Alpha and Omega movies. “As family viewing becomes more and more relevant, these three new movies are perfect for families all over the world,” Noriega says. There is also Meet Your Tooth Fairy, which tells the story of Airlie, who travels to Real Fairyland, where she discovers she has magical powers and meets her very own tooth fairy.
“Our mission continues to be the creation of great, innovative, multiplatform content with universal appeal.” —Mevelyn Noriega Alpha and Omega
Studio 100 Media Kosmoo / Arthur and the Minimoys / The Wild Adventures of Blinky Bill The live-action adventure series Kosmoo takes kids along on adventures with Robbe and his bionic dog as they set out to solve crimes and mysteries in the coastal village of Seaview. The series, for kids aged 6 to 9, is part of Studio 100 Media’s offering. Based on the children’s books by Luc Besson, as well as the feature films, Arthur and the Minimoys is a CGI series about a little boy who falls into a world of fantasy and magic. Studio 100 is also showcasing The Wild Adventures of Blinky Bill, for which Patrick Elmendorff, CEO of Studio 100 Media, says there is “already high brand awareness, a strong positive brand association and also nostalgic memories in the older target group. Many people remember the classic 2D series from 1994, which was broadcast in more than 120 countries.”
“We are not only selling Studio 100 productions— we are also looking for third-party content for global distribution.” —Patrick Elmendorff Arthur and the Minimoys 246 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
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Sunrights Beyblade Burst / Beyblade The animated series Beyblade Burst is a priority for Sunrights at MIPCOM. The company is seeking broadcast and distribution partners for the show, particularly in Europe, Latin America and other markets outside of Asia. “We have taken great care to localize Beyblade Burst to ensure that the story line, characters and battles are relatable to fans both new and existing in our regional markets,” says Daizo Suzuki, Sunrights’ president. The series puts a spotlight on the themes of friendship, competition and sports. The company is also seeking digital and home-video distribution for the first three seasons of the original Beyblade series. Suzuki adds: “We are in the midst of our relaunch of the Beyblade brand as we solidify our strategy and product launch plans for international territories.”
“Sunrights is in a unique position in licensing; our IPs are sourced from Japan and localized to adapt to each market.” —Daizo Suzuki Beyblade Burst
Superights Pat the Dog / Helen’s Little School / Story Time! The kids’ comedy series Pat the Dog is about the friendship between a young girl named Lola and her beloved pup, who would do anything to save her day. “We are proud of the series, as it is a perfect mix of humor, action and tenderness,” says Morgann Favennec, the deputy managing director of international sales and acquisitions at Superights. “All of the action scenes are non-verbal, which makes it easy for the program to travel internationally.” Superights is also presenting the social-development series Helen’s Little School, set in a school for toys. Story Time!, meanwhile, offers tales for preschoolers and their families that take viewers all around the world, from Africa to China. “International buyers will easily find tales that pique their interest,” Favennec adds.
“Our mission is to keep producers and broadcasters happy.” —Morgann Favennec Story Time!
Toei Animation Dragon Ball Super /Digimon Universe App Monsters /One Piece Created by Akira Toriyama and Toei Animation, Dragon Ball Super originated in Japan and is now available for international buyers. In the series, Goku and his friends have been living peaceful lives, but at Bulma’s birthday celebration, Beerus, the God of Destruction, threatens the peace on Earth. Goku must rely on his friends to help him become the legendary Super Saiyan God. Toei Animation is also showcasing Digimon Universe App Monsters, about undiscovered beings called Appli Monsters (a.k.a. Appmons) that lurk within smartphone apps, and One Piece, about Monkey D. Luffy, who dreams of finding the treasure that Pirate King Gold Roger hid somewhere on the Grand Line. “These programs appeal to global buyers as famous brands and references for Japanese animation,” says Ryuji Kochi, the president of Toei Animation Europe.
“We are seeking the best TV and video partners to complete the existing rollout of each title in order to target kids worldwide.” —Ryuji Kochi Digimon Universe App Monsters 248 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
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WDR mediagroup Hayden’s Dream / WildWoods / Gigglebug The brand-new live-action series Hayden’s Dream sees the titular character set out to fulfill her dreams. The teen series, which centers on fashion, creativity and growing up, is part of WDR mediagroup’s (WDRmg) slate. The company is also debuting a puppet adventure series for 5- to 7-yearolds called WildWoods. WDRmg is also showcasing season two of the preschool series Gigglebug, about a little creature with a great laugh that helps him make the most of sticky situations. “These three programs illustrate the diversity of our kids’ content, ranging from animation for preschoolers to live action for teens,” says Stefanie Fischer, the head of content at WDRmg. “All of them are high-quality productions with a universal appeal, covering topics that are relevant for kids worldwide.”
“There are many ways for producers and broadcasters from all over the globe to work with us and we have a lot planned for next year.” —Stefanie Fischer WildWoods
Xilam Animation Oggy and the Cockroaches / Paprika / Zig & Sharko Xilam Animation is promoting its slapstick comedy Oggy and the Cockroaches. Season five takes viewers back in time to show that the battle between Oggy and the cockroaches has been going on forever. Xilam is also offering brand-new episodes from seasons six and seven and remakes of classic stories from the first two seasons, all produced in 4K. For twins Olivia and Stan, every day is an adventure in the comedy series Paprika. The series “is important for us because it is a preschool show,” says Marc du Pontavice, the CEO of Xilam, noting that it reflects how the company is expanding beyond its comedy forte. Du Pontavice also highlights the second season of Zig & Sharko, which centers on a starving hyena who is determined to devour the mermaid from the lagoon.
“We are well-known for comedy but [are] expanding our slate.” —Marc du Pontavice Zig & Sharko
ZDF Enterprises Inui / Scream Street / King Laurin ZDF Enterprises’ (ZDFE) animated preschool series Inui tells the story of a little girl who lives in the Arctic Circle. “The emphasis is on visual gags and, at the same time, the main characters have very distinct and warm personalities,” says Peter Lang, the VP of ZDFE.junior. Scream Street, meanwhile, is a book-based stop-motion show about a boy who turns into a werewolf when he becomes angry. “The series is a frighteningly funny ‘gross-out’ comedy for kids, set in a wacky neighborhood full of monsters where being a freak is perfectly normal,” says Lang. Also on the company’s MIPCOM slate is King Laurin, a feature film focused on the legend of the titular dwarf monarch. “It is shot in the authentic MiddleAged world of the beautiful mountains of South Tyrol, Italy,” says Lang of the award-winning movie.
“ZDFE.junior is always looking for partners in the production, co-production, distribution, licensing and merchandising of big brands.” —Peter Lang Scream Street 250 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
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Cyber Group’s Mirette Investigates.
Andy Fry explores the major issues at play for France’s leading kids’ production and distribution companies. ver the last 20 years, a combination of Gallic creativity, healthy levels of domestic channel commissioning and government subsidies has turned the French animation sector into a world-class industry. From centers of excellence such as Paris, Lyon, Lille and Angoulême, French producers deliver series for all age groups to their domestic audiences. Many of these then find homes on broadcasters around the globe. Of note, animation helped boost revenues from French TV exports in 2015, according to the CNC. Animation sales rose by 12.4 percent to €50.6 million ($57 million).
O
TOON INCENTIVES In recent times, there has been a concern that the industry might suffer as a result of the growing volume of physical production work being outsourced to Asia. But the French government, via the CNC, has addressed this issue by upgrading its subsidy program so that it rewards shows made at home. “The animation industry was asking for more money,” says Jérôme Alby, the managing director at Mediatoon
Distribution. “So the state gave us the money on the condition that we make more shows in France.” The revised rules are too new to assess their exact impact, says Alby, but the response in the industry has been upbeat. “It probably means shows will be a little more expensive to make. But it is an opportunity to keep the work closer to home, which means easier communication and better quality control.” Pierre Sissmann, the chairman and CEO of Cyber Group Studios, also welcomes the new CNC rules. “The more complex our shows become, the more it makes sense to be in France,” he notes. “With a show like Zorro the Chronicles, we were dealing with around 100 characters per episode. So [making it in] France made sense.” “The new CNC rules do encourage greater quality,” says Morgann Favennec, the deputy managing director of international sales and acquisitions at indie distributor Superights. “Producers have more control over what they are doing, and that is leading to better series. The audience sees that too, so you can’t trick them. You do have to make a good series to compete in this market.”
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Xilam Animation set up a new facility in Lyon this year where it is producing Paprika, among other shows.
Marc du Pontavice, the chairman and CEO of Xilam Animation, is a strong supporter of the new system of CNC subsidies—even though his company still has an animation studio in Vietnam. “The French animation industry is very good at creating jobs and driving exports,” du Pontavice says. “But the government has realized that it needs more support if it is to keep its domestic talent base healthy.” Du Pontavice demonstrated his confidence in the prospects of the French animation business when he opened a new animation studio in Lyon to help the company double its current production capacity—with a total of 120 new jobs projected to be created in the first three years.
BALANCING THE BUDGET David Michel, the president and founder of Cottonwood Media and managing director of Federation Kids & Family, says the combination of CNC assistance, the EU’s MEDIA program subsidies, French tax credits and a stable broadcaster landscape “makes France one of the most attractive countries in which to produce and animate shows.” Nevertheless, he describes co-productions as “essential.” In budgetary terms, the combination of a domestic commission and CNC support means a French producer can quickly secure at least half of its budget on a 26x30-minute
animation series, says Mediatoon’s Alby. To this, it is possible to add some regional French subsidies. However, it doesn’t take a mathematician to realize that most French producers still need international support to get their shows made, even with all of the benefits available at home. “We wouldn’t start production until a show is 100 percent financed,” says Alby. “So we usually look for two additional partners. Belgium is a popular choice for the French because it is close to us culturally and has a similar system. More generally, we would always consider EU partners because that is a way of unlocking MEDIA program subsidies.” A classic example of the way Mediatoon might put a series together is Yakari, a preschool animation that is based on a classic comic book series. Yakari airs on France 5 and is coproduced with Belgium (Belvision/RTBF) and Germany (ARD/WDR/KiKA). “It has been such a success for all of the partners that it was recently commissioned for third and fourth seasons,” says Alby.
KEY SLOTS France Télévisions, Canal+ and Lagardère Active—parent company of Gulli, Canal J and TiJi—are all active in commissioning content. In terms of their relative importance, Zodiak Kids CEO Jean-Philippe Randisi says, “France Télévisions accounts for around 70 percent of animation commissioning, which makes it a critical part of the process, since you can only access CNC subsidies if you have a broadcast commission.” Currently, Zodiak makes LoliRock for France Télévisions and Disney Channel France and it received a commission from France TV earlier this year for Lilybuds, a preschool series about a community of tiny magical gardeners. Notwithstanding France TV’s dominance, Randisi says Zodiak endeavors to work with all of France’s main kids’
Gaumont Animation’s new animated series Furry Wheels, about a hyperactive sloth, is headed to France Télévisions and Disney XD EMEA. 254 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
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specific shows, preferring to commission, acquire or coproduce titles that can work across multiple territories. So French studios hoping to work with these partners need an international viewpoint. “France is important to us, but we also want to build links with U.S. networks, SVOD platforms and toy companies,” says Nicolas Atlan, the president of Gaumont Animation. “It’s the same with creatives. We want to work with French talent but also the best animators we can find from the U.S. to Australia and Mexico to China.” Atlan, who divides his time between Paris and L.A., says his current slate reflects Gaumont Animation’s international focus. Furry Wheels, for example, is for France Télévisions and Disney XD EMEA. Noddy, Toyland Detective, meanwhile, is a reboot of the classic Enid Blyton property airing on France Télévisions that is co-produced with DreamWorks Animation.
Sprout, Netflix and France TV are on board Federation Kids & Family’s The Ollie & Moon Show.
broadcasters. Magiki, for instance, is being produced for Gulli and Le Ranch is an animated equestrian adventure on TF1. Cyber Group Studios has also sought to develop links with as many French broadcasters as possible. It is executive producing Mini Ninjas, a TF1 Production for TF1’s kids’ programming block TFOU. It also produced Mirette Investigates for TF1 and Canal+ and the adventure series Zorro the Chronicles for France Télévisions. Sissmann observes that there is one snag with the CNC’s recent intervention in the market. “It’s great that we are encouraging animation production in France. But there is only a limited number of slots on the domestic broadcasters. So for the new rules to really benefit us, we need to be producing shows in France that we can license directly to international channels.” Internationally targeted shows wouldn’t necessarily be able to access the highest levels of CNC subsidies, but they would enable the French animation business to keep growing.
GLOBAL VIEW
A MATTER OF SCALE Given limits on studios’ production capabilities and broadcaster commissioning budgets, French distributors are eager to fully exploit their catalogs, domestically and abroad. “Viacom, Disney and Turner don’t produce, but they do acquire second windows on some projects,” Superights’ Favennec says. “And Netflix is investing in back catalog, which is bringing extra money into the market. Hopefully, that will also translate into original commissions.” Mediatoon is both a producer and a distributor, which means the company is able to board other producers’ projects in the role of international sales agent. “Approximately a third of our catalog is from third-party producers,” says Alby. “A good example would be a preschool show like Folimage’s Miru Miru,” which airs on Canal+ in France and RTBF in Belgium. The scale of Mediatoon’s catalog also means the company can rely on good cash flow from content licensing, says Alby. Currently, its library consists of 2,300 hours of programming featuring well-known characters such as Little Furry, Tintin and Lucky Luke. In 2014, the company also incorporated the Moonscoop catalog, adding hit titles such as Code Lyoko.
“We have made shows for Disney EMEA, such as Zou and Gilbert & Allie,” Sissmann says. “Coming up are Gigantosaurus and an animated series based on the Tom Sawyer story. This kind of business, along with shows for the SVOD platforms, will enable us to grow.” Zodiak’s Randisi agrees that French studios should be looking more at the international market—and not just because of the domestic slot shortage. “France Télévisions is a public broadcaster [and] it tends to stay away from overly commercial properties,” Randisi explains. “So the type of content they go after is not necessarily going to be right for the international market. They have a moral obligation to stay true to French culture and ideas, and that isn’t necessarily going to lead to shows that travel.” There’s an additional factor that pushes French producers toward shows that can work internationally: the behavior of the U.S.-backed thematic channels. For the most part, Disney, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network don’t commission France- Airing on France 5, Mediatoon’s Yakari was co-produced with broadcasters in Belgium and Germany. 256 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
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Indie distributor Superights is not only representing shows from France, it is also partnering with international producers like Ireland’s Cartoon Saloon on Puffin Rock.
Xilam’s biggest show at present is the animated comedy Oggy and the Cockroaches, which will air exclusively on Gulli and Canal J in 2017. Also coming up is Paprika for France TV. Xilam, too, profits from its archive, du Pontavice says. “Library revenues have doubled in the last three years and now stand at €6 million ($6.7 million) a year. We have benefited from the rise of local and global digital platforms, which account for around half of that total.” This cash flow from distribution means two things, says du Pontavice. The first is that the company can fund development on new shows. The second is that it is less reliant on international co-productions to finish off the financing on its shows. “A lot of indies get stuck waiting for the last 20 percent of their budget,” du Pontavice says. “Sometimes they end up giving away too many rights to secure the budget. Fortunately, we don’t have to do that.”
of international opportunities. Pulling work back into France makes sense, but only if it doesn’t reduce France’s ability to co-produce or create internationally themed shows. “The reform is smart—as long as it doesn’t create a wall,” says Xilam’s du Pontavice. “We don’t want to increase domestic finance and risk isolating ourselves.” With this in mind, the best-placed French companies appear to be those that can produce two kinds of content: domestically targeted, CNC-backed shows that have built most of their budget at home and have strong appeal in Continental Europe; and territory-neutral co-productions that may have CNC funding but are positioned so they have the potential to recoup widely on the international market. For companies that want to be in the latter business, it also helps to have distribution muscle, since this makes it easier to retain rights, rather than see them lost during financing.
CHARTING THE FUTURE NEW WAVE A relatively recent addition to the French animation landscape is Superights, a boutique distribution company founded by Axone Invest and Superprod. Favennec, who exited M6 to take the post at Superights, says the company is not planning on getting into production. “At present, we represent a lot of French titles because of our strong contacts here, but our goal is to distribute the best shows, wherever they come from and whatever the format and genre. For example, we have already built up good relationships with Irish producers through titles such as Puffin Rock.” Picnic with Cake, meanwhile, is a co-pro between outfits in the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain. In terms of French content, Superights has found its niche in the market by working with producers who don’t have their own distribution divisions. “A lot of the bigger companies have their own distribution arms,” Favennec says. “But because of the size of the French market, there are many independent producers in need of a specialist company to handle their international sales.” Across the board, from producer-distributors with global scale to indie distributors, executives from France’s kids’ sector are facing a seemingly universal challenge: protecting and supporting the domestic industry while also taking advantage
So, what could stop companies from achieving these goals? Zodiak’s Randisi says writing is still a stumbling block. “Design and writing define whether a show will travel or not. The design is good in France, but writing is more of an issue. France still doesn’t have the writing style that works for U.S. networks. And the U.S. networks are the benchmark for what works internationally. It would be great if the French subsidy system could find a way to develop a strong pool of writers.” Xilam’s du Pontavice says his big concern is if “France misses the digital train. Netflix and YouTube are still quite small in France, but they are important globally.” For Federation’s Michel, a critical issue is volume. “The market has created an inflow of animation; producers have to compete with a high number of library shows to sell fresh new programming.” Cyber Group’s Sissmann identifies another challenge: managing growth. In the last year, the company has acquired Paris-based Pictor Media Animation, ramped up development and explored the potential of opening a shop in Shanghai. “I’ve worked in big organizations like Disney, so I know that as you get bigger, you need more people, resources and infrastructure. But with extra investment comes greater risk. Somehow you have to handle that side of the business while protecting the artistic culture of the studio.”
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There’s a wealth of live-action kids’ programming making its way across the globe, from educational fare for preschoolers to angst-filled dramas for tweens.
iley Cyrus. Nick Jonas. Margot Robbie. Britney Spears. Ant & Dec. The list of big-name celebrities who started their careers in kids’ television goes on and on. But liveaction children’s programming is much more than just a launching pad for talented youngsters. It’s big business as kids’ and youth platforms look to deliver content that is relatable and aspirational to their audiences. “Kids want to see themselves represented on screen, so series with authentic experiences that are representative of real things kids can do are strong performers,” says Diane Rankin, the senior VP of international sales and acquisitions at Distribution360 (D360), which boasts a slate that includes Splatalot! and the factualentertainment franchise This Is. “It’s important to give kids that visual; it builds confidence and shows them what is possible.” Cristiana Buzzelli, the senior VP of licensing and acquisitions at Rainbow, has seen a boom in the demand for live-action shows recently. That trend prompted the Italian animation powerhouse to deliver its first entirely live-action series, Maggie & Bianca Fashion Friends, which combines comedy and drama with a focus on such themes as music, fashion and friendship. “The demand for live action is higher than in the past due to many factors: the shorter production and lead time [compared with animation], the wider span of the target audience and probably also the great success of some live-action shows aired in the last couple of years.” Genevieve Dexter, the founder and CEO of Serious Lunch—home to Operation Ouch!, Horrible Science and Art Ninja—observes, “Everybody seems to be saying that there’s overproduction of animation and not enough good live action.” One of the reasons for that shortage could be the fact that the genre is generally harder to
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The Adventures of Lolly Laffalot is one of Studio 100’s newest live-action highlights.
sell around the world when compared with animation. The previously mentioned relatability aspect is both a blessing and a curse—kids can identify more with live action because they see children who look like them doing the kinds of things they do in the types of places that they do them. However, kids living thousands of miles away in different locations may not feel the same connections. “Animation seems to travel more easily internationally,” says Patrick Elmendorff, the CEO of MarVista is home to a wealth of live-action TV movies targeted to kids and families, among them Raising the Bar. Studio 100 Media. “Live-action Hank Zipzer, Airmageddon and Teletubbies. (Side note: shows are often subject to trends like fashion, music and although the new Teletubbies episodes are enhanced with stars; they always answer strongly to the zeitgeist, which CGI, the show’s characters are live action.) might not be a global one.” “Those shows are DHX-produced and owned,” says Ken Studio 100, however, has had success globally with its Faier, the senior VP and general manager of DHX Studios. live-action kids’ series, including Ghost Rockers, Night “There are also shows that we distribute and commission Watch and House of Anubis, the latter of which has sold for our channel,” he adds, mentioning the teen drama to 60 countries. Newer live-action highlights from the Backstage, which airs on DHX Television’s Family Channel. company are The Adventures of Lolly Laffalot and Kosmoo, MarVista Entertainment boasts a number of live-action which Elmendorff notes “are receiving huge interest in TV movies that are ideal for kids to watch with their families, multiple European territories.” including Jessica Darling’s It List, Raising the Bar, Annabelle A good way to ensure that live-action kids’ content will Hooper and the Ghosts of Nantucket and All Hallows’ Eve. “As have international appeal is by incorporating themes that co-viewing has been increasing, those live-action movies are resonate with young viewers around the globe, including becoming more important for us,” says Vanessa Shapiro, the family and friendship. Friendship is an underlying theme in company’s executive VP of distribution. “There is an several of DHX Media’s live-action kids’ highlights, which increased demand, so we’re making more.” include Degrassi: Next Class, Make It Pop, The Other Kingdom, According to Serious Lunch’s Dexter, today’s live-action kids’ programming is mostly geared toward older children, although there is a demand for younger-skewing content. “Everybody’s crying out for good live action for younger kids because wherever that is [aired], it seems to be very popular,” she says.
SCREEN IDOLS Whatever demo a project is targeted to, a big part of what can determine its success is the on-screen talent, whether it’s young actors or adult presenters. “We’re always looking for genuine talent,” says Dexter. “For Operation Ouch!, Maverick [the show’s producer] identified Doctors Chris and Xand [van Tulleken], who are twin doctors for real. They’re charismatic and they’re funny and they can also carry out detailed lab experiments on camera. With Art Ninja, [host] Ricky has a massive wealth of knowledge about art. So it’s not just about casting somebody who looks right; you’re trying to tap real talent.” MarVista’s Shapiro notes that it’s also helpful to secure young personalities who are already recognizable to today’s youth. “We’re always looking at who’s the next up-and-coming star that we could cast,” she says. “That’s very important because kids are so into social media and they know who’s who, so we have to be 262 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
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DHX Media’s Make It Pop, filmed at its Epitome Studio in Toronto, airs on Nickelodeon channels around the world, including in the U.S.
aware of who’s who and who’s up and coming—and that’s who we’re trying to cast.” At Rainbow, Buzzelli says that with Maggie & Bianca Fashion Friends, the studio needed to look for more than just on-screen charisma. “In our case, singing talent has been very crucial as Maggie and Bianca are going to sing in the show and also for live concerts that we are already planning around Europe.”
GROWING PAINS Finding a good script and the right talent for a live-action kids’ program is only half the battle. Once filming begins, there are several other production and distribution obstacles to overcome. DHX’s Faier lists budgetary concerns as one of the biggest issues. “It can be quite costly—you spend a lot of money in a very short period,” he says. “Animation might take 18 months to produce a show, and from a creative point of view you can continuously improve throughout the process; with live action, you’ve got a lot of risk in a short period of time.” Faier also mentions such logistical filming hurdles as weather and the availability of cast and crew. “You can also have limitations on the number of seasons you can make as kid casts grow up,” says D360’s Rankin. “With buyers looking for long-running and returning series, this can be a challenge.” Serious Lunch’s Dexter mentions the challenges of managing talent, including their residuals and on-set insurance. “In a way it’s just all much more complex than animation,” she says. “One of the challenges we have with Operation Ouch! and Art Ninja is that the BBC always insists on having an original music track, which we then can’t clear internationally. So before we start to distribute, we have to replace all of the music.” Another issue that live-action distributors have to contend with is shelf life. Young ones latch on to, and abandon, trends quickly. “Live-action shows might [become] out of date when the look of a series doesn’t ‘fit’ anymore,” says
Studio 100’s Elmendorff. “But there are also live-action classics that are evergreens and therefore timeless. As with animated series, the good ones with universal appeal can and often do have a very long shelf life.” “Anything featuring fashion and trends will always have a certain shelf life, but they seem to come around again and have a renaissance,” says D360’s Rankin. “Live action can certainly be timeless; more often than not the core themes that resonated with kids ten years ago are still important to kids of that age today, particularly on the younger side. Do it well and it will sell.” Live-action kids’ programming is benefiting from the rise in digital platforms, which can give series a second life. For example, an older show that has stopped airing on linear TV might become available on a streaming service like Netflix or Amazon, thus extending its presence in a way that was only previously possible through DVD release. “There’s probably a longer shelf life than there might have been historically, just because of the platforms that are available out there,” says DHX’s Faier. “It can be dated, but for kids, it’s almost like it’s a window to a fantasy world 15 years ago, but the issues are still primarily the same.” It also helps if a series is a remake, which may spark young viewers’ curiosity to go back and watch the original version on-demand.
FORMAT FRIENDLY One area of opportunity for distributors of live-action kids’ fare is formats. Studio 100’s House of Anubis, for example, originated in Belgium and then an English-language version was made in the U.K. for Nickelodeon in the U.S. and around the world. Nickelodeon’s Every Witch Way, meanwhile, was adapted from the Latin American hit Grachi. “To have a successful format, you need a subject matter that is internationally recognizable or relatable,” says MarVista’s Shapiro. “As long as the story line is relatable and can apply to anywhere in the world, then you should have a successful show. It’s when you get too localized in the [subject] matter that it becomes more difficult.”
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cater to the specifics of their market if we are able to, even though they are not co-producing as such. This kind of openness is beneficial for both parties.”
KEEPING UP
Serious Lunch’s Operation Ouch! is an educational show about the human body featuring real-life twin doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken.
But internationally relatable subject matter is not the only ingredient in the recipe for a successful format. “You’ve got to produce a very detailed production format bible, and that will encompass everything from set designs to lighting direction to budgets, equipment, shooting schedules, etc.,” says Serious Lunch’s Dexter. “You’ve got to be able to take all of your production notes and put them into a format that makes sense to somebody else. So there’s quite a lot of hard work that goes into it.”
WORKING TOGETHER
Studio 100 is among the companies to have found slots for its live-action fare with Disney Channel and Nickelodeon, which are prolific producers of the genre. “Disney and Nickelodeon are the big players, but for independent producers, there is a very nice sweet spot to work on as long as you compete with the ‘big guys’ in terms of original themes and concepts,” says Rainbow’s Buzzelli. “If you are able to position yourself in a specific market space and deliver something fresh, original and new, then there is room for independent producers as well.” “While they do produce a lot of live-action content inhouse, we have sold live-action shows to both Disney and Nickelodeon, so there is an opportunity there [for independents],” says D360’s Rankin. “Public broadcasters, regional, educational, and national commercial channels like YTV in Canada and POP in the U.K., among others, are strong buyers, and the VOD business is also creating more and more opportunities.” No matter who makes it, how it’s made or where it comes from, it seems clear that there will always be a demand for live-action kids’ programming.
There are also opportunities in live-action shows for producers from multiple countries to collaborate. “It’s something that we do,” says DHX’s Faier. “We are working with producers in the U.K., Canada, the U.S., etc. We look at where the idea comes from and if there’s a good creative reason to co-produce. It starts there. [But] it adds challenges and costs, so there has got to be a really good reason to do it as a co-production. Animation’s almost easier to do just from a practical point of view, so for live action, it’s got to work for the story.” Live-action co-pros are common for Studio 100. “A large portion of our hit shows are born out of co-productions with local and international channel partners,” says Elmendorff. “Our channel partners have a direct link with their audience and provide us with valuable input to tune every production to the audience’s tastes and needs. We regularly reach out—even at a very early stage of production—to potentially interested international-distribution partners to get their feedback and input to ensure that we can also Distribution360’s MathXplosion, which airs on TVO in Canada, features Eric Leclerc, a “mathemagican.” 266 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
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The Jim Henson Company’s Dot.
David Wood hears from leading producers and distributors about what it takes to turn a kids’ novel or comic book into a hit TV show. t’s seemingly never been a better time to be in the children’s book business. Sales are up, and as producers the world over seek out compelling concepts for the next big hit show, they are more than willing to option works by both big-name and unknown authors. Underpinning this period of sustained growth in children’s book publishing are parents and grandparents, who have become avid consumers as they look for opportunities to share quality time with kids who are increasingly devoted to their smartphones and social
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media. That trend, coupled with a decline in the social provision of library services in some countries, has led to the boom in the children’s book trade and a wide range of new creative options for producers and distributors of kids’ television. “The big opportunity in a property based on books or comics is that you have so much wonderful material to draw on,” says Vince Commisso, the co-founding partner, president and CEO of 9 Story Media Group. “At the very least [you have] an appealing central character and a great story. Success comes from building upon that.”
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city, I love looking at books in the children’s section and asking bookstore staff what’s selling well and why. You might get lucky and sniff out a property that nobody’s thought of.”
LIBRARY CARD
9 Story this year acquired the worldwide rights to the entire Garfield and Friends library, based on the iconic comic strip.
So the hunt is certainly on for the next big thing in children’s entertainment, with many producers focusing on book and comic fairs where they hope to strengthen existing relationships and forge new ones with publishers and authors. “[Finding] new material from the Frankfurt and Bologna book fairs is most relevant for us,” says Hans Ulrich Stoef, the CEO of m4e. Tom van Waveren, the CEO and creative director of CAKE, recommends keeping an ear to the ground at home and abroad for what’s new. “Look over the shoulder of your children, nephews and nieces—that’s a good way to find out what’s currently popular. If I have half an hour in a foreign
Halle Stanford, the executive VP of children’s entertainment at The Jim Henson Company, notes that the company has been tapping into its network of relationships for source material. The company is producing Dot., based on the acclaimed children’s book of the same name by Randi Zuckerberg, and is working with Weird Al Yankovic to adapt his books My New Teacher and Me! and When I Grow Up into a series. “Randi Zuckerberg brought us our new preschool series Dot. and William Morris brought Weird Al to us,” Stanford says. “But at Henson, the most important places to find new work are bookstores and libraries.” There is also a steady flow of new material from existing long-term relationships with publishers and author’s agents, reports Joan Lambur, executive producer for animation and kids’ live action and family programming at Breakthrough Entertainment. “I try as best I can to be in touch with agents and publishers and hopefully get an early look at emerging authors and new titles,” Lambur says. “I have a stack of new titles on my desk waiting for me.” Alternatively, there are plenty of book properties that are in the public domain—but it’s important to consider the potential downsides. Public domain properties are not protected by copyright, trademark or patent laws.
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“If you are considering a serious L&M program it’s problematic—for a start it’s going to be tough to license a property where there is no guarantee of exclusivity,” explains Lambur. The fear is that unscrupulous parties can piggyback on a successful relaunch of a classic character and you have no legal protection. “It’s not for the faint of heart,” insists Lambur, who adds: “A licensing expert once said to me they would never touch the classic children’s character Pinocchio for that very reason.”
BY THE NUMBERS Broadly, the more successful a book or comic in terms of sales, the more a publisher will expect in return for rights to adapt it for TV. According to some kids’ TV experts, dealing with book publishers can be frustrating, with some having unrealistic expectations about what TV rights are worth in the current marketplace. “Some of the traditional book publishers haven’t adjusted to the new world of TV and film adaptation,” says m4e’s Stoef. “The prices they are still trying to work with might have been relevant 15 to 20 years ago, but now it is more competitive and difficult to finance kids’ TV, so huge down payments for authors don’t work that well anymore.” In return for accepting smaller license fees, some publishers can be offered co-production partner status in a television adaptation. One of the big advantages of better-established properties is that they are seen as less risky by broadcasters and licensing and marketing executives and, therefore, are easier to finance. Strong sales also indicate that there is something in the story that appeals to its target audience.
Working with big-name authors also helps get that parental endorsement, says Breakthrough’s Lambur. The company is collaborating with Margaret Atwood on Wandering Wenda, an adaptation of her preschool books, and with Canadian poet Dennis Lee for a series based on his Melvis and Elvis poems. But even in the absence of best-seller credentials, it can be worth developing projects that you just happen to like or that you have a gut feeling has potential, says CAKE’s van Waveren. “Everybody’s heard of the big publishing success stories, but in the middle ground there is much more potential for finding a gem,” he says. In the case of CAKE’s Angelo Rules, for example, a producer simply thought the books, Comment Faire Enrager... by Sylvie de Mathuisieulx and Sébastien Diologent, were unique and funny, reveals van Waveren.
SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION Signing up the rights to a book is just the first step toward creating a successful TV series or film. “Having the right characters and design is the starting point,” says 9 Story’s Commisso. “The challenge with adaptation is always how you maintain the integrity and the DNA of the creative conceit of the original text.” 9 Story is currently developing a property based on the Otis the Tractor books, and has partnered with Scholastic on the reboot of The Magic School Bus and with Mattel on the brand-new Angelina Ballerina. It also recently acquired the classic Garfield and Friends library. One of the keys to successful adaptation is a strong working relationship between the producer and the author (or
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At MIPCOM, CAKE is launching Bottersnikes & Gumbles, which has CBBC, Seven and Netflix as partners.
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their agent), the quality of which can determine a show’s success—or failure. “You want to make sure there is a great creative bridge between the literary property and the TV show,” Commisso notes. “As a producer, you have to be confident that the bridge can be built, and you have the right people along the way to build the bridge. Sometimes you can get the wrong creative team and that might need changing, but generally the more closely involved authors are, the better. It helps you stay true to the original concept and its creative DNA.” 9 Story has worked closely with Katharine Holabird on Angelina Ballerina and with Loren Long on developing his Otis stories. “When you develop a story and make changes you really want the author’s buy in—in my experience you need to ask them, ‘Is this a journey you can envisage this character taking over 13 or 26 episodes?’” Commisso says. Henson’s Stanford agrees, stating, “We like to have authors involved in the process of assembling the creative team itself and picking the writers. That way we make sure that we put together the right team for the adaptation.” Stanford says that in Henson’s adaptation of Weird Al Yankovic’s books, the company agreed to having his book editor, Anne Hoppe, brought on board as a creative consultant.
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“When Al asked us if we would hire on Anne Hoppe we thought, ‘How is this going to go?’ It turned out to be a wonderful collaboration, and we learned a lot from her about briefing writers.”
REVEALING SOURCES In some instances, it pays to keep close to the source material, as Breakthrough Entertainment did on its feature adaptation of L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables. Montgomery’s granddaughter, Kate Macdonald Butler, served as an executive producer on the film. “I don’t think we would have undertaken tackling such a beloved and precious character without having that family backing—even though it is now public domain,” recalls Breakthrough’s Lambur. “The upside was huge—Kate Macdonald Butler’s knowledge was invaluable. She has so much insight and information about what makes Anne tick. She knew exactly what license we could take and where the novel’s internal rules couldn’t be broken.” More often it’s about creating a new world that feels exactly like the original books, but tailored for TV. CAKE’s van Waveren underlines that successful adaptations are all about staying true to the original, putting your finger on what made it special and not messing about with that essence too much. However, he stresses that TV has its own narrative requirements. As an example, van Waveren references the new series Bottersnikes & Gumbles, based on a series of kids’ books published from the late ’60s to the late ’80s by Australian author
S.A. Wakefield and illustrated by Desmond Digby. The CAKE-distributed show centers on two groups of fantasy creatures. CAKE and Australian producers Cheeky Little Media and Mighty Nice tweaked the property for a new generation of viewers. It is airing on Seven Network in Australia and CBBC in the U.K., and on Netflix in the rest of the world. “To give kids a more obvious entry point to this imaginary world, there needed to be a good number of characters who are obviously children, so we created three new key characters to lead the action from a kids’ point of view,” van Waveren says. “Essentially, we made the kids’ perspective more explicit.”
ARTISTIC LICENSE On CAKE’s TeamTO-produced Angelo Rules, the main character gets his own way by knowing how to push people’s buttons. He had to be adjusted for TV to appear less obnoxious, while keeping the essential ingredient of the original—namely that Angelo instinctively knows what makes people tick. “He was put in a school with friends and sets about fighting perceived injustices in his everyday life,” van Waveren says. “It’s about him standing up to adults and setting up strategies to turn the situation around based on his insights.” Problems can start when you have a series of books that have sold well, and the author wants to animate them but is determined to stay closer to the original than you think is appropriate, observes van Waveren. “We have been in situations where after a few conversations it was clear that the people controlling the publishing
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rights haven’t accepted that moving to a new medium requires a different approach.” Breakthrough’s Lambur believes that if the chemistry between the author or publisher and the producer isn’t right, then the project probably won’t work out. “I have worked with creators who are precious to the point where it makes it really hard, so before you get into working with estates or particular individuals, you might try to find out what they are like from people who have worked with them before. If you have heard from a few people that the [author] is difficult, it might be best to stay away.”
PAGE TURNERS The failure of a book or comic adaptation might not always come down to any clash of views between different stakeholders. Some books or comics adapt less easily than others because of their intrinsic nature. For example, sometimes the original texts are so well written that you’d lose too much of the integrity of the original project if you tried a TV version, explains Stoef at m4e. “In CG animation, the budget limits the number of sets you can build,” he says. “This is one of the first things we look at before deciding if it’s a concept we can take on or not. If you have a series of books that will need the creation of 50 sets, that’s going to be almost impossible because for every episode you’d have to build a new set.” The German company is adapting the fantasy comic Jinnrise by Sohaib Awan as a CGI action-adventure show, together with Jabal Entertainment, and is showcasing a new
season of Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small, inspired by Dick Bruna’s classic picture books from Mercis. “There are lots of wonderful stories that we can see won’t translate easily,” 9 Story’s Commisso adds. “A unique character in a book that lives inside a unique world tends not to adapt too well. In the book, you invite the reader to share this unique world, but on TV, kids want to see something that reflects their world and their experiences.”
MAKING THE TRANSITION Stoef recalls a German animation inspired by Joachim Masannek’s The Wild Soccer Bunch series. The children’s books were hugely successful and spawned five liveaction movies that were big box-office hits. “But when they tried an animated series it was a complete disaster, which didn’t help the brand at all,” Stoef says. “The films worked because they got young actors who were part of a well-known acting dynasty, but the animated version lacked that familiarity—it came over as cold and stiff, and kids couldn’t easily identify with it.” What this boils down to is that not every book or comic property suits the TV treatment. And for Stoef, there are simply too many book-related kids’ properties on the market at present. “Book adaptations fill the pipeline and restrict access to the broadcasters for other potential projects. I think it’s a shame that people try and turn each and every book that is successful into a TV series—sometimes it is better to keep the fantasy in the book. If you nail it down with a TV visualization, you can destroy this a little.”
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FremantleMedia Kids & Family’s Bitz & Bob.
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From apps to e-books, digital extensions of kids’ properties have become a top priority for brand owners. By David Wood ne factor above all others is driving broadcasters and producers to invest more of their time, energy and money into digital extensions of children’s TV brands: it’s what the kids want. When children become fans of a show, they expect to be able to engage with it on all platforms, from apps on smartphones and tablets to online and other digital expressions of their favorite content. In fact, a digital extension might be a viewer’s first— and potentially only—engagement with a TV brand. So the onus is on the producer to make sure it’s a good experience. It’s a skill set that Rick Glankler, the president and general manager at FremantleMedia Kids & Family, takes increasingly seriously. “Today, kids are digital natives on all platforms,” he says. “They want their content to be available when and where they want it—which means we have to make sure it’s available on all platforms.”
WHERE THE KIDS ARE Finn Arnesen, the senior VP of global distribution and development at Hasbro Studios, agrees, noting, “There are many ways kids connect to a brand today, whether they discover them through linear TV, YouTube, SVOD platforms or a mobile game. Bringing Hasbro brands everywhere kids are is a challenge, but it’s also an incredible opportunity to push the way we tell stories. It’s not enough to take a clip from a TV series and place it on YouTube or another digital platform. Creative teams need to make each of those digital experiences authentic to the platform and tailored to its users. If correctly done it will lead to greater awareness and affinity for the brand.” At Entertainment One (eOne) Family, the strategy has been to work with “a wide range of creative studios specializing in different forms of digital development to create strong digital experiences,” reports Olivier Dumont, the company’s managing director. There’s no question that kids’ expectations have gone far beyond finding exclusive content online, although that remains a central digital proposition. For example, Kids
Industries developed an immersive digital experience for eOne’s preschool hit Peppa Pig, including a new website and two apps, Peppa’s Paintbox and Peppa’s Activity Maker. In the case of eOne’s new show PJ Masks, the comprehensive digital strategy included music videos, a variety of extra online content and free-to-download apps that allow the user to become a character in the show and engage in gameplay. The digital brand extensions allow children to continue to engage with the brand beyond the TV show by finding out more about the characters, playing games and watching clips.
LET THE GAMES BEGIN Meanwhile, the gaming and VR specialist Secret Location helped create a multi-layered gaming app to accompany eOne’s new comedy animation Winston Steinburger & Sir Dudley Ding Dong, produced by Sticky Pictures for TELETOON in Canada and ABC ME (formerly ABC3) in Australia. “We have created a fun multi-level gaming app aimed at 6to 11-year-olds,” Dumont says. “There are different ways in which we can use the Winston & the Distractor Beam app, but we think it’s best for broadcasters to pay for it and make it free to download to viewers. Broadcasters can attract viewers to the show by offering an on-screen code that will unlock further levels of the game, which can be played on smartphones or online. It’s our most sophisticated gaming app yet and a neat way to make sure that audiences who engage with the digital gaming experience are motivated to return to the linear broadcast.” Hasbro Studios has been working with several gaming partners, among them Backflip Studios, in which the toy giant holds a majority stake. “Backflip is tasked with producing new and inventive mobile games based on our top franchise brands,” says Arnesen. “Earlier this year we celebrated the successful launch of a real-time combat strategy game titled Transformers: Earth Wars and you can expect to see more from other Hasbro brands in the near future.” Dumont says that eOne is planning increasingly ambitious digital versions of kids’ brands, revealing that he is working with Secret Location on how virtual reality and augmented reality (VR and AR) could be combined with
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Applicaster worked with BabyTV for its mobile app.
children’s properties to create new immersive forms of digital entertainment. The phenomenal success of Pokémon GO, which is the fastest-growing app in history, has proven that AR can be a mass-market technology and many kids’ content producers and tech companies are sitting up and taking notice, says Dumont. Early indications are that VR and AR are going to be most relevant to the 6-to-11 set and older, given their fondness for gaming apps. Preschoolers are, frankly, bamboozled by the concept of VR. Whatever the relePeppa Pig: Seasons, an app based on the hit show from eOne Family, features interactive games. vance of AR and VR to the kids’ market, developing a successful digital brand extension involves comSchool of Rock vein, a likely digital extension would be ing up with an appropriate strategic plan, which can be outa backstage or after-show video exclusive, or a music lined right at the outset of a show. video available to watch online or download. An animated “We build in original short-form digital episodes to our procomedy series like FremantleMedia’s Danger Mouse, meanductions from the very beginning,” Hasbro’s Arnesen says. while, would suit a gaming app. “Our original online game “Approaching the creation process this way means we’re not for the first season was wildly successful, so now we are focused on digital extension as much as a seamless integracreating a version for the BBC offering gameplay for tion between linear television and various digital platforms. younger kids as a way to attract the next generation of This process remains the same across all genres.” viewers to the show,” Glankler says. “Whatever your ambitions, [a show’s] target age demoFor live-action kids’ properties, digital extensions have to graphics and genre are important in shaping the digital plan,” be more meticulously pre-planned, advises Jonathan Laor, says Frank Saperstein, the executive VP of kids, family and aniCEO of Applicaster, a leading developer of apps for broadcastmation at Tricon Films & Television. “A live-action drama ers. That’s because all digital content has to be planned and would need a different approach than a comedy animation acquired at the same time as the TV show itself is recorded. aimed at 6- to 11-year-olds. With preschoolers, there are the “Animation is more forgiving—you don’t have to think about added complications of a range of compliance issues to coneverything in advance, and you can go back and produce and sider, as well as the parents’ role as gatekeepers.” dub more content as your digital strategy evolves,” Laor adds. According to Laor, the majority of your energy and investment should be directed toward the development BRIDGING THE AGE GAP of apps on all devices—particularly mobile and tablet, FremantleMedia’s Glankler agrees that “there is a big division iOS and Android—followed by TV platforms such as between preschoolers and 6-plus viewers when it comes to the Apple TV and Google’s Chromecast. digital experience—they engage differently. Preschoolers are still primarily looking for lean-back type experiences when they watch content, and any interactive material is probably BRAND BUILDING best to be more story-based. By the age of 6 and above, kids are There’s no doubt that digital development pays dividends, more into the excitement of discovery of more content and as Tricon’s Saperstein underlines. “Digital iterations of TV getting involved in more active gameplay.” shows allow you to start marketing content and build a For example, with FremantleMedia’s Kate & Mim-Mim, global audience before you hit the air. On Counterfeit Cat, preschoolers can dip into a series of YouTube music our animated comedy co-pro for Disney XD worldwide and videos, which can also be accessed via the Kate & Mim-Mim TELETOON, in addition to the 52x11-minute show, we proFacebook page. For a live-action kids’ drama in the duced 11x2-minute shorts. We released the show on a linear platform in the U.K. in May but not until June in the U.S., and it won’t be seen in Canada until December 2016. We have been using the two-minute digital shorts on YouTube. Kids in the U.K. were blogging about episodes, and kids in the rest of the world have been reading them. Easy, straightforward marketing play—it was pretty successful.” Saperstein adds that every couple of days, he and his team check YouTube to see how the shorts are performing—and dig into where they have been pirated. “We discuss whether we need to take [the pirated versions] down.” He continues, “Being able to use this global community is an advantage in publicizing and marketing your show. It allows you to paint outside the lines, by which I mean keeping shows 282 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
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Tricon is working with Savoir FER and REAZ on a series of digital comedy shorts called Me, Myself & My Selfie.
and characters present in the minds of the audience even when the show isn’t on the air.” Applicaster’s CrossMates second-screen solution is one way in which apps are being created by third parties as white-label solutions to offer fans 24/7 digital engagement with entertainment brands beyond the broadcast window. It’s designed to allow viewers to engage in a continuing conversation with their heroes in TV shows when the show is on and off the air. Viewers are rewarded for extended digital engagement on mobiles or tablets with tailored text messages from a character, exclusive information and prizes. “It amounts to a mobile extension of the TV show with synchronized second-screen activity,” explains Laor. “You can integrate sponsored products into the conversations and provide followers with discounts and coupons. And remind them to tune in to the next show. This kind of digital engagement extends the life of shows for viewers beyond airtime and can work for reality TV, teen series and cartoons. As long the content has clear characters.”
PILOT POTENTIAL Another advantage of digital development is it can act as a pilot, hothousing new linear content, says Tricon’s Saperstein. The company is on board a series of 104 2-minute comedy shorts, Me, Myself & My Selfie, a French/Canadian co-pro created by Savoir FER and REAZ. The non-verbal concept features a character who tries to take the perfect selfie to attract friends but keeps messing up. “We developed it thinking it would work for Netflix or mobile downloads where the first one is free and the rest are pay,” Saperstein says. “But we found that broadcasters were interested in it for digital and linear as interstitials.” The lines between traditional media and digital are completely blurred, certainly for anybody under the age of 12, says Saperstein. “As many kids now watch media in a nonlinear time-shifted space as watch broadcast content—something that broadcasters have to be increasingly aware of when analyzing who is watching.” The other significant benefit of digital from a broadcaster and producer’s point of view is the potential of creating new revenue streams. Time spent on online viewing can be commercialized, apps can be charged for and exclusive content can be pay per view. Glankler is excited about FremantleMedia Kids & Family’s latest CBBC project, Bitz & Bob. Set for a 2017 release, the
CGI-animated comedy adventure from British animation company Jellyfish Pictures features an 8year-old female inventor and her younger brother engaging with the principles of science, technology, engineering, arts and math to solve problems that crop up in their lives. In terms of digital, FremantleMedia has created a companion live-action show, Bitz & Bob Let’s Make It, which gives viewers a step-by-step guide to making what they saw in the episode for themselves—from lean back to lean forward, and engaging directly with the brand on a personal level. Let’s Make It will offer kids (and parents) a pathway to retail too, with some of the ideas available in kit form in the shops. “It’s offering the right form of content and a path to purchase,” Glankler says. “You can watch it, make it and go out and buy it. It’s going to be revolutionary for us.” One of the key questions for creators is how to build e-commerce successfully into digital media. It can be a difficult trick to pull off, particularly with content aimed at children. “In the gaming world it has tended to be the add-ons to free downloadable games that generate the money, typically in a shooter game by buying more weapons or firepower,” Tricon’s Saperstein says. “That’s more difficult to replicate in the kids’ and family world because kids don’t have access to the credit card and, unsurprisingly, parents don’t want them to have that access.”
THE MONETIZATION QUESTION Laura Tapias, Applicaster’s VP of Spain and Latin America, advises that e-commerce in kids’ TV can be a “delicate” business, “but there are ways around it. For example, the food brand Danone has successfully offered free monthly subscription codes to kids’ entertainment brands in family packs and paid for that privilege. You just have to be a bit more creative to make this work.” Saperstein adds: “It’s more about building an audience into a community and then finding a way to monetize that community, rather than direct monetization of the show.” That’s the direction Tricon is taking with the revamp of its “tweenybopper” talent-show format The Next Star. “We need to bring it up to date with kids’ fast-changing media consumption habits,” declares Saperstein. “The touring audition show component of The Next Star will need a website where kids can vote and post their submissions, which will be the focus of the show’s digital community.” Whatever the approach adopted, it’s key that the digital offering finds a way of standing out from the crowd. And the digital world is certainly a crowded place. There are over 2 million apps each on the Apple App Store and Google Play, and research shows that on average an app has just three seconds to make an impact. Even if kids find you and download your app, you are not yet in the clear: the majority of apps are only opened once, destined to languish unloved on phones until deleted.
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The augmented-reality game Pokémon GO emerged as a global phenomenon this year, topping more than 500 million downloads.
Experts agree that to make apps stand out, developers should keep it simple and build games with a clear understanding of the play patterns of their target demographic. “If you have a very strong content brand but less wellproduced digital destinations beyond the TV experience, then you might not have a continuous direct touchpoint with your audience,” Applicaster’s Laor says. The danger then is that your audience goes off to YouTube or other content-rich platforms where, Laor suggests, it is all too easy for them to get distracted. “It has no cost or complexity, which kids love. They use it all the time, and while YouTube serves brand discovery, it also serves brands [being forgotten].” Another tip is to keep a close eye on what others are doing. Development moves fast in digital, so learning from imitating what works for others and avoiding what does not is a good way of moving forward. Getting something done and out there a month earlier is probably going to be better than waiting for something to be perfect. And don’t be afraid to try something new. Ultimately, success in digital is based on the same fundamentals as success in TV—it all comes down to strong storytelling, says Hasbro’s Arnesen. “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and Transformers: Robots in Disguise both have strong digital engagement because they offer fans rich, exciting new stories, week in and week out. Extending those stories on digital platforms allows us to delve deeper than ever before into the show’s characters and bring fans inside the brand with exclusive short-form content, games, apps, fan votes and everything in between.”
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Wunderground Washery. [The producers] are taking the characters out of them and building them into Wandering Wenda and using not only the letters that I used but other letters as well. Kids find alliteration inherently funny, especially when they’re learning letters that are hard to pronounce. When you read sentences with these tongue-twisting things in them, people frequently get snarled up with them. So the appeal of the books was verbal, although we had a wonderful illustrator, Dušan Petričić. At first I didn’t know how they were going to do it as a television show. With all of the emphasis on alliteration, how are they going to handle that? In fact, they are building the adventures around the letters. It looks great. It will have an inadvertent learning component too. There is going to be a letter of the day featured [in each episode]. TV KIDS: How was your working relationship with the illustrator? ATWOOD: He’s very good, so he just did it! [Laughs] It was arranged by the publisher. I work much more collaboratively with Johnnie Christmas on Angel Catbird
By Mansha Daswani
Booker Award-winning author Margaret Atwood is not new to her works being adapted for the screen. Her celebrated 1985 novel The Handmaid’s Tale was made into a feature film in 1990. Six of her short stories were turned into the anthology series The Atwood Stories on Canada’s W Network. She even penned a few TV scripts in the 1970s and 1980s. But 2016 is proving to be Atwood’s big year on the small screen. Hulu has placed a straight-to-series order for The Handmaid’s Tale. Netflix and CBC are collaborating on Alias Grace. And Kids’ CBC has commissioned Wandering Wenda from Breakthrough Entertainment, based on Atwood’s alliterative children’s books. The lauded author tells TV Kids about writing for young ones and her role on Wandering Wenda, which is slated to launch in 2017. TV KIDS: What was the inspiration for your alliterative children’s books? ATWOOD: Long, long ago I had a friend in publishing who had a company called Key Porter Books. She asked me to write a children’s story for her to publish. I wrote one called Princess Prunella and the Purple Peanut. That was some time ago. And then she said, Can you do another one? And I wrote Rude Ramsay and the Roaring Radishes. And then that publishing company disappeared, and those books were acquired by another company, who said, Could you write another one? So then I wrote Bashful Bob and Doleful Dorinda, and then I wrote Wandering Wenda and Widow Wallop’s
[Atwood’s first graphic novel] because we have to go back and forth. What do these people look like? What are they doing? Should this be more gothic? We’re collaborating on all of the physical parts—that would also include the editor, Daniel Chabon, and the entrepreneurial person who put it together, Hope Nicholson. The four of us look at everything. TV KIDS: How have you been working with the team at Breakthrough Entertainment on Wandering Wenda? ATWOOD: I see it in each of its iterations. Like all these things, it’s like the rat in the maze. You go down the tunnel, is there any cheese there? No, go back out, is there any cheese there? Yes! [Laughs] I’ve shot a couple of intros for them in which I’m a character in the episode, meeting with Wenda. When I meet Wenda, she pops out of the book and we have an interaction. It’s pretty nonverbal; in fact, it’s entirely nonverbal! So I got dressed up and put on the wardrobe selected for me and took direction and was an actor in the show. Exactly how they’re going to use that I’m not sure, but I think they’re going to use it to open [the episodes]. TV KIDS: Do children’s books serve as a different kind of creative outlet for you? ATWOOD: I have in my life spent a lot of time with children, telling stories and amusing them on rainy days and that kind
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No, I don’t use those stuffy old eReaders that my parents use, I want paper books! So whatever the parents are doing is something you don’t want to do at that age. There is that cool/not cool factor going on. But I think the market has sorted itself out, and it seems we can’t do without bookstores after all.
Wandering Wenda is a Kids’ CBC commission from Breakthrough that launches in 2017.
of thing. I’ve had a much younger sister, I taught at a children’s summer camp and various other things like that, and of course I had a child and went through those stages as well. [The books allow me to revisit] how people of different ages imagine things and enter into pretend worlds, how they have different relationships with language. Children are very interested in words and wordplay at certain times in their lives because they’re learning so much. It’s not even things they’re being taught; they’re just picking it up from everywhere around them. And you can make amusing things out of words for children at those ages. TV KIDS: I’m always encouraging my niece and nephew to read more. They spend an awful amount of time on their devices. ATWOOD: Get them some audiobooks. They’re at an age of social interaction, so they’re probably communicating with their friends. In the age of the telephone, you’d have these long conversations with your boyfriend, where not much was said but you’d be on the phone. And the parents would come by and with scissor motions say, Cut it off! [Laughs] You weren’t having an intelligent, coherent conversation. You were just hanging out on the phone! Not much is conveyed, except states of emotion. There isn’t what you’d call intellectual content to any of this. Once upon a time it was hanging out on the corner. It was being in the soda shop. Then it was the phone. I can remember back to the days of little notes in school that you’d fold up and pass around. That was before kids had phones. So they’re going to do it one way or another. But it’s not that none of them are reading. There is a huge market for children’s and young adult books and that’s how things like Hunger Games become such a phenomenon. People are reading. Look at Harry Potter. Part of this thing with reading is like what people do around television shows—you have to read it because people are talking about it. So you have to be part of the conversation. And you have to be able to participate at that age. You have to be very cool. You don’t yet have the backbone to say, I’m not interested in this, I don’t care. [Laughs] You’d have to be Jughead to do that. TV KIDS: Do you think kids today have a different relationship to reading given that so much of it is happening on iPads and eReaders? ATWOOD: Well [paper] is coming back. We were told nobody would ever read paper books again—untrue. In fact, a couple of years ago, the cool thing to do as a teenager was to say,
TV KIDS: I read a report about how reading is down among kids and tweens. Do you think they have too many other things distracting them from engaging with books? ATWOOD: These [studies] come out all the time, and they’re all different. We know that in reading it’s very top heavy— the top ten percent of readers read a lot, and the bottom read hardly at all. That has been true for a while, and people have been deploring it for quite a long time. If you go back to the golden age of comics, classic comics were supposed to be a way of getting people who didn’t like to read to read. So we were reading a lot of comics—that didn’t mean we also didn’t read books. For some, it did mean they didn’t read books! [Laughs] There have always been these variations. You always have to ask with these tests, What have they been measuring? What’s their control group? Where are they getting these numbers? Is it self-reporting, library use? The Toronto library system is hugely used by all sorts of people. Are they playing video games on the free computers or are they getting books out? Because you can get searchable texts of classics online, and cobble together your term paper out of that, there is less poring over as there used to be with marking the pages and things like that. You can find what you’re looking for fairly easily with a searchable text. I’ve even been known to order e-books of my own work because I want to find something that I myself have written! [Laughs] It’s very handy. Where there are shortcuts, people will take them. What it has meant is that a lot of things that were obscure, out of print, lurking in corners of libraries, have now been brought back into print. So that’s made everything much more accessible. TV KIDS: There is so much television activity around your work right now. Have you considered writing for television again? ATWOOD: Television scriptwriting is a hotbox, especially with a series where you have a writers’ room. You have to be there, wherever it is. I can do Angel Catbird over the internet. When you’re writing scripts, collaboratively, it is a lot like summer camp. Your parents aren’t going to come and take you home. You hope the weather’s good and you like the people. When you’re in that box, it’s intense, and although I wrote film scripts and worked with directors on television, I never worked on a series. It’s a different experience. TV KIDS: Is it true that you’re doing a cameo in Alias Grace? ATWOOD: It is! I was just fitted for my corset. I’m going to be a disapproving lady in a church. And I won’t even have to act!
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If you cater to the Plurals generation—children born after 1998—as Christina Miller and her teams do, you know these youngsters’ use of media, and even their concept of entertainment, are far different from previous generations’ habits. Miller, the president and general manager of Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang at Turner, has been transforming Cartoon Network from a linear channel into a multiplatform experience that offers episodes of favorite shows, storytelling, games and interactive content on a variety of devices, all available 24/7. Miller talks to TV Kids about reimagining classic properties, introducing By Anna Carugati new ones and challenging today’s kids to be creative and inventive. 292 WORLD SCREEN 10/16
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CONTENTS
In the Game This summer, hordes of people were walking around glued to their smartphones at all hours of the day and night trying to “catch ‘em all” as Pokémon GO fever reached pandemic levels.
Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher Anna Carugati Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani Editor Kristin Brzoznowski Executive Editor Joanna Padovano Managing Editor Sara Alessi Associate Editor Victor L. Cuevas Production & Design Director Phyllis Q. Busell Art Director Simon Weaver Online Director Dana Mattison Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Elizabeth Walsh Sales & Marketing Manager Andrea Moreno Business Affairs Manager
Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development TV Kids © 2016 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website: www.tvkids.ws
The app, an extension of the hit Japanese anime franchise, was released in July and quickly became a worldwide phenomenon. In the U.S., Pokémon GO overtook Twitter at one point in terms of daily users and has seen people spending more time on its app than on Facebook. Globally, the mobile game has exceeded 500 million downloads and set the App Store record for the most downloads in its first week of launch. It is estimated that Pokémon GO generates around $10 million in revenue daily. These are staggering figures, especially for a brand that has been around for 20 years. Pokémon (which translates to “pocket monsters”) began as a pair of video games, published in 1996 by Nintendo, and skyrocketed into mainstream popularity in the late ’90s with an anime series. Its catchy theme song proclaimed “Pokémon! Gotta catch ‘em all,” inspiring consumers to buy into the collectability of the brand— and that they have. (The Pokémon trading-card game has shipped upwards of 21.5 billion cards to 74 countries in 10 languages.) Alongside collectability, this brand exhibits another characteristic that translates into success in the licensing and merchandising (L&M) business: nostalgia. Viewers form connections with shows as kids that can stick with them long into adulthood. Parents are then keen to share these beloved properties with their own children, ponying up for merchandise tied to the modern iterations quite quickly when a child says, “I want that!” A TV property that can evoke patterns of collectability or spark nostalgia certainly has a greater chance of cutting through in the ultra-crowded L&M space. In this issue, we hear from rights owners about their strategies for navigating today’s increasingly competitive L&M business. We also feature insightful interviews with Genius Brands International’s Andy Heyward, FremantleMedia Kids & Family’s Rick Glankler and Mercis’ Marja Kerkhof, each of whom has a unique approach to brand-building today. As content creators and licensors heading to this year’s Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) eye the opportunities ahead in the kids’ business, they are no doubt hoping to come across a Pokémon-esque property that has the ability to resonate for generations to come and inspire pandemonium for the brand’s extensions. —Kristin Brzoznowski
FEATURE 4 LICENSE TO THRILL Brand owners attending BLE this year are focusing their strategies on properties with built-in awareness, innovative new products and digital extensions as they seek to make an impact at retail and in kids’ lives.
00 INTERVIEWS 10 Genius Brands’ Andy Heyward
12 FremantleMedia’s Rick Glankler
14 Mercis’ Marja Kerkhof
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Ahead of BLE, rights owners share their strategies for standing out in the kids’ licensing and merchandising business. By Sara Alessi
Saban Brands’ Cirque du Soleil Junior: Luna Petunia.
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y all accounts, the global licensing business is buoyant right now. Global retail sales of licensed goods hit $251.7 billion in 2015, marking a 4.2percent increase over the previous year. According to data from LIMA’s Annual Global Licensing Industry Survey, character- and entertainment-based brands continue to be the most dominant categories, delivering 45 percent of all licensed retail sales. That’s good news for content rights owners as they continue to navigate the crowded waters of the kids’ licensing and merchandising (L&M) business. The prospects are particularly bright for those that can offer retailers products inspired by proven brands with dedicated fan bases. When kids see items featuring characters from their favorite TV shows on store shelves, their wish lists grow, and so do revenues.
BRAND RECOGNITION Established properties like Saban Brands’ Power Rangers franchise continue to draw in new and returning fans, a harbinger for ongoing success in the kids’ L&M arena. “Power Rangers has become an iconic, evergreen brand that taps into the strong nostalgia trend influencing today’s consumer products industry,” says Janet Hsu, the CEO of Saban Brands, of the 23-year-old property. “Retailers look for brands with proven success at retail and consumer awareness, which is why longstanding franchises, like Power Rangers, see such strong traction.” For the new Netflix original kids’ series Cirque du Soleil Junior: Luna Petunia, Saban is betting on the built-in recognition associated with the Cirque brand. Funrise is already on board as the global master toy licensee for the animated preschool property, which premieres in late 2016, with the toy range set to hit the U.S. market in fall 2017. Initial categories will
include dolls, accessories, playsets, plush, role-play and dress-up, among others. Risa Greenbaum, the assistant VP of international licensing at Sesame Workshop, knows a thing or two about proven brands. At Brand Licensing Europe (BLE), “Sesame Street is the core franchise that we’ll be representing,” she says. “Retailers like properties that are established and have proven themselves because those tend to be lower risk.” Sesame Workshop is also promoting newer shows such as The Furchester Hotel, which is in production on two additional seasons for CBeebies in the U.K., and an all-new Elmo’s World. Both properties feature characters from the mainstay brand, giving them an advantage when it comes to L&M. Another veteran property that has been gaining traction in the kids’ L&M world is the anime brand Yu-Gi-Oh!, which began as a manga comic in Japan 20 years ago and is celebrating its 15th anniversary in territories outside of Asia this year. The Yu-Gi-Oh! brand has developed into a trading-card game and a TV series with five iterations. According to Jennifer Coleman, the VP of licensing and marketing at 4K Media, Yu-Gi-Oh! possesses the “three key components that you want to have with any successful children’s brand that can allow it to remain evergreen and stay in the consciousness.” These are its roots in publishing, gameplay and collectability associated with the trading-card game, and a TV series that reinforces the core values of the brand. Mondo TV is looking to expand the licensing program for the animated series Sissi, the Young Empress, which has had time to build a following on the small screen. The first season launched in Italy last year and since then Mondo has “developed an extensive licensing program based on the property” throughout Europe, says Valentina La Macchia, Mondo TV’s director of consumer products. The company plans to “continue to work on this franchise and to create long-term partnerships with the existing
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feature film and the new season of the TV series, Power Rangers Ninja Steel, both set for 2017. Global master toy licensee Bandai will launch a new Power Rangers toy line inspired by the 23rd television season. There will also be product lines from new partners Mattel, Funko, Jada Toys and Bioworld, among others. Toys, apparel and publishing have been the biggest drivers for Sesame Workshop’s brands, Greenbaum notes, “but we’re always looking to expand into areas we feel could benefit children, such as the food category,” with healthy alternatives taking center stage.
STAYING FRESH Sesame Workshop continues to refresh the product lines featuring the core Sesame Street characters.
licensees and reach new ones,” she notes. With an eye toward keeping the property fresh, Mondo TV will present a new style guide for the 26-episode second season of the series at BLE. Mondo is also highlighting new properties with roots in well-known brands: YooHoo & Friends, based on the plush line from toy company Aurora World, and Heidi, Bienvenida a Casa, a live-action co-production between Mondo TV Iberoamerica and Alianzas Producciones. While having a property with a track record of fan engagement or roots in a well-known brand is helpful when trying to get merchandise on shelves, proven brands cannot simply rest on their laurels and expect to attract consumers or retailers.
GOING 360 “At Saban Brands, we break through by taking a 360degree approach for our diverse portfolio of brands with elevated content and multiplatform distribution, innovative licensing and retail programs, as well as disruptive marketing strategies and initiatives,” Hsu says. At BLE, Saban has a dual focus for the Power Rangers brand, concentrating on both the upcoming
The continued rollout of products based on Masha and the Bear is a key focus for Ink Global.
“We want consumers to know that even for a brand with such longevity in some markets, we continue to be fresh and vibrant,” Greenbaum continues. “We have a new saying we like to share: ‘It’s a brand-new day on Sesame Street.’ We’re committed to strengthening the core Sesame Street characters such as Elmo, Cookie Monster, Big Bird and Abby Cadabby. We’re developing some great new content. We’re building new partnerships such as [one] with Apple and one with IBM.” 4K Media’s Coleman says the Yu-Gi-Oh! brand is continuing to evolve. “We’ve got some great new artwork that was never available to us before because we’re now a Konami-owned company. We’re also working on taking [the brand] in new directions and opening different doors we hadn’t previously been allowed to open for Yu-Gi-Oh!. The new style guide that we’ve been developing is called Super-deformed, and we’ll be announcing new partners for that soon. Thanks to that new artwork, we’ve got some great interest from partners who we might not have been able to work with before.” Publishing is a core category for Yu-Gi-Oh!, Coleman adds. Partners include Scholastic and UDON Entertainment, and both have new Yu-Gi-Oh!
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books coming out in Q4. “We hope that it’s just the start of [what] we’ll be able to do in the publishing category. I will pursue publishing in all shapes and formats where it makes sense for our brand and our partners in Japan,” she says. Apparel is another strong category, with FREEZE and Bioworld on board. Ink Global is heading to BLE with hopes to extend the L&M campaign further for Masha and the Bear, which “has already established hugely successful consumer-products (CP) programs in many markets,” says Annalisa Woods, the commercial director for Ink Group. Masha is “at varying levels of brand maturity throughout Europe, and so the CP strategy needs to reflect this,” Woods adds. “We are renewing, extending and expanding our key existing partnerships, while also signing up new partners locally at regional levels to supply the increasing consumer demand as the brand’s popularity continues to soar.” Many of the core categories are covered across Europe, so Ink Global’s plan is to “extend our work with partners in the FMCG and promotional categories, as well as continue to partner with [strong] brands locally across all markets.” Mondo TV’s La Macchia stresses that a successful L&M strategy is about “not just strengthening existing categories, but always looking to expand our business…. In this way, we are able to increase our revenue because we can develop more SKUs, more products for different retailers and have more products on shelves.” Food, promotions and personal care goods are prime growth opportunities for La Macchia. The main categories Mondo TV is pursuing for all of its brands include fashion and back to school. The toy category is also paramount, especially for preschool brands like YooHoo & Friends, La Macchia says. Mondo TV is co-producing season three of the series with Aurora World, which is in charge of plush for that brand. She reports that Mondo TV is currently in several conversations regarding the master toy license and is also pursuing secondary toys like puzzles, board games and arts and crafts, as well as publishing. While L&M categories may be expanding, entertainment and retail consolidation are creating some woes for independent content rights owners.
SHRINKING SHELVES Ink’s Woods believes that “consolidation of IP portfolios under fewer brand-owning entities is creating an interesting, and very tough, dynamic in the industry at the moment. Amalgamation of ‘top’ brands under limited ownerships shrinks the market as it creates a more difficult environment in which independent brands can compete and thrive.” 4K Media’s Coleman agrees that entertainment consolidation has brought about challenges for inde-
pendents. “Couple retail consolidation with entertainment consolidation and there is less shelf space and fewer companies out there trying to keep the buyers on their toes,” she says. “There are a lot of big movie properties [that] are literally buying shelf space at retail,” Sesame’s Greenbaum adds. “It makes it a little tough from a competitive perspective. Retailers are choosing to support fewer and fewer properties.” That means it’s more important to offer new ways for consumers to enjoy longstanding brands. As such, Greenbaum believes these challenges come with a silver lining.
CREATIVE SOLUTIONS “We like to think of it more as an opportunity for Sesame Street, and it challenges us to think about things differently and create better products and new ways to license our brand,” Greenbaum says. “You have to think differently about the brand these days, everybody does. The traditional categories are great, and they serve as a great baseline for developing licensing programs, but you need to think out of the box and try new things.” Freshness is key for the products themselves. Saban’s Hsu adds, “It is crucial for brands to focus on
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The product line for 4K Media’s Yu-Gi-Oh! includes collectibles.
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innovation as retailers look for stand-out products that have clear points of differentiation from what is currently on the market.”
REACHING RETAIL
One of Mondo TV’s new highlights is the live-action series Heidi, Bienvenida a Casa, which has builtin brand recognition.
Mondo TV’s La Macchia also believes that to stand out, a licensing program must offer a point of difference. “Retailers want to see things that make your brand, your product and your message different from everybody else’s. They want something unique,” she says. “So to capture buyers’ interest, there has to be some level of exclusivity for the offer, and there are different ways to achieve that [such as] a unique brand or exclusive products that are only available at [specific] retailers.” For 4K Media’s Coleman, it is critical to maintain relationships with both licensees and retailers to ensure that the products being pitched are relevant. “We’re trying to create and grow direct relationships with the retailers so that we have a dialogue with
them. We can tell them directly what’s happening with the brand, why it’s worth looking at and who all of our partners are so that they’re not just getting single-product category pitches from our licensees,” she explains. “We can show them the breadth and scope of what’s available on the licensing side.” Coleman adds, “We are cultivating retailer relationships so that when there is an opportunity to create special product for them, we can pounce on it.”
DIGITAL DRIVE Another key area of focus for brand owners is the digital sphere, which is creating an entirely new pathway to consumers. “To build something in the consumer-products [space] you need a table with four legs, and the fourth leg is digital distribution,” says Bruno Zarka, Ink Group’s media director. “You can’t build something only on digital, you can’t build something only on TV.” “We realize that it’s a different world, and kids can do things on iPads and devices that they never could do before,” Sesame’s Greenbaum says. “So we’re making sure that we create new digital content that meets the needs of today’s kids. That’s where kids are today, so it’s important for us to be there as well.” Greenbaum acknowledges the power of apps to help youngsters further engage with a brand. “We have almost 30 Sesame Street apps, some of which have won awards. They bring our characters to life through engaging and interactive content: there’s music, there are games, there are lots of fun ways for kids to interact with our apps these days. We also have an extensive line of e-books that are available globally on many platforms. So digital is an area that we focus on, and we see a lot of opportunity with it.” Mondo’s La Macchia shares Greenbaum’s perspective. “Digital is very important. We just launched a game app [for] Sissi. We will continue to create more innovative products to target these brands.” 4K Media’s Coleman reports that gaming is an essential element of Yu-Gi-Oh!’s digital strategy, which is handled by Konami Digital Entertainment. “In the past, Nintendo DS has been a key driver, and PlayStation, Xbox, all of the typical gaming devices have been strong and important platforms for the brand, and they will continue to be.” “Mobile gaming is a key area of focus for us in the digital L&M space,” echoes Saban’s Hsu. “We’ve partnered with game developer nWay and global content leader Lionsgate to reimagine Power Rangers as a real-time multiplayer mobile action game. Slated to launch next year, the mobile game will connect millions of Power Rangers fans around the world with a gaming experience unlike anything else.”
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TV KIDS: Tell us about how you are exploring new distribution models with your latest property, SpacePOP. HEYWARD: SpacePOP came from what we saw as white space in the marketplace, from the vacuum after Monster High. There was nothing there for tween girls. So we developed SpacePOP. We know that princesses are a powerful theme for girls. We know that music is very powerful, as is space. So we came up with this concept of five princesses in space. They form a rock band and go underground to lead the rebel resistance to recapture their place in the galaxy and throw off an evil, oppressive force. That’s the premise. It’s Spice Girls meets Star Wars. It’s very, very cool. It’s an unusual concept and a unique distribution plan. Instead of going to a Disney Channel or a Nickelodeon, for example, we decided to launch the brand on YouTube. Girls at that age, they’re living on YouTube. They spend a lot of their screen time there. They absorb content in short doses. We have produced 108 3-minute episodes. In the middle of each one, there’s a music video. We started with six episodes when we launched on June 20, and we’re releasing two new episodes a week. Within a month or so of launching, we reached approximately 4 million views, so we feel the content is resonating with our audience. We are now gearing up for the fall retail launch. We have nearly 20 licensing partners and counting that are creating merchandise for everything you can imagine: publishing, toys, apparel, accessories, confections, pretty much every major category. And we have prime retail distribution and extraordinary promotional partners on board.
By Mansha Daswani
Andy Heyward has had a front-row seat to the tectonic shifts in the kids’ business over his long entertainment career. Today the chairman and CEO of Genius Brands International, Heyward got his start at the legendary animation studio Hanna-Barbera and later, over the course of some 25 years, built DIC Entertainment into an independent kids’ and family powerhouse. After selling DIC, Heyward soon set up a new venture, A Squared Entertainment, and a few years later, eyeing a foothold in the toddler and preschool arena, merged it with Genius Brands. Having watched as broadcast television ceded its position in kids’ lives to cable, and now observing as on-demand and online platforms take up more of children’s entertainment time, Heyward has identified digital media as a key growth opportunity. He talks to TV Kids about shaking up distribution models with new shows like SpacePOP and offers his take on building 360-degree brands that will conquer the attention of kids on screen and at retail.
TV KIDS: Will your distribution team be selling the show to broadcast platforms worldwide? HEYWARD: After SpacePOP has had its run on YouTube, we’re developing a full-length feature with Sony [Pictures Home Entertainment], which will be released in Q4 this year. There’s a lot going on with the brand from all sides: licensing, home entertainment, digital and national promotions with Six Flags, Camplified and Dippin’ Dots, as well as promotions on platforms that appeal to young girls, like musical.ly. We’ve also hired a team of tween and teen influencers who have millions of followers. They’re promoting the music and the SpacePOP business overall. So there are a lot of dimensions to this. We’re also putting international agents in place in all the major territories to start taking the brand to the international marketplace. TV KIDS: And you’re producing a new animated show for Netflix? HEYWARD: It’s a property called Llama Llama, based on a series of preschool books [by New York Times best-selling author and illustrator Anna Dewdney]. They’ve sold over 9 million copies. The authors came to us. They met with everybody in
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Hollywood. Because of the controls we were able to provide to them and the creative input, they chose us. We’ve got an amazing team on this: Rob Minkoff, director of The Lion King; Joe Purdy, an accomplished Emmy-winning writer who did everything from Hey Arnold! to Dinosaur Train; Ruben Aquino, who designed every major featurefilm character from Disney going back to The Little Mermaid right through to Frozen. So there’s a real team of champions on this from start to finish. Plus, Jennifer Garner just signed to voice Mama Llama. In terms of distribution, we wanted to go with what we thought would be the strongest platform for this particular property and partnered with Netflix. We’re producing 30 11-minute segments, 15 half-hour episodes. The original series is slated to premiere in 2017, along with a fully developed licensing and retail program. TV KIDS: What gains are you seeing with your video-on-demand channels? HEYWARD: Kid Genius is currently in 21 million homes via Comcast’s XFINITY On Demand platform, and we have just secured our first major advertisers through our media buyer, batteryPOP. We expect to have the channel’s reach grow very dramatically by the fourth quarter of this year. We consider it a very important platform and will continue to create and curate interesting content to fuel that pipeline. TV KIDS: How are you maintaining the momentum on your returning brands? HEYWARD: On Baby Genius we have an exclusive deal with Amazon until the end of 2016, and then the program will go wide. We’re developing and producing new content, and we’re looking to engage a celebrity ‘spokesmom’ who is in the music world. With Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab, we have distribution on Netflix, our Kid Genius channel and nearly 200 public television stations across the country. Plus, we have a master toy licensee, Wicked Cool Toys, and other partners on board to target rolling out merchandise in 2017. TV KIDS: What’s your sense of what licensees and retailers are looking for in this crowded marketplace? HEYWARD: We have a slightly different approach. We initially approach the retailers and then we go back to the licensees. We have relationships with Toys “R” Us, Target, all of the major retailers. We work with them to find where the white space is, where
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the holes are. Then we begin developing a plan, and with their support we then go to the licensees and get them on board. Stone Newman is running our worldwide consumer products and marketing business. He had his own very successful toy business, and we wooed him to come work with us. He’s done an amazing job building our licensing, merchandising, retail and promotional programs. He’s revitalized our licensing business dramatically. TV KIDS: Tell us about your perspective on new technology, and how it’s enhancing the value of animated content. HEYWARD: I like to refer to Tom and Jerry, as it’s such a great example. Tom and Jerry was made in 1939. Kids are still watching Tom and Jerry today— 3-, 4-, 5-year-olds are discovering it for the first time and loving it. Tom and Jerry was made for motion-picture theaters; that’s where it ran. Then it went to television. It went from broadcast to cable, VHS to DVDs and Blu-ray and the internet, and now to all of the new and emerging technologies and platforms. It doesn’t matter what the platform is—the content remains engaging. This is one of the few businesses that are enriched by technology and distribution systems, not hindered by innovation. Good content will travel and live a long, long time, particularly so for children’s animation, which tends to be evergreen and international. Good stories and characters are timeless. I wrote on The Flintstones, Scooby-Doo, The Smurfs—those were made in the ’70s, and they are still successful today. If you know how to create conflict and crisis and jeopardy and hijinks, all of the tools of good storytelling and rich characters, you’re going to have a successful product, whatever the distribution platform is and whatever new technology comes around.
Genius Brands’ SpacePOP is set to spawn a slate of merchandise for its core tween-girl audience.
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this year and have been really well received. With the classic series also airing internationally on Netflix, alongside the new series, we are in the fortunate position of being able to run parallel L&M campaigns, with the classic range aimed at adults and the new aimed at children. Tree Fu Tom is an action personality created to appeal to the under 5s. The interactive spells, inspired by Kung Fu, are hugely popular and allow children to believe that they can be just like Tom.
RICK GLANKLER FREMANTLEMEDIA KIDS & FAMILY By Mansha Daswani
Since its launch in 2009, FremantleMedia Kids & Family has amassed a stable of animated and live-action properties targeting the preschool set all the way up to tweens. Under the leadership of Rick Glankler as president and general manager, FremantleMedia Kids & Family has focused on rolling out properties that not only deliver for broadcasters and ondemand platforms, but for retailers as well. TV KIDS: Tell us about your key properties from an L&M perspective. GLANKLER: Our major focuses are Kate & Mim-Mim, Danger Mouse and Tree Fu Tom. All have secured a strong footprint, with each distributed to over 100 territories. Kate & Mim-Mim celebrates the special friendship between a young girl and her toy bunny. Living in the real world, Kate is an inspirational role model with a boundless imagination. In the fantastical world of Mimiloo, she can be anyone she wants to be, whether it’s a princess, a train driver or an astronaut—these themes resonate strongly with girls today. The combination of action and comedy make Danger Mouse stand out from other properties for the target age group of boys 5-plus. The gadgets and vehicles, villains and multiple locations provide many layers for play patterns and subsequent consumer-product opportunities. The first toys launched at retail in the U.K. in the spring of
TV KIDS: What are the main challenges in the L&M market today? GLANKLER: Consumers still demand great stories and when they find one they like they will consume it ferociously; the rise in binge-watching is a testament to this. But with so much platform fragmentation and content saturation, the stories have to be really good and highly original if they are going to stand out and drive deeper brand engagement, which is what drives successful consumer-product programs. In addition, the plethora of blockbuster theatrical releases that are becoming sustainable franchises has further saturated an already congested market. With their massive investment, [feature films have] eaten into an area that was traditionally dominated by broadcast—even in preschool. This broad choice is great for consumers but continues to pose massive challenges for IP owners and licensors competing to reach kid audiences. TV KIDS: What are retailers looking for? What trends are you seeing in the market? GLANKLER: Increased competition has created a need for even faster results, and there is even more pressure for brands to gain immediate traction. Movies with extensive marketing spend continue to drive a lot of the L&M market for kids, and we are also seeing franchises that offer up different experiences for kids of all ages under the same brand umbrella. While still critically important, ratings are no longer the single most important driver for securing shelf space. Retailers are looking to see how brands engage with kids off- as well as on-screen and are relying more and more on IP owners and licensors to invest heavily in marketing their brands. TV KIDS: What opportunities do you see outside of the big-box retailers? GLANKLER: Our ability to engage consumers in active conversations via social media allows us to talk to them in a more meaningful way and drive them to the most appropriate retail opportunities, whether they are online or at brick-and-mortar retailers. For FremantleMedia Kids & Family in the U.K., the independent toy chains continue to grow year on year and are becoming an essential part of the retail mix. Retailers are also becoming savvier about the need to drive footfall by offering more immersive in-store retail experiences, which provide great opportunities for us with character costume tours and similar initiatives that help expand brand engagement.
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In 1955, Dick Bruna’s first picture books featuring a small female rabbit hit the shelves in the Netherlands. Since then, the Miffy books have sold more than 85 million copies worldwide, spawned animated series and specials and notched up in excess of 300 licensing partners across a wealth of categories. Brand owner Mercis is currently working on a third season of the new CGI series Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small for delivery in the summer of 2017 and is looking for new licensing partners while building on its existing relationships. Marja Kerkhof, the managing director of Mercis, tells TV Kids about what’s still to come for Miffy in the years ahead.
Bruna has been able to work for so many years in the same kind of style. It’s vibrant, it’s very iconic and it stands out. If you see a whole sheet of characters, you still will notice Miffy. TV KIDS: How have you updated your L&M strategy for the new series launch? KERKHOF: We’ve continued with the 2D style for some products. For other products, we have a whole new style guide for the TV series with everything from packaging to displays. Licensees can still also make their own designs, but we want to provide them with a rich style guide for them to be inspired. And we still have style guides we update all the time for the 2D artwork. TV KIDS: With such widespread awareness already, how do you continue to build the brand? KERKHOF: We make a trend book every year and we keep it up to date. Also, we have projects that are very different. For example, in some countries we have pro-
MARJA KERKHOF MERCIS By Mansha Daswani
TV KIDS: How did the new animated series for Miffy come about? KERKHOF: A few years ago, we felt that we really wanted to make a new series. We had just finished the movie, which was successful, and then we decided to look for a new series with a new approach. We talked to several studios, looking for the best possible one to make a series with us. After some research, we decided to go with Blue-Zoo Animation Studio in the U.K., who we felt had a very good understanding of the brand. We wanted an international series, and we decided that CGI is so good nowadays, we really wanted to go with that. We talked with a team of writers to capture the essentials of the brand. That’s how it came along. We went for 52 episodes of 7 minutes each. We decided to make 26 more episodes. We’re very pleased with the series and it’s done very well in the countries it’s been broadcast in. The children respond very well, which is the ultimate test! TV KIDS: To what do you attribute Miffy’s enduring appeal, 61 years since she was created? KERKHOF: The illustrations are almost like pictograms, they’re so clear and the colors are so bright. Dick
grams with athletics clubs for young kids to exercise, even as young as two years old. We have art projects. We have exhibitions in museums. There are always new initiatives and activities. TV KIDS:What are your goals for the brand in the next year? KERKHOF: The world is very large, and though we are active in quite a lot of countries, there are still countries where we’re not as active. Obviously, we’re looking at that. Also, there are always new parties to work with, especially in apparel, new parties to do special programs with. We are primarily a preschool character but we have a big program with Uniqlo for tween and teen T-shirts. There’s always so much still to be done.
Miffy has 300-plus licensing partners and has spawned a CGI series, Miffy ’s Adventures Big and Small.
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TV KIDS 119 TV KIDS: Through its linear and nonlinear offerings, Cartoon Network serves the Plurals generation. Who are they and what do they expect from media? MILLER: The Plurals generation is the current generation of kids 17 and under. They are our audience. If you think that the Millennials were the first digital natives, which is something that was thrown around a lot as they were coming of age, the Plurals would be the first mobile generation. They’ve never lived in a world where everything is not mobile. They are focused on choice and control. If people in the past needed filters or lists to help them, kids now don’t, hence, the plurality of them. They can move through information on platforms and pull things together pretty much on their own. Choice and control are very important to them. They’re a very visual generation; visual communication is a big part of how they communicate with friends and use media. They also expect to participate more than any other generation. They’re not just there to consume your content; they also want to create it. Whether it’s mixing it up or mashing it up or creating, almost evangelizing your content, they’ll create a version of it, so [media is a] little bit more open-sourced than ever before. It’s really about interacting with [our audience] and inviting them into the process, so we are thinking differently about how we create content than we have in the past.
matter. We do see the success of the show cutting across both genders, which is pretty important. TV KIDS: What about Ben 10? MILLER: Ben 10 debuts next year [in the U.S.], but it will launch earlier globally, in Europe in particular. You will see a continuation of a great story and a character that everybody has come to know and love. What will shift a bit is the style of storytelling. The format will be a little bit shorter. There will be more of our signature humor and heart. That’s more indicative of the times we’re in, with a little less straightforward action/superhero and a little bit more depth to the series. TV KIDS: What are some of Cartoon Network’s other programming highlights? MILLER: The Amazing World of Gumball has been great for us. When you think about acting global, that is a show that is produced out of the U.K. and comes [to the U.S.] and is one of our top-rated shows around the globe. We Bare Bears is another great show that we launched last year that’s seen success simultaneously in all markets. Steven Universe is an amazing show that got very strong ratings all summer long. All of those are key series here [in the U.S.] as well as globally.
“The Plurals...[have] never lived in a world where everything is not mobile. They are focused on choice and control.” TV KIDS: All children love storytelling. Across how many different platforms are you offering storytelling? MILLER: All, essentially. The point of difference between what we do and what so many others do is storytelling and character development. From an on-demand platform to a linear platform to a gaming platform or VR platform, we’re trying to tell stories across all of them. We’re building more immersive worlds than we ever have before and not straight one-way versions of telling something. We’re looking at how we can layer experiences: if someone interacts with our brand in real life, they’re getting a version of that storytelling as well. If they’re creating it with us, there’s a version of it. Everything we do should be wrapped in that storytelling and character development. TV KIDS: How are you refreshing some of Cartoon Network’s most iconic brands for today’s 6- to 11-year-olds? MILLER: With The Powerpuff Girls, it’s about relevance. If you look at when the series aired the first time, there were no mobile devices. So we’re making sure that’s part of the girls’ world and making sure that kids can notice themselves as well [in the stories and the characters]. If you take Bubbles, for example, you find out over the course of the first season that she’s quite a proficient coder. She can make apps and help the girls get out of trouble that way. That’s something different, but all the core attributes that everybody came to know and love about them are still there. It’s all about inclusivity. We did Powerpuff Girls avatars as part of the launch, and it was important to us to offer a wide spectrum, anybody can be a Powerpuff, boy or girl, it doesn’t
TV KIDS: Some of Cartoon Network’s properties originated as digital shorts. Tell us about Mighty Magiswords. MILLER: Mighty Magiswords launches [this fall] with 400 pieces of content. That’s something very different. That’s because it’s been an iterative process, more evolutionary. It started as two-minute shorts for an app we have called Cartoon Network Anything. It was the first original programming for that app. It was a choose-your-own-adventure game about which sword you want to pick and what the outcome [of that choice] would be. That developed into five-minute shorts, then into a full series and a gaming platform. It was born out of really looking at a connected-content ecosystem and truly being multiplatform. [We want to be an] agile content group that thinks about where this content will live organically and be more than just a linear show at any point in time. We want to give kids the opportunity to participate and choose the sword, have vlogs as content, have gaming execution, have the series—all of it is very much interconnected and natural to the series. We’re super excited about how many platforms we’ll get to launch Mighty Magiswords on, all the ways in which kids will be able to interact with it and how we’ll be able to program the content. TV KIDS: What criteria must a short meet for you to consider taking it into long form? MILLER: It’s evolved over time. A lot of our series come out of our shorts program. The great thing about that shorts program is that we have shorts being developed from all regions. Sometimes you’re looking at content and you realize there’s
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pretty impressive business. We just recently launched a Steven Universe game that is tied to music; that’s core to that property and having that play pattern is important. We have Teeny Titans for Teen Titans Go!, which is another amazing hit show for us. We take the actual show and the play pattern and tie the two together. We’ve launched apps that teach kids how to draw. We’ve launched apps that tie to sports—soccer or football depending where you are in the world! We look at the themes, the play patterns and the property and bring them together. More times than not we’re trying to drive innovation. We were one of the first to launch a VR game with Adventure Time. We launched Flipped Out at the beginning of Powerpuff Girls, and it was the first game that you were able to play vertically and horizontally. We try not to do the same thing twice. You don’t see us take a game and then just skin it with another brand. That’s our gaming portfolio, and in addition to that we have the Cartoon Network Anything app, which offers short-form content, 15 seconds to 2 minutes, and is a random discovery app. By that I mean there is no authentication, nothing is behind a wall, everything is there. You open it up and you can play games, [participate in] a contest or watch an episode of something. You don’t know what’s coming next. The amazing thing is that on average kids spend about ten minutes on it. When you think about short-form, random content, that’s pretty long. Our Cartoon Network App is our flagship app [offering videos, clips and full episodes] and we don’t see it as being different from our network. It has been downloaded more than 17 million times. It has a lot of proprietary features that are a little bit different than anything else, such as The Mix, which allows you to pick the shows you’re most interested in, and that’s what it will automatically start serving up to you, based on what you watch and what you [rate] thumbs up and thumbs down. It becomes personalized to you and your experience. Since changing that app over the last year, we’ve seen about three times the use than we did the year before. That’s due to a confluence of events: lots of people are using apps and watching content that way, but I also think it’s a byproduct of the user experience that we’ve created.
Cartoon Network is relaunching its megahit franchise Ben 10 with a brand-new series.
something there, and maybe a linear series isn’t the first way in, maybe it’s a shorter episode or maybe it’s a game first. It’s about looking at content with a keen eye and an incredible development team. We have a real willingness now to be more iterative and agile around our content. It’s not, I don’t see how that can be 11 or 22 minutes. It’s, We know there’s something there. We know there’s a character that we can develop. We know that there are themes and a story line that might take a different form. That’s one of the exciting things about being truly multiplatform. The goal for us is to be on all platforms and completely connected, but our starting points can change. TV KIDS: Cartoon Network has such a wide range of apps. How do they differ? MILLER: They’re different, as they should be, by brand. Our digital business is as global as our network business. We have about 40 apps, marching toward 100 million downloads. It’s a
TV KIDS: Do you see all of this use as being additive? MILLER: Yes, it’s total consumption. We’ve also seen authentication in the U.S. go up greatly, probably three times the number of people authenticating into the Cartoon Network App than ever before. You can get a taste, but ultimately to go deep and to bring you into the network requires authentication. Last year we finished with the strongest ratings we’ve had in the history of the network, we’ve grown VOD viewing and at the same time the demand is growing on the Cartoon Network App and Cartoon Network Anything. Kids expect us to meet them where they are, and they are consuming in all places, and sometimes in more than one place at once! Layering those experiences is what becomes important. The convergence of media, bringing it all together and curating that experience is where we’ll win, that’s the difference: driving innovation in those spaces or experiences and bringing the best of TV into those platforms and the best of those platforms into TV. TV KIDS: Cartoon Network is dedicated not only to entertaining kids but also to cultivating the next generation of thinkers, engineers, storytellers and animators. Tell us about some of those initiatives.
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but doing it as early as possible. We have a global content team. We’re always looking at how we greenlight and when we roll out. The business plans are all tied together through franchise management. Now, more than ever before, it comes very naturally to us because our strategy is, in fact, global. Collectively we’re executing in our regions.
Cartoon Network is engaging with its audiences outside of the linear experience with a variety of apps, including the flagship Cartoon Network App.
MILLER: In the middle of last year we got involved with President Obama’s Computer Science for All initiative. We dedicated about $30 million in resources to that particular initiative. We’ve partnered with great companies such as Google, the Scratch team at MIT Media Lab, [the online community] DIY.org. We look at ways to get the content out there and show kids that computer science, per se, and the STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Math] initiative is really the STEAM initiative [which includes art]. It’s about problemsolving and giving kids tools [so they can] see themselves as able to use them, whether it’s Bubbles being a proficient coder or OK K.O.! Lakewood Plaza Turbo, which is a game that has a lot more content in development that will also have a young woman that is a coder and video-game creator. Kids inspire us, so how can we inspire them? How can we make sure that the tools we give them will help them be creative in the future? We did an animation program with DIY.org and JAM where we teach kids how to animate. We’ve had a lot of success with bringing kids into things, as well as video-game developers. We had a game jam to launch OK K.O.! We invited 200 artists and video-game developers to spend time with us and help us create those characters. Across the spectrum, young and old, our goal is to give creative tools to our audience and hopefully make them the animators of the future. TV KIDS: How is the business in the U.S. aligning with the Turner international networks? MILLER: Now more than ever we act as one. It’s very natural and very necessary. Whether it’s looking at the best place to launch a property—Ben 10 will launch first in Europe, our Boomerang global rebrand launched first in Latin America, Powerpuff Girls launched simultaneously around the world throughout the month of April—it’s about looking at how we can bring it all together, taking into account all market factors,
TV KIDS: How has Boomerang developed since the rebrand? MILLER: We’re [almost two years] into a global rebrand and the big announcement we made about creating original content for that network for the first time. We’ve launched a couple of shows. We’re always thinking about how we can continue to extend and grow that brand. Boomerang is one of a kind. It’s really very special when you think about how it brings together the best of everything Time Warner has to offer. It’s the true intersection of Warner Bros. and Cartoon Network in one place with these beloved, timeless brands such as Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, Bugs Bunny. We have the ability to create new stuff, whether it’s new versions of [classics] and refreshing, relaunching and reimagining some of those brands, or making Bunnicula, which is an all-new property. Boomerang has a very big footprint around the world. With Cartoon Network, we have a great dual-network strategy to manage globally. TV KIDS: Where do you see growth opportunities over the next 12 to 24 months? MILLER: I think that overall consumption of content will continue to grow, and that’s the foundation of everything we do. I believe our gaming business will continue to grow. We are looking at VR to see what else we can do and how much deeper can we go into that. And there’s absolutely room for growth with consumer products. We are about to launch products for Powerpuff Girls and Ben 10. Mighty Magiswords and OK K.O.! have infinite possibilities because they are created for today’s world, with their layered, multiplatform environments. If VR, gaming, consumer products and overall content consumption are areas to grow, those brands are built to optimize all of those categories in the kids’ space. I also think there’s a real opportunity to give kids experiences and those can be as small as a local community event or a theme park or maybe doing theater—there are lots of places to play there. Our goal is to create these immersive worlds, not just shows, so we really have to look to move people in a different way. We went to Comic-Con this year and had a full orchestra for Steven Universe, which is very different from any other panel that people do [at ComicCon. It’s about] being really specific and innovative to the actual series, and then looking at those core categories for opportunities for growth.
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CONTENT
TR E N D S E T T E RS hildren today become media consumers at a very young age. Toddlers are adept at clicking and swiping and can select favorite games and episodes on portable devices. Preschoolers learn their ABCs, 123s, colors, shapes and more from favorite shows, whether on an app or a TV set. School-age children love to spend their free time with animated series that provide zany characters, a lot of humor and even fantastical worlds. Kids are not only passive watchers of content, they make their own and love to share the images and videos they create. They are keen to see themselves and their worlds represented in the shows they watch. They are also interested in how other kids navigate friendships, overcome adversity, or find ways to fit in during the very sensitive and challenging tween years—all frequent topics in live-action series. Children’s influences come not only from parents, caregivers, relatives and teachers, but increasingly from the toys they play with and the shows and content they engage with on TV and online. Executives in charge of sourcing and commissioning programming for children have a serious responsibility on their hands because they are tasked with entertaining and informing young viewers in their formative years. Nowadays that task goes beyond simply finding the right TV shows for their television channels—it includes providing content on the many devices and platforms where children are looking for entertainment.
C
In acknowledgement of this vital segment of the television industry, World Screen, in partnership with MIPJunior, is holding its second annual Kids’ Content Trendsetter Awards to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the children’s TV business. The honorees represent children’s services that are leaders in one market as well as channels that are seen around the world. They are Laurence Blaevoet from France’s Canal+, Tara Sorensen of Amazon Studios, Sarah Muller from CBBC in the U.K. and Marc Buhaj of Disney XD. All are keen to innovate and offer their viewers shows they haven’t seen elsewhere. They will take part in the panel What Do Channels and Platforms Want? at MIPJunior on Saturday, October 15, from 10:45 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Conference Room at the Grand Hyatt Cannes Hotel Martinez. World Screen’s group editorial director, Anna Carugati, will moderate a lively discussion that will focus on identifying ideas for shows and multiplatform content for today’s media-savvy children. “We’ve been thrilled with our partnership with Reed MIDEM over the last six years to honor programming wizards who are tasked with building compelling schedules for audiences,” says Ricardo Guise, president and publisher of World Screen. “Given the responsibility children’s programmers hold, we felt it was time to create the Kids’ Content Trendsetter Awards and are excited to be bringing this event back for a second year. These executives have the difficult job of spotting innovative ideas while serving the developmental needs of children. We are happy to be celebrating their discerning tastes with this award.”
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K I D S’ C O N T E N T T R E N D S E T T E R S LAURENCE BLAEVOET Canal+ Group As director of the youth unit at the Canal+ Group, Laurence Blaevoet oversees three channels that are part of the French pay-TV company. Canal+ Family targets children 3 to 12 six hours a day with animated series and also with movies that appeal to the entire family. Piwi+ serves the younger 3 to 6 age group with programming that consists mainly of animation with endearing and funny stories featuring brave and friendly heroes. TéléTOON+ is aimed at 7- to 11-year-olds with shows that empower youngsters, make them laugh and feature life’s everyday heroes, as well as with adaptations of French literature, mainly comic books. Acquired and co-produced product, which makes up 90 percent of the three channels’ schedules, comes from around the world. Recent acquisitions include Talking Tom and Friends, Nowhere Boys, Bob the Builder, Noddy and Topsy and Tim; while recent co-productions include My Knight and Me with TeamTO and Thuristar, Molang with Millimages and Petit Poilu with Dupuis.
TARA SORENSEN Amazon Studios Amazon Studios produces for the premium subscription streaming service Amazon Prime Video. As head of kids’ programming, Tara Sorensen is tasked with overseeing the development and production of original series as well as the acquisition of product targeted to preschool and 6- to 11-yearold children. While Sorensen and her team are primarily focused on original productions—and Amazon tests pilots in an original way, by taking into consideration feedback from customers— she will acquire and co-produce series if they are either visually distinct or rely on a fresh storytelling approach. All of Amazon’s children’s programming is presented in a half-hour format, either as one 22-minute show or two 11-minute episodes back to back. The service considers a wide range of styles, including animation, live action, stop motion and hybrids, but does not look for short-form content. Recent acquisitions include Thunderbirds Are Go and the world debut of Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer’s Llamas.
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K I D S’ C O N T E N T T R E N D S E T T E R S SARAH MULLER CBBC CBBC is one of the children’s services of the British public broadcaster BBC. Serving children 6 to 12, CBBC’s goal is to offer innovative, challenging and buzzworthy programming that reflects its diverse audience. The channel airs seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and its programming is also available on the CBBC iPlayer, website and YouTube channel. While wanting to open new worlds to kids and make them laugh and think, CBBC takes its public-service remit seriously, as demonstrated by several of its most popular brands: Horrible Histories, The Dumping Ground, Operation Ouch!, Dixi and My Life. Sarah Muller, the creative director of scripted, animation and coproductions at CBBC Productions, is constantly on the lookout for content. She has overseen a number of co-productions, including The Worst Witch with ZDF, Danger Mouse with FremantleMedia Kids & Family and Strange Hill High with FremantleMedia Kids & Family in association with Factory. In November Muller joins Channel 5 as its new head of children’s.
MARC BUHAJ Disney XD Part of Disney Channels Worldwide’s portfolio, Disney XD is a basic-cable channel and multiplatform brand. While aimed at kids 6 to 11, it super-serves boys with a mix of live-action, animated and lifestyle programming in the form of series, movies or short-form content. Disney XD’s content appears on television, online and on mobile and VOD platforms. Although Disney XD is committed to producing brand-defining original productions, these are supported by acquisitions and co-productions sourced by Marc Buhaj, the senior VP of programming and general manager of the channel, and his team. Buhaj oversees Disney XD in the U.S. and supports the original content development and acquisition strategies for Disney XD channels around the world. Recent acquisitions and coproductions include Right Now Kapow with Warner Bros. Animation; Counterfeit Cat, commissioned by Disney XD EMEA and TELETOON and co-produced by Tricon Kids & Family and Wildseed Studios; and Fangbone! with Radical Sheep Productions and Pipeline Studios in association with DHX Media.
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of more children’s content and other kinds of minority content in the U.K. Neither of [those directives] change our strategy: we are still focused on high-quality U.K. content. We’ve been subject to competing for our content for many, many years, so it’s not a massive difference. TV KIDS: How are you working with BBC Worldwide and others to develop original programming that can resonate locally and be exported outside of the U.K.? WEBB: We do that predominantly with BBC Worldwide, but BBC Children’s also does that with other partners, [including] FremantleMedia Kids & Family. We’re pretty entrepreneurial. We have our core public-service purposes that we’re trying to fulfill, which means that we cover every genre—drama, comedy, entertainment, factual, news, current affairs. Where there is a crossover, we will work with an international partner. Take for example The Worst Witch, our biggest children’s drama to date. It’s a co-production between us and ZDF Enterprises and it also has investment from Netflix. We have a relationship with BBC Worldwide, who are very much partners with us, particularly in the preschool area. So Go Jetters, for example, which is a hugely popular new animation, BBC Worldwide co-produced it with us, and they are the distributor too. We have quite a diverse range of partners from other broadcasters to digital platforms to distributors to producers.
By Mansha Daswani
The BBC’s children’s programming division is at the heart of the U.K.’s kids’ content sector. CBBC and CBeebies are market leaders, entertaining and educating preschoolers and kids with a slate of homegrown commissions, as well as a selection of co-productions and acquisitions. As the director of BBC Children’s, Alice Webb is tasked with keeping CBBC, CBeebies and the new BBC iPlayer Kids app in pole position. As she tells TV Kids, she also is preparing the division for changes set out in the White Paper outlining the future of the BBC. TV KIDS: What was your strategy coming into the role of director of BBC Children’s last year? WEBB: My big priority was to keep making amazing, highquality content for U.K. kids—content they can call their own—and to keep moving us forward to make sure that we are in the places that children need and want us to be. It was as straightforward as that. Stay connected, stay relevant and be there in the way kids need us and want us. TV KIDS: The White Paper released this May laid out a blueprint for the future of the BBC. What are the ramifications for your division? WEBB: The White Paper is the result of the Charter negotiations that have gone on between the BBC and the government. Children’s has very much been a priority in the conversation. [The White Paper] puts BBC Children’s even more at the top of the to-do list for the BBC. We made a pledge to do a new service called iPlay as part of the next Charter period. There are changes for us. There is the loss of the in-house guarantee, and there is the introduction of a contestable fund for the making
TV KIDS: Kids’ TV broadcasters are under pressure in many markets. How are you managing to constrain costs and keep quality on screen? WEBB: Our sector is always under budget pressures, but we’ve done well in the BBC to withstand them. While the BBC has been subject to severe financial pressures, we have managed through efficiencies to make sure we keep as much money on screen as possible. So over the last five years, the BBC has taken 25 percent out of our cost base, and a very small proportion of that has been [taken from the content budget]. In BBC Children’s, 94 pence to the pound goes on content for us. That will be the case as we move forward, too. The BBC has put Children’s as a priority through this next Charter period. That doesn’t mean we won’t be subject to efficiency targets and all the rest of it—we will, that’s just good business—but it double underlines the BBC’s continued commitment to children’s public-service broadcasting. TV KIDS: What does quality on screen mean for you? WEBB: Eighty percent of our content is U.K.-originated, reflecting the variety and diversity of children’s lives as they are growing up. They can learn, they can laugh, they can make sense of the world around them. It needs to be distinctive. We’re not about derivative things. We are about high production values and quality. TV KIDS: Tell me about the BBC iPlayer Kids launch and the Big Digital Plan for Children. WEBB: The Big Digital Plan for Children, we could have just called it the BBC’s Big Plan for Children. The word “digital” was just to underline that that is the big shift for our audience. It goes back to what I spoke about originally—making sure that we can continue to deliver amazing content that kids love, and make sure we stay connected to them in all the places that they are in the world today. So there are six
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challenges we’ve given ourselves as part of the Big Digital Plan. The first is delivering distinctive, high-quality, noisy content that stands out from the crowd in a very busy landscape. The second is making sure we deliver content in the way that kids want it, which is why you saw us launch the iPlayer for kids. On-demand viewing is hugely popular with our audience. Of the BBC’s iPlayer in general, a third of that viewing, the single largest genre, is kids. You’ll see a similar phenomenon reflected in platforms like Netflix. Part of our big plan is also making sure that we’re not just delivering content, it’s more than that. That’s why our third priority is to help children grow the skills that will help them thrive in the digital world so that they can connect, create and share. And creativity is an important thread that runs through everything. It’s not just about passive consumption for our audience. It’s about getting them creating too. The fourth element of our challenge is making sure that we are delivering the whole of the BBC to children. Kids love far more of the BBC’s content than what is just made by the children’s department, whether that’s Strictly Come Dancing or MasterChef. We want to make that as accessible as possible. The fifth thing is being a trusted guide. This is about us bringing all of our public-service values into the digital space, in the way that we’ve done in the physical and the linear spaces for the last 90 years. Whether that’s helping kids navigate their world safely online or helping parents to feel confident as their children are taking their first digital steps. The last part of the plan is about reflecting and promoting the U.K. That’s first and foremost in our content—making sure we reflect every part of our wonderfully colorful country and every child growing up here. And [promoting] our industry as well. We’re the cornerstone of the U.K. children’s industry. It’s a hugely diverse, resilient, entrepreneurial and highquality industry that I am very proud that we can shout about and support with our commissions and on the international stage. TV KIDS: What’s your sense of the effects Brexit will have on kids’ content producers in the U.K.? WEBB: To a certain extent it’s too early to tell. There will be changes in funding models. There are a couple of things worth hanging on to. First of all, children’s content and the international profile and strategic priority of children’s content have increased. You can see that reflected in the way Netflix has launched a huge amount of original children’s content. For SVOD providers, having kids’ content is a necessary part of your arsenal. So there is more demand for children’s content internationally. And if you’re looking for children’s content, it doesn’t take very long to come to U.K. shores. The other thing is, the children’s industry has always been entrepreneurial, it has always shifted and changed. We had massive shifts in our funding base about seven or eight years ago in the U.K. with the changes in the advertising laws. I’m confident that the industry will be resilient, and it will adapt. We don’t know the details yet, but there is plenty of reason to think that it will carry on in good health. TV KIDS: As you look ahead, what are some of your other priorities? WEBB: It’s absolutely about distinctive, high-quality content. One of the areas that we are looking at as part of our plan is the older end of our audience. Do we want to do any more in that space? We recently extended our broadcast hours for CBBC, so we’ve added another two hours a day. The thing for us to do is bring those six threads that I talked about, our priorities in our Big Digital Plan, together over the next 12 months—to bring them to life, to make them real. And the exciting thing is that at the end of next year, December 5 to 7, 2017, the BBC is hosting the World Summit on Media for Children here in Manchester. That will be a real opportunity for us to play host to international partners— children’s content makers, policy makers, technical platform providers—and talk about quality content connecting with children in the way they want it. It will be an exciting 12 to 18 months for us.
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Jump forward 30-plus years to about 14 years ago, Martin Baynton, my wife Tania [Rodger] and I were one year into running our new television production company, Pukeko Pictures. We were in production on our first show, Jane and the Dragon, and feeling very happy with ourselves. Martin asked me, “If you were able to fulfill your greatest wish, what show would you have wanted to make?” I said that I would love to reimagine Thunderbirds, and he said we should have a look at trying to do something around that. A few years earlier I had tried to get a revival of Thunderbirds going with another passionate enthusiast. We made a test and flew to the U.K., where we managed to meet with [Thunderbirds co-creators] Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and they gave us their blessing. At the time, the show was owned by Carlton International Media. We pitched it to them and they received the idea very warmly, but once back in New Zealand we discovered that Carlton had been bought out [by Granada in a corporate takeover to form ITV]. Sadly, the project dissipated at that point. It took another 11 years of banging on that drum and chasing it—it falling quiet then us having a burst of interest, enthusiasm and energy to chase it again—for it [to come to fruition]. By some bizarre and unbelievable convergence, Giles [Ridge, executive producer and senior VP of content and brand development at ITV Studios Global Entertainment] was equally working away in the U.K. preparing to bring Thunderbirds to the world through ITV and their acquisition of the material. In some wonderful alignment of the stars, we happened to connect with each other. Pukeko connected with ITV and we connected with Giles.
By Kristin Brzoznowski
The 1960s British hit Thunderbirds has been reinvented for a new generation, brought to life with a mix of CGI animation and live-action miniature sets. Produced by ITV Studios and Pukeko Pictures in association with Weta Workshop, Thunderbirds Are Go will head into its third season on CITV in the U.K. in 2017. The series counts among its broadcast partners Amazon Prime in the U.S., with international sales handled by ITV Studios Global Entertainment. Richard Taylor, co-owner of Pukeko Pictures and Weta Workshop who has worked on the miniatures and props for such high-profile films as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, is an executive producer on Thunderbirds Are Go. He tells TV Kids about fulfilling his boyhood dream by continuing the Thunderbirds legacy. TV KIDS: How did you first become involved in reviving this classic series? TAYLOR: It started initially with my childhood passion. I have often said that the DNA of Weta Workshop is partly because of our love of Thunderbirds. I grew up on the show in the U.K. and then when I immigrated to New Zealand, very thankfully it was on television so I was able to carry on my great love of the show.
Giles, understandably, had to look further afield than at just one company, regardless of our passion and interest. We were able to imprint on him what we considered to be our pedigree for the show and our aspiration to do it in a unique way. That was enthusiastically received and has now led to this wonderful relationship that we have with ITV. TV KIDS: How did you go about paying homage to the original while still evolving the series? TAYLOR: We understood very early on, despite my boyhood aspirations, that we couldn’t exactly replicate the original show. Today’s audiences are treated to dynamic, emotive, complex characters. The original technique of Supermarionation using puppetry simply wouldn’t have given a modern audience the necessary prerequisites for emotional fulfillment and dynamic performance that you see today even in the simplest of television [shows]. We anxiously stepped into a process of creating the characters and ships in CGI and the world in miniatures. Our biggest concern was that [the use of CGI] would be a turnoff for the core fans. Even though the show ultimately has to
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are driven to deliver everything yesterday, everything to the highest level they can possibly deliver in the time that they’ve got and constantly up their game. No audience wants to see tomorrow what they saw yesterday. It’s imperative that even as the show unfolds episode by episode, the scenes are grander, the rescues are riskier, the devastation is mightier, the nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat concern for the boys grows deeper. That demands a very special type of focus. It’s very easy to be focused and passionate for the first three and a half months or even six months. At the ninth month, maybe you can still retain that passion. When you’re doing the sort of hours that our team does, with the sort of environment that we’re working in, it’s got to be part of the calling of your life. When I go to check out the miniatures, it constantly astounds me how this small team, regularly only six to eight people, has conjured—and I use the word “conjured” because it’s almost like a magic act—this beautiful thing out of a collection of mostly junky objects, using tried-and-true “scratchbuild model-making” techniques. We also utilize modern 3D laser-printing technology, and so on, to assist in the build of the items. This also greatly accelerates our ability to deliver the episodes on time. We’re using all the techniques that we can bring together to do something special for the show.
CITV is in its second season of Thunderbirds Are Go and has commissioned a third.
appeal to a much wider audience than the core fans, if you upset the fan base you can quickly undermine your own enthusiasm for the show, never mind the market. The lovely thing is that the fans [of the original series] have acknowledged why we made this decision and furthermore have actually commented that they see that it was a wise move. It’s now given us the beauty and tactile integrity of the original show—which was literally sculpted on the stage in a way so that children could empathize with it, connect with it and feel that they were watching a magical world unfold—and it is populated by these dynamic, high-spirited, beautifully emotional, rich, three-dimensional characters. We’re very thankful that what we visualized as the solution has ultimately been received so warmly today. TV KIDS: How labor intensive is the process of creating all the models and miniatures for the series, and how does it compare to some of your feature-film work? TAYLOR: If you put it into perspective, you’re building 26 halfhours of television—that’s 13 hours of content. Basically, in one season you’re building seven and a half stop-animation feature films, but building it on a television budget in a fastturnaround environment at breakneck speed. That can only be achieved through one thing above all else and that’s passion. [We have] a group of digital technicians, TV filming crew, designers, production people and model-makers who
TV KIDS: Did the approach for season two differ at all from the first season, and what’s in store for season three? TAYLOR: The original season was already a significant achievement, but the new episodes are on a whole other level! By the second season, the writers no longer need to constantly introduce the characters because your audience has already discovered the very fully rounded family unit. They know the relationship between the characters. This frees up the ability to focus much more on the dynamic of the situation and the family’s unique qualities, as opposed to individual character development. The story can take a greater leap. [Head writer] Rob Hoegee very cleverly, under Giles’s guidance, set up story arcs way back in the first episode of the first season that are complex, emotive and [deal with] very real things that children are facing today. Rob has very cleverly woven these beautiful B-stories in that he’s traversed right across season one into season two. Season three gives the opportunity to start to evolve and play out, and in some cases conclude, some of those arcs. For a devotee of the show, it allows them to watch a very broad and emotive B-story unfolding. TV KIDS: Do you have any “dos” and “don’ts” to impart about rebooting a classic property? TAYLOR: You’ve got to be very aware of what your target audience is consuming in the moment you’re making the show. The problem is, of course, when you choose to make a show, it isn’t going to be on screen for one and a half to two years after you’ve begun your production and decided on the design of how you’re going to make the show and what it will look like. Appetites shift, the world shifts, the generational gap in television production shifts. It demands that you be predictive. You’ve got to try to predict the way the appetite will be at the time the show will air. That’s very challenging, especially when you’re making a show that’s paying homage to something historical. If you were coming up with a totally original IP, life would be much easier! Finding the balance between those two things is very difficult.
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Ocean Girl, which was on Disney U.S. and many other places, so I had experience in shooting underwater and above water. [I thought], what about mermaids? Mermaids are kind of like empowered sirens. They have fun, and they’re connected to the natural world. Most of the planet is water, and we don’t know much about it. So there’s a whole secret world there. That was the original inspiration. And then we drilled down into character and it became a story of friendship, not just a fantasy. TV KIDS: How did Mako Mermaids come about? SHIFF: Looking back now, we started the careers of a lot of well-known actors. Margot Robbie, Liam Hemsworth, Phoebe Tonkin, Claire Holt, all started with me on my productions. Margot Robbie started on The Elephant Princess. Liam Hemsworth was on the same show. Phoebe Tonkin was on the original H2O. Claire Holt likewise. The girls from H2O grew up. They reached a point when they were hitting 20 and wanted to move on. They outgrew aspirational characters for the tween-age audience. The other thing was, from a regulatory point of view, [there were limits on how many episodes could receive funding assistance]. Being an ex-lawyer as well as a producer, it occurred to me that Australia hadn’t done a spin-off. So we approached the regulatory authorities and said, What if this wasn’t a story about three girls becoming mermaids, but a story about mermaids trying to be real girls? They said, That’s a spin-off, let’s do it. We were in the same universe story-wise. And Mako Mermaids was born. Also, Mako Mermaids gave me
By Mansha Daswani
It would appear that kids around the world can’t get enough of Australian mermaids. Beginning with H2O: Just Add Water and now with Mako Mermaids, Jonathan M. Shiff’s stories of these underwater creatures and their lives on land have been delighting kids and tweens across the globe. Shiff, who also created Ocean Girl and The Elephant Princess, talks to TV Kids about creating aspirational characters and story lines, the challenges of filming underwater and his long-running partnership with ZDF Enterprises, which has been distributing his shows worldwide since 2002. TV KIDS: What was the original inspiration for H2O: Just Add Water? SHIFF: For most of my career—which is heading towards 26 years—I’ve done female-skewing, positive, aspirational role models for young girls. My daughter just turned 30. When she was entering a content phase, I wanted to appeal to her. Most good content makers are either connected to a young imagination or in my case act like a child sometimes! You need to be connected to your material and inspired and enjoy it. Mine was strong female role models. I’d already done, some years prior,
more latitude as a storyteller to do more fantasy, because they were less limited than the real girls [in H2O]. TV KIDS: Tell us about the challenges of filming live action, particularly the underwater scenes. SHIFF: I seem to have a penchant for doing crazy stuff, whether it’s real elephants in The Elephant Princess or filming with girls in prosthetic tails. We have electric rods that go in the water and send out a pulse to scare off the 15- to 18-foot sharks. We also film at Sea World Australia in their aquarium—the sharks there are babies and are harmless. But in open-water situations you need an army of stuntmen and stuntwomen, your camera has to be in heavy underwater housing, you need to be able to talk below water and give instructions while the girls are swimming. The salt water tends to sting your eyes, so we have to put milk drops in the girls’ eyes sometimes. It’s quite demanding. It’s more analogous to doing an actioner. The girls have to do three months of training—core training like Pilates, because they’re kicking with the tail, but also swim training and breathing techniques.
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Represented by ZDF Enterprises, Mako Mermaids has been licensed to platforms across the globe, including Netflix for its expanding kids’ lineup.
TV KIDS: Why do you think your shows have resonated in so many countries? SHIFF: Our productions have universal themes, so no matter where you live on the planet you can relate to them. You can relate to the characters, to the subject matter. I enjoy fantasy colliding with the real world; that’s a common theme. H2O and Mako tend to be fantasy action adventure, but the core stories are of friendship. In the case of Mako, it’s about the mermaid pod; it’s about having a lot of sisters. TV KIDS: Have you had to change the way you tell stories given the evolution in how kids now access content? SHIFF: I’m producing for linear and nonlinear. We are partnering with Netflix on Mako Mermaids, as well as with ZDF in Germany. So you’ve got to strike a balance in the storytelling in terms of episodic or serialized. In the early days, I used to produce quite heavily serialized because it was mandated by the Australian system. Then we went into more episodic selfcontained adventures. Today we strike a balance between them. The SVOD streaming services lend themselves to bingewatching, and then you can easily enjoy the cliff-hangers and the serialized nature of it. You’ve got to adapt to the way the media is delivered. But the stories still need to connect with the kids and they still need to fire up their imagination, regardless of the medium and how you’re delivering it. That’s universal. That’s at the heart of the storytelling. TV KIDS: How are you managing production costs given that budgets everywhere seem to be tightening? SHIFF: We are blessed to be producing in places where there is some regulatory support for content, particularly for children. Australia still has the [quotas for] C classified children’s drama content, so we have government support. I’ve always tried to strive for high production values in the belief that as the market fragments, [high-quality content] will shine—it’s unique so it finds its own brand space. We’re also blessed that we’ve had longstanding partnerships, particularly with ZDF’s children’s department in Germany, ZDF Enterprises as our distributor and with Network Ten in Australia. The long-standing partnerships provide a certain output with them and confidence in what we’re doing. It’s not easy, but my response is not to go down-market—my response is to try to stand our ground and cut through.
TV KIDS: I’m hearing that kids are aging out of children’s content younger than they used to. How has your target demo changed? SHIFF: If anything, we’ve slightly widened who we play to because there’s a lot of co-viewing now. The core audience is still 9 to 14. The younger kids are going to enjoy the fantasy, the mermaids, the magic and so on, but if you can build the story around the relationships and the characters, then the older siblings will be able to watch with the kids. That’s a good phenomenon that’s happened in the last few years. TV KIDS: Are there any new projects you’re working on that you can tell us about? SHIFF: I’ve been working on a brand-new franchise. It’s going to be a whole new universe, a whole new story. As we do each show we try to learn lessons from the past and build and grow, so this will be my best yet. At the same time, it’s hard to let go of those tails! You just want to hold onto them and be taken to somewhere where there are white sandy beaches and palm trees and the sun is always shining and you can play with the reef fish. I think there will be more mermaids swimming yet. I’m working on a special event for that. TV KIDS: Tell us about your long-running relationship with ZDF Enterprises. SHIFF: When I go to the markets and they give me my gold card—I’ve been to a lot of MIPs!—people say, You’ve been with the same distributor for 14 years? That doesn’t happen! People don’t stay married that long. There are prison sentences that are shorter than that. I often tell students when I teach that I may build the racecar but the distributor, the marketer, races it. People underestimate the intelligence and the trust and respect you have if you develop a strong relationship with the distributor. The distributor, with its intel and knowledge base, knows when to go fast, when to go slow, who to sell to, where to place your product. It’s great being a content producer. I love being Peter Pan who never grows up; it’s healthy, I think! I deliver the racecar to the driver and then respect and trust their judgment in how fast it could go, where it could be placed. It’s great to make a great show, but it won’t become a hit without that partnership. That’s a rare success, which we continue to enjoy.
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these shows will stick around for a long time. The best example of that is Round the Twist, which the ACTF did over 25 years ago now, and it’s still showing on Amazon in the U.K. and Netflix in Australia. That kind of highquality, distinctive legacy programming is where we try to position ourselves. TV KIDS: What are the greatest issues at stake for the Australian children’s media industry? BUCKLAND: There are huge funding challenges. It has been a very vibrant sector, and a number of conditions have contributed to that. One of those has been the Australian content quota and the regulations requiring the commercial broadcasters to do minimum levels of children’s drama. Those quotas are looking shaky in the new environment where there are a lot of platforms and children are drifting away from the commercial free-to-air broadcasters. So we’re not sure how long they are going to stay in place in the way that they have been. Even more immediately, the public broadcaster ABC, which back in 2009 had a big injection of extra funds to establish ABC3 [now ABC ME], in recent years has suffered budget cuts, as a lot of public institutions have in Australia. They’ve allocated quite a lot of the money that was in the kids’ department into other areas. So the ABC appears to be spending a lot less on commissioning children’s drama. And then Screen Australia, which is a major investor in children’s programs, is asking whether or not the audiences for kids’ television are big enough to justify their investments. So in some ways, it feels that we’re in precarious times. One of the biggest challenges for the ACTF at the moment is to be an advocate, particularly arguing to the government that this sector is really important.
By Mansha Daswani
Amid funding challenges and continued shifts in how viewers are consuming content, the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF) has stepped up its efforts to preserve the country’s long tradition of supplying high-end kids’ programming to broadcasters domestically and abroad. The ACTF, led by CEO Jenny Buckland, helps develop policy and invests in and distributes shows, among other activities. Buckland tells TV Kids about how the organization is supporting the production of distinctive Australian content that will resonate with kids at home and around the world. TV KIDS: Tell us about the mission of ACTF. BUCKLAND: Our mission is to support and encourage Australian shows for Australian kids. We want them to have something distinctively Australian about them so that they contribute to that shared experience of growing up in Australia. The kinds of shows that we want to be involved in are those high-quality, high-budget productions that wouldn’t be able to happen without us. We hope
TV KIDS: How are those efforts progressing? BUCKLAND: We’re in a complicated political cycle at the moment. You look at how many prime ministers we’ve had! So it is quite difficult to get traction. But we have to be persistent, and we’ve got a committed board, and a lot of other people in the industry are starting to realize this is a serious issue and are joining in this. So I’m optimistic that in the end, we’ll make progress. TV KIDS: Given that budgets are tight and you have to be particularly discerning, what do you look for in projects when you’re making investment decisions? BUCKLAND: We do have to be picky, and we’re going to have to be pickier because to resonate globally and last for a long time for children here, they have to be standout shows. More than ever they have to be strong, compelling stories with relatable characters. The stories in kids’ television, especially in live-action drama, are getting more compelling. You compel the viewer to want to come back
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sensibility. We also do loads of location shooting. That’s partly what has resonated around the world. If you’re in Finland and it’s dark at 3:30 p.m., and you can watch some glorious mermaids on the beach in Queensland, what’s not to love about that? [Laughs] Also, the story lines and the characters are very strong and they are dealing with issues that children and young teens all around the world can identify with. TV KIDS: What opportunities are digital platforms creating for you? BUCKLAND: We’ve made quite a lot of sales on the back library to SVOD platforms. That is sometimes a great way to get into territories that are a bit of a barrier for us. The U.S. would be a classic example of that. It’s probably the hardest market for us to sell an Australian show into, because there’s so much content already and because broadcasters have been the gatekeepers. They told us American children wouldn’t understand our accents and had all sorts of reasons for why they thought our shows wouldn’t work. So we’re delighted with the response we’re getting for Little Lunch on Netflix in the U.S. We know from the responses that people are watching it and loving it. Dance Academy and other Australian shows that have been on Netflix have had the same sort of response.
Netflix in the U.S. is among the platforms that have acquired ACTF’s educational comedy Little Lunch.
to see what happens. They have to have that sticky element, whereas perhaps years ago, broadcasters would ask things like, Can I show the episodes in a different order? What they meant was, Can kids dip in and out of this? Now you have the binge-viewing phenomenon and there’s so much competition, it’s much more likely that you want to end on a cliffhanger and have everyone begging for more and wanting to use catch-up television if they missed an episode. TV KIDS: Why do you think shows from Australia have been able to travel so widely? BUCKLAND: The fact that we did have the commercial broadcasters required to do a minimum level of children’s drama created the market in the first place. Then the strong investment and support from Screen Australia, enabling producers to have comparatively high production budgets. And it’s a small industry, so producers are also working with very high-quality crews who, if they’re not doing a kids’ drama, might be working on a high-end feature film or adult dramas. They’ve got a very cinematic
TV KIDS: What are your priorities for the year ahead? BUCKLAND: We’d love to find a 26-episode live-action drama for the younger end of the age group, the 7-to-12 end, because there’s been quite a bit of teen drama around. We would love to find something that is warm and funny and terrific in every way. Also, on the policy side, [we’re focused on] securing the Australian market and funding and ensuring that our politicians understand and value the content that’s coming from Australia. Internationally, we’ll be building on our SVOD relationships and finding those new opportunities for content.
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By Kristin Brzoznowski
Since its launch in 2014, DreamWorksTV has amassed a loyal fan base on YouTube with its wealth of short-form content. Birk Rawlings, the head of DreamWorksTV, tells TV Kids about how the channel is keeping its almost 2 million subscribers engaged and coming back for more. Though it launched just two years ago, DreamWorksTV has already proven itself as a major player in the kids’ and family entertainment space. The YouTube destination has surpassed 1.9 million subscribers. “It’s been an incredibly exciting run,” says Birk Rawlings, the head of DreamWorksTV. “We planned on having success, but I never expected this to grow as quickly as it has.” Rawlings explains that though there are many other entertainment brands on YouTube, “there are not very many that are catering to kids and there aren’t very many that are doing everything that we’re doing. We produce a lot of original content. We deliver new original episodes, anywhere from one to four, every single day, 365 days a year. We produce content that’s digital-native, that’s specifically made for each platform we’re on and for this audience.” While there are millions of kids consuming content on YouTube, a lot of them are watching video that wasn’t specifically designed with youngsters in mind, Rawlings says. “Our delivery is something that’s just for them, and that’s why it’s connected [with audiences] in a really meaningful way. Beyond that, it’s about the variety of content that we’ve been able to produce—everything from live action to sketch and reality shows, game shows to original animation and custom character animation featuring DreamWorks’s biggest stars. That breadth gives us the ability to connect to specific interests, so we’re not stuck in a pattern of only making one show or two shows a year that have to be everyone’s favorite.”
DreamWorksTV has produced more than 100 original series for its YouTube and go90 channels. Among its most popular series, Life Hacks for Kids received 3.1 million views in just one week. Other notable hits include Junk Drawer Magic and Songs That Stick. Life Hacks and Junk Drawer also include interactive elements, with activities that kids themselves can bring to life. “When we set out, part of our core strategy was to use an alternative form of development to the traditional model,” says Rawlings. “When I was developing movies for Disney or television shows for Nickelodeon, [the strategy was to] invest heavily in a couple of bets. You’d spend a lot of time fine-tuning everything to make sure that what you put out is the best it could possibly be. We’re essentially using the digital audience as our ‘executives’—we’re letting kids decide which of the things we do more of. We put a bunch of things in front of them and lean in to what works, continue experimentation on a daily, weekly and monthly basis and invest in the things they connect to. So far, it’s working.” The success of DreamWorksTV is another testament to kids’ changing media-consumption habits, as many look to digital as a go-to for their entertainment and consider on-demand their primary preference. Looking ahead, Rawlings is keen to continue on the path of growing DreamWorksTV’s audience and finding new hits from these digital platforms. “We’re also in the process of pivoting and taking some of our best characters and formats and bringing them out to traditional outlets, which has always been part of the plan and model,” he says. “Ultimately, we want to continue to try to be as flexible and fleet of foot as possible so that we don’t get stuck in what worked last year.”
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matter where she comes from or what her heritage is; it should matter who she is and what kinds of stories she’s engaged in. TV KIDS: What makes Elena of Avalor internationally appealing? GERBER: Princess Elena’s story is epic. The series tracks her journey from becoming crown princess—because she’s too young to be queen—until the day she gets crowned as queen, and maybe even beyond, hopefully. So this kind of coming-of-age story, Elena learning how to rule, will resonate around the world with all audiences. We also have themes, which are fairly universal, in every episode.
By Joanna Padovano
The Disney princess universe got a little big bigger this summer with the arrival of Elena. Disney Channel’s Elena of Avalor features its titular character—the Mouse House’s first-ever Latina princess—learning to rule a kingdom. Already a hit with the channel’s viewers, the show has been renewed for a second season. Elena of Avalor was created by Craig Gerber, who is also behind the Disney Junior hit Sofia the First. He tells TV Kids about his inspiration for the show. TV KIDS: How did the idea for Elena of Avalor come about? GERBER: I’d been working in the world of Disney princesses [while developing and executive producing] Sofia the First. While we were dealing with all the classic princesses, it became very clear to me that there was a need for more diversity and specifically a Latina princess. So I started thinking about how I could integrate a Latina princess into that show and I quickly realized that there was so much excitement about the idea of a Latina Disney princess that she deserved her own show. And so I started thinking about what would be a great concept for a new princess show. It would have to be something that we hadn’t seen before—at least from Disney—and that would really tell a new story. I was thinking about the one thing that princesses never get to do, and that one thing is rule their own kingdoms. Once that clicked, I thought, Oh my goodness! This is a worthy story—a tale of a princess who actually has to rule her kingdom. TV KIDS: What type of impact do you think the show is having on young Latino viewers? GERBER: It’s always great when children get to see themselves represented on television or on the [big] screen. I’m hoping that Latino children are happy to see a princess that looks like them and reminds them of their own families and experiences, but I also hope that Elena resonates universally with children from all backgrounds, because ultimately, it really shouldn’t
TV KIDS: What are some of the themes explored in the series? GERBER: In the first episode, Elena learns that bravery is great, but sometimes you need to think about why something is happening. So thoughtfulness is a theme. Tolerance is a theme that comes up in the third episode. The importance of being there for your family is a theme in the second episode, when Elena is torn between her royal duties and keeping a promise to her sister. So there are strong themes of leadership in the show because Elena is learning how to rule her kingdom [with] personal responsibility and compassion. There’s a wide array of themes for kids and adults of all ages, really. Tolerance comes to mind as being a theme for everybody. It’s meant equally for boys and girls. There’s a lot of adventure in it. Elena herself is very adventurous, bold and courageous. She’s not going to sit back and let somebody else try to save the kingdom; she’s going to go out and try to save the kingdom herself. Even though it’s a female-driven show because Elena’s a woman, I think that [it is appealing to] both girls and boys. TV KIDS: How do your experiences as a parent influence your work on the show? GERBER: I live in Los Angeles now and I have three sons. There are a lot of people from different cultures here all living in the same spot. And there’s an especially big Latino population in Los Angeles. Being with my children in the city, seeing them grow up and play with other kids, really made me want to make a show about a diverse culture and a diverse kingdom. I just think it’s good to learn about different people and cultures to see that the world is a much bigger place. So that’s a big part of it. And my sons continue to help me with themes [that involve] what they need to learn or what they’ve taught other kids. Of course, there are always the story pitches I get from my 8-year-old. [Laughs] I don’t know if any of them have been incorporated [into the show] yet, but one of them is a really good idea, so I’m just hanging onto it for the right moment. TV KIDS: How has the brand’s presence been extended beyond the small screen? GERBER: Disney has gotten behind Elena in a really big way and in an unprecedented way. She’s [in] the parks; that’s unusual for a princess on a TV show. They’re really treating Elena as if she was a princess like Anna or Elsa within the company by putting a walk-around character in the parks and the way that they’re sort of treating her both online—in terms of games, in terms of a web presence—and in terms of all the other things that Disney does publicly. What’s great to me is that the medium doesn’t matter to them at this point. They’re looking at the character and the story, and if they really like it and think it’s worthwhile, they’re going to get behind it.
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The Jim Henson Company’s Richard Goldsmith talks to TV Kids about Splash and Bubbles, this year’s MIPJunior World Premiere TV Screening. By Joanna Padovano well-traveled fusilier fish named Splash explores undersea habitats with his Mandarin dragonet best friend, Bubbles, in Splash and Bubbles, a new animated show that The Jim Henson Company will be introducing to the global market at MIPCOM. Using a combination of humor and Motownthemed music, the series aims to expose 4- to 7-year-old viewers to marine life and the need to take care of the ocean, while also emphasizing the importance of diversity in the world. The Jim Henson Company and Herschend Enterprises produce the 80x11-minute program, which is slated to debut on PBS KIDS in the U.S. on Wednesday, November 23. “The project was originally developed by John Tartaglia, a well-known talent, as a touring show about the ocean,” says Richard Goldsmith, the executive VP of global distribution at The Jim Henson Company. “There were several years of development that went into the series. We did not want to rush into production until it was perfect.” Splash and Bubbles is produced using the Henson Digital Puppetry Studio, a proprietary technology from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop that allows puppeteers to perform digitally animated characters in real time, which makes the animation appear to be more lifelike and spontaneous. “When we started showing clients and partners, including Reed MIDEM, they were amazed by the quality,” says Goldsmith. “Reed MIDEM was impressed by the production value, but what really engaged them is the story behind the
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production—the fact that we had a team of oceanographers advising us, a world-class team of puppeteers and writers, plus the fact that we want to get all kids excited about the ocean.” Reed MIDEM has chosen Splash and Bubbles as this year’s MIPJunior World Premiere TV Screening. “It’s an honor and makes a statement about the series,” says Goldsmith. The Jim Henson Company is overseeing all distribution and merchandising for Splash and Bubbles, while Herschend Enterprises is handling all location-based entertainment rights, including live shows in theme parks and aquariums. Splash and Bubbles is one of multiple new series that The Jim Henson Company plans to present at MIPCOM. Another priority is Dot., a technology-themed animated series produced by the Industrial Brothers. According to Goldsmith, the book-based show for kids aged 4 to 7 focuses on “a really urgent matter that all parents are concerned about, which is how to balance a child’s tech life with the real world.” The company will also be showcasing the Netflix original Word Party. The animated series, which is also produced using the Henson Digital Puppetry Studio, teaches vocabulary to preschoolers. “Accomplishing the right balance between [education and entertainment] in a kids’ show is really difficult,” says Goldsmith. “It’s a huge challenge that generally only works with companies that have years of experience seamlessly integrating the story with the curriculum.... We have spent 60 years producing [this type of] content for young children. It needs to empower and enrich their lives and it’s what we’re known for.”
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