BBC Studios Kids & Family division opens for business

BBC Studios has announced today that it has formally moved Children’s In-house Production into BBC Studios Productions to complete its ambitious new division: BBC Studios Kids & Family.

Led by Managing Director Cecilia Persson, BBC Studios Kids & Family will combine the talent and expertise of the BBC Children’s Production team and the content investment, customer and brand experience within BBC Studios into a new and integral part of the BBC Studios content powerhouse. This development is designed to drive an ambitious global strategy to increase the reach of in-house hits, develop new global brands and grow the value provided to younger audiences.

BBC Studios’ Kids & Family portfolio boasts some of the most successful local and global franchises in the world, with BAFTA and International Emmy winning craft and storytelling. Working with a mix of established talent and new and diverse voices including Dame Jaqueline Wilson, Julia Donaldson and Laura Henry-Allain and best in class on-screen talent like Rosamund Pike, Javonne Prince, Tamsin Greig and Eva Mendes, its hugely popular shows include Blue Peter, JoJo & Gran Gran, My Mum Tracy Beaker, Ferne and Rory, Something Special, Bluey, Hey Duggee and Sarah & Duck.

Bringing Children’s production capabilities into BBC Studios for the first time creates an end-to-end business of scale and reputation in the Kids & Family space with the potential to create work for a wide range of customers. Working in partnership from development and production to investment, distribution, BBC Studios Kids and Family will ensure the most creative, efficient and effective approach to bring children’s content to audiences around the world.

Persson, Henrietta Hurford-Jones, Director of Content, Kids & Family, and Helen Bullough, Head of Kids & Family Production, will now be able to collaborate on creating and maximising new opportunities to build on the existing, diverse portfolio of global hits and family favourites. As well as working with established and much-loved talent, they are actively seeking fresh ideas and new and diverse voices with universal appeal to create rich content and build franchises that children will adore in the UK and beyond.

Ralph Lee, CEO BBC Studios Productions, says: “The newly integrated Kids & Family team is made up of incredibly talented individuals who excel at creating shows that are adored by children and their parents. They are true specialists in this key field of content creation and this new division presents an amazing opportunity to build on the fabulous portfolio they collectively already bring to the world.”

“I’m incredibly excited at the ambitious potential for innovation and growth within Kids and Family,” says Cecilia Persson, Managing Director, BBC Studios Kids & Family. “Alongside our core relationship with BBC Content’s unique children’s offer, we’re now open for business and are keen to explore new opportunities. We are passionate about our content because we care deeply about our audience and know that the stories we generate, identify and nurture have the power to make a difference to the lives of kids and their families around the world. That passion, combined with the team’s brilliant talent and expertise, will enable us to develop an unrivalled wealth of new, exciting and beloved content for children and their families across the UK and beyond.”

Patricia Hidalgo, Director of Children & Education, adds: “BBC Childrens in-house production has for decades been providing the BBC and the whole of the UK with best-in-class content for our audiences, I could not be happier to see this team join BBC Studios to take advantage of their international growth and great production capabilities, bringing them the valuable expertise this team has in creating Childrens content, and taking our Children & Education brands globally.”

Marion Claret to lead Dandelooo’s animation studio Ooolala

Emmy Award-winning French animation production and distribution company Dandelooo has appointed Marion Claret to head its animation studio Ooolala in La Cartoucherie, Valence, France.

A partner at Dandelooo, Marion Claret also helped launch the Ooolala studio three years ago, founded by Jean Baptiste Wéry and Emmanuèle Pétry. Marion will spearhead a development slate of original productions, drive its expanding studio, and help supervise the pre-production teams for both original and client service work.

A graduate of Gobelins, Ecole de l’image, Paris, Marion joined Dandelooo in 2016 to produce the 2-D and live-action Emmy Award-winning series The Treehouse Stories for Canal+, now in its fourth season. She previously worked at French production companies Stromboli Films and Medialab Technology.

Ooolala is currently producing Billy the Cowboy Hamster, a 2-D series for preschoolers commissioned by France Televisions, and has recently completed the heart-warming Special Mum is pouring rain, co-produced with French/German production company Laïdak Films and commissioned by Canal+, as well as Stinky Dog, a slapstick comedy series co-produced with Folivari (France), Panique! (Belgium) and Pikkukala (Spain), commissioned by France Televisions.

Emmanuèle Pétry, Co-Founder, Dandelooo, says: “We are thrilled to have Marion head up Ooolala.  She brings great passion and energy to the role, and we believe she has all the necessary talents to make the studio blossom and help our projects become international successes.”

 

 

Bulldog signs Wow! Stuff for master toy global deal

Licensing agency Bulldog has agreed terms on a deal with Wow! Stuff for the toy company to become the first licensee for the ‘boundary breaking’ 2.5D animated series Odo.

Created by Sixteen South Originals and co-produced with Letko, Odo has now sold into more than 128 countries. In the new Master Toy global deal, Wow! Stuff will create a comprehensive range of toys including plush, dolls, figures and accessories, role-play toys, play sets, track sets, construction toys and bath toys.

Odo is a little owl with big ideas and was recently selected to join the Bulldog family of brands following its stellar TV launch last year. The first series comprises 52 x 7-minute stories and has already been pre-sold to many leading networks and broadcasters worldwide. The series is now airing every weekday on Milkshake! in the UK.

Odo has also been signed by HBO Max in the US and is airing on MiniMini+ in Poland, TVO Kids and Knowledge Kids in Canada and ABC in Australia. Many more territories will roll out throughout 2022.

The series combines humour and heart and aims to teach young children self-efficacy and to believe in themselves to help combat the troubling rise in childhood anxiety and depression levels. Each episode sees Odo positively tackle challenges with the help of his best friend Doodle, under the loving watchful eye of Camp Leader, an eagle.

Wow! Stuff’s Director of Licensing, Kenny McAndrew, is delighted with the deal. “We were pitching against some of the biggest toy companies for Odo,” he says. “Everything Odo stands for resonates and aligns with our own values, we wanted this with all our hearts – and I think that showed through in our pitch! Odo is unique; Odo the owl is gender neutral, the themes are groundbreaking and the series is grounded on social justice. And it’s very, very funny.”

Vicky Miller, Licensing Director of Bulldog Licensing, adds: “Wow! Stuff’s reputation for innovation is really unmatched in the industry and that’s what we wanted for Odo. The series is breaking boundaries in its approach to children’s mental health and wellbeing, it’s a trail-blazer in the preschool entertainment arena. Similarly, Wow! Stuff always goes above and beyond to create innovative, show-stopping product ranges and that’s just what Odo deserves”.

 

Genius Brands to launch Kartoon Channel! Kidaverse following acquisition of Ameba TV

Genius Brands International has announced that it will be launching its subscription-based Kartoon Channel! Kidaverse on April 15, 2022, at $3.99/month.

Kartoon Channel! Kidaverse will be anchored by technology from the acquisition of Ameba TV, a rapidly growing children’s video streaming service.

Kartoon Channel! Kidaverse will include all the popular programmes of Kartoon Channel!, while adding exclusive metaversal content, which will be launched in a phased rollout.

Kartoon Channel! Kidaverse will feature a fully integrated design, including custom avatars and emojis for kids, exclusive games, branded Kidaverse VR goggles, immersive content and NFTs for kids (“KFT”s).

The new platform will also feature collectable digital cards based on many of the channel’s popular characters, including those from the upcoming Stan Lee Universe, debuting in Q4 2022, and a digital currency for kids called Kidaverse MetaBuck$. Additionally, the Kartoon Channel! Kidaverse is planning to introduce child-safe messaging (“Messies”), podcasts, music, and more.

“Kartoon Channel! Kidaverse is expected to revolutionise children’s entertainment, because it will include all of the popular animated programmes of a children’s channel, metaverse features and, most importantly, it will be fully curated and child safe,” says Genius Brands Chairman and CEO, Andy Heyward.

“The single strongest message we receive from parents is the concern about safety for children on screens, whether it is programme content or roaming around the internet and various apps. The premise of the Kartoon Channel! Kidaverse is to provide children with fun, positive, engaging digital media AND to provide them with a safe and parent-controlled product.”

In addition to the hit shows of Kartoon Channel! today, including Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rainbow RangersPeppa Pig, PJ Masks, Minecraft, Surviving Roblox, My Little Pony, and Yu Gi Oh, Kartoon Channel! Kidaverse will add another 13,000 episodes under license to Ameba, including hit brands such as Casper The Friendly Ghost, Donkey Kong Country, Gummy Bears, and Rescue Heroes.

The platform will also become the home to the several thousand hours of animated content available through its recent acquisition of Canada’s WOW! Unlimited Media and strategic investment in Germany’s Your Family Entertainment (YFE). The Company believes this will make it the largest single children’s portal of animation in the world, with over 20,000 animated titles under license.

“As Kartoon Channel! has grown, many of our viewers have asked for a commercial-free version of the experience,” says Jon Ollwerther, Kartoon Channel! President. “While our free, ad-supported platform will still be available to consumers, the subscription-based Kartoon Channel! Kidaverse will address that market need, while also building the 360-degree kid’s digital media platform of the future. We believe it will be a unique entertainment experience that simply cannot be had anywhere else.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jetpack acquires international rights for live action toddler series The Mini Kids    

Global kids and family content distributor Jetpack Distribution has acquired the rights for The Mini Kids, a live-action preschool show commissioned and produced by Norway’s PSB digital terrestrial channel NRK Super.

The deal sees Jetpack acquire the first two seasons (16 x 17 minutes) of The Mini Kids, which targets babies and toddlers (0 – 3-year-olds), alongside their parents or carers, plus season three (12 x 17 minutes), which is being delivered in summer 2022.

The first two seasons have aired in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and The Faroe Islands to critical acclaim, delivering strong performance among all age-groups particularly on channel-led video on demand platforms.

The Mini Kids aims to stimulate activity and development for toddlers. It features real-life one- to two-year-olds and combines them with animation and music. The show’s objective is to inspire positive interactions among young children. It also stars ‘Fantus’, an animated character the audience engages with throughout each episode.

The series is structured in accordance with curriculum based preschool/kindergarten’s practice, with safe and familiar frameworks and rituals.

It won the Prix Jeunesse 2020 and best VFX at the Golden Screen Awards Norway 2020 and 2021.

Jetpack Distribution’s CEO, Dominic Gardiner, says: “The Mini Kids really strengthens our preschool offering and is one of a few outstanding shows for this age group. It’s hugely didactic and something that parents across the globe will welcome. Safe, funny and enjoyable for the youngest sector!”

The Mini Kids has had exceptional ratings in Norway and we are very happy that the show can now travel the world with Jetpack,” says Head of NRK Super, Hildri Gulliksen. “We are optimistic that The Mini Kids will be as well received outside of the Nordics.”

Jetpack Distribution inks 14 new deals for kids’ shows

Global kids and family content distributor Jetpack Distribution has announced that it has signed 14 new deals with video-on-demand (VOD) and linear platforms across the globe for 964 hours of TV series from its burgeoning catalogue of kids’ character driven shows.

The deals are heavily focused on VOD rights and are testament to the growing demand for VOD content from both platforms and audiences worldwide.

The following European networks have paid for rights for a selection of hit animated shows.

  • Discovery Italy has bought both linear and SVOD rights for pre-school animation Yoko (seasons one to three).
  • C+ in France renewed the PTV and SVOD rights for Talking Tom & Friends (seasons one to three) and licensed both rights for Kitty is Not a Cat season one.
  • Kidzone TV (across the Baltics, Middle East and North Africa) is taking pay TV and SVOD rights for Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed! season one and pay TV rights for Kazoops, The Sisters season two, Talking Tom & Friends seasons one to three, Talking Tom Heroes and Talking Tom Minis.
  • Minimax has bought pay TV and VOD rights across Central Eastern Europe for Oswaldo, and Marsupilami seasons one, two and  three.
  • JimJam has bought the Pay TV and VOD rights for Daisy & Ollie seasons three and four for their pan-Europe feed.
  • UK’s Pop has acquired the free-to-air and FVOD rights for Rainbow Butterfly Unicorn Kitty.
  • NRK in Norway is taking the free-to-air and FVOD rights for Welcome to Cardboard City.

The following VOD networks across the globe have paid for the rights to air a further selection of animated series across all age groups.

  • HBO Max in Latin America has acquired the SVOD rights for Chuggington S6, Talking Tom & Friends seasons four and five, Talking Tom Heroes and Talking Tom Minis seasons one to four.
  • Semillitas pay TV Channel and SVOD services in US, Central America and Caribbean ‘Flix Latino’ and ‘Pinguinitos’ has picked up the rights for Chuggington, seasons two and three.
  • Lingopie, ​​educational app for language learning based on TV content to learn languages has taken the rights for The Sisters season one (German and Italian), Wolf season one (German and Italian), Talking Tom and Friends (Italian) seasons three, four and five, Yoko season one (Italian).
  • Toon Goggles in the UK, USA and Canada has bought the AVOD and SVOD rights for Boj, Daisy and Ollie seasons one and two, Emmy & GooRoo, Kitty is Not a Cat, My Petsaurus seasons one and two,Talking Tom & Friends seasons four and five and Yoko season one.
  • Tet Sia in Latvia is taking the SVOD rights for Talking Tom & Friends seasons three to five and Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed! seasons one and two
  • Kartoon Channel in the USA and Canada have bought the AVOD and SVOD rights for Boj, Kitty is Not a Cat season two and Yoko season one.
  • Indonesia’s Mola TV has bought the SVOD rights for Emmy and GooRoo seasons one and two and is renewing Wolf seasons one and two.

Dominic Gardiner, CEO of Jetpack says: “It’s hugely inspiring to cement deals with such a strong selection of networks. Our content library has broadened significantly in recent times with multiple shows that work for different age groups, cultures and networks.

“We see – more than ever – the growing demand for VOD content and these deals demonstrate the proliferation of opportunities for content producers and distributors in this area. They also reflect the ever-evolving consumption habits of viewers worldwide.”

 

‘Hilda and the Mountain King’ to debut on Netflix this December

Silvergate Media is readying the upcoming release of Hilda and the Mountain King, an 80-minute movie special which will launch exclusively on Netflix’s global streaming platform from 30 December.

Adapted from Luke Pearson’s sixth graphic novel in the Hilda series, Hilda and the Mountain King picks up where the cliff-hanger ending of Hilda Season 2 left off: finding Hilda stranded in troll country with the body of a troll. Her quest to change back into her human form and reunite with her mum and friends brings her deeper into the world of trolls – their customs, their cuisine, and their legends; namely the infamous Mountain King. Meanwhile, as tensions rise between the gathering trolls and the city of Trolberg, Hilda’s mum scours the mountainside desperate to find her daughter before the conflict erupts into a full blown war.

“We’re really excited to bring audiences a new feature length format with the release of Hilda and the Mountain King,” says Ron Allen, EVP Commercial at Silvergate Media. “The epic scope of the storyline gives us the opportunity to explore the full potential of Hilda’s fascinating mythical world and we think fans are going to love getting lost in the hidden depths of Trolberg this holiday season.”

Co-produced by Silvergate Media and Mercury Films, Hilda and the Mountain King marks the end to a year filled with numerous critical accolades. The show’s second season was awarded two Daytime Emmys, including Outstanding Children’s Animated Series, and three Annie Awards, including Best Animated TV Production for Children.

Other award-winning productions from Silvergate include OctonautsPeter Rabbit and Chico Bon Bon: Monkey with a Tool Belt for Netflix, and Sunny Day for Nickelodeon.

 

Banijay Brands strengthens portfolio with Banijay Kids and Family

Banijay Brands has announced it has secured the brand licensing rights to the Banijay Kids and Family catalogue.

Banijay Kids and Family produces a wide range of animation and live action series, digital content, and entertainment formats for children worldwide under three production labels: Zodiak Kids and Family, Monello Productions and Tiger Aspect Kids and Family. Banijay Brands already represents Tiger Aspect Kids and Family IP such as Mr Bean. The new partnership will the collective to further leverage the global infrastructure of Banijay Brands and deliver extensive brand licensing programmes for titles such as Street Football, Totally Spies!, Lolirock, Silverpoint, When I Was Your Age, Mister Maker and the upcoming The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti, and Mumfie.

Banijay Brands will also work with local commercial teams to explore a number of regionally-led opportunities.

Benoît Di Sabatino, CEO, Banijay Kids and Family, says: “It’s a big achievement for Banijay to announce at the same time the creation of our new brand Banijay Kids and Family and the launch of our licencing strategy with Banijay Brands. We are confident that our evergreen IPs as well as our creations will be in good hands with such a professional team like Banijay Brands.”

Alice Bernardi, Director of International Brand Licensing, Banijay Brands added: “Banijay Kids and Family has a strong and relatable kids content slate, which, when partnered with the experienced team at Banijay Brands, should trigger a lucrative position in the the children’s licensing space. Recognising the already huge interest from the market, we will be working across a number of categories including experiential, publishing, gaming and products to ensure the relevant and successful exploitation of the business’ IP moving forwards.”

Mumfie is an upcoming new animated series of the heritage property (78 x 7’), directed by the French director Daniel Dubuis. It is a co-production between Zodiak Kids Studio France and Italian animation studio Animoka alongside France Télévisions and Rai (Italy). Zodiak Kids recently announced it has secured a pre-sale from KiKA German.

Street Football is the popular animated series combining the action of matches with insights into the hardships of life is co-produced by Zodiak Kids and Monello Productions for France 3 and Rai 2.

The Unstoppable Yellow Yeti is a co-production between Zodiak Kids Studio France, and Gigglebug Entertainment. An original animated comedy series for kids aged 6+ and their families, it has been co-commissioned by Disney Channel Europe, Middle East & Africa and Nordic broadcasters YLE, DR, NRK, and SVT.

Silverpoint is a 13 x 22’ sci-fi mystery adventure series about kids at summer camp. Co-produced by Zodiak Kids, CBBC and ZDF Enterprises, the series is created by Lee Walters, Lead Writer, and Executive Producer Steven Andrew, Creative Director, Zodiak Kids.

When I Was Your Age is produced for RAI and France Télévisions by Monello Productions. The animated series features 10-year-old Paul who has a special gift – as soon as someone says “When I was your age”, Paul is thrown back into the days when the person he is talking to was 10 years old.

Mister Maker is the popular ultimate interactive arts and crafts show for younger kids. Broadcast in over 200 territories, the series is a Zodiak Kids Studios production for CBeebies.

Totally Spies! is the hit franchise that has been broadcasting for over 15 years, produced by Zodiak Kids for TF1 and Disney France.

Lolirock is a Zodiak Kids production for Disney France and France Télévisions, featuring five princesses with magical singing voices.

Signature Publishing partners with Cyber Groups Studios to launch standalone Gigantosaurus magazine

Following the success of the two special issues of Adventures with Gigantosaurus earlier this year, Signature Publishing has partnered with Cyber Groups Studios to launch the new standalone Gigantosaurus magazine. Aimed at pre-schoolers, the title is based on the award-winning animated TV series and Jonny Duddle’s original book, published by Templar.

Gigantosaurus supports early-years learning through fun stories, puzzles, colouring and lots more interactive activities, while each issue comes with a Gigantosaurus toy.

Gigantosaurus follows the adventures of four dinosaur friends – Mazu, Tiny, Bill and Rocky – as they explore the prehistoric world, searching through jungles, rivers and more, hunting down the elusive Gigantosaurus and making new dinosaur friends along the way. The fun-filled adventure focuses on friendship and teamwork as each friend overcomes their individual fears. The hit TV series is available on Disney +, Netflix and Tiny Pop, and was rated Tiny Pop’s #1 show when the new series launched, reaching 1.95million viewers during the three-month period.

“With such a massive following and proven magazine sales we’re really excited to be working with Cyber Group Studios on a regular Gigantosaurus magazine,” says Editor Julie Patten. “Plus, it’s such a lovely timeless story, full of adventure, excitement, friendship and fun but, most important of all… the biggest, fiercest dinosaur of them all!”

Gigantosaurus magazine launches on 4 November, with the first issue priced at £4.99. It’s available nationwide at all good supermarkets and newsagents.

WildBrain’s Teletubbies get ready to rave with new music album ‘Ready, Steady, Go!’

WildBrain, a global leader in kids’ and family entertainment, is launching brand-new original Teletubbies music content this autumn consisting of 10 digital-first music videos and a full-length album titled Ready, Steady, Go!. Targeted at preschool audiences, the album is the first music release from the Teletubbies in over 20 years and is part of a multi-tiered franchise relaunch from WildBrain leading into the Teletubbies’ 25th anniversary in 2022. The new videos and music tracks were created and produced by WildBrain Spark, the company’s kids’ and family AVOD network and digital studios.

The first four videos – “Ready, Steady, Go!”, “Peek-A-Boo”, “Silly Things” and “Explorer” – premiered in September on the official WildBrain Teletubbies Channel on YouTube. An additional video drops each Saturday until November 20.

With global distribution by Universal Music Canada and Virgin Music Label & Artist Services, the full Ready, Steady, Go! album drops on digital music streaming platforms worldwide on October 15 and will also be available on CD. Created for kids and parents to enjoy together, Ready, Steady, Go! is filled with fun songs influenced by contemporary pop and dance music – all with a playful Teletubbies twist.

To support the music videos and album launch, WildBrain is executing an extensive global marketing, PR and social media campaign that incorporates the playfulness and fun that the Teletubbies are universally known for, as well as some other recognisable faces, including UK celebrity and singer Peter Andre filling the role of the Teletubbies band manager for their return. The Teletubbies have embarked on an international tour to promote the content, with broadcast appearances in the US and UK, and WildBrain will also be partnering with global influencers during the launch period and hosting music-themed events for families in the US and UK into 2022.

As well as recording a new album, the Teletubbies have been busy recently delighting fans with a satirical OK! Magazine break-up exposé, a Pride Month charity fashion collection, a “TubbyCoin” cryptocurrency April Fools prank and a surprise New York Fashion Week take-over by Tinky Winky.