Category: Kids

MUMBAI: Australian children‘s production outfits Buster Dandy Productions and Sticky Pictures, the credits of which include Five Minutes More and Dennis & Gnasher, have merged.

The merger brings together Buster Dandy‘s live-action capabilities with Sticky Pictures‘ animation production skills.  
 
The new company will operate under the banner of Sticky Pictures, with Donna Andrews as CEO, Stu Connolly as head of animation and Justine Flynn as head of live action.

The new company‘s slate includes Pearlie, Five Minutes More, Dennis & Gnasher and Monster Auditions.
 

MUMBAI: In a bid to launch a children‘s channel as part of its triple-play product Neufbox, KidsCo has signed a deal with France‘s SFR.

Programming will initially be in French and the shows that include The Wiggles, The New Adventures of Madeline and Dino Squad will be programmed in French.

In addition there would be series such as Count Duckula, DangerMouse, The BFG and The Wind in the Willows. Such classics will be shown alongside original KidsCo programming, including Boo & Me and Jass Time.

Said KidsCo managing director Paul Robinson, “SFR is an innovative and exciting partner for KidsCo that deepens our reach into Europe. We are really excited about the potential for this relationship to develop and are confident that KidsCo will add significantly to existing viewing choice. We are looking forward to building on this relationship in the future.” 
 
KidsCo has also unveiled a new original production, focusing on the work of Malaysia‘s Sepilok orangutan sanctuary. The 12, minute-long features show baby orangutans being bathed, fed and exercised.

The series, Boo‘s Sanctuary, which will be exclusively broadcast on KidsCo, features the real-life inspiration behind KidsCo‘s original animated production Boo & Me.

KidsCo will be showing the features eight times a day over the course of 12 weeks in 65 countries across Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and the Middle East.
 

MUMBAI: BBC Scotland is currently in Argyll filming Mission:2110, an ambitious and bold new 13-episode sci-fi game show for kids channel CBBC from the team behind Raven.
Set in a post-apocalyptic landscape, each episode has a team of four contestants span time and space to travel to the futuristic setting of our planet, long after mankind has disappeared, to try to restore peace and stability. 
 
The young recruits, guided by their mentor Caleb, have to battle, in a series of missions, against the Roboidz – intelligent towering cybernetic entities who now rule Earth – snatching Bio-Rods, the enemy‘s vital fuel source, in order to shut down their empire.

The sheer size and scale of the mighty Roboidz was such that the production team needed to find an alternative location to the traditional studio format to create Future Gate, the Roboidz base.

After scouting numerous locations the production crew discovered that the empty container ships based on Loch Striven on the Clyde would provide them with the the industrial background needed to create a suitable backdrop.

Production has already begun on the ships and filming is set to continue until early March after which state-of-the-art compositing and computer-generated work will bring the futuristic world alive.

The show will air later this year.

MUMBAI: Nick, the kids entertainment channel from the Viacom18 stable, is set to launch a new comedy series, come 1 February.

Christened Chicken Stew, the new property will air from Monday to Friday at 5 pm.

Chicken Stew is a fast-paced comedy that follows the tradition of the ‘great chase‘.
 
The show revolves around three little chickens, Small Fry, Free Range and Uncle Wattles sharing a spacious two-story home down at the Funny Farm.

Not far from the farm, a giant junkyard is home to a sneaky pair of weasels known as Glutton and Slim. These old boys, when not at war with each other, attempt at evil plans one after the other in pursuit of the elusive hot chicken dinner.

MUMBAI: Nikki Reed will take on the role of VP of original series and will oversee the live-action development for Disney Channel and Disney XD.

Reed will report to Adam Bonnett, the senior VP of original programming for Disney Channel.

Said Bonnett, “Disney Channel is a home for outstanding comedy writers. Nikki‘s breadth of experience in both film and television makes her the perfect executive to help us maintain our dominance in kids programming and grow Disney XD into a top destination for live-action comedies.”
 
Reed will be responsible for developing new live-action series for kids, tweens and families on Disney Channel, Disney XD and numerous platforms around the world.

She will handle the pilots, recruiting series creators, executive producers, writers and directors, as well as collaborating with the casting department to identify new talent.

MUMBAI: At Toy Fair UK 2010, BBC Worldwide and Hasbro have announced that their master toy relationship has been renewed.

The deal comes as 4.4 million In the Night Garden plush toy sales are confirmed in the UK, 4 every minute since launch.
 
The deal will see Hasbro extend In the Night Garden product ranges alongside BBC Worldwide‘s growth strategy for licensing of the brand.

In the Night Garden is set to receive a refreshed look and feel with the launch of the ‘friendship theme‘ in autumn/winter 2010. The friendship theme will be extended across all BBC Worldwide licensed In the Night Garden categories and integrated into style guides, packaging and non-toy licensee product ranges.

BBC Worldwide MD children‘s and licensing Neil Ross Russell says, “The magic that Ragdoll has created with In the Night Garden has delighted a generation of children on screen and our master toy partner Hasbro has re-created that delight off-screen with fantastic quality product. This deal cements our and Hasbro‘s commitment to entertain generations of children in the future with In the Night Garden.”

Hasbro‘s pre-school business senior VP, global brand leader Jerry Perez says, “We are very pleased to be continuing our relationship with BBC Worldwide for In the Night Garden, which has brought so much enjoyment to children around the world.”
 

MUMBAI: Kids entertainment channel Nickelodeon has expanded its iPhone portfolio with two new additions.
These applications include iCarly: Sam‘s Remote and Go, Diego, Go: Musical Missions.
 
iCarly: Sam‘s Remote allows users to turn their iPhone or iPod touch into Sam‘s remote and comprise iconic sound effects from the show like Sam‘s insults voiced by Jennette McCurdy animations. Meanwhile, Go, Diego, Go: Musical Missions users play along with Diego as he uses music to rescue the shy animals of the world.

Both the new applications are priced at $1.99 each.

NEW DELHI: Walt Disney India is set to release its Indian first live action film Zokkomon in Hindi on 7 May.

Starring Darsheel Safary in the title role with Anupam Kher and Manjari Fadnis as supporting actors, the film has been directed by Satyajit Bhatkal.

Said Walt Disney India director (marketing and distribution) K Seshasaye, “The release will be preceded with the music release in March and merchandising in all the four types of businesses in which Disney is presently involved.”

He claimed that Disney had succeeded in India through its first Indian animation film Roadside Romeo and international productions like Finding Nemo and The Lion King because it understood that Indian viewers wanted emotionally moving films that touched all members of the family.

He said Disney always went by the story, the fact that the subject was for the whole family, and transformational experiences before deciding on a project. 
 
Interestingly, the first trailer of the film was screened at a function where Walt Disney and Darsheel Safary honoured the recipients of the President’s Gold Medal for Bravery which are presented just before Republic Day every year. Most of the recipients were present along with their family members.

Seshasaye said Disney was already considering several other projects and was not averse to films in other languages.

MUMBAI: Reliance Communications has partnered with Cartoon Network to launch Cartoon Network comics on mobile.
With this service, Reliance users can now browse through comics of Cartoon Network‘s globally popular and iconic toon stars on their mobiles. The service is available to all Reliance GSM customers nationally.

As part of the process, Nazara Technologies, a mobile content provider, will help subscribers access these comics and cartoons exclusively on their mobiles. 
 
By subscribing to the service, users can read Cartoon Network‘s Ben 10, Johnny Bravo, Dexter‘s Laboratory and the Powerpuff Girls at a subscription price of Re 1 per day. Additionally, users can also read the popular Archie‘s series on their mobiles at a subscription price of Re 1 per day. By opting for this service, users will receive one comic strip from each of the titles mentioned everyday.

The subscription option is valid for a month. A comic book will be divided into a number of pages and each page will be divided into two screens, the visual and its text.

Says Reliance Communications head – VAS Krishna Durbha, “This unique offering caters to the constantly changing needs of our subscribers and ensures that they don‘t miss out on entertainment when they are on the move.”

Adds Turner International India VP and deputy GM – distribution & business operations South Asia, “As the leader of kids TV space, Cartoon Network has consistently offered quality entertainment on the go to ensure an instant and enriching experience beyond the television screen.”
 

MUMBAI: Children between 8 to 18 years in the US devote an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes in using entertainment media in a typical day, reports The Kaiser Family Foundation study. This accounts up to more than 53 hours per week.

This demography‘s ability to multitask the Generation M2: Media in the lives of 8 to18 year olds, means they can pack a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes (10:45) worth of media content into those 7 hours and 38 months.

The widespread use of cell phones and iPods among this demo is driving the gains in consumption use, the report reveals.
66 per cent of the children between 8 to18 years own cell phones, up from 39 per cent in 2004 while 76 per cent have iPods or other MP3s, up from 18 per cent. 
 
The study also found that only about 28 per cent of young people say that they have rules about how much time they can spend watching TV. But when parents do set limits, children spend less time with media-those with any media rules consume nearly 3 hours less media per day than those with no rules.

In addition, 64 per cent of young people say that the TV is usually on during meals, and 45 per cent say the TV is left on “most of the time” in their home, even if no one is watching. Plus, 71 per cent have a TV in their bedroom, while 50 percent have a console video game player in their room.

Another key finding of the Kaiser study is that the amount of time spent watching regularly-scheduled TV declined by 25 minutes a day from 2004 to 2009. However, because of the internet, cell phones and iPods, total TV consumption rose from 3:51 to 4:29 per day, including 24 of online viewing, 16 on iPods and other MP3 players and 15 on cell phones.