ITV

Category: Kids

  • Future Film fest to screen One Piece…, GeGeGe No Kitaro, Hakaba Kitaro, Mononoke

    MUMBAI: Future Film Festival is set to screen Toei Animation’s feature-length animated film, One Piece The Movie: The Episode of Chopper.


    The festival, to be held in Italy, will also showcase the animated series GeGeGe No Kitaro, Hakaba Kitaro and Mononoke.



    Future Film Festival will run from 27 January to 1 February.



    One Piece the Movie: the Episode of Chopper is a special edition based on Toei Animation’s TV animated series One Piece. Toei Animation has been releasing a feature film based on the property every year since 2000. This movie is the 9th edition and was released in May 2008 in Japan.



    In GeGeGe no Kitaro, Kitaro belongs to Yokai, a group of spirited creatures living a step away from the human world. Some of them are friendly but others are vicious. Kitaro and his companions help humans who get into trouble with the evil Yokai. This GeGeGe No Kitaro is the 5th season of the same title.



    Based on Shigeru Mizuki’s early work, Hakaba Kitaro is a horror series with a touch of dark humour.

  • Shemaroo releases ‘Time in Toyland’ on home video

    MUMBAI: Shemaroo Entertainment has released children‘s film Rhyme Time in Toyland on home video.While the DVDs are priced at Rs 199, the VCDs cost at Rs 99.



    Shemaroo Entertainment has unveiled the film under its flagship kids sub brand – Kidz Zone. The film is a mix of live action and animation. Set in Toyland, the film is a 50-minute adventure targeted at 2 to 6 year old children. It has 26 rhymes and songs with a blend of old favorites and new compositions.


    Shemaroo Entertainment director Hiren Gada says, “With such educative and entertaining audio-video films, the kids of today are bound to learn and grasp faster. Moreover, children learn as they are having fun, which is a very satisfying experience.”

  • Tom & Jerry now in live-action

    MUMBAI: Warner Bros is set to bring back the animated cartoon series Tom & Jerry, to the big screen in a live-action remake.



    The script is being penned by Eric Gravning and revolves around how Tom and Jerry first met and then formed their rivalry before getting lost in Chicago.



    The animated cat and mouse debuted on the small screen in the 1940s.



    The original MGM cartoon won seven Academy Awards.

  • NVCP, Humanity partner to create themed t-shirts

    MUMBAI: Nickelodeon & Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) in the US has partnered with Humanity, a cause-driven clothing line, to create a series of five environmentally themed t-shirts inspired by the show SpongeBob SquarePants.


    SpongeBob will be a featured part of The Big Green Help‘s water conservation campaign, “SpongeBob and You Save the Big Blue.” Kicking off just in time for its 10th Anniversary, the first t-shirt will make its debut in Park City, Utah, during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.



    Marking the first retail presence for Nickelodeon‘s ongoing ‘The Big Green Help‘ campaign, the new line of t-shirts will be available in men‘s, women‘s, boys‘, and girls‘ sizes. Retailing at $98, the tees will hit shelves later this year.


    NVCP senior VP domestic licensing Hal Snik says, “As Nickelodeon celebrates SpongeBob‘s 10th Anniversary, we are enthused to partner with Humanity, a company who shares our mission to increase visibility of environmental concerns.”


    Fashion designer and Humanity co-founder Helena Cho adds, “We are honoured to work with Nickelodeon in continuing our philanthropic efforts. We hope that just as SpongeBob always conveys an environmentally conscious message to his audience, this t-shirt will do the same to children and adults alike.”

  • Taffy Entertainment acquires distribution rights to DQE’s ‘ToddWorld’

    MUMBAI: Hyderabad-based animation, gaming and entertainment company DQ Entertainment (DQE) has sold the distribution rights of the first season of its animated kids’ series ToddWorld to Taffy Entertainment.



    The deal gives Taffy Entertainment the cable, satellite and other television


    distribution rights in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Laos and Brunei.


    Based on the best-selling books by Todd Parr, ToddWorld is co-produced by DQE in India, Mike Young Productions and Discovery Kids in the US, and Telegael of Ireland. The TV series was created by Todd Parr, in collaboration with writer Gerry Renert, president of SupperTime Entertainment.



    Commenting on the announcement, DQE chairman and CEO Tapaas Chakravarti said, “The success of the series has been a credit to all parties involved and we look forward to announcing further distribution deals on the second season as well, which will allow this production to reach global audience.”



    The first season of the series was broadcast across 20 countries including Canada, Australia, UK, India, France, Germany and Korea. The series was nominated four years (2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007) for Daytime Emmy Award, and won the Parent’s Choice Award in 2005, 2006 and 2007.



    “ToddWorld is one of those programs that appeals to children of all ages, all cultures and backgrounds. We’re confident the series will be a huge hit in these territories,” said Taffy Entertainment president distribution Lionel Marty.

  • CBeebies names two new presenters

    MUMBAI: BBC has announced that Alex Winters and Cerrie Burnell are kids channel CBeebies‘ two new presenters.


    Stepping in as hosts of Discover And Do and The Bedtime Hour, Alex and Cerrie join Sid Sloane and Andy Day as the faces of the UK‘s most loved and most watched channel for the under-sixes.



    Their first day will be on 26 January 2009 when they launch their first Discover And Do slot at 9 am.


    Alex and Cerrie replace Chris Jarvis and Pui Fan Lee who are currently creating their new CBeebies show, Show Me Show Me, which will premiere later in the year.

  • Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob” ready for documentary

    MUMBAI: Nickelodeon has partnered with the O‘Malley Creadon production company to produce a documentary on SpongeBob SquarePants.



    The film will be directed and written by Patrick Creadon. Creadon will also produce the film along with Christine O‘Malley.



    This one-hour and yet-to-be titled “SpongeBob” television documentary will attempt to chronicle the ascent of the character‘s journey to pop culture stardom.



    The documentary will be telecast across MTV Networks‘ various TV platforms in July to commemorate the anniversary of the series‘ first episode.



    Says Nickelodeon executive vice president development and original programming Marjorie Cohn, “Patrick and Christine have a talent for finding a greater cultural significance in their film subjects. We‘re excited to see how they will explore SpongeBob‘s 10-year evolution from a cartoon character to an international pop-culture phenomenon.”

  • DQE inks licensing deal with Walt Disney for ‘Twisted Whiskers’

    MUMBAI: Hyderabad-based animation, gaming and entertainment company DQ Entertainment (DQE) has entered into an exclusive licensing deal with Walt Disney Television International (Southeast Asia) for its CGI-animated series Twisted Whiskers.








    The soon-to-be aired series will be screened on Disney Channel across 12 markets in the Southeast Asia region. These markets include Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Palau, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.

    Commenting on the deal, DQE Group CEO Tapaas Chakravarti said, “We are absolutely thrilled with our progressive and strategic partnership with Walt Disney Television International which embodies fun and entertainment for children across the globe.”


    Twisted Whiskers, which will also be seen on Disney Channel in South Korea, Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea, is a co-production of DQE, American Greetings and Taffy Entertainment USA.

  • Nick to go Tamil, Telugu

    MUMBAI: After growing up in the Hindi speaking markets, kids channel Nick is planning to speak Tamil and Telugu as part of its localisation strategy.


    “Our focus for 2009 will be to expand our footprints into the regional zone with dubbed content as not only does it open up a huge opportunity to inflate our brand presence but also enlarges the scope for advertisers. We plan to initially target and tap the Tamil and Telugu space as they are the biggest markets in the South,” Nick India VP and GM Nina Elavia Jaipuria tells Indiantelevision.com.


    Nick currently has a presence in these markets through syndicated content to Sun TV‘s Chutti TV. “We will stop syndicating our content once we launch in these language markets. Some of our shows like Dora-the Explorer are running on Chutti TV,” says Jaipuria.


    In 2009, Nick will also focus on exploiting its products for licensing and merchandising and innovative marketing initiatives with a major spotlight on below-the-line activities.

    “With the market currently under the recession spell, advertisers have become very wary about their marketing spends. We need to tap qualitative audiences that will create brand value for advertisers. To do that we will initiate various on ground initiatives and below-the-line activities and integrate them with the brands,” Jaipuria elaborates.


    Also, in a bid to tap advertisers beyond the kids’ space, the channel plans to integrate the Nick brand with products in a way that will not only bring in more value for advertisers through attractive packaging but also promise them a better return on investment.



    “The kids’ genre currently enjoys only 7 per cent viewership of the entire media pie and the ad revenue that it generates is less than 2 per cent of the entire share. Hence, we aim to up our revenue share by tapping in advertisers beyond the kids‘ space especially through embedded product integration and promotional licensing,” explains Jaipuria.




    Nick also plans to double its consumer products for licensing and merchandising by 2009-year-end. “Right now we have 12 Nick products across various consumer categories. We plan to double that number by 2009-end,” says Jaipuria.

  • Nick plans coverage of presidential inauguration

    MUMBAI: Culminating its year-long Kids Pick the President (KPP) campaign, which encompassed a Kids‘ primary coverage of the political conventions, US kids broadcaster Nickelodeon will feature coverage of the historic presidential inauguration from 19 January onwards.


    KPP Election Connection Team correspondents – Lily Collins, JJ and Pick Boy – will report on the political celebration from Washington, D.C. in a series of pre-taped interstitials highlighting the historic Inauguration Day and the celebrations leading up to it.



    Additionally, on Inauguration Day – 20 January – vignettes featuring footage of the President-Elect‘s Oath of Office will be aired on Nickelodeon, The N and Nicktoons Networks.


    Interstitials will continue to air on Nickelodeon through 31 January and will highlight the parade down Pennsylvania Avenue, President-Elect Obama‘s arrival at the White House and his inauguration speech.


    Nickelodeon Kids and Family Group executive VP, public affairs Marva Smalls says, “We decided to continue the 2008 Kids Pick the President campaign through the inauguration in order to give kids the complete presidential election experience. The enormous turn out for the first kids‘ primary and the ‘Kids‘ Vote‘ has shown the magnitude of kids‘ interest in this election. We want to sustain that enthusiasm by giving them a front row seat to this historic day.”


    The 2008 KPP campaign kicked off this month with the first-ever “Kids‘ Primary”, which resulted in kids accurately predicting Senators Obama and McCain to win their respective party tickets. Leading up to the KPP online vote, Nick News aired four election-themed episodes – Kids‘ Primary; Election Issues; Tales from the Trail; and Kids Pick the President.


    Nickelodeon‘s Election Connection Team hit the Democratic and Republican National Conventions and provided kids with an insider‘s look through blogs, interstitial programming and public service announcements. The 2008 KPP Kids‘ Vote received 2.2 million votes in the network‘s online poll.


    Nickelodeon has held a “Kids‘ Vote” every election year since 1988.