ITV

Category: Kids

  • SPTI in distribution deal with Zac Toons

    MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI) has signed an exclusive distribution deal with ZAC Toons, an animation studio producing premium entertainment properties for mobile, online and TV. Under the agreement, SPTI will distribute five of ZAC Toons‘ cartoon properties to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and India.


    The UK-based animation studio Zac Toons produces creative content featuring original and irreverent characters and cartoons. Its mobile content is currently available across 25 mobile operators in 15 countries, reaching over 400 million consumers monthly. ZAC Toons‘ properties are also distributed online via Revver, You Tube and TV broadcasters.

    The five cartoon characters that SPTI will be distributing include Mr. Patel, an exaggerated and twisted Bollywood extravaganza; Bitter Barney, a thwarted and distraught vertically challenged egg who finds it hard not to be charming; Dangerous D, a prankish girl and her victim Nigel; superheroes The Unremarkables and the mischievous character Cheeky Devil. Made-for-mobile content such as video greetings, screensavers, animated wallpapers, voicetones and video episodes featuring these characters will be offered to mobile users in Asia.

    SPTI Asia director, mobile entertainment Rosemary Tan says, “Zac Toons have achieved much success with their original multiplatform entertainment properties, and we are thrilled to be distributing their refreshing and comical content across Asia. As we continue to grow our mobile entertainment business, deals such as this will enhance our leading position in the industry and strengthen our portfolio, and we hope to carry on with bringing quality mobile content to users in Asia.”


     

  • Borkent is Nickelodeon head of acquisition & programming

    MUMBAI: MTV Networks International has promoted Jules Borkent to a newly created post of SVP global acquisitions and international programming at Nickelodeon.



    Based in New York, Borkent will report to both Nickelodeon International SVP and MTV Networks Kids and Family EVP programming Pete Danielson.



    In his new role, he will look after the global acquisition and programming strategies for Nickelodeon Networks in US.



    Borkent will also be instrumental in creating global programming strategies, integrating all network efforts worldwide, for Nickelodeon’s on air brands such as I Carly and franchises of Spongebob Squarepants, Avatar and Dora the Explorer.



    Before being promoted, Borkent was VP of programming for Nickelodeon International.

  • CN to air All Star Laff- A- Lympics from 4 August

    MUMBAI: Cartoon Network will unveil a new “block” called All Star Laff- A- Lympics from 4 August.



    The channel will present some of Hanna-Barbera legendary cartoon characters in the newly created “block” every Monday to Thursday at 1 pm.



    In the block, these toon stars will compete in their very own “Lympics”. The good guys called the Scooby Doobys, the alternate good guys called the Yogi Yahooeys and the bad guys called the Really Rottens, will be shown to compete in pointless track and field events to win a gold Laff-A-Lympics medal.

  • Eisner’s Tornante to produce TV series on Nick At Nite

    MUMBAI: In an attempt to beef up its offerings, Nick at Nite, Nickelodeon’s prime time and overnight block of programs for adults, has roped in Michael Eisner’s Tornante Animation to produce a new stop-motion comedy. Glenn Martin DDS is set to premiere on the channel in 2009.


    Nick at Nite ordered 20 episodes of Glenn Martn, DDS.



    Nick At Nite is Nickelodeon‘s nighttime programming block that also features popular hit family comedies including the Emmy Award-winning series Home Improvement, George Lopez, and Family Matters, as well as The Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Roseanne. Also coming in 2009 is the hit comedy Everybody Hates Chris, from co-creator and narrator Chris Rock and inspired by his real-life childhood experiences.



    “Michael Eisner has been the creative architect of some of the most successful sitcoms in television history and we‘re very excited that the first new series from his new company will be on Nick at Nite. Glenn Martin, DDS is an innovative take on the modern American family and has the potential to be a definitional program in Nick at Nite‘s lineup of family comedies like George Lopez and Home Improvement.,” said Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group president Cyma Zarghami.


    Tornante has distributed programmes like Prom Queen and Foreign Body, online through its new-media studio, Vuguru. The Glenn Martin DDS deal is its first TV-series project.

  • Nick announces Monsoon fest for August

    MUMBAI: Nick has announced the Monsoon Fest on Nick with its line up of offerings and interactive contests to celebrate Friendship’s Day, Raksha Bandhan and Independence Day.


    In an innovative contest launched for Friendship Day, kids can vote for their favourite Nicktoon and get a once in a lifetime opportunity of having their favourite Nicktoon come personally to meet the lucky winner in his own house.


    Nick also has some exciting promotions for Raksha Bandhan where all the little brothers and sisters can send in their sweetest moment pictures to Nick by post or online and the sweetest picture will be aired on Nick on 16th August, Raksha Bandhan Day.



    On Independence Day too kids will get a chance to meet and interact with their favourite toons.


    To add on to the Independence Day excitement, kids can tune into all new back to back episodes of Mighty Cat Masked Niyandar on 15 August from 12 noon to 8 pm.


    Says Nick VP and GM Nina Elavia Jaipuria, “As schools start and with the regular back to school routine and monsoon kicking in, we have planned a monsoon fest for our Nicksters. We at Nick want to do everything so the kids are not bored. There is tons of interactivity, new shows and a whole lot of masti that is sure to keep kids engaged like never before.”


    Nick Home Cinema slot will air movie titles including all time favourites like Matilda and Stuart Little. The channel will also premiere Soccer Dog on 10 August.


    Nick has also announced Parle G ‘School Ka Hero’ contest which has already captivated approximately 500,000 kids across 800 schools in 9 cities.


    In addition to that kids will meet their Super Heroes-Ninja and Perman in the flesh through yet another touch point at Westside Stores across 7 cities.

  • Nick declares winners of Nick Fundoo Superstars

    MUMBAI: Nick has announced the winners of its popular initiative “Bournvita Presents Nick Fundoo Superstar” wherein four lucky kids from across India get a chance to feature in a music video along with Nick toons.


    The month-long promotion, which kicked off this summer, has named four winners from India namely Prerna Dangwani from Mumbai, Adarsh Choudhary from Jaipur, Shobhit Tyagi from Mumbai and Aditi Dwivedi from Delhi.


    The winners will be given the opportunity to star in the Nick Music Video along with the Nick toons like SpongeBob SquarePants, Ninja Hattori and Perman.


    The Video will also have Mandira Bedi and will be choreographed by choreographer Saroj Khan.


    Commenting on Nick Fundoo Super Star, Nick India VP and GM Nina Elavia Jaipuria said, “Nick always looks for new ways to engage young minds. Nick Fundoo Superstar is a true reflection of that philosophy. In its second year, Nick Fundoo Superstar is yet again offering kids across the country an equal opportunity to realise their dream of being on television by starring in a Nick music video with Mandira Bedi and choreographed by Saroj Khan. All that they have had to do is be there Fundoo selves without any stress and pressure.”



  • BBC Worldwide in licensing deal with VTech for ‘In The Night Garden’

    MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide has agreed a licensing deal with VTech to produce electronic learning aids for the children‘s television programme, In the Night Garden.



    The new range, suitable for children aged six months upwards, is to feature characters from the Ragdoll produced series and will be available in Autumn/Winter 2009.


    The range will include four In the Night Garden licensed hard line products as well as software for the V.Smile Baby Infant Development System.



    Other hard line products included in the deal include: Spin and Learn Gazebo spinning top with three moulded character buttons in the shape of Upsy Daisy, Makka Pakka and Igglepiggle; Nursery Book with four double sided pages, four sliding character buttons and songs from the programme; the Play Table has a 3D interactive Igglepiggle and Upsy Daisy and the Shape Sorter Pinky Ponk will give kids hours of fun.



    The In the Night Garden development programme for the best-selling V.Smile Baby Infant Development System will be suitable for babies from 18 to 36 months old.



    BBC Worldwide senior accounts manager Julie Kekwick said, “This new partnership with VTech symbolises a significant extension of our licensing programme for In the Night Garden. We‘re able to offer pre-schoolers an opportunity to learn through play and interaction with their favourite characters with these new products in a way that we‘ve not done before.



    “VTech have a fantastic track record in combining educational elements with real play value – we worked to great success with them on Teletubbies.”



    VTech’s European product development director Andrew Barrett said, “We are delighted to be joining forces with BBC Worldwide and such a popular and established license. VTech already offers a strong range of toys for infants and children which will be strengthened by this new partnership.



    “The new range will offer retailers something unique combining the popularity of the television show with high quality VTech toys.”

  • CN to launch massively multiplayer online game

    MUMBAI: Cartoon Network (CN) announced partnership with Grigon Entertainment to create a AAA browser-based massively multiplayer online game (MMOG). The 3D game ‘Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall,’ will work on both Mac and Windows PCs.



    The adventure takes place in the CN world, where an alien invasion has taken place. The world has 60 play areas where players team up with one another and CN characters to defend the universe against this alien invasion.


    Characters from Ben 10, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Ed, Edd n Eddy, Dexter’s Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls and other CN properties will populate the online world.



    “We are excited to bring the first AAA, browser-based MMOG for kids to the marketplace and expand the category of interactive casual gaming,” said Turner Broadcasting System’s animation young adults and kids media group SVP (digital) Paul Condolora. “Unity Technologies shares our vision of providing easily accessible, dynamic gaming experiences and we are pleased to deliver on this promise.”



    For the cross-platform browser support, CN is using Unity3D, a game development engine from Unity Technologies that originated on the Mac. In addition to cross-platform native application deployment, Unity supports a browser-based architecture that works using a plug-in.

  • Pogo to launch Hole in the Wall on 28 July

    MUMBAI: kids entertainment channel Pogo is launching its eighth original production – Hole in the Wall. The game show will hit the screens on 28 July and will air every Monday to Friday at 6 pm.

    Hosted by Cyrus Sahukar, the game show claims to engage the audience with the challenging fumbles and stumbles of the participants.



    The show format is licensed from FremantleMedia and is produced by Wizcraft Television for Pogo in India.



    “Pogo is India’s first kids’ channel to acquire a format show. Research and the shows such as Takeshi’s Castle and Just for laugh Gags, have demonstrated that shows with physical challenges and comic moments resonate high among Indian audiences. This encouraged us to bring Hole in the Wall, with its clutter breaking format to India,” says Turner International India programming director Krishna Desai. “Cyrus was the obvious best choice as he complements Hole in the Wall with his quirky humour and onscreen presence, injecting enthusiasm both for the audience and the contestants.”



    Each episode of the show comprises two teams with three contestants each, all dressed in special team-colour costumes with cushioned gears ready to face the wall and take on the opposition team. As the moving wall speeds towards the waiting team players, they are required to align themselves to the weird cut out shapes in the approaching wall, all in seven seconds or be swept into the pool.



    The game requires fast thinking, dexterity and clever teamwork to keep dry and score higher points.



    “Pogo was the first kids’ channel to launch original productions in India in 2004 and today, the network has over 200 hours of original production in its bouquet. The coming months will see us expanding our suite of offerings.”



    Before Hole in The Wall, Pogo has created and produced seven shows – namely, arts show M.A.D (Music, Art and Dance), Pogo Amazing Kids Awards 2004-2007 the dedicated kids’ awards, detective series C.I.A (Cambala Investigation Agency), Galli Galli Sim Sim (Indian version of pre-school series, Sesame Street), family sit-com Sunaina, game show Bam! Bam! Bam!…Gir Pade Hum and sketch comedy It’s Alive.

  • Nickelodeon signs content deal with Dailymotion

    MUMBAI: The kids entertainment channel Nickelodeon and the video sharing portal Dailymotion have signed a content deal.



    As per the deal, the new summer programming of the broadcaster will be available on the Dailymotion website.


    Nickelodeon has prepared a summer programming of 60 videos including series such as Spongebob Squarepants, Jimmy Neutron and Avatar among others.