ITV

Tag: animated series

  • Introducing “Ramayana: The Journey of Sita and Rama”, an animated series for kids

    Introducing “Ramayana: The Journey of Sita and Rama”, an animated series for kids

    Mumbai: Jumbaya, a visionary in educational entertainment, is thrilled to announce the launch of an extraordinary over 70-part read-along animated series titled “Ramayana: The Journey of Sita and Rama.” This groundbreaking series aims to bring the timeless tale of Valmiki’s Ramayana to life in an engaging and captivating manner, catering specifically to children aged 6-14 years.

    In a world where children are increasingly absorbed by digital content and the allure of constant scrolling, “Ramayana: The Journey of Sita and Rama” stands out as a beacon of educational value and cultural enrichment. As a premier children’s storyteller, Jumbaya curates narratives rich in lessons, cultures, emotions, and values, aimed at nurturing the leaders of tomorrow. With a deep understanding of the modern educational landscape and a keen awareness of the drawbacks of highly stimulating animated content and superficial engagement, this series has been thoughtfully crafted to redirect young minds toward a more purposeful experience that nurtures empathy, loyalty, friendship, forgiveness, and much more.  

    At the heart of this remarkable endeavour are subject matter experts (SMEs) who collaborate with Jumbaya to craft enchanting narratives of revered epics such as Ramayana. Drawing on extensive eight months of research, the series ensures an authentic portrayal of Valmiki’s Ramayana while tailoring it to captivate the young minds of today. Presented as an animated read-along read-aloud storybook, this innovative approach offers children an immersive experience—simultaneously watching and reading the epic story. Jumbaya enhances this experience by incorporating same language subtitling (SLS), displaying spoken words as text on the screen. This helps children recognise the correlation between sounds and letters, further enhancing vocabulary and fostering a sense of autonomy in reading abilities. Each 6-10 minute episode is thoughtfully designed to sustain engagement, promote comprehension, and accommodate the shrinking attention span of children.

    “We are thrilled to unveil ‘Ramayana: The journey of Sita and Rama,’ a series that reimagines how children experience and connect with our culture, history and ancient stories,” said Jumbaya CEO & founder Shailesh Prithani. “Our mission is to ignite young imaginations and foster a lifelong appreciation for our rich cultural heritage. Guided by rigorous research, we harness the power of technology to immerse children in the cultural treasures of our past. This is just the beginning of our journey; we are committed to unveiling a tapestry of awe-inspiring series in near future. Together, we are igniting the flames of curiosity and cultivating a lifelong love for learning, one captivating story at a time.”

    As society embraces cultural diversity, parents are increasingly seeking ways to introduce their children to the rich heritage and traditions of the world. “Ramayana: The Journey of Sita and Rama” provides a powerful avenue for parents to impart the values and stories of their culture to their children and transport them to a world of heroic adventures, profound teachings, and vibrant characters. This series serves as a bridge between generations, enabling parents to share the timeless wisdom of epics and mythologies in a format that resonates with today’s tech-savvy youth.

    “Ramayana: The journey of Sita and Rama,” an animated series that merges the magic of storytelling with the wonders of technology to create an unforgettable educational experience for young audiences, is now available for young minds to explore and enjoy.

  • Nickelodeon US launches a content accelerator programme to help up-and-coming, underrepresented creatives

    Nickelodeon US launches a content accelerator programme to help up-and-coming, underrepresented creatives

    Mumbai: US kids broadcaster Nickelodeon has announced that to ensure that a variety of voices are being heard, it has created the Nick Content Accelerator. This is a programme that it says has been designed specifically for early-career, underrepresented creatives to pitch new live-action and animated series for its platforms.

    The broadcaster is partnering with Rise Up Animation and Ghetto Film School to solicit pitches for this programme. This programme is open to emerging professionals in the field of kid-focused content creation. The broadcaster added that it wants to hear from people of colour, creatives with disabilities, creatives in the LGBTQ+ community, or any other voices who have historically had limited or no access to the children’s television industry.

    Nickelodeon is accepting submissions for pitches in three categories, namely live action, big kid animation, and preschool/upper preschool, from 8 August 2022 until 30 September 2022.

    After reviewing the submissions, the top entries will move forward to Pitch Day (date TBD).

    The top applicants will meet with Nickelodeon development executives on Pitch Day to present their ideas. The selected creators will work directly with development executives and a creative mentor on honing their pitch over a few months [at the beginning of the year in 2023].

    Nickelodeon further explained that it is looking for unique big ideas that could be the next big show. It said these are some of the pillars that aspirants should be looking for in order for their show to be a big hit:

    Character-driven: Comedy at Nickelodeon comes from the characters. The broadcaster said that it always wants to see distinct and unique personalities who can drive the story and the comedy. Nickelodeon characters are memorable and iconic. They are the kinds of people you would want to be friends with.

    Irreverent comedy: Nickelodeon shows are often a little messy and left of centre. A Nickelodeon show can be any genre, but surprising comedy is always a part of its shows. Like slime, it is a little weird and a little messy!

    Authentic kid POV: It said that its series always shows life from a kid’s perspective and never talks down to kids. It wants to show what it’s really like to be a kid, and not just show a polished version of kid life. This is true even for shows with adult lead characters. For example, although SpongeBob is an adult who lives in his own home, he still has a very kid-like perspective on the world.

    Inclusive and all gender: When it speaks about authentic kid POV, it also wants to represent kids authentically as they are in the world. That means creating shows that represent the diverse world we live in. It also wants to create shows that all genders will love.

  • Netflix announces ‘Exploding Kittens’ mobile game and animated series

    Netflix announces ‘Exploding Kittens’ mobile game and animated series

    Mumbai: Netflix has announced that it will launch a mobile game and a show from the popular card game franchise “Exploding Kittens.” The franchise has sold over 18 million games to date, it said.

    “Exploding Kittens: The Game” will launch on Netflix in May, followed by an adult animated comedy series coming in 2023, starring Tom Ellis, Abraham Lim, Lucy Liu, Ally Maki, Mark Proksch, and Sasheer Zamata.

    The series comes from showrunners Shane Kosakowski and Matthew Inman; executive producers Mike Judge, Greg Daniels, and Dustin Davis of Bandera Entertainment; executive producers Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping for the Chernin Entertainment Group; and executive producers and creators of the “Exploding Kittens” franchise, Elan Lee and The Oatmeal’s Matthew Inman.

    “The co-development of a game and animated series breaks new ground for Netflix,” said Netflix head of adult animation Mike Moon. “And we couldn’t think of a better game to build a universe around than Exploding Kittens, one of the most inventive, iconic and original games of this century! Netflix is the perfect place to explore this growing franchise and we are so fortunate to be working with this incredible team!”

    “Our goal is to offer our members great entertainment they’ll love in whatever format they may enjoy – whether it be a game or an animated series,” stated Netflix head of external games Leanne Loombe. “As we expand our mobile games catalog, we’re excited to partner with the Exploding Kittens digital team to bring this enjoyable game to all age groups, including a few exciting updates exclusively for our members.”

    “Netflix is the only service that could bring ‘Exploding Kittens’ to life in both a series and a game,” said Exploding Kittens chief creative officer and creator of “Oatmeal” Matthew Inman. “We actually launched ‘Exploding Kittens’ on kickstarter as a weekend project, but our community has been the heart and soul of the company over the past six years. The new series and game will give our fans new ways to connect and interact with the franchise.”

  • Viacom18 to launch Baby Shark animated series & merchandise

    Viacom18 to launch Baby Shark animated series & merchandise

    Mumbai: Viacom18 Consumer Products has signed an exclusive deal with South Korean educational entertainment company Pinkfong to introduce Baby Shark merchandise in India. Going forward, an animated series on Baby Shark is also set to launch on Nickelodeon.

    Pinkfong released the children’s song “Baby Shark” on YouTube in 2016 which garnered over nine billion views till date becoming one of the most-watched YouTube videos of all time. 

    “Viacom18 Consumer Products along with Pinkfong are all set to perpetuate the success of the ultra-viral video through all-new content, including an exclusive consumer products range, reinforcing and re-establishing it as a global franchise,” the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

    “With global affinity, catchy music, vibrant colors, dual-gender appeal and a multi-generational family, Baby Shark’s range of exclusive merchandise is a strong proposition to attract young Indian kids,” it added.

    The merchandise which includes home linens, stationery, toys, apparel, games, fashion accessories, electronic items will be available across 250+ offline and online retail partners across India including Hamleys, Amazon, Landmark, Toys R Us, and more.

    “At Viacom18 Consumer Products, we have been expanding our reach to build a relationship with consumers across multiple touch-points and act as a catalyst to create fandom for iconic characters,” said Viacom18, head – network sales, Mahesh Shetty. “Kids across the globe adore Baby Shark, thereby making it a global phenomenon. The addition of Baby Shark to our growing portfolio will further consolidate our position as a leader in the kids’ category and add depth to our wide consumer products portfolio for kids as we aim to provide our young viewers with an opportunity to interact with their most-adored character beyond television screens.”

  • CBS unveils a slew of children’s shows

    CBS unveils a slew of children’s shows

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster CBS and entertainment firm DIC have announced the programming slate for their new 2006/2007 children’s programming line-up.

    CBS’ Saturday Morning Secret Slumber Party a three-hour, branded programming block will premiere on 16 September 2006 with six series comprised of animated properties and two new live-action shows.

    From animated adventures and dance-mania to a pair of do-it-yourself innovators, the slate includes three new series – Horseland, Kooky Kitchen and Littlest Pet Shop, as well as Sabrina: The Animated Series, Trollz and Madeline. DIC is also in pre-production on two new, live-action, reality-based series Cake and Dance, Dance, Dance!. The shows are targetted at children ages 6 through 12.

    All the above mentioned shows will broadcast 26 episodes per year, compared to the previous scheduling pattern which averaged 12 episodes per season, providing viewers with more original programming. To ensure that the programming meets FCC regulations, each of the series is being created under the specific educational supervision of Donald F.
    Roberts, PhD., a Stanford professor of communications and children’s media expert, and Gordon Berry, EdD. who is the chief consultant for the CBS Television Network’s programmes created for children.

    Saturday Morning Secret Slumber Party will also feature unique animated and live-action interstitials threaded throughout the morning block to promote healthy eating and balanced, active lifestyles for kids. The messages, which will promote nutritious eating habits, will be created in consultation with Baylor College of Medicine’s Children’s Nutrition Research Center (CNRC), an institute devoted to pediatric nutrition studies.

    Dance, Dance, Dance! is designed to teach contestants a variety of styles of dance, the cultural inspiration for the various dance styles and encourage home viewers to get up out of their seats to dance along. A pop music act will also perform a fresh new song each week.

    Horseland featuring CGI and traditional animation, is set in a stable, where kids and their horses compete and have adventures, and the horses and other animals can talk to each other — about the humans. Each episode features themes that deal with issues such as compassion, honesty and cooperation – both human and equine.

    Kooky Kitchen is an animated comedy action series that brings the ultimate cooking adventure for kids. From a magical secret kitchen hidden beneath a famous restaurant, a chef takes his special guests on culinary trips around the world through the Magic Recipe book to find the necessary ingredients for his masterful creations.

    Littlest Pet Shop revolves around tiny pets that help their adolescent owner explore big issues through their parallel life experiences in the fantasy world of Petopia. Jasmine Valentine is a typical 12 year old girl dealing with the same kinds of problems that challenge adolescent girls everywhere. Jasmine does have one distinct advantage when it comes to coping with the daily dramas: her extraordinary group of feathered, furry and finned little friends that occupy her bedroom. As the pets work through their relationships and challenges in magical Petopia, Jasmine comes to understand her own situations better.

    DIC Entertainment chairman, CEO Andy Heyward said, “As a children’s entertainment producer for over 25 years in the industry, the launch of the CBS’ Saturday Morning Secret Slumber Party offers a tremendous opportunity to apply our experience in producing and distributing quality kids’ series to programming a rich schedule that we believe offers an unprecedented viewing experience”.

    Sabrina: The Animated Series is a companion to the show Sabrina: The Teenage Witch. It follows Sabrina Spellman, a 12-year-old with a big heart and an even bigger secret: she’s half mortal and half witch! While her lessons in
    how to be a good witch are demanding, they pale in comparison to what she must learn to be a good person and that human attributes such as loyalty, honesty, tolerance and perseverance are the true lessons to learn.

    Madeline is based on Ludwig Bemelmans’ classic books. The protagonist is a clever little red-headed girl whose capricious antics have won the hearts of children, parents and educators everywhere. The show is narrated in rhyme by actor Christopher Plummer.