World Screen February 2024 by World Screen

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February 2024

WWW.WORLDSCREEN.COM

THE MAGAZINE OF INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

NBCUniversal’s Belinda Menendez / Behind the Scenes of Three Little Birds Lionsgate’s Agapy Kapouranis / Artist View Entertainment’s Scott J. Jones TV Real Screenings Festival / BBC Studios’ Alan Holland

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CONTENTS

FEBRUARY 2024 WORLD VIEW By Mansha Daswani. THREE LITTLE BIRDS TAKES FLIGHT Watch a conversation with the British drama’s creator, Sir Lenny Henry, and one of its stars, Rochelle Neil. LIONSGATE’S AGAPY KAPOURANIS The studio’s president of international television and digital distribution highlights its expanded slate for the London TV Screenings. NBCUNIVERSAL’S BELINDA MENENDEZ The president and chief revenue officer at NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution shares what’s in store for the London TV Screenings.

Publisher Ricardo Seguin Guise Editor-in-Chief Mansha Daswani Editor-at-Large Anna Carugati Executive Editor Kristin Brzoznowski

ARTIST VIEW ENTERTAINMENT’S SCOTT J. JONES The president of the boutique film distributor weighs in on opportunities in the market.

Senior Associate Editor Jamie Stalcup

GETTING REAL The latest edition of the TV Real Screenings Festival spotlights new factual series and specials from across the globe.

Associate Editor Alexa Alfano

BBC STUDIOS’ ALAN HOLLAND The head of a restructured specialist factual arm is overseeing a curated slate of history, arts, music and culture fare. TRENDING ON The most-viewed clips on our video portals for the last 30 days.

Editor, Spanish-Language Publications Elizabeth Bowen-Tombari Production & Design Director David Diehl Online Director Simon Weaver

WHAT’S NEXT? Amid drastic changes in the kids’ media landscape, several leading IP owners offer insights on navigating the year ahead.

Sales & Marketing Director Dana Mattison

CAKE’S ED GALTON The CEO of the boutique indie distributor talks windowing shifts and navigating current market conditions.

Sales & Marketing Manager Genovick Acevedo

SKY’S LUCY MURPHY This year’s TV Kids Pioneer Award recipient discusses the acquisition and commissioning needs at Sky Kids.

Bookkeeper Daphne Menard

CYBER GROUP STUDIOS’ RAPHAËLLE MATHIEU The animation powerhouse’s COO weighs in on innovation and pioneering new techniques.

PROGRAM LISTINGS Highlights from several distributors. WORLD SCREEN is a registered trademark of WSN INC., 401 Park Avenue South, Suite 1041, New York, NY 10016, U.S.A. Phone: (212) 924-7620 Website: www.worldscreen.com ©2024 WSN INC. No part of this publication can be used, reprinted, copied or stored in any medium without the publisher’s authorization. For a free subscription to our newsletters, please visit www.subscriptions.ws.

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Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development

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WORLD VIEW

BY MANSHA DASWANI

The World Post-Peak TV U.S. scripted series releases plunged in 2023 to 481, below the Covid-hit 2020 number of 510 and down considerably from the 633 in 2021 and 2022, according to Ampere Analysis. This development was expected amid the Hollywood strikes as platforms and networks slowed down their release schedules to ensure they’d have a steady stream of new content. But it wasn’t just industrial action that popped the peak TV bubble. As media executives realized that they were spending way too much on content no one was watching, series orders were down as well. From the 2019 peak of 722, they slipped to 637 in 2020, 673 in 2021 and 661 in 2022 before cratering to 418 last year. SVOD saw the biggest decline, with 77 fewer seasons released, while broadcast released 55 fewer seasons. The broadcast lag was mostly strike-related, with the bulk of new shows being pushed to midseason. The SVOD decline, Ampere says, is “terminal.” Ampere is also seeing a shift away from U.S. commissions to international as SVOD platforms chase global gains and cost cuts. At the top eight SVOD services, there were 202 new U.S. commissions (down from 342) versus 295 international (down from 429). Fred Black, principal analyst at Ampere, noted: “A combination of disruptive strike action, a tightening of purse strings at SVOD services and the relative bang-for-your-buck offered by international production markets in terms of costs, fresh content and potential subscriber growth, saw the U.S. scripted boom finally run out of steam. While 2024 will see some level of a bounce back in the content being ordered, many of these titles will be released in 2025, meaning any recovery is likely to be slow going.” 8 WORLD SCREEN 2/24

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Three Little Birds Takes Flight By Kristin Brzoznowski

ritten by Sir Lenny Henry (Chef!, Broadchurch, The Long Song), the drama Three Little Birds narrates the adventures of sisters Leah and Chantrelle, who come from the St. Ann district of Jamaica, and their acquaintance Hosanna, as they set out for a new life in Great Britain. The six-part series is inspired by the stories of Henry’s mother, who left Jamaica in the 1950s for Great Britain, which became her home and where she raised her family. Rochelle Neil (Das Boot, The Nevers) stars as Leah, Saffron Coomber (Small Axe) as Chantrelle and Yazmin Belo as Hosanna. Henry, whose background is in stand-up comedy, was long telling anecdotes about his family. After becoming an actor, he realized that there were stories to tell beyond just the humorous ones. This one, speciﬁcally, is about “the bravery of leaving your home country to go to a perceived motherland, 10 WORLD SCREEN 2/24

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and then arriving in that place and realizing, Oh, they don’t know us. They don’t know who we are. They don’t know where Jamaica is. They don’t know why we’re this color. They don’t know why we’ve got a British passport. I thought, it is worth telling this story.” For Neil, too, the project was personal. “It was the ﬁrst time I’d ever read a script that was so close to my own family history and heritage,” she says. “My grandparents did exactly the same thing. They made the journey. They heeded the call from the motherland.” She adds that the way it captured the Jamaican humor, energy and vibe and the character’s arc added to the allure.

“It was the first time I’d ever read a script that was so close to my own family history and heritage.” —Rochelle Neil

Henry worked on the project in collaboration with Russell T Davies (Doctor Who, Years and Years), whom he met after auditioning for the comedy-drama Cucumber. He approached Davies with an idea to tell a post-Windrush story. “Ten years later, my mum arrived in this country and nothing much had changed,” Henry said. “People’s attitudes toward a Black person hadn’t changed. The problems at work hadn’t changed. It was very much a patriarchy, but women were strong, and the idea of these three women bonding and making a pact to look after each other really resonated with me.” 2/24 WORLD SCREEN 11

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ust as 2023 came to an end, Lionsgate closed its acquisition of Entertainment One (eOne), a deal that added 6,500 film and television titles to its already robust library. With it comes the addition of network procedurals such as The Rookie, which will now form one of three key content pillars that Lionsgate is focusing on, alongside engaging acquired dramas and premium IP. Agapy Kapouranis, Lionsgate’s president of international television and digital distribution, tells World Screen about the offering the company will be showcasing at the London TV Screenings and her views on what buyers are looking for.

Agapy Kapouranis Lionsgate WS: What are some of the new Lionsgate titles you and the By Kristin Brzoznowski teams are looking forward to showcasing? KAPOURANIS: We’re excited to now offer network procedurals, including the hit eOne series The Rookie. We are also always looking to acquire interesting and compelling content for our clients, and we will be bringing the drama series Fake and Borderline to the London TV Screenings this year. WS: What gives these titles their international appeal? KAPOURANIS: Network procedurals have great appeal to audiences worldwide, and The Rookie, now entering its 12 WORLD SCREEN 2/24

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sixth season on ABC, has become a global success. Fake and Borderline feature elements of intrigue that will draw in audiences. WS: What’s driving Lionsgate’s strategy for 2024? KAPOURANIS: We’re focused on showcasing three key content pillars. Each category includes an eOne series that we’ve added to our robust library following our recent acquisition of the global content platform. Network procedurals comprise our ﬁrst category, and for our second, Fake and Borderline are excellent examples of the engaging drama series that we acquire for our clients. Third, we are consistently working on premium IP and will have the highly anticipated Spartacus: House of Ashur series, a reboot of one of STARZ’s biggest original hits, and the Emmynominated Yellowjackets on Showtime in the mix.

“Buyers look for premium content driven by dynamic storylines, and that is exactly what we’re offering with our shows.” WS: What are you hearing from buyers that they’re looking for? KAPOURANIS: Every year, buyers look for premium content driven by dynamic storylines, and that is exactly what we’re offering with our shows. We’re also seeing an increased demand for original series, given their ability to drive subscriptions. 2/24 WORLD SCREEN 13

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rom buzzy dramas such as the Liane Moriarty adaptation Apples Never Fall to stand-out factual, including Action and The Americas, NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution has a toptier offering for the London TV Screenings. Belinda Menendez, president and chief revenue officer, tells World Screen about what’s in store.

Belinda Menendez

NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution By Kristin WS: What is on the roster for the London TV Screenings? Brzoznowski MENENDEZ: Apples Never Fall is a gripping drama based on the globally popular New York Times best-selling novel from Liane Moriarty (Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers). The rich narrative examining the cracks in a seemingly perfect family is beautifully told by an acclaimed, high-profile cast with international appeal: Annette Bening, Sam Neill, Jake Lacy and Alison Brie. From David Leitch and Kelly McCormick, Action is an explosive docuseries that offers exclusive insight into the lives of the best stunt teams working today and what brought them to the stunt world in the first place. The series follows an incredible group of everyday individuals, bonded by their dreams and love of action sports, martial arts and motocross. At a time when 16 WORLD SCREEN 2/24

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global interest in the multimillion-dollar business of action films is at an all-time high, Action will showcase unprecedented behindthe-scenes footage of the stunt work on some of the biggest action movies and the highs and lows of working in such a high-octane, extremely skilled and often dangerous environment, all while balancing family life with a day job like no other. Narrated by Tom Hanks and featuring a score by Hans Zimmer, The Americas is a groundbreaking event series that teams the powerhouse of NBCUniversal with the BBC Studios Natural History Unit. This incomparable project employs revolutionary filmmaking technology to deliver an 11-episode cinematic masterpiece that showcases the wonders, secrets and fragilities of the Americas. The series will also capture never-before-seen animal behavior while revealing incredible untold wildlife stories that will deeply connect with millions around the world.

“Buyers are currently looking for escapism, crime-mystery and action.” WS: What are buyers looking for currently? MENENDEZ: We’ve found that buyers are currently looking for escapism, crime-mystery and action. The upcoming film and TV slate we’re showcasing at London TV Screenings checks off each of those boxes. Buyers also know that the breadth and quality of NBCUniversal’s content portfolio is unrivaled and that by partnering with us, they will always be able to find content that appeals to their audiences. 2/24 WORLD SCREEN 17

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aving a sizable catalog has proven to be quite valuable in the strike-affected (and budget-conscious) market of the last year, which bodes well for Artist View Entertainment. Scott J. Jones, president, tells World Screen about his confidence in the company going into 2024, the leading dramedy and thrillers from its slate and more.

Scott J. Jones

Artist View Entertainment By Alexa Alfano

WS: What are some of the factors that have impacted Artist View Entertainment’s business over the last year? JONES: 2023 was a very busy year for us. We were fortunate enough to do some nice business with our well-established clients and were also able to open a lot of new doors into the expanding digital world. Having a decent-sized catalog has proven to be an asset, as we placed a large number of older titles with digital distributors from around the world. Also, having a variety of titles that have language tracks proved to be another proﬁtable way into the OTT world. The market seems to have adjusted as the pandemic gets farther away in our rearview mirror. We feel very conﬁdent 18 WORLD SCREEN 2/24

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bringing a diverse slate of titles into the market this year. Our production partners are paying close attention to what the TV and VOD buyers are asking for, so it should be a busy year for us.

“We feel very confident bringing a diverse slate of titles into the market this year.” WS: Tell us about some of the new titles on the slate. JONES: Scott and Sid, starring Tom Blyth, is one of our lead titles for 2024. This U.K. dramedy follows the lives of two highly ambitious friends who will stop at nothing to reach their goals. Cheat is our newest thriller that follows a young wife’s terrifying experience due to her need to look for love outside of her marriage. She Wants My Baby is a highly crafted story that leads us down a trail of deception as a young mother deals with having a nanny move into her home. Each one of these titles offers high production values, clever direction and high-level acting. The stories have an international ﬂavor and resonate well with the majority of cultures. WS: What is Artist View’s positioning as 2024 gets underway? JONES: As Artist View continues into its 33rd year of operations, we understand how important it is to pay attention to what our clients are asking for. The business continues to change quickly, and we feel it is important to keep our eyes and ears open to not only what is happening today but, more importantly, what’s next. 2/24 WORLD SCREEN 19

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ZDF Studios’ Anatomy of a Crucifixion

GETTING REAL

Our latest edition of the TV Real Screenings Festival delivers stunning wildlife, epic travel adventures, enduring mysteries and insightful takes on historical events.

n late 2021, a routine dig in the English countryside uncovered rare proof of a Roman crucifixion. ZDF Studios’ high-end special Anatomy of a Crucifixion takes a deep dive into the landmark discovery. “Bringing together renowned experts, including osteoarchaeologist Dr. Corinne Duhig and biologist Professor Ben Garrod, Anatomy of a Crucifixion sets out to find out the identity of this person, how they lived and why they were sentenced to die a horrible death,” says Nikolas Hülbusch, Director Unscripted. “The film culminates with the first full forensic facial reconstruction of a Roman crucifixion victim, conducted by world-leading expert Joe Mullins.” Taking another insider’s view on history, The Lost Women Spies is a six-parter that delivers a new perspective on World War II. “In April 1942, Winston 20 WORLD SCREEN 2/24

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Churchill and his cabinet took the controversial decision to send female agents to the front line in France,” Hülbusch says. “This proved an immense challenge for Vera Atkins of the Secret All3Media International’s Martin Clunes: Operations Executive (SOE), who Island of the Pacific had to find women who would pass as French, train them as spies and parachute them into occupied France. Many never came back.” All3Media International is offering buyers an eclectic mix of new and returning brands, many of which take viewers to far-flung locations and deliver the insider access that viewers are clamoring ZDF Studios’ Gift from the Ice—Japan’s Wild North for. Rachel Job, senior VP of nonscripted, highlights a second season of Martin Clunes: Island of the Pacific with the popular British actor. “Journeying across the beautiful natural worlds of the Pacific islands to explore the coral-rich waters, jungle-clad mountains and active volcanoes, he finds himself at the heart of rich lives, cultures and stories of the people who live there.” Malta: Jewel of the Mediterranean from Coming Up Roses is “a beautiful, vibrant series that captures what makes this island so special,” says Job. Wild Caribbean with Liz Bonnin, meanwhile, from Lion TV, follows the award-winning presenter as she “reveals an insightful look at the extraordinary natural wonders of the Caribbean and explores nature’s role in the history, culture and identity of each island nation.” There’s also factual entertainment in the mix with Fur Babies and Secret Life of the Safari Park, as well as the documentary Olivia Attwood: The Price of Perfection. 2/24 WORLD SCREEN 21

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Factual entertainment is also a focus for BossaNova, which boasts a slate that includes Adventure Gold Diggers. “‘Tough jobs’ is one of the most popular genres among buyers around the All3Media International’s Olivia Attwood: globe,” says Tatiana Grinkevich, The Price of Perfection the company’s head of sales. A third season of Myths—The Great Mysteries of Humanity is on offer from ZDF Studios. “In each episode, scientists uncover ancient tombs, examine artifacts and go on expeditions in search of the origins of historical legends and myths,” says Margarita Garcia, Director Unscripted. “ArchaeoloBossaNova’s Adventure Gold Diggers gists, historians and adventurers try to unravel the myths of inexplicable events and ancient legends.” Garcia also spotlights Smart Swarms, in which “internationally renowned scientists and experts from diverse research ﬁelds dispel prejudices and show the intelligence of swarms,” she says. “Using high-speed recordings and thermal images of various natural swarms, the researchers attempt to break down swarm codes, explain strange collective behavior and explore how we can learn from nature to bring about astounding technological advances.” ZDF Studios is also delivering new productions in its strong suit of wildlife and nature. Andrea Liebler, Director Unscripted, highlights Gift from the Ice—Japan’s Wild North about the Shiretoko National Park. “With climate change altering the natural habitat of these creatures, what will become of Japan’s biodiversity hotspot?” 22 WORLD SCREEN 2/24

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Alan Holland BBC Studios n August of last year, BBC Studios restructured its factual arm into two teams, creating a specialist factual productions unit separate from the existing documentary unit. Alan Holland, former head of the documentary unit, was put in place to lead the new division, which focuses on history, arts, music and culture. Holland tells World Screen about using history as the North Star to blend genres and continue to innovate.

WS: Tell us about the new unit you oversee. By Kristin Brzoznowski HOLLAND: I had been running a combined documentary unit, which incorporated all the specialist factual output but was also responsible for the purer documentary output. That remit was incredibly liberating. In hindsight, it was too broad in terms of being able to really excel in any one particular area. Now, we have ambitions to be the best specialist factual producer, certainly in the U.K. and ultimately the world. It is difficult to have that kind of ambition when trying to serve so many different masters. So, the decision was made to play to this strength of the specialisms that we have and split the unit into two. The documentary unit continues to do more observational, present-tense, privileged-access pieces. My unit concentrates on four key heartland specialisms: history, arts, music and culture. History is our North Star. We have been gravitating toward history naturally anyway within the art and music spaces. With 24 WORLD SCREEN 2/24

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the amazing specialism we have in the documentary unit, we have historians here, people with arts backgrounds, music journalists. We’re in a unique position to genre merge and take the learnings of one genre and meld them together with the learnings of another. What happens if we take an art historian and a musician and whack them together? What does that do for the form that we can bring to the piece? Hopefully, that will give us an identity that will help us stand out in the market. WS: What new techniques and narrative styles are you encouraging your teams to use? HOLLAND: We have a production in development for one of the streamers that’s hopefully going to be our ﬁrst foray into

“It’s really interesting to get people from different backgrounds and ask them to work on a genre they’ve never done before.”

virtual programming. In this world of AI, there’s an opportunity to bring people back to life in a way that has never been done before and extend the remit of archival material. We’re seeing what we can do in that space to reignite lost souls and bring back lost voices. From a technological perspective, that’s our direction. 2/24 WORLD SCREEN 25

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One of the things that I’m most excited about is the opportunity to take techniques from different genre tropes and try them out in other spaces. It’s really interesting to get people from different backgrounds and ask them to work on a genre they’ve never done before. WS: What are the biggest concerns for specialist factual The history doc Julius Caesar: The Making of a Dictator producers today? is part of the new unit’s slate. HOLLAND: There is not as much money out there, but the ambition is not dropping. For the ﬁrst time, we’re working with streamers, which is something that, traditionally, the BBC didn’t do. You get these much bigger budgets, and you still spend them. The ambition is bigger, the talent is bigger, locations are grander and expectations remain sky-high. As producers, it’s really important when we are developing and budgeting shows that we do so diligently. The onus is on us to say, OK, this is genuinely what we can afford, and we need to think of other ways that we can innovate. That’s the joy of the challenge. The desire to innovate and impress never goes away. I see the desire within the commissioners and broadcasters to keep the standard of their product going up despite the economic difficulties. It’s down to us to think of ways we can still really impress but at the same time not leave us ﬁnancially vulnerable. That’s the knot we’re always trying to untangle. 26 WORLD SCREEN 2/24

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FEBRUARY 2024 EDITION

2024 Trend Watch / TV Kids Pioneer Award: Sky’s Lucy Murphy CAKE’s Ed Galton / Cyber Group Studios’ Raphaëlle Mathieu

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6 TV KIDS

CONTENTS

Getting Crafty

Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher Mansha Daswani Editor-in-Chief Anna Carugati Editor-at-Large Kristin Brzoznowski Executive Editor Jamie Stalcup Senior Associate Editor Alexa Alfano Associate Editor David Diehl Production & Design Director Simon Weaver Online Director Dana Mattison Sales & Marketing Director Genovick Acevedo Sales & Marketing Manager Daphne Menard Bookkeeper

Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development TV Kids ©2024 WSN INC. 401 Park Avenue South, Suite 1041, New York, NY 10016, U.S.A. Phone: (212) 924-7620 Website: www.tvkids.com

FEATURE

16 WHAT’S NEXT? Amid drastic changes in the kids’ media landscape, several leading IP owners offer insights on navigating the year ahead.

From coming up with complex multi-territory financing agreements to deducing how to make money out of the creator economy to devising the best strategy to get a discerning young viewer to watch your show, buy the T-shirt and download the game, the kids’ media industry has an awful lot to navigate in 2024. Those were all, of course, things you were navigating in 2023, but this year comes with the added complication of a challenging—to say the least—economic climate, risk-aversion and a plunge in the number of commissions. Budgets are under pressure, as are advertising and subscription revenues. FAST presents a lucrative opportunity, but it’s not the easiest space to make an impact in, especially as the market is still maturing internationally. And, of course, there’s the metaverse, which isn’t the easiest space to make an impact in either. And yet, children’s media executives, while understandably concerned about what 2024 holds, will be tapping into a long tradition of creative problem-solving to manage the ups and downs ahead. That was the overarching theme of my survey of the state of the business in this edition, alongside the returning tropes of the value of known IP, having an always-on strategy and making sure that content reﬂects and speaks to the realities that children are facing today. It’s a recurring theme you’ll hear across the 15-plus sessions we have assembled for our fourth edition of the TV Kids Festival. Our latest virtual kids’ conference touches upon all the subjects that are weighing on IP owners’ minds today. Our trademark programmers panel hears directly from leading buyers and commissioners. We spotlight YouTube strategies and the creator economy, ﬁnancing models, the challenges and opportunities in working with public broadcasters, incorporating STEAM and socialemotional learning in content, discovery and so much more. The festival will also deliver valuable insights from three leading executives featured in this edition of TV Kids. Lucy Murphy, recipient of the TV Kids Pioneer Award, discusses the success of the Sky Kids channel, a performance that speaks to the continued value of linear broadcast for young viewers and their families. CAKE CEO Ed Galton shares his expertise on brand-building and windowing. And Cyber Group Studios COO Raphaëlle Mathieu discusses how the company is focusing on innovation as it brings its shows to audiences across the globe. —Mansha Daswani

INTERVIEWS

22 Ed Galton CAKE

24 TV Kids Pioneer Award: Lucy Murphy Sky

30 Raphaëlle Mathieu Cyber Group Studios

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8 TV KIDS

Shasha & Milo

Banijay Kids & Family Shasha & Milo / Moominvalley / Silverpoint Banijay Kids & Family’s comedy action series Shasha & Milo, from Zodiak Kids & Family France and Pingo Entertainment, debuted in South Korea in 2023, as well as in the U.K., Canada and Latin America. “It’s hugely exciting and a testament to the creative teams involved to have such success with an original IP,” says Delphine Dumont, chief commercial officer of Banijay Kids & Family. The company also represents Moominvalley, inspired by the stories of Tove Jansson. “It is such a well-known brand, with some of the best talent in the industry behind it,” Dumont notes. With the sci-ﬁ adventure drama Silverpoint, “its scale and high-end production values make it appealing to a wide demographic, and the thrilling storylines keep audiences on the edge of their seats throughout the two [seasons],” says Dumont.

“We have an extremely healthy pipeline of world-class entertainment, from original IP to well-known brands.” —Delphine Dumont Deadly Mission Shark

BBC Studios Kids & Family Rafi the Wishing Wizard / Deadly Mission Shark / Popularity Papers A BBC Studios Kids & Family original, Rafi the Wishing Wizard centers on Rafi, Dash, Jake and their family cat. They run a bakery in an ordinary town, but the Martins are not an ordinary family; they are modern-day wizards. “Rafi is a brand-new magical series with stories that reflect everyday situations but with a magical twist,” says Katharina Pietzsch, VP of content sales. “It has great storytelling, relatable characters and oodles of magical fun.” Made by BBC Studios Natural History Unit, Deadly Mission Shark sees Steve Backshall take ten young trailblazers on an oceanic adventure to protect the future of sharks as they come under threat of extinction. Popularity Papers is set in a Canadian middle school yet deals with issues that affect school-aged kids across the globe. Pietzsch says the show is “full of humor and heart.”

Boat Rocker

“We have some really exciting new liveaction and animation projects fresh from our development slate to talk to partners about.” —Katharina Pietzsch

Daniel Spellbound

Dino Ranch / The Next Step / Daniel Spellbound Leading Boat Rocker’s kids’ slate, Dino Ranch combines preschoolers’ love of dinosaurs and cowboys. The newest season centers on construction and features three seasonal episodes, new dino friends and more diverse characters. The tween drama The Next Step, now in its ninth season, follows the trials, tribulations and triumphs of the dancers at The Next Step dance studio. In Daniel Spellbound, the titular character tracks down magical ingredients for sorcerers. “These shows involve some of the top passions of young people worldwide— dinosaurs and the Wild West, magic and sorcery, dancing and music—while featuring universally relatable themes of teamwork and togetherness, friendships and family groups, all explored with heart and humor,” says Gia DeLaney, senior VP of global sales for kids and family at Boat Rocker Studios.

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“All of the shows revolve around personable and empathetic characters.” —Gia DeLaney

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CAKE The Guava Juice Show / So Awkward Academy / Total Drama Island CAKE has on its slate The Guava Juice Show, a YouTube original produced by Mainframe Studios and Studio71 that stars Roi Fabito, YouTube superstar and creator of the hit Guava Juice YouTube channel, which has over 9 billion views and on which the series is based. There’s also the schoolbased comedy So Awkward Academy, produced by Channel X North. Ed Galton, CEO of CAKE, bills it as “a smart, funny comedy series with likable characters and hilarious storylines.” Total Drama has returned to the island in the reboot of Total Drama Island, currently premiering on CBBC in the U.K. “The ﬁrst animated reality series for tweens and now a multi-award-winning franchise in its 12th season, Total Drama continues to entertain and delight fans all around the world,” Galton says.

The Guava Juice Show

“The Guava Juice Show models universal values of compassion, curiosity, conﬁdence, loyalty and the irreplaceable value of best friends.”

Cyber Group Studios

—Ed Galton

Press Start!

Alex Player / Press Start! / Gigantosaurus Cyber Group Studios has revealed the first trailer for Alex Player and anticipates having the first episodes ready in March. Targeting 6- to 10-year-olds, the show features Camille, Amy and Mike, who founded the Mongooses esports team. When they need to replace their captain, they meet Alex, a passionate and charismatic football player who is super gifted. He shows the qualities of a real captain: courage, perseverance and team spirit. The 52x11-minute Press Start!, a Peacock original animated series, will have its first episode ready soon. The show, for 4- to 7-year-olds, is based on a best-selling book series. Meanwhile, a fourth season of Gigantosaurus recently launched. “One of preschoolers’ favorites is returning with new exciting adventures,” says Raphaëlle Mathieu, COO of Cyber Group Studios.

“We are happy to meet with our partners by Zoom or hopefully live, whether in San Diego or locally, as I am going to travel.” —Raphaëlle Mathieu

Guru Studio Big Blue / 123 Number Squad! / True and the Rainbow Kingdom Big Blue, a highlight from Guru Studio’s catalog, shows what it means to be part of a tight-knit family and demonstrates the importance of caring for the planet and each other. In 123 Number Squad!, the characters use numbers, counting and shapes to become a rescue team. “This fun and fast-paced educational adventure series allows preschoolers to learn and laugh as they go while also exploring key social and emotional development themes such as sharing, resilience, teamwork and friendship,” says Jennifer Oppenheimer, international sales and licensing manager. In True and the Rainbow Kingdom, another series on offer from Guru Studio, “True doesn’t wield a sword or wave a wand; instead, it’s her kindness and compassion that make her aspirational for boys and girls all over the world,” Oppenheimer explains.

123 Number Squad!

“Our focus as a studio continues to be transforming ideas into captivating animated stories loved by audiences all over the world.” —Jennifer Oppenheimer

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HARI Grizzy & the Lemmings World Tour / Mystery Lane / The Weasy Family HARI has on offer a fourth season of the slapstick comedy Grizzy & the Lemmings World Tour. As Grizzy and the Lemmings travel the globe, the series “continues to drive impressive ratings around the world with kids and preschoolers, boys and girls alike,” says Sophie “Kido” Prigent, head of distribution. Also available, the adventure comedy series Mystery Lane has “feature-quality CGI animation with sophisticated storytelling,” Prigent says. She describes it as “Scooby-Doo meets Sherlock Holmes,” as a sister-and-brother hamster duo solves mysteries around London that even Scotland Yard cannot. Another slapstick comedy, The Weasy Family features a heartwarming narrative about a weasel and the twin ducklings he adopts after accidentally incubating their egg.

Mystery Lane

“We look forward to meeting our partners and discussing the numerous opportunities for our shows in production and development.” —Sophie “Kido” Prigent

Mattel Television Studios Masters of the Universe: Revolution / Hot Wheels Let’s Race / New Barbie content The legacy Mattel brand He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is returning with Masters of the Universe: Revolution. As the sequel to 2021’s Masters of the Universe: Revelation, the series follows an all-new story and sports a voice cast of Mark Hamill, William Shatner, Keith David, Chris Wood, Melissa Benoist, Lena Headey, Meg Foster and more. Hot Wheels Let’s Race is also upcoming, following the newest generation of racers as they put the pedal to the medal. All-new animated Barbie content is also set to debut through Mattel’s partnership with Netﬂix. “The past few years have shown us just how much excitement there is around our brands and how universally powerful stories derived from them can be,” says Michelle Mendelovitz, head of Mattel Television Studios.

Barbie: A Touch of Magic

“With both the nostalgia and timelessness associated with our brands, Mattel content resonates across generations and is relatable to audiences all over the world.” —Michelle Mendelovitz

NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution Fright Krewe / Megamind Rules! / Superbuns NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution’s Fright Krewe, from DreamWorks Animation and created by actor-ﬁlmmaker Eli Roth and writer-producer James Frey, follows ﬁve unlikely high school friends with superhuman abilities bestowed upon them by spirits. When the group accidentally unleashes evil into the world, they must learn to put their differences aside and work together. In the new Megamind Rules! series, former villain Megamind returns and works to protect Metro City and its citizens. Superbuns, based on the popular children’s picture book, “shows viewers how cool and fun it is to be kind, encouraging them to be loving and supportive of their peers, increasing the likelihood of them becoming compassionate, empathetic adults,” says Chloe van den Berg, senior VP and head of kids and family entertainment sales.

Superbuns

“Superbuns is ﬁlled with physical gags in a ‘squash and stretch’ 2D animation that will delight young viewers and grown-ups too.” —Chloe van den Berg

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Mermicorno: Starfall

Thunderbird Brands Mermicorno: Starfall / BooSnoo! / Mittens & Pants Thunderbird Brands’ Mermicorno: Starfall is set to deliver in 2025. The comedy, for kids ages 5 to 9, features “incredible storytelling, fantastical settings, cool heroes and beautiful animation,” says Richard Goldsmith, president of global distribution and consumer products. The company has also acquired global rights to BooSnoo! and Mittens & Pants. BooSnoo!, a dialogue-free series that tracks a little red ball through an exploration of engaging landscapes, machines and rooms, is made to appeal to both neurodiverse and neurotypical children. The live-action Mittens & Pants, starring Mittens the kitten and Pants the puppy in the all-animal town of Kibble Corners, has been launched in North America and key markets in Europe and Asia. The show has “been a standout performer on platforms around the world,” adds Goldsmith.

“We are excited about the potential of all these series to become hits with kids and global brands.” —Richard Goldsmith

Wind Sun Sky Entertainment Future Chicken and the Planet Protectors

Future Chicken and the Planet Protectors

Wind Sun Sky Entertainment’s focus is bringing Future Chicken and the Planet Protectors to market. “Future Chicken was created to address the growing eco-anxiety and ‘climate doomism’ kids face today when it comes to the future of the environment—addressing it with humor and positivity,” says Catherine Winder, CEO, executive producer and founder. It features Potato the Chicken (aka Future Chicken) and her planet-protecting companions. The brand launched at the end of 2023 “with a ﬂywheel of content that spans a comprehensive YouTube presence with over 120 pieces of short-form content, a YouTube series, a podcast, Roblox experiences, a website and more,” Winder says. The next step is to build on the momentum with a series that provides a deeper connection to the Future Chicken universe.

“Humor is Future Chicken’s secret sauce, leaning into character-driven comedy as a way to deliver kids’ environmental content.” —Catherine Winder

ZDF Studios Dino Mite / Klincus / Clan ZDF Studios’ Dino Mite follows Dino, a young dinosaur, and Lucy, a headstrong cave girl, as the pair navigates childhood together. Based on Ute Krause’s children’s books, the series explores themes of friendship and acceptance. Klincus, set in a magical world in the heart of the Great Forest, features a young orphan who escapes from an industrialist factory to a secret town where he ﬁnds refuge. “Klincus holds signiﬁcant international appeal for the global marketplace due to its universal themes of nature and balance, timeless exploration of the clash between modernity and tradition and visually captivating steampunk fantasy world,” says Oliver Grundel, Director Junior. Clan is based on a Luigi Garlando novel that deals with the hardships of underserved teenagers. ZDF Studios is also looking for partners for Dougie Dolittle.

“At the core of our mission is the cultivation of long-standing partnerships worldwide.” Dino Mite

—Oliver Grundel

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Banijay Kids & Family’s Totally Spies!

WHAT’S

NEXT? I

Amid drastic changes in the kids’ media landscape, several leading IP owners offer insights on navigating the year ahead. By Mansha Daswani

t can’t be ignored: children’s programming executives are starting this year with a heightened sense of anxiety, not unlike how they began 2023. Indeed, the warning signs for the sector emerged in 2022, but it was last year that almost everyone in the ecosystem started to feel the pinch. You can blame YouTube or gaming, the ad crunch, the cost-of-living crisis or the streamers shifting their priorities. Or perhaps the post-Covid bubble just had to burst eventually. And it did. In October, Ampere Analysis released some sobering data about the kids’ sector: global commissions of kids’ shows were down 48 percent since February 2022. “Last year was certainly challenging for the industry, with margins being squeezed across the board,” says Delphine Dumont, chief commercial officer at Banijay Kids & Family. “It’s a tough economic climate, but content demand is still high, and I believe our creativity and talent will prevail. As

budgets tighten, broadcasters and streamers can become more risk-averse, which often leads to a slowdown in commissioning, particularly of original kids’ IP, as brands with established audiences can be seen as a safer investment. And fragmenting audiences makes reaching target viewers more challenging.” Oliver Grundel, Director Junior at ZDF Studios, also highlights the slowdown in content expenditures as a challenge the sector is working hard to overcome. “Falling advertising and subscription revenues for private broadcasters and streamers, as well as acceptance and funding problems for public broadcasters in Europe, led some of our customers to freeze their budgets or to invest very cautiously.” There are other factors at play, Grundel notes. “The distribution market went through a period of upheaval and consolidation, characterized by streaming providers reducing their investment in content, layoffs and restructuring among

00 WORLD SCREEN 10/23

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Törtle is an animated comedy for kids 6 to 9 on offer from ZDF Studios.

business partners. As a result, we had to review the ﬁnancing of certain programs due to the withdrawal of partners. We have also seen a noticeable decline in sales of our programs to streamers.” Katharina Pietzsch, VP of content sales at BBC Studios Kids & Family, adds: “Rising costs and shrinking budgets continued to have a major impact on the business last year. There was less willingness to be adventurous or take risks, so we saw buyers and commissioners leaning toward well-established IP and big brands. The impact of the writers’ strike was also felt with a slowdown in new content, and there was a stop to, or at least caution around, big spending commitments. We saw fewer full commissions and a rise in co-productions.”

WHERE’S THE MONEY? Funding models are evolving, notes Sophie “Kido” Prigent, head of distribution at HARI. “In some ways, it’s a choice; in other ways, it’s inevitable because of market disruption. We invest more and use our own capital because pre-financing investments account for less than they used to. Some solutions are easily identifiable, such as the reduction of costs. However, because we produce premium content, we must invest to retain high quality and generate other revenue streams to compensate and mitigate business risk.” Given the market disruption, being adept at the coproduction model—knowing how to cobble together the financing from multiple sources—is beneficial. “Broadcasters, studios and production companies are forming strategic partnerships to share the financial burden and risk,” says Grundel at ZDF Studios. “Forming alliances with like-minded partners is becoming increasingly important. At the same time, there is a growing willingness to rethink existing financing models and rights distribution strategies to ease budget constraints. Rightssplitting, co-exclusivity, shortening holdbacks and windowing are being explored as viable alternatives.” Pietzsch observes, “We know the different levers to pull and can draw on our skills to enable projects to get off the ground. It has been more challenging and has perhaps taken longer than usual, but it hasn’t been completely impossible, so we are happy to say we have a few new projects in the pipeline.”

At Banijay, Dumont says that traditional financing models are still in play for linear commissions, “but each show is different, and it feels like the whole industry is open to creative and new financing solutions to get a brilliant project to fruition. We are seeing greater flexibility and collaboration between international broadcast partners.” Indeed, the single global commission is few and far between these days, Pietzsch notes, “so funding models are more complex. The new trend is ‘patchwork funding,’ which is becoming more significant in enabling you to kick-start a project. Finding the right partners, though, is crucial. You have to be aligned editorially and be open and transparent from the beginning about what you want and expect. There are always challenges, but having a partner with the same creative vision makes it easier to find a middle ground when you hit any bumps in the road. Having international partners on board can also help to enrich the content with diverse cultural perspectives. This can make it more editorially appealing because it can travel, so it is more attractive to buyers.”

FINDING A HIT Being appealing to a content buyer is one matter—striking a chord with a young viewer who has a million other options at their disposal is another entirely, leaving the whole industry trying to come to grips with the discoverability conundrum. “We are taking a holistic approach to our content strategies, building audiences through a multiplatform approach across digital platforms and consumer products,” says Dumont. “The trick as an IP owner is to balance each commissioning platform’s needs for exclusivity while retaining control over the digital and commercial rights. It can be a juggling act, but we are confident that finding the right platform mix for the IP and its target audience is hugely beneficial for all our partners.” For Pietzsch, the key to discoverability is to “follow your audience, ensuring that your content is across multiple touchpoints. You need great visuals that instantly grab attention, which is slightly easier for animation than it perhaps is for live action, and the content has to be distinctive. For existing IP, it’s about taking a systematic approach. It used to be that you would create linear content and subsequently put it on YouTube. But that is too simplistic now. You need different tactics for different platforms, media and territories, and for your content to be consistently visible. And because kids are the vanguards of change, this ‘always-on’ approach needs to evolve with them.” At ZDF Studios, Grundel says that the approach to the discoverability challenge has been “comprehensive and dynamic. To ensure broad visibility, content is strategically distributed across a variety of channels, including our platforms such as ZDFmediathek, the ZDFtivi-App and KiKAPlayer, as well as partnerships with third-party platforms, VOD services, streaming platforms and technology providers. This approach accommodates different media

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BBC Studios Kids & Family’s Hey Duggee is now in its fourth season.

consumption habits and captures children’s attention across platforms. Personalization algorithms enhance the discovery experience by tailoring content recommendations based on individual viewing habits and preferences. Crucially, our stars are the programs themselves. Rigorous maintenance of rich metadata and strategic SEO marketing ensure that our content is effectively discoverable. Collaborations with popular platforms and streaming services extend our reach and place our content where kids are actively engaged. Cross-promotional strategies within our content portfolio effectively promote new releases or lesserknown shows within our established programs. Active engagement on various social media platforms builds community and excitement around our content. Innovative marketing campaigns, such as teaser trailers and exclusive sneak peeks, aim to capture the attention of our target audience. Establishing feedback loops allows users to provide insight into their preferences, enabling us to adapt our content strategy to evolving tastes.” HARI’s Grizzy & the Lemmings has established a signiﬁcant presence on YouTube, and the leading video platform for kids remains at the heart of the company’s brandbuilding strategies. “A new partner will be announced that will enhance our YouTube exposure and strategy,” Prigent says. “We will continue to grow our distribution channels, still relying on traditional pan and local linear broadcasters that provide guarantees in terms of reach.”

ALWAYS-ON Building brands and “amplifying our IP across multiple platforms and sectors” are among the mantras at Banijay for navigating the year ahead, Dumont says. “With budgets squeezed, we are more focused than ever on leveraging our portfolio in other areas such as digital and licensing.” Pietzsch at BBC Studios is encouraged by the sustained interest in high-quality content and the ability for compelling IP to still resonate with commissioners. “The effects of the strikes on the global content lineup could provide new opportunities. We are looking to explore unscripted, game shows and entertainment, which have a faster turnaround time than animation and live action,” she adds. “We are also dipping our toe in FAST and AVOD with recent sales of Hey Duggee in the U.S.” ZDF Studios’ Grundel, too, is feeling cautiously optimistic. “We are pleased that we have been able to maintain our revenue and the number of projects in development during the

past few difficult years. We do not know how long the difficult economic situation will last. However, we hope that the streaming platforms, in particular, with whom we have successfully implemented major projects in recent years, will soon complete their consolidation phase and once again make significant financial contributions to our international co-productions. Our positioning allows us to respond flexibly to market conditions. Recent months have shown that we are wellrooted in alliances with traditional broadcasters and can withstand challenging periods. We will continue strengthening and maintaining our alliances, especially with European public broadcasters.” Direct-to-consumer is a key focus, Grundel notes, via the Pash brand, and ZDF Studios is closely monitoring the FAST space. “So far, we have been cautious because the monetization models have not convinced us. In addition to the framework agreement between ZDF Studios and Samsung TV Plus, which will also be filled with children’s content, we are in promising discussions and could consider becoming more actively involved. We are also keeping an eye on new social platforms such as Roblox. With our brand H2O—Just Add Water, we have a promising pilot project underway, which we will analyze throughout the year and possibly expand with additional themes.” Prigent notes that HARI remains focused on the longterm view as it navigates the current market disruption. “Because of our long-term editorial strategy, we are doubling the size of our studio, producing twice as many shows and increasing our talent pool. Our IPs are crafted with a 360-degree exploitation in mind. Admittedly, the traditional linear market has slowed down, but we’re also counting on the diversification of incomes with the growth opportunity in licensing and merchandising, for example.”

IN THE KNOW And while everyone is always looking to champion breakthrough new ideas, an emphasis on known IP and finding new ways to cut through the clutter will be top of mind as executives look for the best ways to ride the waves of the shifts in the landscape, both the blips and the more enduring ones. “I think highly recognizable IP will continue to flourish,” says Dumont. “Nostalgia and the familiar help shows stand out in a crowded market. They can be hugely valuable marketing assets for our partners, bringing large audiences to their linear and on-demand services. However, where that IP originates continues to evolve, with strong kids’ brands emerging from publishing, gaming and social platforms. I hope our industry continues to drive positive change in 2024 through the shows we create. We must keep striving to tell and produce stories responsibly, with a cross-section of representation both on- and off-screen, and multifaceted stories that reflect modern society.”

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and HBO Max, but we also had the opportunity to put the show on Netflix. We noticed that when it went on Netflix, the viewing figures went up on HBO Max. We can also help brands by placing content on multiple platforms. TV KIDS: What benefits does CAKE’s distribution business derive from a greater willingness to share rights? GALTON: There’s a give and take on everything. I’ve been an advocate of non-exclusive rights for as long as I’ve been doing this. Especially in the kids’ business, the need for content to be everywhere is really important. Where the market is a little bit different now is that we’re finally seeing a willingness to share more than ever before. Part of that has to do with the economics. Platforms are saying, if we can pay less, but we can share windows, that’s a win for us, and it’s a win for you. Is it a win for us, economically speaking? Maybe a little bit, maybe not; that’s still yet to be determined. But if the show we’re putting on the platforms can be more successful as a result, then that’s the win. We’re seeing more of that happen now in the economic downturn than in the past. People are starting to see the data, and it supports the idea that they don’t really have a degradation of audience by having these non-exclusive rights with particular brands.

Ed Galton CAKE By Anna Carugati

he CAKE catalog features a mix of established IPs such as the Angry Birds and Total Drama franchises and original shows like Pablo. While known brands may be easier to place in today’s challenging market, the company remains committed to championing fresh, original ideas that it falls in love with, and that includes an emphasis on shows that have diverse talent attached and at their heart. Ed Galton, CEO, talks to TV Kids about the company’s brand-building strategy.

TV KIDS: Can you give examples of how you have been building and maintaining brands in today’s market? GALTON: It’s about finding the right platforms and broadcast partners to work with to help champion the show. We can do so much on our side, but then it’s really what our broadcast partners can do with those projects and how they help them sustain a life with their audience. We can give them as much ammunition as possible to help them succeed. That’s generally in delivering a really good show that has great storytelling and characters. Ultimately, we must figure out how to connect with the audience. We’re always working with the broadcast partners to help them do that, but we’re also finding that in this new world, where you can share more, putting the shows on multiple platforms allows for greater success. An example of that is when we sold Lucas the Spider to WarnerMedia. We were able to share those rights not only with Cartoon Network

TV KIDS: Do you see opportunities in AVOD, FAST and gaming? GALTON: It’s early. I know everyone’s excited about being in the FAST channel space. If you talk to people in other genres, they’re seeing a better return. The advertising market hasn’t matured enough yet. While there are going to be opportunities, and I’m a big believer in the AVOD space, I don’t think it’s provided the type of return we would hope for so far. I certainly wouldn’t want my business model to be reliant on AVOD revenues. Moving down the line, once it matures, it’ll be an interesting business. We’re looking at the gaming space more. We understand the power of Roblox. We’re trying to ﬁgure out how our content can live on that platform. The challenge is how do you monetize that? How do we turn that into a meaningful business? We are having some conversations in that space, but they’re still in their infancy. TV KIDS: How has CAKE been embracing diversity in its storylines and through the talent it works with? GALTON: That’s an area we’ve been strong in for some time now. We’ve worked on shows like Pablo, which we fell in love with. It features a boy who has autism. All the voice talent and writers were somewhere on the autism spectrum. We feel strongly about promoting shows like that and seeing those come to life. That’s been a really amazing experience to be part of. Nikhil & Jay is a project that we’re working on about South Asian and British cultures combined under one household. We worked with Triggerﬁsh Animation and Netflix on Supa Team 4, which is about four female teenage African superheroes. I also want to mention Super Sema, an African animated kids’ superhero franchise from an all-female studio, Kukua. We’ll continue looking for shows with a broad spectrum of diverse backgrounds in the characters in front of the camera and those who worked on the shows.

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TV KIDS PIONEER AWARD

Lucy Murphy Sky TV KIDS: What led to the launch of the Sky Kids linear channel, and how has it been received over the last year? MURPHY: We talk to our customers a lot, and before launching the channel, we had been speaking to parents who were telling us that as much as they love the flexibility of on-demand viewing for their children, they found linear channels for children important. Particularly, younger families enjoyed that with a linear channel, children come across new shows; they don’t binge-watch one particular show all the time. There’s variety; there are different genres they get exposed to. We thought that was interesting because so much data had been leading everybody to on-demand services— they’re great, and there is still room for linear channels. TV KIDS: Tell us about the current channel partnerships and why this is a real value-add for the Sky brand. MURPHY: We are so fortunate in the U.K. to have brilliant kids’ channels, all of which are on the Sky platform because we are an aggregator. There are great free-to-airs like CBeebies and Milkshake! through to pay-TV [channels] from Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery. We have eight pay channels as well as the free-to-airs. Those relationships are incredibly important because we want the very best of everything. That means the best international channels and the best British channels. Having looked at all of that, there’s also room for us to make some very targeted commissions and acquisitions at Sky Kids to complement what we get from our partners.

By Kristin Brzoznowski

ast February, the U.K. welcomed a new linear service to its children’s entertainment landscape: Sky Kids. Home to ad-free, 24-hour programming, the channel showcases Sky originals and franchise favorites. Lucy Murphy, director of kids’ content for the U.K. and Ireland, is responsible for Sky’s children’s programming across all platforms, which includes eight live partner channels, a library of over 10,000 on-demand episodes and the Sky Kids channel. A 30-year industry veteran who is being recognized with the TV Kids Pioneer Award, Murphy tells TV Kids about what’s guiding the programming strategy across commissions and acquisitions.

TV KIDS: What have you learned about what works best in a linear versus an on-demand environment, and how is that impacting your programming strategy? Are you using one to promote the other? MURPHY: We certainly use the linear channel to introduce new shows. That’s a great example of where, in this age of a very crowded environment and “discoverability” being a buzzword that everybody is talking about, a linear channel gives you an opportunity to introduce a new show and create an appetite and a love for it that can then get translated into the on-demand environment. Linear also gives us an opportunity to create mood and energy, which you can’t really do on-demand in quite the same way. Our linear channel gives us the opportunity to follow the rhythm of a young child’s day. Early in the morning, when kids are waking up, you don’t want something that’s going to get them leaping around instantly; you want something quiet and rather beautiful that is going to get them into the day quietly. Then you bring all your big brands in before school. We also recognize that we have children of different ages available at different times of the day. We assume the bigger kids

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Seasons one and two of the Pingu spin-off The Pingu Show, produced by Mattel Television, are on Sky Kids.

have gone off to school, so we can put on much younger-skewing programming during the middle of the day and think about what parents need at that moment. We’re constantly thinking about what families are doing and what kids are doing. How are they feeling at this moment in time? And what can we give them that is just perfect? TV KIDS: How much are you commissioning, in general, in a given year? MURPHY: We commission for ages 1 up to 10 years old. Sky Kids is for children 7 and under. There is an amount that we commission for on-demand only for the 6- to 10-year-old audiences. We’ve commissioned more than ever over the last couple of years, and we’re investing more than we have done before in U.K. content

Sky Kids was a presale partner on Mittens & Pants, part of the Thunderbird Distribution slate.

and creators. I’m really pleased to say that moving forward, we’re maintaining that investment. We’re committed to commissioning for a broad demographic and all the genres that fit into what children want to watch, whether that’s news and current affairs or animation or factual entertainment. TV KIDS: How much acquired fare is being programmed across the platforms? MURPHY: We don’t have a target or a quota for acquisitions; it changes year to year. We try to complement what we get from our pay partners. We look at where the gaps are so that we’re ﬁlling them in. Also, from any one year to the next, we never know what shows we need more of with second, third, fourth seasons, etc. So, we don’t have an actual number of hours per year that we take. You also have to look at what’s repeating well because, yes, of course, you need lots of new shows to refresh the service, but you also have to look at those shows that kids are loving and think, OK, this repeats so well, let’s take that for extra [seasons]. We also look for huge global brands—all the brands that you would expect from a premium entertainment service. When acquiring or commissioning, you really hope you’re going to find those little gems. A couple we bought that have done really well for us were Beep and Mort, which came out of Australia, and Norman Picklestripes, a stop-motion series made in Manchester. Those little gems that are not known IP and are not big brands have blossomed and flourished. TV KIDS: How are the Sky brands positioned to be competitive in the U.K. kids’ entertainment landscape? MURPHY: To be competitive in today’s landscape— particularly in the U.K., where we have a cost-of-living crisis, and it’s the same in other parts of the world—we’re looking all the time at what’s going to add value for our customers, what’s going to make them feel good about paying for their subscription. A part of staying competitive is about that value, and part of it is about keeping one step ahead so that you stay current, relevant and, most importantly, loved. We

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Sky Kids airs the DreamWorks Animation series Abominable and the Invisible City.

want kids to absolutely love [the brand], and we want parents to trust it. We also need to be inclusive. That inclusivity point is getting more and more important globally, not just in the type of shows that we are commissioning but in the experience of watching. We were delighted that we could launch the Sky Kids linear channel with 100 percent of the shows subtitled. We’ve also put a lot into subtitled collections of on-demand content because we know that it helps with kids learning to read. We’re constantly finetuning and finding ways to make the experience of watching amazing and for parents to think, Wow, that’s a little added extra that we get from Sky. This is a crowded market, and we want families and communities within our demographic to feel represented by the content that we’re commissioning or acquiring. It’s really important that kids feel it’s their channel and that they are represented in the content. Accessibility is also important. Diversity and inclusion are really important, and that’s been a real focus. We’ve commissioned what may at first seem quite niche propositions like BooSnoo! or Ready Eddie Go!, which we made for a wider audience but with a focus on the content and creativity for neurodiverse communities. What we’ve discovered, actually, is it’s not niche at all. We’re talking to active, vocal communities within the children’s landscape who are willing to engage with content, and it resonates with the wider audience as well. TV KIDS: What are the greatest shifts that have changed the way you have to approach the content you bring to children and the way that content is delivered? MURPHY: We all know that discoverability is absolutely key, and it’s top of mind for the industry. I’ve been in the industry long enough to remember a time before megabrands like PAW Patrol, Teletubbies, Peppa Pig and Hey Duggee existed. Anything coming into the market now has all that competition because it’s not going away; all those beloved brands are going to stay. So, anything coming now has to add to that landscape and create something a little bit different. Also, we’re thinking a lot about the robustness of brands to be able to carry through all the digital and reallife touchpoints that a family might have. I always say that the very best place for your show to end up is a

drawing on the fridge in the kitchen. If your child has drawn, colored in and given you a picture of their favorite character, it means they love it. And if whoever is looking after that child then hangs it on the fridge, that means they also like it and have invited it into their home. We’re always really aiming for that; we’re aiming for the fridge. All of the franchise planning, which used to be pretty much TV and then consumer products, is much more elaborate now, and producers are getting brilliant at doing all of that. It’s deﬁnitely something that we think about when we’re commissioning. The last point is that we need to ensure that the content we’re delivering stands out and provides an opportunity—whether that is a child just wants to be entertained, they want the funnies, they want to learn something or get up and dance. Whatever the need state is that they’re experiencing at that moment in time, we must have something that fits it. TV KIDS: What are the bright spots that keep you energized and excited about the work you do? MURPHY: The audience always inspires and motivates us. It starts with children and understanding the place and the environment that kids now live in and all the different calls upon their time; we have to be worthy of that. We have to make sure that we’re creating for them. The very best content is not just made for kids; it’s made with kids. For example, when we make our news show, we have children under 16 as the presenters because they get their audience and understand the things that matter. So, it makes a show that’s fresh, relevant and exciting. Also, the creativity of this industry gets me out of bed every morning. When you see something that is just so beautiful, so heartfelt or so original, and you think, Oh, I haven’t seen that before! You always open an email with a “What am I going to ﬁnd?” and that’s really important. The way that tech is constantly leading us into new places is really exciting. Everybody’s been excited about the new LEGO-Fortnite relationship. We’ve been having a lot of fun with a new bit of tech called Sky Live, which is a camera that sits on top of the TV and allows for really immersive, interactive, gesture-based gameplay. When you see the joy and delight on a child’s face when they’re doing that, that’s out of this world and makes it so worthwhile.

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30 TV KIDS

work in R&D to maximize quality and keep costs as constrained as possible. TV KIDS: How is Cyber Group Studios navigating the current market? MATHIEU: We are actively working to optimize our R&D and are now very well-advanced on the real-time animation front. This technology is used in our most recent productions, such as Alex Player (France Télévisions and Rai), The McFire Family (M6 Group and Super RTL) and Digital Girl (BBC and Super RTL). It enables us to raise the quality and maintain cost stability as much as possible. In addition, we use this technology to create additional content to help support our shows. We have started to do this with Gigantosaurus with the creation of companion content such as Giganto Club. Last but not least, we are investigating how AI can optimize a number of production tasks that are time-consuming and have very low added value.

Raphaëlle Mathieu Cyber Group Studios By Kristin Brzoznowski

eeping in step with industry shifts and technological advancements has long been at the core of Cyber Group Studios’ business. And it has perhaps never been more important to do so on both fronts. The company is optimizing its research and development, harnessing the power of real-time animation and exploring the prospects for AI. Raphaëlle Mathieu, COO, tells TV Kids about how Cyber Group Studios is positioned to navigate the changes in the marketplace.

TV KIDS: What are some of the most signiﬁcant shifts you’ve seen in the kids’ entertainment market recently? MATHIEU: There have been many different shifts in a relatively short amount of time. The offer has changed with the streamers and their need to increase subscriber numbers. Bigger and newer were key elements, and lately, there’s a preference for originals, limiting possibilities for exposure on second windows and, therefore, exposure on free-to-air. Kids have gotten used to higher-quality shows globally and have greater expectations. Covid developed binge-watching. Post-Covid has seen linear broadcasters needing to adjust, often with less income generated by advertising and niche pay-TV going through crises (such as Disney closing more and more channels and Warner Bros. Discovery shutting down Boomerang). Wall Street wants to have cash-positive companies, which has led to massive layoffs at many majors such as Netﬂix, Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery. Kids are increasingly demanding in terms of quality, and it has become crucial

TV KIDS: How is Cyber Group Studios positioned to stay competitive amid a changing and challenging market? MATHIEU: We have a very strong development department run by the super-experienced Pierre Belaïsch in coordination with our L.A. office and the talented Ira Singerman. The aim is to work together to create, option and develop high-quality shows with global potential. We have, at any point in time, around 16 programs in our development pipeline, addressing different targets, genres and styles. Our aim is to optimize the chances to come to the market with quality shows, with the right timing, and always work with the most passionate artists. TV KIDS: Tell us about some of the properties Cyber Group Studios has for the market. MATHIEU: In times of crisis, known brands and IP are always important. In that spirit, we are counting on Gigantosaurus, as we are happy to launch the production of season four. We are also in the process of moving forward with our adaptation of Final Fantasy IX, which we have co-developed with Square Enix as a big event serialized series. Post-Covid, things have gone more multilocal. Luckily, it matches our strategy to structure strategic local partnerships. From this perspective, we now have partnerships in Italy (Graphilm), the U.K. (A Productions) and Singapore (Scrawl Animation). These companies have one big point in common: they all have a long-running presence and reputation in their own territories. It is a privilege to work with them daily and to learn from each other. TV KIDS: As you look ahead, what are the greatest challenges and opportunities? MATHIEU: I deeply believe that times of crisis truly lead to innovation. We are putting all our energy into creating new ways to work. We are putting all our energy into innovating in terms of content. We did so at Cartoon Forum, where we presented our ﬁrst spooky comedy. We are working on this with Pierre Belaïsch and his team, who are developing a daring new concept, including for older targets. Last but not least, we are very lucky to have Dominique Bourse as our CEO. Not only is he co-founder of the company with Pierre Sissmann, but he also supports the teams, gives us energy and is profoundly convinced that it is in challenging times that we can make a difference.

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WWW.WORLDSCREENINGS.COM

FEBRUARY 2024 EDITION

THE LEADING SOURCE FOR PROGRAM INFORMATION

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TV LISTINGS

IN THIS EDITION 3

9 Story Media Group

Artist View Entertainment

Banijay Kids & Family Distribution BBC Studios Kids & Family

Boat Rocker

CAKE

Cyber Group Studios

GoQuest Media Guru Studio

9 STORY MEDIA GROUP

O (1-416) 530-9900 m distribution@9story.com w www.9story.com

Dylan’s Playtime Adventures (3-5 animation, 52x11 min.) Follows Dylan, a stripey dog who lives in a stripey lighthouse in Buttercup Meadow. In every episode, Dylan takes on a new career and invites his friends and the viewers at home to play along. A Kind of Spark (8-12 live-action, S1-2: 20x24 min.) Addie is a bright and sparky autistic girl dreaming of acceptance in a conservative community. Her desire to be herself entwines with the mystery of Maggie, a young noblewoman who was accused of witchcraft and vanished.

HARI Lionsgate Entertainment

Mattel

Mediawan Kids & Family NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution

NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution Kids & Family

pocket.watch

Sesame Workshop Thunderbird Distribution

Wind Sun Sky Entertainment ZDF Studios

Dylan’s Playtime Adventures

Open Season Call of Nature (6-11 animation, 52x11 min.) When Boog and Elliot discover an abandoned Summer Camp in the middle of nowhere, they embark on a brave new adventure of creating a safe and special place to live that welcomes animals of every kind. Let’s Go Bananas (3-6 animation, 52x11 min.) Three sweet, silly, diverse families share each other’s lives, loves, triumphs and tantrums in relatable tales told by their five funny and fabulous kids. THE LEADING ONLINE DAILY NEWS SERVICE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA INDUSTRY. For a free subscription, visit subscriptions.ws

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Lu & The Bally Bunch (2-5 animation, 75x5 min. & 1x22 min.) Lu is a little ladybird who has just started preschool with her new friends. Together, they explore their brand-new social lives. Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures (3-6 animation, 20x3 min.) Together with our newest superhero, Power Paige, Super Why will save the day (and the story) from Literacy Villains and other literacy anomalies in Reader Valley. That Lion Show (13+ animation, 8x22 min.) Prince Ryan, the heir to Doong Doong Island, has one year to save his kingdom from turning into a resort by landing a record deal and becoming a K-pop star in Seoul. Let’s Game (6-11 live-action, 100x5 min.) Starring four of the biggest faces in YouTube gaming, a gaming show for Sky Kids Q. Rosie’s Rules (3-5 animation, 80x11 min.) Follows the adventures of Rosie Fuentes, an inquisitive and hilarious 5-year-old girl, as she learns about the world beyond her family walls. Atom Town (3-6 animation, 26x5 min.) Discover the magic of the universe with the Atoms of Atom Town, a community of characters based on the elements of the periodic table.

Scott & Sid

Cheat (Thriller, 1x100 min.) To escape her lonely, isolated marriage, Zoe involves herself with another man. Now fighting to survive the unexpected consequences of her affair, she must fight for both life and death to uncover the truth before it’s too late. Killer Witches from Outer Space (Horror, 1x87 min.) Halloween is about to be changed forever as a sleepy town is invaded by witches and creatures alike. Now three youngsters must overthrow the frightening beings from another planet before the chaos spreads around the world. Valentines Town (Rom-com, 1x90 min.) Working for a popular dating app, Jude heads up the company’s plan to build a love-themed resort in his hometown. Standing in their way is Melissa, a matchmaker who has rallied the town’s residents against the resort—and his old high school love. ARTIST VIEW ENTERTAINMENT Bad Tenant (Thriller, 1x90 min.) After leasing out O (1-818) 752-2480 ext. 5 her guest room to a charming British music manager, m scott@artistviewent.com a young homeowner quickly learns that her new w www.artistviewent.com renter is a desperate con man. Scott & Sid (Drama/comedy, 1x95 min.) Teens Scott She Wants My Baby (Thriller, 1x90 min.) A new and Sid set out to build bigger lives, launching busi- mother begins to suspect that her nanny is scheming to nesses before they’ve even graduated from school, steal her baby and her husband—but no one believes braving gangsters and defying their own limits. her due to the postpartum depression she suffered.

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Remote Danger (Action, 1x90 min.) During a manhunt for a serial killer, a beautiful young woman offers a hitchhiker a ride in exchange for directions. Get Away If You Can (Thriller, 1x90 min.) A troubled married couple hopes that sailing across the open ocean might bring back the spark that’s been lost between them. But their relationship is brought to the breaking point when one refuses to explore a mysterious deserted island. Furry Fortune (Family, 1x85 min.) When twins discover their pet dog is shedding money, the fun begins until their parents find out and their nosy neighbor kidnaps the money-making canine. Hearts Creek (Rom-com, 1x90 min.) After having a small car accident, a young event planner finds herself lost in the Rocky Mountains, only to be rescued by a handsome mountain guide on horseback.

BANIJAY KIDS & FAMILY DISTRIBUTION

O (44-0370) 042-0042 m sales@banijaykids.com w www.banijaykidsandfamily.com Shasha & Milo (6+ animation/action/comedy, 25x22 min. & 12x2 min.) Shasha the cat and Milo the boy try to balance being not-so-ordinary middle schoolers while protecting their Crescent Island home from an ultra-villainous cat, Luca. Moominvalley (Family animation/adventure, S1-4: 13x22 min. each) Curious and idealistic Moomintroll, along with his family and whimsical friends, takes us on an adventure into the magical world of Moominvalley.

The Game Catchers (Preschool animation, S1-2: 52x7 min. each) A team of five friends are on an interstellar journey to explore fantastic planets with the aim of learning about, playing and collecting games so they are never lost again.

Moominvalley

Topo Gigio (Preschool animation, S1: 52x11 min., S2: 26x11 min.) Topo Gigio is a cute little mouse who has learned to live in the world of humans. When I Was Your Age (6+ animation/action/ comedy, 52x11 min.) Paul, 10, is a typical little boy, except that as soon as someone says the words, “When I was your age…” Paul is immediately sent back to the time when the person he is talking to was 10 years old.

BBC STUDIOS KIDS & FAMILY

O (49-151) 1819-2581 m stephanie.germann@bbc.com w productions.bbcstudios.com/our-productionbrands/kids-family

Pickle Storm (6-9 comedy, 10x22 min.) A fishout-of-water sitcom about a girl and her family from a parallel universe who find themselves in the U.K. struggling to adjust to suburban life.

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TV LISTINGS

BOAT ROCKER

O (1-416) 591-0065 m sales@boatrocker.com w www.boatrocker.com Dino Ranch (2-5 comedy adventure, S3: 52x11 min.) Follows the action-packed adventures of the Cassidy family as they tackle life in a fantastical, Lagging “pre-westoric” setting where dinosaurs still roam. Hey Duggee (Preschool 2D, 196x7 min.) Lovable The Next Step (Teen/tween live-action, S9: 22x30 club leader Duggee and his Squirrels are back for min.) Follows the lives of a group of dancers at The more fun and adventure. Next Step Dance Studio as they attempt to win Supertato (Preschool 2D, 52x7 min.) Good bat- regional, national and international championships. tles evil among the aisles of a local supermarket in this slapstick comedy animation series featuring the world’s greatest potato superhero. Popularity Papers (6-9 live-action comedy, 26x22 min.) A tween comedy-drama series about two best friends on a scientific quest to crack the popularity code and conquer middle school. Stan Can (2D preschool, 52x11 min.) An animated Dino Ranch series based on the books by William Bee. Lagging (6-9 live-action comedy, 10x24 min., The Strange Chores (6-11 2D adventure/comedy, 10x30 min.) The lively comedy about a tight-knit S3: 26x11 min.) Two teenage wannabe warrior group of 12-year-old gamers. Created by BAFTA- heroes and a super high-spirited ghost girl master winning writer Dan Berlinka. the skills they need to replace the world’s greatest Deadly Mission Shark (6-9/co-view live-action (and oldest) monster hunter by doing his strange, natural history, 10x30 min.) Steve Backshall supernatural chores. recruits ten young trailblazers to become future Robyn Hood (Drama, 8x60 min.) Robyn Loxley shark saviors. and her masked hip-hop band, The Hood, are Nova Jones (6-9 live-action musical drama, known for their anti-authoritarian message. When 20x24 min., 10x25 min.) Join intergalactic pop star Robyn finds herself fighting for her home and her Nova Jones as she tours the universe, wows her family against local property developer John Prince fans—and battles a few trolls along the way. and the Sheriff, they decide to fight back.

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TV LISTINGS

Slip (Comedy, 7x30 min.) When Mae “slips” and has a one-night stand with Eric, she wakes up in a parallel universe in which she and Eric are now married, and all traces of her life with Elijah have been wiped from existence. Beacon 23 (Drama, 8x60 min.) Follows Aster (Lena Headey) and Halan (Stephan James), whose fates become entangled after they find themselves trapped together at the end of the known universe. Orphan Black: Echoes (Drama, 10x60 min.) Follows a group of women as they weave their way into each other’s lives and embark on a thrilling journey, unraveling the mystery of their identity and uncovering a wrenching story of love and betrayal. Secrets in the Ice (History/civilization, S3: 26x60 min.) Goes to the most remote, cold and inhospitable places on the planet to reveal great mysteries that were once frozen in time. Listing Large (Home reno., 10x30 min.) Follows Odeen Eccleston and Lamont Wiltshire as they build a real estate empire while juggling parenthood, friendship and love. Mary Makes it Easy (Food, S3: 25x30 min.) Filmed in her very own home kitchen, the series follows Mary Berg as she shares tips, tricks and recipes to solve everyday cooking conundrums.

Guava, a risk-averse neurotic talking fruit, as they travel through the multiverse in a magical bathtub. So Awkward Academy (6-12 live-action, 10x26 min.) Former pupil Lily Hampton returns to school as a teacher and is forced to navigate even more awkward mishaps.

Cracké Family Scramble

Cracké Family Scramble (4+/family animation, 52x7 min.) First-time daddy ostrich Ed scrambles to keep control over his eight kids, turning every family activity into a hilarious adventure. Non-dialogue. Sherwood (8-12 animation, 10x22 min.) Teen hacker Robin Loxley and her band of warriors bring down the regime of the evil Sheriff Nottingham in a 23rd-century London devastated by climate change. Toru Superfox (Preschool animation, 52x7.5 min.) Imaginative forest adventures with super fox Toru and his friends, who are on a quest to face the most puzzling of creatures—their emotions. Angry Birds Summer Madness (6-11 animaCAKE tion, 32x11 min. & 4x22 min.) Sparks and feathers m info@cakeentertainment.com fly when teenage Red, Chuck, Bomb and Stella w www.cakeentertainment.com spend a wild summer together with other Angry The Guava Juice Show (6-12 animation, 26x11 Birds at Camp Splinterwood. min.) The wacky adventures of 14-year-old Roi and Total Drama Island (6-12 animation, 26x22 his best friends, fearless fellow teen Jenny and min.) After seven seasons, it’s time to go back to the

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TV LISTINGS

island with wild challenges, dramatic eliminations and total insanity. Lucas the Spider (Preschool animation, 78x7 min.) Based on the YouTube hit, adorable spider Lucas and his friends leap into adventure and discovery, making the most out of every moment. Super Sema (5-7 animation, 20x5 min. & 24x11 min.) Ten-year-old Sema uses ingenuity, superintelligence and her technovating powers to save her African village from artificially intelligent villain Tobor and his robot minions. Exec produced by Oscar-winning actor Lupita Nyong’o. Mush-Mush & the Mushables (4-8 animation, S2: 96x11 min. & 4x22 min.) Following the outdoor adventures of the Mushable community, pocketsized Guardians of the Forest, as they embark on a fun journey of self-discovery and more.

CYBER GROUP STUDIOS

O (33-1) 5556-3232/(1-818) 844-1660 m sales@cybergroupstudios.com w www.cybergroupstudios.com Press Start! (Bridge CGI comedy/adventure, 52x11 min.) Follow Sunny and Rue in their incredible adventure inside a video game with their favorite hero, Super Rabbit Boy. Alex Player (Kids 2D/CGI adventure/esport, 26x22 min.) Alex and his teammates juggle their school life and their training to win the esports national inter-school championship. Droners (Kids 2D/CGI adventure/comedy, S1-2: 52x22 min.) To save Terraqua, the Tikis head to Tortuga, Queen Scarlett’s island, home of the Rotor

Punch competition. The winners will get the chance to seize the Queen’s treasure.

Press Start!

Gigantosaurus (Upper preschool 2D/CGI comedy/adventure, S1-3: 156x11 min./78x26 min.) Follow the adventures of Tiny, Rocky, Bill and Mazu in Cretacia, where every day is a new adventure, under the watchful eye of Gigantosaurus. Alpha and Omega (Kids animation/adventure, 3x45 min.) Kate and Humphrey are back with three wolf pups. 50/50 Heroes (Kids 2D comedy/adventure, 52x11 min.) Half-siblings Mo and Sam found out they inherited superpowers from their ancestor, but the problem is they need to share them. Taffy (Kids/family 2D comedy, S1-2: 156x7 min.) Taffy the raccoon and Bentley the dog are two “partners in crime” for vigorous adventures and new crazy chases. Nefertine on the Nile (Bridge 2D/CGI comedy, 52x13 min.) Nefertine is an 8-year-old girl with inexhaustible curiosity and great courage who lives in ancient Egypt, aspiring to be the first female scribe. Zak Jinks (Kids 2D adventure/comedy, S1-2: 104x13 min.) For every problem, Zak has a solution. But beware when you hang out with him and his mischiefs.

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TV LISTINGS

Squared Zebra (Preschool 2D comedy/edutainment, 78x7 min.) Every day is an adventure with Squared Zebra and her friends as they learn from their differences in a cute and fun way.

GOQUEST MEDIA

O (91-22) 495-591-00 m contact@goquestmedia.com w www.goquestmedia.com Erinyes (Crime drama, 12x45 min.) In pre- and postwar Lviv and Wrocław, Poland, a detective inspector of extraordinary intellect and physical strength is tormented by visions caused by epilepsy attacks, which he uses to his advantage in investigations.

Erinyes

Crusade (Crime drama, 13x45 min.) Detective Jan Góra and his colleagues from the crime and criminal terror division of the Warsaw Metropolitan Police investigate a series of murders and kidnappings of celebrities. Troll Farm (Dramedy, 5x50 min.) After being wrongly fired from a cosmetics empire she founded, corporate diva Ana struggles to clear her name while slowly embracing the dark side of vengeance and becoming the monster she’s fighting. Sacrificiul (Drama, 100x45 min.) Revolves around the extraordinary stories of three sisters who were separated and only reunited years later by the fortuitous connection of their children.

Crazy in Love (Drama, 260x22 min.) Piotr and Asia had a brief summer romance. Now they meet again after ten years. Will sparks fly? Secrets of the Grapevine (Romance drama, S1-2: 72x50 min.) Tells the story of two winemaking families, the Tomovics and the Smiljanics. Traitor (Espionage/spy thriller, S1-2: 12x58 min.) An Estonian Ministry of Defence official cooperates with Russian intelligence and starts a cat-and-mouse chase with a young Estonian counter-intelligence officer. Civil Servant (Spy thriller, S1-3: 36x50 min.) A young, ambitious Serbian Secret Service (BIA) agent is compelled to make dangerous decisions to protect his nation, family and himself. Debt to the Sea (Mystery thriller, S1-2: 24x50 min.) In a beautiful coastal village in Montenegro, Olga and her family must face the consequences of an earlier tragedy as she seeks to learn the truth behind the curse of the “debt to the sea.” Divorce in Peace (Dramedy, S1-2: 20x28 min.) Businesswoman Laura wants to end her marriage to music teacher Aksel after 20 years.

GURU STUDIO

O (1-416) 599-4878 m sales@gurustudio.com w gurustudio.com 123 Number Squad! (Preschool 3D, 104x11 min.) Paula, Billy and Tim use their love of numbers and counting to become a fast-response rescue team, helping solve problems faced by the citizens of Numberville. Big Blue (5-9 2D comedy, 52x11 min.) Siblings Lettie and Lemo lead their quirky submarine crew to solve the ocean’s mysteries and find the origins of a new magical recruit named Bacon Berry.

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TV LISTINGS

Big Blue

True and the Rainbow Kingdom (Preschool 3D, 30x22 min., 5x22 min., 1x44 min.) True and her hilarious best friend, Bartleby the cat, come to the rescue of Rainbow City’s whimsical citizens. Pikwik Pack (Preschool 2D, 52x11 min.) Suki the hedgehog and her team of adorable animals deliver magical packages to the kind citizens of Pikwik. Justin Time (Preschool 2D, 74x11 min. & 2x22 min.) Justin’s imagination catapults him into largerthan-life adventures set in different points in history.

Mystery Lane (Animation, 26x22 min.) A new classic à la Scooby-Doo meets Sherlock Holmes packed in a feature-quality CGI animation that will captivate kids and families. The Weasy Family (Animation, 78x7 min.) Slapstick comedy and heartwarming narrative are at the core of this weasel-father and duckling-daughters story that will resonate with kids and parents alike.

LIONSGATE ENTERTAINMENT

w www.lionsgate.com

The Rookie (Action, 98x60 min.) After a life-altering event, John Nolan pursues a lifelong dream of joining the LAPD. As the oldest rookie, he faces skepticism from higher-ups. Fake (Drama, 8x60 min.) Birdie falls for Joe, a wealthy grazier, thinking he’s her Prince Charming. Shocked by his fake identity, she investigates their past to rebuild her life. Love Rat (Thriller, 4x60 min.) Recent divorcée Emma’s HARI new beau scams her out of her life savings, so she O (33-1) 4307-6577 embarks on a dangerous mission to get it back. m contact@studiohari.com Married to the Game (Unscripted, 6x60 min.) w www.studiohari.com Unprecedented access to the lives of the wives and Grizzy & the Lemmings World Tour (Animation, girlfriends of Premier League footballers during the S1-4: 78x7 min. each) The latest season sees the summer break and the transfer window. slapstick phenomenon traveling the world with the Paper Dolls (Drama, 8x60 min.) Harlow, a manumuch-loved characters going wackier. factured girl group from a reality show, seeks pop stardom amidst fame’s dark side. Each episode explores their personal struggles in the spotlight. The Conners (Comedy, 108x22 min.) The sequel to Roseanne follows the iconic Conner family—Dan, Jackie, Darlene, Becky, and D.J.—as they confront life’s challenges with humor, resilience and love. Borderline (Drama, 6x60 min.) When crimes Mystery Lane straddle the Ireland-Northern Ireland border,

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TV LISTINGS

PSNI’s Detective Inspector Boyd and Garda’s Detective Inspector Regan begrudgingly team up to solve brutal murders. Population: 11 (Comedy, 12x30 min.) In a remote Australian town, a young American with a gambling addiction searches for his missing father and a stash of cash, uncovering dark secrets about his own identity.

younger sister Skipper takes a summer job at a water park when her babysitting business hits a snag. A birthday party at the park goes awry and her babysitting skills save the day. Barbie: It Takes Two (Animation, 26x22 min.) Follows Barbie “Malibu” Roberts and Barbie “Brooklyn” Roberts as they attend a year of performing arts high school in NYC. Barbie Mermaid Power (Animation, 1x60 min.) Join Barbie “Brooklyn” Roberts, Barbie “Malibu” Roberts and her sisters Skipper, Stacie and Chelsea on an underwater adventure as they transform into mermaids to help save the world of Pacifica. Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go! S25 (Animation, 52x11 min.) Adventure and excitement abound for The Rookie Thomas and his friends as they form lasting bonds that Dark City: The Cleaner (Thriller, 6x60 min.) Joe help them overcome any obstacle on Sodor. leads a double life as “The Christchurch Carver,” using his job as a police cleaner to stay ahead of detectives until a copycat killer and a new avenger threaten his carefully constructed façade. The Continental (Drama, 3x90 min.) Explore the origin behind the iconic hotel for assassins in the John Wick universe. Young Winston Scott navigates 1975 New York City’s underworld to claim Barbie: A Touch of Magic his future throne within the hotel. Thomas & Friends Race for the Sodor Cup (Animation, 1x60 min.) Kana is convinced that her speed MATTEL is all she needs to win the Sodor Cup. But when she m content_sales@mattel.com ends up paired with Thomas, she discovers that it w www.mattel.com takes much more to really be a champion. Barbie: A Touch of Magic (Animation, 26x22 Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go! S26 (Animin.) Barbie and Barbie discover a mysterious baby mation, 52x11 min.) Thomas and his loc-amigos Pegasus on the beach in Malibu and work to find get into new shenanigans on the Island of Sodor. out where the magical horse came from. Thomas & Friends: The Mystery of Lookout Barbie: Skipper and the Big Babysitting Mountain (Animation, 1x60 min.) When cars Adventure (Animation, 1x60 min.) Barbie’s begin to disappear in the mines, Thomas recruits

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TV LISTINGS

the Biggest Adventure Club to dig into the history Academy. Join them on their adventurous journey and uncover the mystery inside Lookout Mountain. to pirate greatness. Power Players (Animation, 78x11 min.) Axel, a 9year-old, transforms into a living action figure. He MEDIAWAN KIDS & FAMILY leads quirky, smart toys on big adventures, creating m contact.mkf@mediawan.eu the largest small-kid imaginations. w www.mediawankidsandfamily.com Robin Hood: Mischief in Sherwood (Animation, Barnkidz (Animation, 52x11 min.) In Bellefontaine, 208x11 min.) The fourth season retains the elements Raphaël, Lina, Little Foot and Beanpole, embark on that have made the series so successful: conflict, new endless thrilling adventures. adventures, Vikings, King Richard and charming characters for magical, enchanting stories. Seven & Me (Hybrid, 52x26 min.) At 11, you discover you’re the heir to Snow White, guarded by seven dwarves. Embrace tradition, say “once upon a time,” and embark on the funniest adventure of your life. The Little Prince and Friends (Animation, 52x11 min.) Two kids join the Little Prince, the Fox and the Rose on a cosmic adventure in this refreshing take Barnkidz on the worldwide phenomenon. Dickie (Animation, 104x2 min.) We follow Dickie, a charming antihero with a big mustache, as his naivety, selfishness and clumsiness bring him constant misfor- NBCUNIVERSAL GLOBAL TV DISTRIBUTION tune, making him a relatable universal loser. O (1-818) 777-1300 Idefix (Animation, 104x11 min.) Idefix and friends w www.nbcuniversal.com resist Romans in Lutetia, facing new challenges from Prefect Dairiprodus and Princess Leia. Apples Never Fall (Drama, 7x60 min.) Stan and Penny on M.A.R.S. (Live-action, 39x22 min.) Penny, Joy have sold their successful tennis academy and daughter of pop star Bakia, joins the M.A.R.S. are ready to start what should be the golden years school with her friend Camilla. She searches for her of their lives. When Joy suddenly disappears, her unknown father and makes new friends. children are forced to re-examine their parents’ soPetronix Defenders (Animation, 52x11 min.) called perfect marriage. Young children transform backpacks into robotic Action (Doc., 6x60 min.) The exploits of Hollywood’s pets and embark on daring missions to save top stunt performers who work and train at filmmaker wildlife in peril around the world. David Leitch and Kelly McCormick’s production and Pirate Academy (Animation, 52x11 min.) Finn, action design company, 87North. Sam and Andrew aim to become legendary The Americas (Doc., 11x60 min.) Narrated by pirates by taking expert-led classes at Pirate Tom Hanks and featuring music by Hans Zimmer,

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employs revolutionary filmmaking technology that Un Amore (Drama, 6x60 min.) When Anna and will showcase the wonders, secrets and fragilities Alessandro met at the age of 18, they fell in love, of the Americas. knowing there was no way for them to be together. After 20 years, when fate brings them together again, their passion reignites. Are they willing to turn their lives upside down for love?

NBCUNIVERSAL GLOBAL TV DISTRIBUTION KIDS & FAMILY

Apples Never Fall

Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent (Drama, 10x60 min.) Follows an elite detective duo from the Specialized Criminal Investigations unit as they investigate high-profile homicide cases, inspired by “ripped from the headlines” Canadian crime stories. Allegiance (Drama, 10x60 min.) Centers on a star rookie police officer who is caught between her allegiance to her flag, badge and family as she grapples with the limits of a flawed justice system while fighting to exonerate her politician father. House of Gods (Drama, 6x60 min.) Follows the lives of an ambitious Iraqi Australian family grappling with newfound power and privilege when their charismatic patriarch is elected head cleric of their local mosque. Helgoland 513 (Drama, 7x60 min.) After a global pandemic, the North Sea island of Helgoland has become humanity’s last safe haven. While a doctor desperately seeks to save his son’s life and find a vaccine that could defeat the virus, a seething generational conflict threatens to erupt on the island. Dostoevsky (Drama, 6x60 min.) Enzo Vitello is a police officer with a spoiled past and an inevitable future who finds himself on the blood trail of a ruthless serial killer, nicknamed Dostoevskij.

O (1-818) 777-1300 w www.nbcuniversal.com

Fright Krewe (Animation/action/adventure/mystery, 20x30 min.) Five high school kids from New Orleans accidentally unleash a great evil onto the world. This band of unlikely friends are gifted with magic powers and must fight off this supernatural threat.

Fright Krewe

Gabby’s Dollhouse (Animation/live-action, 60x30 min.) The preschool show with a surprise inside. Join Gabby in her fantastical animated world full of adventure and adorable cat friends. Not Quite Narwhal (Animation/adventure, 26x30 min./52x15 min.) Kelp has grown up thinking he was a narwhal until the day he discovers he’s a unicorn. Kelp embraces both identities and polarized worlds in this magical adventure comedy series. Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight (Animation/comedy/action/adventure, 41x30 min.

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TV LISTINGS

& 1x60 min.) Po (Jack Black) must partner with a no-nonsense English Knight and embark on a globe-trotting quest for redemption and justice. Superbuns (Animation/comedy, 39x7 min./ 13x30 min.) Buns Bunny (aka Superbuns) saves the day with kindness every time. She bounds through her neighborhood ready to help her friends. Lil’ Stompers (Animation/adventure, 65x5 min./13x30 min.) A cuddly quintet of plush dinos seeking adventure and knowledge of the amazing world around them take on hard topics in a soft world. Spooky Files (Live-action/mystery/comedy, 10x30 min.) When spooky creatures start appearing in Sunny Valley, Australia, an unlikely group of local kids work hard to capture them and figure out where they are coming from and why. Turn Up The Volume (Live-action/music/drama, 10x30 min.) Bonded by their love of music at a weekly music band camp, a group of young teens are grouped together and must work as a team to create their unique sound as The Volume. One Zoo Three (Live-action/unscripted/nature/ education, 26x30 min.) Three brothers live and work in their family zoo, looking after over 800 endangered animals.

POCKET.WATCH

O (1-424) 298-8234 m content@pocket.watch w pocket.watch Ryan’s Mystery Playdate (Live-action, 90x22 min.) In the top-rated, Emmy-nominated series, kid video superstar Ryan, along with his parents and animated friends, work together to identify a mystery guest. Toys and Colors Kaleidoscope City (Liveaction/CGI, 10x22 min.) Starring global sensation

Toys and Colors, a magical world where kids learn to see the world through new perspectives. Love, Diana (Animation/live-action, 13x22 min.) Real-life vlog superstar siblings Diana and Roma take you on a magical adventure where imagination rules and anything is possible.

Kids Diana Show Ultimate Mishmash

Ryan’s World Specials (Live-action/animation, 193x22 min.) Kid video superstar Ryan, along with his family and animated friends, play games, make crafts, learn science and go on adventures. Toys and Colors Ultimate Mishmash (Live-action, 90x22 min.) YouTube’s number one kids ensemble, Toys and Colors learn life skills, letters, numbers and more through musical and pretend play adventures. Kids Diana Show Ultimate Mishmash (Liveaction, 45x22 min.) Join family vlog superstar Diana, aka the Princess of Play, and her brother Roma on their hilarious pretend play adventures. LankyBox Ultimate Mishmash (Liveaction/gameplay, 60x22 min.) YouTube’s number one gamers, LankyBox is Justin and Adam, two best friends who love playing Roblox and making funny videos with sidekicks Foxy, Boxy and Rocky. Onyx Family Ultimate Mishmash (Live-action, 45x22 min.) Best known for their silly and spooky adventures, follow YouTube’s most popular AfricanAmerican family creators as they sing, try fun challenges and investigate mysterious occurrences.

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TV LISTINGS 15

Onyx Monster Mysteries (Animation, 8x22 min.) The Onyx family comes to cartoon life in epic adventures to save the most endangered species of all: monsters. Kid City Ultimate Mishmash (Live-action, 30x22 min.) Play along with DadCity, MomCity, Lil’ Flash and Ava as they do challenges, DIY projects and play all sorts of kids’ games that are fun for the Abby’s Amazing Adventures whole family. Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck (Kids/family, 65x5 min.) A dynamic new way for kids to learn SESAME WORKSHOP where their favorite foods come from. O (1-212) 875-6887 Cookie Monster’s Bake Sale (Kids/family, 1x26 m celia.musikant@sesame.org min.) This summer, Cookie Monster and a celebrity w www.sesameworkshop.org chef are baking for a cause. Sesame Street (Kids/family, S54: 35x30 min.) Elmo’s World (Kids/family, 79x5 min.) Join Elmo Everyone’s favorite monsters are back. Catch Elmo, as he transforms his bedroom, through his imagiAbby and Cookie Monster as the team takes on play- nation, into a beautiful chalk-drawn world. Furry Friends Forever: Elmo Gets a Puppy ful problem-solving by exploring how you learn. Abby’s Amazing Adventures (Kids/family, 33x5 (Kids/family, 1x26 min.) Elmo and Grover discover min.) Abby and Rudy take off on amazing adven- a sweet, stray puppy, whom they quickly name tures to incredible locations, learning all about Tango. Together, they search for the local pet adopdifferent careers—overcoming obstacles and per- tion fair in the hopes of finding her a “forever home.” Nature Explorers! With Elmo, Gabrielle, and severing until their mission is complete. Bea’s Block (Kids/family, 40x11 min./20x22 Tango! (Kids/family, 20x5 min.) Join Elmo, min.) An animated preschool series featuring Bea Gabrielle and Tango as they suit up for a nature and her friends that models kindness through adventure around Sesame Street to ask questions, make observations and discover the natural world friendship and empathy. Elmo & Tango Mysterious Mysteries around them with wonder and curiosity. (Kids/family, 20x5 min.) Follow Elmo and Tango as they search for clues and help their Sesame Street THUNDERBIRD DISTRIBUTION friends solve mysteries. m sales@thunderbird.tv Mecha Builders (Kids/family, 26x22 min./52x11 w thunderbird.tv min.) Mecha Elmo, Mecha Cookie Monster and Mecha Abby Cadabby are robo superheroes-in- BooSnoo! (Kids, 41x7 min.) A livetraining ready to problem-solve the most out-of- action/CG/stop-motion, dialogue-free series that this-world situations. encourages kids ages 2 and up to sit back and follow

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TV LISTINGS

the featured little red ball as it leads an exploration of fantastical landscapes. Mermicorno: Starfall (5-9, 26x22 min.) This adventure-comedy takes place in a fantastical and magical undersea world, where a team of Mermicorno (mermaid unicorn creatures) join together to save the ocean from the threat of the evil Ika Inkblot.

BooSnoo!

the Chicken and Frittata the Egg. Comedy, music and influencer interviews empower kids to positively change their future. Future Chicken and the Planet Protectors (Animated comedy, 40x11 min.) Potato and her planet protectors travel to the past from Eco Bay in 2050 when things go environmentally awry. The Adventures of Team POM (Animated comedy, in dvpmt.) Features misfits Roberta, Agnes and Ruby (aka Team POM) who can’t resist trying to unravel the mischief and antics happening in Shadyside. Jailbreak (Animated comedy, in dvpmt.) A team of reformed crooks try to make an honest living as wellintentioned, hapless handymen around town. Based on the Roblox game with over 6.7 billion visits.

Mittens & Pants (Preschool, 81x7 min.) This liveaction series features Mittens the kitten and Pants the puppy, who are best friends living in the all-animal town of Kibble Corners. Each day is a new adventure for these unlikely best friends. Rocket Saves the Day (Preschool, 1x45 min.) Based on the New York Times best-selling Rocket book series created by Tad Hills, an enthusiastic Future Chicken Shorts young pup, Rocket, and his new best friend, Little Creatures of Sonaria (Animated fantasy adventure, Yellow Bird, embark on a quest to save their town in dvpmt.) A scrappy teen fighter, playful con artist and through the power of reading. naive companion must undertake the Great Quests of Sonaria to save their world from an insatiable evil.

WIND SUN SKY ENTERTAINMENT

m sales@windsunsky.com w www.windsunsky.com

ZDF STUDIOS

O (49) 6131-9910 m info@zdf-studios.com w www.zdf-studios.com

Future Chicken Shorts (Short-form ecotainment, 120+ eps.) Comedy shorts covering eco themes from water conservation to renewable energy. Theodosia (Junior/live-action, S1: 26x26 min., Future Chicken Today Show (YouTube/digital, S2: 26x26 min.) In season two, when her magic 16x11 min.) Live streaming from 2050 with Potato goes out of control, Theodosia is caught up in a

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TV LISTINGS

battle to save the world, save her relationship and survive a new school. Surviving Summer (Junior/live-action, 18x25 min.) Brooklyn teen Summer Torres is exiled Down Under to live with surfer Ari Gibson and his family; she’ll spend the next couple of months falling in love with surfing, driving Ari crazy and upending everyone’s lives.

Theodosia

Truth or Dare (Junior/live-action, 13x20 min.) Realistic drama about best friends Sanne and Tara aims to reduce the fear many young people have of being not good enough, and thereby hopes to strengthen the viewers’ self-esteem. Sam and Julia (Junior/animation, 78x7 min.) Coming from a distant island, Julia, a cute and speedy little she-mouse, has moved into a The Mouse Mansion. She meets Sam, a welcoming and crafty little he-mouse. Despite their different characters, they soon get to very much like each other.

Tobie Lolness (Junior/animation, 13x52 min./26x26 min.) Timothée de Fombelle’s awardwinning novel has sold over 1 million copies in 30 countries. It’s a coming-of-age story of adventure, heroism, friendship and survival, with a powerful environmental message, set in a miniature world. Grisù (Junior/animation, 52x12 min.) Ready for any mission, Grisù the dragon dreams of being a firefighter, despite the objections of his father. Superhero Academy (Junior/live-action, S1: 13x15 min., S2: 20x15 min.) Follow the students at this unique boarding school for future superheroes, where their challenges are as different as their powers. Space Nova (Animation, 41x22 min.) The year 2162 has been a blast for the Aussie space-exploring Nova family, especially when they discover the firstever proof that humanity is not alone in the universe. Spellbound (Junior/live-action, 26x26 min.) Cece Parker Jones, a spirited 15-year-old, moves from a small town in the U.S. to attend the Paris Opera Ballet School. When she stumbles upon a book of family spells, she casts an antidote to an ancient protection spell, unveiling a hidden identity. Törtle (Junior/animation, 26x24 min.) Törtle, a tortoise from a pet shop, finds creative solutions to the conflicts between humans and animals in Muddlemere.

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Trending On The most-viewed clips on our video portals in the last month.

The Lost Women Spies Tells the story of Secret Operations Executive’s Vera Atkins’ efforts to trace lost British female spies after World War II and find out what became of them. (ZDF Studios)

The Guava Juice Show The adventures of 14-year-old Roi, fearless fellow teen Jenny and Guava, a risk-averse neurotic talking fruit, as they travel through the multiverse in a magical bathtub. (CAKE)

Malta: Jewel of the Mediterranean Celebrate the history, culture and beauty of one of Europe’s most astonishing countries. (All3Media International)

Hey Duggee Lovable club leader Duggee and his Squirrels are back for more fun and adventure. (BBC Studios Kids & Family)

Press Start! Follow Sunny and Rue in their incredible adventure inside a video game with their favorite hero, Super Rabbit Boy. (Cyber Group Studios) 78 WORLD SCREEN 2/24

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