TV Kids MIPCOM 2018

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TVKIDS

WWW.TVKIDS.WS

OCTOBER 2018

MIPJUNIOR & MIPCOM EDITION

Tween Drama / Commissioners / Music-Based Shows / Gaming Extensions / BBC’s Alice Webb / Super RTL’s Claude Schmit Hopster’s Nick Walters / Kids Trendsetters / We Bare Bears’ Daniel Chong / Raven-Symoné / CAKE’s Tom van Waveren

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CONTENTS

Future Leaders We live in a world full of complicated problems; perhaps every generation has made that claim, but it seems that nowadays the stakes are higher and the need for knowledge, open minds, diversity and inclusion is greater.

Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher Anna Carugati Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani Editor Kristin Brzoznowski Executive Editor Joanna Padovano Tong Managing Editor Sara Alessi Associate Editor Victor L. Cuevas Production & Design Director Phyllis Q. Busell Art Director Simon Weaver Online Director Dana Mattison Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Nathalia Lopez Sales & Marketing Coordinator Andrea Moreno Business Affairs Manager

Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development TV Kids © 2018 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website: www.tvkids.ws

Every generation has also looked at younger generations hoping they would be agents of change. Indeed that hope prevails today as well, but nowadays children and youth need to be armed with equal parts information and open hearts if they are to confront the difficulties that face them. Of course, the burden of teaching our children lies with parents and schools, but since content is so pervasive—always just a click or a swipe away, 24 hours a day—it, too, can play an important role in kids’ lives. The executives and creatives we speak to in this issue of TV Kids share this view. While they are intent on engaging and entertaining children, they are also interested in shows that help kids better understand themselves and their world. Yes, buyers want a broad range of shows and definitely want to offer a lot of comedy. But we also hear calls for gender-neutral shows, or live-action series for tweens that touch on all sorts of topics relevant to this vulnerable age group, including the dangers of violence and cyberbullying— there’s nothing like a relatable favorite character to drive home a message.

We learn about the impact of music in shows for children of all ages and how essential gaming extensions are to many kids’ brands. Raven-Symoné, who enchanted kids in That’s So Raven, talks about reprising the role of Raven Baxter in Raven’s Home. Daniel Chong explains what served as inspiration for We Bare Bears, a show that, besides being incredibly funny, also touches on the themes of immigration and inclusion. Xand van Tulleken of Operation Ouch! stresses the value of making children more comfortable with doctors and hospitals. Claude Schmit talks about the strategies that are keeping Super RTL a market leader in Germany, which include reaching kids on all platforms; Alice Webb weighs in on the continued importance of public-service kids’ broadcasting; CAKE’s Tom van Waveren stresses the significance of working with independent producers and developing both local and global shows; Guru Studio’s Frank Falcone talks about the importance of quality over quantity; and Nick Walters traces the growth of the digital service Hopster.

Everyone we spoke to wants to provide fun entertainment for kids, but in the process, help them prepare for the future.

—Anna Carugati

FEATURES 56 TWEEN APPEAL 62 EYES ON THE PRIZE 70 TUNING IN 78 PLAY DATE 140 KIDS TRENDSETTERS

70 SPECIAL REPORT 101 BRAND LICENSING EUROPE Key trends in the L&M business, plus an interview with Scholastic Entertainment’s Caitlin Friedman.

INTERVIEWS RTL’s 90 Super Claude Schmit Bare Bears’ 96 We Daniel Chong Home’s 100 Raven’s Raven-Symoné Children’s 122 BBC Alice Webb

128 Hopster’s Nick Walters Ouch!’s 132 Operation Xand van Tulleken

136 CAKE’s Tom van Waveren 147

Guru Studio’s Frank Falcone

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3Zero2

“We produce these stories with the utmost care in every phase: from the script to the soundtrack, as well as the casting of characters.”

Alex & Co. / Penny on M.A.R.S. / School Hacks

—Piero Crispino

For the first time, Euro Media Group’s 3Zero2 is presenting its live-action children’s series to the international market. Among the Italian production company’s highlights is Alex & Co., a teen drama following friends who share a passion for music. Serving as a spin-off of that show is Penny on M.A.R.S., about a girl who dreams of attending a prestigious school for performing arts. “Season one has just aired on Disney Channel in Italy and the U.K., with amazing success in both countries,” says Piero Crispino, co-founder of 3Zero2. “We are now shooting season two, while season three is planned for 2019.” School Hacks, meanwhile, is a brand-new sketch comedy about a group of classmates. That series begins airing on Disney Channel in Italy this fall.

Penny on M.A.R.S.

4K Media Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS / Contra / Frogger The focus at 4K Media continues to be on promoting the long-running anime franchise Yu-Gi-Oh!, including the latest installment, Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS. The new show recently premiered on K2 in Italy and TELETOON in Canada, and the company is hoping to attract additional broadcast partners at the market in Cannes. 4K Media is also distributing the entire Yu-Gi-Oh! library, with more than 800 episodes in the catalog. There is also the Yu-Gi-Oh! trading-card game as well as the successful mobile app Duel Links, which has more than 70 million downloads. In addition, 4K Media is looking to secure potential co-production partners and presales as the company develops new content for Konami’s iconic video game titles, including Contra, Frogger and Bomberman.

Yu-Gi-Oh!

9 Story Media Group Dr. Panda / Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum / Clifford the Big Red Dog Based on the popular app franchise, Dr. Panda is a newly acquired animated series geared toward young viewers between the ages of 3 and 6. “We have several episodes to show at MIPCOM, and the series has a targeted completion date of December 2018,” says Alix Wiseman, the VP of business development and acquisitions at 9 Story Media Group. The stories of important figures in history, including Amelia Earhart and Isaac Newton, are told from the perspective of when they were children in the tentatively titled Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum. “The series teaches kids to dream big and recognize their ability to make a real and meaningful difference in the world,” says Wiseman. Clifford the Big Red Dog is a fresh take on Scholastic’s iconic book property.

Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum

“We have new shows in development, new series in production, new acquisitions, as well as new seasons of existing shows.”

—Alix Wiseman 190 WORLD SCREEN 10/18

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41 Entertainment Superhero Summer Camp / Super Monsters / Skylanders Academy Among the highlights from 41 Entertainment (41E) are Super Monsters and Skylanders Academy, both of which are available for streaming on Netflix. The company is also offering up Superhero Summer Camp. “Our dynamic titles—ranging from the widely popular and comedic action adventures in Skylanders Academy, to the diverse breadth of multiethnic characters and brilliant storytelling found in our Super Monsters and Superhero Summer Camp properties—all encompass global buyer appeal,” says Nancy Koff, 41E’s VP of sales and marketing. “We create and distribute titles knowing from the inception that we are talking to children in over 100 countries, and thereby producing concepts that are gender-neutral with builtin longevity.”

Animasia Studio

Superhero Summer Camp

“41 Entertainment is a major independent creator, producer and distributor of high-quality kids and family animation.”

—Nancy Koff

Chuck Chicken

Harry & Bunnie / Chuck Chicken / Mighty Mechs Two of Animasia Studio’s “current hottest brands” will be presented at MIPCOM: Chuck Chicken and Harry & Bunnie, both of which are slated for sophomore seasons. “The unique 2D flash animation style that Animasia has created over the years has contributed to the quality of the animation, combined with Western storytelling,” says Edmund Chan, the company’s managing director. “The comedy level was increased significantly for Chuck Chicken as more emphasis [is put on] hiring writers with strong comedy backgrounds.” Animasia is also promoting the CGI preschool show Mighty Mechs, a new development that is being co-produced with a leading Chinese animation company. “Mighty Mechs targets an important topic,” says Chan. “This adventure comedy series promotes protection of the environment.”

“Animasia Studio has recently set up operations in Los Angeles, where the main priority is to work with strong creative talents.”

—Edmund Chan

August Media

Tish Tash

Journey of Long / Tish Tash / Tilda Appleseed Long is a mysterious dragon with a problem: he needs to survive in the city despite his troublemaking ways in the slapstick comedy Journey of Long. Tish is a little bear with an incredible imagination and a larger-than-life imaginary friend named Tash in Tish Tash. “No matter what troubles they face—be it tackling the age-old terror of long, boring car journeys or maybe just helping your baby brother not be sad about losing his favorite toy—together they can create new worlds, embarking on imaginative adventures and finding their own creative angle to help solve any problems that life throws at them,” says Jyotirmoy Saha, the founder and CEO of August Media. Tilda Appleseed is a book-based, girl-skewing preschool show about friendship and problem solving.

“August Media is looking for new opportunities to invest in a wide variety of shows that appeal to older kids and teenage demographics.”

—Jyotirmoy Saha 192 WORLD SCREEN 10/18

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BabyTV Big Bugs Band / Billy BamBam / Charlie & the Alphabet A global television channel geared toward infants, toddlers and their parents, BabyTV provides 100 percent commercialfree programming in a safe and entertaining environment.

The 24/7 network, which is part of Fox Networks Group, adds new content on a monthly basis. It features such popular series as Charlie & the Alphabet, Billy BamBam and Draco, which help introduce young viewers to early-learning themes like language and creativity. Another highlight is Big Bugs Band, about a group of insects putting on musical performances in the woods. The animated show exposes children to a number of different genres, including samba and jazz. The channel’s lineup also comprises Lale Ki Lolu, which aims to illustrate the importance of imagination, and Tiny Bunch, centered on a baby butterfly and his animal friends.

Big Bugs Band

Beyond Kids MythBusters Jr. / Wow! That’s Amazing / Gym Stars The new children’s division of Beyond Distribution, Beyond Kids, “has more than 950 hours of content featuring internationally renowned kids’ programming from the last 25 years,” according to Munia Kanna-Konsek, the head of sales at Beyond Distribution. “These include the BAFTA Awardwinning Ocean Girl, CBBC’s Numberjacks, The Dengineers and Junior Vets.” Among the company’s highlights for the market is MythBusters Jr., a factual-entertainment series hosted by former MythBuster Adam Savage and meant for viewers between the ages of 6 and 12. There is also Wow! That’s Amazing, a live-action factual-entertainment show targeting the same age demo; Gym Stars, a live-action documentary series; and Beat Bugs, an animated program with music made famous by The Beatles.

Wow! That’s Amazing

“Our aim is to further strengthen the company’s role in the production and distribution of global children’s content.”

—Munia Kanna-Konsek

Blue Ant International When I Grow Up! / News of the Wild / Detention Adventure A girl is on a mission to decide her career path in the STEM-themed series When I Grow Up! “Mikaela speaks directly to her audiences as she navigates through the world of science and technology to determine what she wants to do when she grows up,” says Solange Attwood, the executive VP of Blue Ant International. News of the Wild is a factual-entertainment program that puts a comedic spin on a broadcast news report for kids ages 7 to 10. “The series is hosted by two young anchors, alongside onsite kid news correspondents, who keep nature fans upto-date with the latest from the animal kingdom,” says Attwood. Offered as a presale, Detention Adventure comprises an ensemble cast and marks Blue Ant’s first scripted show for children.

News of the Wild

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“We have a lineup of new kids’ series that center on great storytelling with inspiring, super-smart characters and kid hosts.”

—Solange Attwood

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CAKE Total Dramarama / Kiri and Lou / Mighty Mike Serving as a prequel to the hit Total Drama franchise, Total Dramarama features the characters as toddlers. “Total Drama was an instant hit when it debuted ten years ago and still commands a huge fan following around the world,” says Ed Galton, the chief commercial officer and managing director at CAKE. “Total Dramarama uses the same key characters but is a completely new take on this successful global franchise aimed at a younger demographic.” Another highlight from the company is Kiri and Lou, a stop-motion show for preschoolers that follows two friends in a “forest of feelings.” “Kiri and Lou centers on the universal themes of kindness, empathy and how to get along,” says Galton. Then there is Mighty Mike, an animated, non-dialogue, slapstick comedy series from CAKE’s long-term partner TeamTO.

CJ ENM

Kiri and Lou

“This year CAKE has a development slate of 16 titles, with six in production.”

—Ed Galton

Rainbow Ruby

Robot Trains / Rainbow Ruby / Pucca Friendship, teamwork and problem solving are the main themes in the animated series Robot Trains, which “features a variety of characters with their own distinctive personalities and skills, along with an attractive storyline,” according to Joseph Kim, head of the global business team for the animation division at CJ ENM. The company is also promoting Rainbow Ruby, which is more of a girl-skewing property. “Rainbow Ruby delivers the message that children can become anything they want with their passions and dreams,” says Kim. Pucca, meanwhile, is a globally successful brand that is being rebooted with an animated show. “The new series is to be launched in 2019 in the form of 3D CGI,” adds Kim. “Pucca will be appealing to every consumer group, regardless of age or gender.”

“The animated series Rainbow Ruby contains several appealing elements such as vivid colors, various characters, a multitude of professions and educational activities.”

—Joseph Kim

Cosmos-Maya

ViR: The Robot Boy

Tik Tak Tail / Eena Meena Deeka / ViR: The Robot Boy An adorable rabbit is constantly on the run from a ferocious tiger in Tik Tak Tail, one of Cosmos-Maya’s highlights for MIPCOM. “The show essentially tells the story of the unending attempts of a tiger to catch a rabbit and how the rabbit always outruns the tiger with his speed and smarts,” says Anish Mehta, the company’s CEO. More chasing takes place in Eena Meena Deeka, with a hungry fox pursing three chicks. “Very similar to Tom and Jerry, the series is watched by children and adults alike,” says Mehta. Tik Tak Tail and Eena Meena Deeka have been syndicated in a number of countries. There is also ViR: The Robot Boy, which “marries science fiction with action adventure” and is “peppered with comedy,” according to Mehta.

“We endeavor to enter new markets. With our recent foray into Eastern Europe and baby steps in LatAm, we are slowly realizing our goal.”

—Anish Mehta

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Cyber Group Studios Gigantosaurus / Taffy / Sadie Sparks Making its World Premiere TV Screening during MIPJunior is Gigantosaurus, a new book-based, animated preschool show for Disney Junior Worldwide and France Télévisions, among other partners. Also on offer from Cyber Group Studios is Taffy, a Boomerang original series that is coproduced in partnership with Turner. Then there is Sadie Sparks, a collaboration with Brown Bag Films in Ireland for Disney Channel. The supernatural-themed animated show tells “the enchanting stories of 14-yearold Sadie, who finds out that she has magical abilities and is being trained by a grumpy rabbit,” says Raphaelle Mathieu, the senior VP of sales, acquisitions and new media at Cyber Group Studios. The series has “a unique level of special effects and hilarious adventures.”

Distribution360

Taffy

“We are looking forward to strengthening the partnerships we have with independent producers.”

—Raphaelle Mathieu Yaya & Zouk

Super Mighty Makers / It's My Party / Yaya & Zouk Distribution360 (D360) has a kids’ slate that includes both animated shows and live-action programs such as Super Mighty Makers and It’s My Party. “Super Mighty Makers and It’s My Party are two series that showcase kids giving back to their community and crossing cultural divides,” says Diane Rankin, the company’s senior VP of international sales and acquisitions. “At their core, both projects are fueled by purpose, and are part of a movement that promotes kindness, compassion and tolerance.” There is also season two of the preschool show Yaya & Zouk, about the adventures of two siblings. According to Rankin, the series now has 143 episodes, “which is great volume to schedule and stack for preschool audiences.” D360 is also presenting Yaya & Zouk holiday specials.

“We are launching 22 new kids and family series this market—the titles span animation to live action, scripted to unscripted and preschool to teens.”

—Diane Rankin

Entertainment One Family & Brands Ricky Zoom / PJ Masks / Peppa Pig The key highlight for Entertainment One (eOne) Family & Brands is Ricky Zoom, the newest preschool show in the company’s catalog. The comedy adventure series is about a little red motorbike that loves to speed. “The show’s central themes of friendship, community and learning to stand on your own two wheels will be wheeling onto TV screens from spring/summer 2019, with consumer products planned for rollout in autumn/winter 2019,” says Monica Candiani, the executive VP of content sales. The company will also be showcasing the popular series PJ Masks and Peppa Pig. “PJ Masks is now an established global hit,” says Candiani. “The fresh content coming through for Peppa Pig ensures that the show is relevant to each new generation of young fans and their families.”

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Ricky Zoom

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“We genuinely believe that our new series Ricky Zoom is very special and has the potential to be another preschool hit.”

—Monica Candiani

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Federation Kids & Family Squish / Find Me in Paris / The Ollie & Moon Show The animated comedy Squish centers on a suburban community of amoebas. “We are sure of two things: buyers have never seen anything like this, and it will make them laugh,” says Monica Levy, the VP of international sales at Federation Kids & Family. The company is also highlighting Find Me in Paris, a tween series that “is in a class of its own” and has “an extremely promising licensing program,” according to Levy. “Our partner in France has already negotiated licensing deals across publishing, apparel, homewares, back-to-school and more,” she says. In addition, there is a second season of the slapstick comedy The Ollie & Moon Show, which follows the adventures of two globetrotting cats. The animated program has been sold into a slew of territories worldwide.

“We are looking to further ground the success of our shows with other platforms, for example, through our digital partnership with Little Dot Studios.”

—Monica Levy

The Ollie & Moon Show

FUN Union Panda and Krash / BabyRiki / KikoRiki Co-produced with CCTV Animation, Panda and Krash is a new series that will be making its global premiere in Cannes.

“China is the country of honor during MIPJunior and MIPCOM, and we anticipate that this will incite particular interest from buyers in new animation productions made in China,” says Christine Brendle, the CEO of FUN Union. Also on offer from the company is BabyRiki, which uses a combination of live action and animation. “Each episode has its own musical story, which appeals to all preschoolers and their parents,” says Brendle. “Two seasons are now complete [and] season three will be completed in early 2019.” FUN Union is also presenting a 7-minute extension of the show, tentatively titled BabyRiki New Adventures, as well as KikoRiki and its sister series PinCode.

“We will continue to strengthen our presence in the U.K., U.S. and Latin American markets, which we have now entered.”

Panda and Krash

—Christine Brendle

Gaumont Bionic Max / Belle and Sebastian / Furiki Wheels Aimed at viewers between the ages of 6 and 11, Bionic Max is a buddy comedy about a bionic guinea pig prototype and a social-outcast goldfish. “After their escape from the lab, they have to learn how to [live] in the forest metropolis of Central Park with a gang of zany animal inhabitants,” says Vanessa Shapiro, Gaumont’s president of worldwide TV distribution and co-production. “Kids will escape into the chaotic madness, laugh out loud and do what kids should do—have fun!” Belle and Sebastian is based on a live-action show from the 1960s. “The series is about a courageous young boy from the Alps who befriends an exceptionally large and generous dog,” says Shapiro. And Furiki Wheels is a slapstick comedy about a hyperactive young sloth.

Belle and Sebastian

“Our goal is to create a whole range of compelling and engaging children’s projects that will become part of the Gaumont heritage.”

—Vanessa Shapiro 200 WORLD SCREEN 10/18

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Brainiacs

Gloob Gigablaster / Anittinha ’s Club / Brainiacs The Globosat-owned Gloob is presenting two new animated series to international buyers during MIPJunior. “Gigablaster, geared toward kids from 6 to 10 years old, follows the crazy adventures of blue rhinoceros Giga, whose family runs the coolest karaoke bar in the city of Corner Pocket,” says Paula Taborda dos Guaranys, the head of content and programming at Gloob and Gloobinho. “Anittinha’s Club is a preschool animation created by Anitta, Brazilian biggest pop star.” Also being promoted are new seasons of Brainiacs, a live-action show that has been enjoying success in territories around the globe. “With ten main characters from diverse origins and backgrounds, Brainiacs stimulates values such as friendship, tolerance and social transformation,” says Taborda dos Guaranys.

“We focus on inspirational characters and behaviors in order to include contemporary affairs and values in our programming.”

—Paula Taborda dos Guaranys

GO-N International

Tib & Tumtum

Simon / Tib & Tumtum / Zip Zip Following the success of the first season of Simon, GO-N International is showcasing a 52-episode new installment of the animated series, which chronicles the adventures of a small rabbit. The company is also bringing to the market Tib & Tumtum, a new comedy focused on the friendship between a boy and a dinosaur. “It is pure kids’ entertainment, but with substance,” says Marie Congé, the head of sales and business development at GO-N International. “The show portrays mind-blowing adventure from a child’s perspective.” Zip Zip, meanwhile, is a “high-octane comedy full of unexpected jokes and much foolishness, which appeals to kids worldwide.” The series already airs in a number of territories. “More than ever, GO-N is committed to producing original content that can entertain, engage and inspire kids,” adds Congé.

“GO-N’s expansion continues as it is on the lookout for dynamic and new content that will appeal to all media platforms around the globe.”

—Marie Congé

GoldBee

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Chop Chop Ninja / The Worst Witch / Lassie Inspired by a collection of apps, Chop Chop Ninja is an animated adventure comedy that has been commissioned

by Corus Entertainment for its TELETOON networks in English and French. “Chop Chop Ninja follows the exploits of rookie Iro and his three best friends at the Ninja Academy,” says Christophe Goldberger, the managing director of GoldBee. “The Chop Chop Ninja brand already has awareness in the market because of the success of its ten apps and also because of the fillers, which have been successful on many platforms,” says Goldberger. In addition, the company is showcasing the first and second installments of ZDF Enterprises’ The Worst Witch and Lassie, respectively.

“The Worst Witch and Lassie are established properties with long and successful track records,” he adds.

Chop Chop Ninja

“Our offering of programs is a great combination of classic brands and innovative content.”

—Christophe Goldberger 202 WORLD SCREEN 10/18

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Green Gold Animation Dragon Kingdom / I Am Number One / Jungle Trouble Chhota Bheem and his friends explore an exotic land in Dragon Kingdom. “The show, in splendid 3D, sees Bheem and his friends take part in fun adventures, make new friends and become heroes to the people of China,” says Rajiv Chilaka, the founder and CEO of Green Gold Animation. In the slapstick series I Am Number One, two jungle cats strive to be the strongest of all the creatures. Chilaka describes the series as “humorous” and “gag-driven.” The fast-paced comedy Jungle Trouble, meanwhile, centers on four animals as they try to save their home from invaders.

“The unique chemistry between the animals and the attributes each of them brings to the show make it stand out,” adds Chilaka. The series “is something viewers should look forward to.”

Dragon Kingdom

“Green Gold is producing amazing shows that are rooted in distinctive cultural identities, with edgy narratives and positive messaging.”

—Rajiv Chilaka

Guru Studio

True and the Rainbow Kingdom

True and the Rainbow Kingdom / Pikwik / Big Blue Available for streaming on Netflix, True and the Rainbow Kingdom follows the adventures of a brave, smart and compassionate little girl. “With a timely message of fostering joy, empathy and mindfulness, it’s very quickly becoming a breakout hit for preschoolers and their parents,” says Jonathan Abraham, Guru Studio’s senior director of sales and new business development. The preschool show Pikwik looks on as Suki the Hedgehog and her team deliver surprise-filled parcels to the residents of Pikwik. “We’re working with the incredible team at Disney Junior that shares our passion for these characters and stories,” Abraham adds. Underwater adventurers Lettie and Lemo lead their submarine crew on a mission to uncover the origins of their new recruit, an ocean fairy stowaway named Bacon Berry, in Big Blue.

“It’s been a very exciting year at Guru as our roster of originals continues to grow.”

—Jonathan Abraham

Hasbro Studios My Little Pony Friendship is Magic/Transformers Cyberverse/Transformers Rescue Bots Academy The newest season of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic sees the ponies teaching each other valuable lessons about what it means to be a good friend. “They’ll continue to spread friendship beyond Equestria,” says Finn Arnesen, Hasbro Studios’ senior VP of international distribution and development.

Transformers Cyberverse is a new take on the Transformers franchise, while Arnesen calls Transformers Rescue Bots Academy an “entry-level Transformers series for the younger viewer and [a] new take on the successful Rescue Bots series.”

He adds, “This MIPCOM will be our first with the newly acquired Power Rangers franchise in the Hasbro portfolio, with the entire back catalog and the upcoming new series, Power Rangers Beast Morphers. We are excited to share our plans going forward for this evergreen property.”

“We are always trying to innovate in our approach to our shows.”

—Finn Arnesen

Transformers Rescue Bots Academy

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Inter Medya King Shakir / Niloya Shakir is a typical teenage lion who loves superheroes and playing video games in King Shakir. His father, Ramsey, and friend Ned the Elephant are constantly getting into trouble, while his mother, Katy, tries to keep things together.

Then there is Jane, Shakir’s younger sister, who proves to be a gifted problem solver. “All of these unique characters make up this fun and entertaining cartoon that is equally interesting for kids and their parents,” says Can Okan, the founder and CEO of Inter Medya. A happy 4-year-old lives in a charming village where birds are always singing in the animated series Niloya. The little girl enjoys exploring nature and playing with friends. “The 3D animated series has a unique song for every single episode,” says Okan.

“Niloya teaches children to be sincere, loyal and have moral values.”

Niloya

—Can Okan

Jetpack Distribution The Cul de Sac / Daisy & Ollie / Wolf The Cul de Sac represents Jetpack Distribution’s first foray into live action for older kids and teens. “This critically acclaimed show draws on contemporary audiences’ appetite for dystopian thrillers and offers some truly intriguing drama,” says Dominic Gardiner, Jetpack Distribution’s CEO. “This makes it appeal to a broader age group of 9- to 16-year-olds. It features a stellar cast, including KJ Apa from Riverdale.”

Another recent acquisition for Jetpack Distribution is the animated preschool show Daisy & Ollie. “It encourages kids to be curious and ask questions about the world around them,” says Gardiner. A third highlight is Wolf, following a friendly protagonist who is always up for an adventure. “Wolf launched this year and is a popular choice in the Jetpack catalog,” adds Gardiner. “Wolf wants to try everything and anything.”

Daisy & Ollie

“Our burgeoning catalog is 800 half-hours of quality content featuring timeless themes for all age groups.”

—Dominic Gardiner

Lacey Entertainment

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Kiva Can Do! / Dinosaur King Renewed for a second season on Nick Jr., Kiva Can Do! is about an imaginative little girl who enjoys exploring the world with her best friend, Saul, and puppy. “[We are] targeting free-TV broadcasters globally and SVOD platforms for the popular Kiva Can Do! series, which becomes available for exhibition in early 2019,” says Brian Lacey, the president of Lacey Entertainment. “With different language versions available, Kiva Can Do! is an attractive property for free-TV broadcasters worldwide, as well as OTT platforms.” The company is also offering up Dinosaur King, which is geared toward young viewers between the ages of 6 and 10. “This fantasy adventure series underscores the timeless and universal appeal of dinosaurs,” adds Lacey, who describes the show as a “contemporary classic.”

Kiva Can Do!

“We are very selective in the content that we seek to co-produce and distribute, and that is what allows us to compete.”

—Brian Lacey

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MarVista Entertainment Back of the Net / Driven to Dance A science fanatic boards the wrong bus and winds up at Harold Soccer Academy instead of Harold Academy Australian Semester at Sea in the kids and family feature Back of the Net. To make matters worse, the star player on the soccer team is determined to make her life miserable. “Back of the Net was shot on location in Australia,” says Jody Cipriano, the head of distribution and acquisitions at MarVista Entertainment. “The star of the film, the very talented Sofia Wylie, is known to legions of kids around the globe as the star of the Disney Channel series Andi Mack, and this is her feature-film debut.” In Driven to Dance, a young girl is torn between her own dreams of making it big as a ballet dancer and the expectations of her mother.

Back of the Net

“MarVista continues to commit to expanding its production and development in the kids’ and family realm and is always on the search for new projects, partnerships and concepts.”

—Jody Cipriano

Mediatoon Distribution The Fox-Badger Family / Martin Morning / The Minimighty Kids Mrs. Fox and her daughter move in with Mr. Badger and his three children, and they have to learn to get along in The Fox-Badger Family. Coming out in Q4 this year, it “is a vibrant watercolor series aimed at an upper-preschool audience,” says Jérôme Alby, Mediatoon Distribution’s managing director. “The theme of the blended family is very important in this series and serves to help young children understand the importance of being tolerant.”

There is a new CGI season of Martin Morning as well. “We are looking forward to this new season as it is a revamp of a very popular and already successful series,” says Alby.

Mediatoon is also presenting The Minimighty Kids, which, Alby notes, “tackles the important themes of accepting your flaws and turning them into talents.”

Martin Morning

“Mediatoon is really looking forward to the release of some exciting programs at MIPCOM.” —Jérôme Alby

MISTCO Aslan / Momo / Ege and Gaga A little boy often causes trouble when he invents new things, but he also learns important lessons in Aslan.

Momo tells the story of a gifted bunny that possesses a special ability for finding lost items. Momo and his friends go on adventures together while they look for missing things. Along the way, they improve their problemsolving skills and learn more about their environment, all while having loads of fun. “Momo is a hit on the kids’ channel TRT Çocuk [in Turkey], and we truly believe that it will be loved just as much globally,” says Aysegul Tuzun, the VP of sales and marketing at MISTCO. Both Aslan and Momo are new series that MISTCO is launching at the market. Ege and Gaga is about a boy and his best friend, a talking crow.

“It will be our pleasure to meet with partners who are searching for the best animation titles for their screen.”

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—Aysegul Tuzun

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Mondo TV MeteoHeroes / Invention Story / Robot Trains Six kids transform into superheroes using their power over the weather in MeteoHeroes. Kit is a fox with a penchant for creating amazing new contraptions in Invention Story. Mondo TV’s slate also includes Robot Trains. “We are mostly focusing on these shows, building on their success and extending their broadcast reach where appropriate or, in the case of MeteoHeroes, which is a new project, telling likely broadcast partners about the enormous potential of the property,” says Micheline Azoury, the company’s head of acquisitions and TV sales. Azoury notes that Mondo TV is highlighting the expansion of its distribution catalog, a strong focus of the company’s Iberoamerica division. “Equally important, given our success in this field to date, is extending our offering—and in particular our involvement in co-productions,” she adds.

Invention Story

“All three shows have a strong comedy element, which is a definite requirement of most children’s shows for viewers ranging from preschool up to 9 years old.”

—Micheline Azoury

Motion Pictures Entertainment MyaGO / White Dragons / Horaci the Inuit

White Dragons

A Spain-Ireland co-production, the preschool series MyaGO is making its premiere at MIPJunior. “MyaGO is an outstanding series in production with beautiful stories,” says Jorge Patiño Donaggio, sales manager and executive producer at Motion Pictures Entertainment. “Original in its design, with top-quality animation done in Spain, [it showcases] positive stories of a non-stereotypical little girl.” White Dragons is a CGI and live-action project developed by Diagonal TV and Motion Pictures. It is about a mystery that must be solved by a group of international friends. Patiño Donaggio says: “It is a hybrid show in which there is a CGI character that will surprise everyone who watches the teaser.” Motion Pictures Entertainment is also offering the second season of the preschool comedy Horaci the Inuit.

“We always say White Dragons is The Da Vinci Code meets The Goonies.”

—Jorge Patiño Donaggio

Portfolio Entertainment The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! / Cyberchase / Addison The beloved feline character from the world of Dr. Seuss takes center stage in The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! “Following two previous internationally successful seasons and four one-hour specials, we’re back with an allnew third season that buyers and audiences are sure to love,” says Donnie MacIntyre, the VP of sales and business development at Portfolio Entertainment. Another highlight from the company is Cyberchase, which has been a hit around the world, including on PBS Kids in the U.S. “With 114 half-hour episodes currently available, Cyberchase will continue entertaining longtime fans well into the future and is now positioned to be discovered by an all-new generation of fans as well,” says MacIntyre. Also on offer is Addison, the newest addition to Portfolio’s children’s catalog.

Cyberchase

“Portfolio is a full-service producer, distributor and animation studio on the lookout for both fresh and established talent.”

—Donnie MacIntyre

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Rainbow Shark4 / 2 Happy Farmers / Dancing Horses

“Rainbow programs have a pedigree for quality and great visual execution, and as always, we’ve enjoyed the process of creating new characters and new worlds.”

A group of sharks with super powers are lifeguards at Hunter Island Beach in Shark4, on offer from Rainbow.

“Shark4 is a great character-driven, surreal comedy with key themes of bravery and friendship that mix with crazy rescues and thrilling action,” says Andrea Graciotti, Rainbow’s head of sales and co-productions. In 2 Happy Farmers, a brother and sister bear run a farm with a little help from the animals and talking vehicles that live there. The series “inspires kids to get in contact with nature,” says Graciotti.

There is also the musical comedy Dancing Horses, about three friends who are united by their love for dance and their magical horses. Other highlights from Rainbow include Pinocchio, 44 Cats and the newest installment in the Winx franchise, Winx Club 8.

—Andrea Graciotti

Scholastic Entertainment Clifford the Big Red Dog The reimagined Clifford the Big Red Dog series from Scholastic Entertainment will feature new adventures and characters. “Emily Elizabeth has been realized as a stronger and more independent female character to inspire today’s girls,” says Caitlin Friedman, the VP and general manager of Scholastic Entertainment. “And for the first time, Clifford and Emily Elizabeth will speak to each other! With Clifford-sized humor and a curriculum focused on imaginative play, early literacy and social-emotional skills, the series will engage young viewers as it helps reinforce important developmental concepts.” The new show will also feature an original song in every episode. Friedman adds that the company is “currently involved in the production of several feature films, animated series and live-action shows.”

“The stories in the new Clifford the Big Red Dog series are funny and entertaining, but at the heart of each episode is an exploration of books, imaginative play and friendship.”

—Caitlin Friedman

Serious Lunch/Eye Present Flix / Gigglebug / Best & Bester A dog growing up in Cat Town with a feline family is the focus of Eye Present’s Flix, the latest series from the studio.

Serious Lunch holds worldwide rights, excluding Germany and Scandinavia, for the English-language version of the preschool show Gigglebug. “The series and the apps are beautifully crafted and based on the very simple idea of infectious laughter,” says Genevieve Dexter, the CEO of Serious Lunch and Eye Present. There is also the buddy comedy Best & Bester, about two nobodies in search of the best thing ever. Other highlights include Operation Ouch! and Art Ninja. “We have also just completed the first 11minute episode of Xephos & Honeydew, which is a teen/young adult series based on the famous Minecraft avatars. We are looking for presales and partners.”

“Flix’s unique concept is based on a book by the famous children’s author Tomi Ungerer.”

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Flix

Clifford the Big Red Dog

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Sesame Workshop Abby ’s Amazing Adventure / Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck / When You Wish Upon a Pickle Abby and her monster stepbrother Rudy go beyond Sesame Street in the new animated show Abby’s Amazing Adventure.

“Together with their magical basket, they take off on amazing adventures to incredible locations, learning all about different careers,” says Ed Wells, the senior VP and head of international media and education at Sesame Workshop. “With a new job mission at each place, Abby—who’s got a brand-new, updated look—uses her confidence and humor as she and Rudy overcome obstacles and persevere until their mission is complete.” Cookie Monster and his buddy Gonger learn about different cooking ingredients in Cookie Monster’s Foodie Truck. When a mysterious pickle is delivered to Sesame Street, Elmo, Abby and Bert’s wishes start coming true in When You Wish Upon a Pickle.

“With five programs in production, we are focused on expanding our offerings through new IP.”

Cookie Monster ’s Foodie Truck

—Ed Wells

Spin Master Entertainment Super Dinosaur / Hatchimals: Adventures in Hatchtopia Tech whiz Derek Dynamo and his best friend Super Dino, a genetically altered T-Rex, set out on exciting missions to protect the planet against evil in the animated action comedy Super Dinosaur. “The series will capture kids’ attention with epic encounters and will have them laughing hysterically with sharp, witty writing and performances,” says Thom Chapman, the senior director of sales and distribution at Spin Master Entertainment. “And best of all, what kid wouldn’t want a T-Rex best friend to save the world with?” In Hatchimals: Adventures in Hatchtopia, Penguala, Cheetree, Draggle and Puppit discover all the magic and wonder of their world. “This fall we will be unboxing a new set of short-form content based on the Spin Master toy phenomena Hatchimals,” Chapman adds.

Hatchimals: Adventures in Hatchtopia

“Spin Master Entertainment’s priority is to produce and distribute creativedriven content that truly captivates children with bold action, playful comedy and exciting adventures.”

—Thom Chapman

Studio 100 Media & m4e Wissper / Maya the Bee / Mia and me

Maya the Bee

A little girl who can communicate with animals uses her unique skill to help creatures in need in the preschool show Wissper. Studio 100 Media & m4e is heading to Cannes with season two of the series. “The show is designed to attract kids and their families as well, with a unique story about a cute animal whisperer and her animal friends,” says Dorian Bühr, senior sales executive at Studio 100 Media and m4e. There is also a sophomore season of Maya the Bee. Bühr says the series “already has a proven international track record, and we have continued [Maya’s] story with 52 new episodes for season two and a second feature film that we successfully released this spring in numerous territories.” There is also the girlskewing Mia and me.

“We are constantly pursuing our mission to create brands that are content-driven and entertain kids and families on every platform, wherever they are.”

—Dorian Bühr

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SUNRIGHTS Beyblade Burst / Beyblade Burst Evolution / Beyblade Burst Turbo The Beyblade Burst franchise is front and center for SUNRIGHTS, which is presenting three seasons, each with 51 animated episodes, to buyers. Season one, titled Beyblade Burst, follows Valt Aoi and his Blader friends. In season two, Beyblade Burst Evolution, Valt travels to Spain, where he and his buddies battle to make it to the World League. Beyblade Burst Turbo is the third and newest installment. It introduces Aiger Akabane, a wild child who sets out to unseat Valt and claim the title of World Champion. “We have had great success licensing Beyblade Burst’s first two seasons to partners around the world,” says Natasha Gross, the director of TV sales and licensing at SUNRIGHTS. “We’re particularly pleased to showcase the newest season.”

“We continue to look for additional distribution opportunities for all seasons of Beyblade Burst.”

—Natasha Gross

Beyblade Burst

Bo Bear

Superights Pat the Dog / Bo Bear / Clay Time The lovable pup Pat is back for a second season of Pat the Dog. Natalie Pinguet, deputy managing director for international sales and acquisitions at Superights, says: “After a successful first season aired in more than 180 territories with prestigious broadcasters such as Turner’s channels in EMEA and Asia Pacific; Disney Channel in the U.S., Spain and Germany; and Discovery Kids in Latin America, our little Pat is back with new adventures!” Bo Bear represents Superights’ first live-action program intended for a preschool audience. In each episode, a teddy bear spends time with a different child. Superights is also offering the edutainment series Clay Time. The show invites preschoolers to develop their imaginations through modeling clay. It is comprised of 30 3-minute animated episodes, each accompanied by a short live tutorial.

“We are proud to offer a premium, diversified catalog covering all demographics, genres, techniques and lengths from first-class producers around the globe.” —Natalie Pinguet

WeKids www.wekids.com WeKids presents a variety of animated titles in the Chinese market, including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. “With more than 6,000 episodes of outstanding kids’ animation, WeKids works with digital distribution partners to be the premier on-demand destination for millions of Chinese kids who are eager to view great animated programs from across the globe, available on multiple new-media platforms in both Chinese and English,” says Sean Chu, the founder and CEO of WeKids. “In addition, WeKids oversees the merchandising, publishing and ancillary exploitation of key properties throughout greater China, including all aspects of brand management.” The service features such programs as Tip the Mouse, Wissper, Trucktown, The ZhuZhus, LoliRock (seasons one and two), Ranger Rob and Zack & Quack.

XXXX

“WeKids is China’s market leader in providing best-in-class animation from around the world to kids and families.”

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Xilam Animation Coach Me If You Can / Zig & Sharko / Mr Magoo A mad sorcerer has turned the world’s greatest football player, Erico Platana, into a ball in Xilam Animation’s brand-new original comedy series Coach Me If You Can. To return to his human form, Erico must deflate his ego and help clumsy Daniel Sissou become a football champion.

“Coach Me If You Can is a comedy about an unlikely friendship between two people who should never have met and the clash of culture that ensues,” says Morgann Favennec, Xilam Animation’s executive VP of global sales development. Xilam is also launching the third season of its animated slapstick comedy Zig & Sharko. Another highlight is Mr Magoo, based on the classic cartoon. “There’s been a huge level of interest in Mr Magoo from broadcasters all around the world,” Favennec adds.

Coach Me If You Can

“Coach Me If You Can is profoundly touching, lighthearted and refreshing.”

—Morgann Favennec

ZDF Enterprises The Athena / The Bureau of Magical Things / Zoom—The White Dolphin Two live-action children’s shows lead the slate that ZDF Enterprises (ZDFE) brings to Cannes. The first, The Athena, tells the story of a young model whose career implodes after she complains about a famous designer treating her like an object. “The Athena is full of super-creative, superambitious students—photographers, graphic artists, fashion designers, jewelery makers—all intent on pursuing their dreams at any cost,” says Peter Lang, the VP of ZDFE.junior.

The second live-action highlight from the company is The Bureau of Magical Things, which follows the adventures of a teen girl caught up in a clash between an elf and a fairy.

On the animation side, ZDFE is showcasing Zoom—The White Dolphin, about a boy who becomes friends with a mysterious and intelligent sea creature.

The Athena

“ZDFE.junior is definitely the number one address when it comes to successful live-action series.”

—Peter Lang

Zodiak Kids The Stinky & Dirty Show! / Lost in Oz / If You Give a Mouse a Cookie After recently signing an agreement to distribute 17 Amazon Prime originals, Zodiak Kids has a number of new children’s programming highlights to present to international buyers.

The Stinky & Dirty Show! is about a pair of best friends who work through problems together. “Parents and kids will love the thoughtful stories as these characters embody the idea to try, fail, learn and try again,” says Delphine Dumont, the senior VP of sales, acquisitions and co-productions at Zodiak Kids. Lost in Oz, meanwhile, continues the adventures of Dorothy and Toto from L. Frank Baum’s novels. There is also If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, which is based on characters from a best-selling book series. “Using the circular nature of the books, the stories highlight creative thinking and limitless possibilities,” adds Dumont.

“Having a host of new Amazon originals that range from preschool to live action really bolsters our catalog this market.”

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

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—Delphine Dumont

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ZDF Enterprises’ The Athena.

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David Wood explores the new renaissance in live-action drama for tweens. etflix and Amazon are not just revolutionizing the world of big-budget, marquee stories for grown-ups; they’re doing it in the children’s space, too. Having brought their high-end game to tween scripted live action, they’ve helped to reinvigorate a sector that has traditionally been limited to the likes of Disney and Nickelodeon and a handful of European pubcasters, among them ZDF and CBBC. “Five to six years ago, the market was dominated by the U.S. [kids’] networks, mostly doing high-budget sitcoms,” observes David Michel, co-founder and president of Cottonwood Media and the managing director of Federation Kids & Family. “Then there were a few European broadcasters, such as ZDF, which started doing on-location live-action shows like H2O. But the big change came when Amazon started doing live-action shows for kids. The way they were shot was different—with high production values comparable to premium adult fare and no Disney-style laugh track.”

Michel continues, “Overnight, the SVODs created a new subgenre of premium kids’ drama that looked like nothing else: expensive, shot on location, single-camera live action with a heavy episode order, typified by shows such as Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street. Now [others] have taken on that trend.”

The Cottonwood and ZDF Enterprises co-production Find Me in Paris, which is currently in production on a second season, is a good example. “All we knew at the start was that ZDF wanted a high-production-value series shot on location at the Paris Opera Ballet School. The budget is $14 million for 26 episodes—that’s not so expensive for an SVOD drama, but it’s pretty high for a kids’ show.”

The broadcast partners for the project include ZDF in Germany, ABC in Australia, Hulu and NBCUniversal in

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the U.S., France Télévisions in France and Disney Channel in select European markets.

GROWING PAINS “The OTTs have opened up what can be produced in the teen and tween space,” notes Mark Bishop, co-CEO and partner at marblemedia and executive producer of the Canadian tween drama Open Heart. “A couple of years ago there were only comedies for the 9-to-12 demo, but now there is an interest in a much wider range: drama, adventure, mystery, supernatural, sci-fi and romance, all with a real eye to serialized and character-driven stories.”

Bob Higgins, the executive VP of kids and family at Boat Rocker Rights, is of a similar perspective. “Everyone is looking at this as the white space—an opportunity market,” says Higgins on the prospects for tween drama. “Over the years you have seen the kids’ market fragment into different audience segments. The latest is this new 11-to-15 space, for viewers who have graduated from sitcoms aimed at 9- to 14-year-olds and are ready for something meatier and more relevant that they can sink their teeth into. Something that isn’t a silly sitcom but more dramatic.”

Higgins continues, “At that age, kids are tremen dously awkward, have lots of questions and need a lifeline. In drama they can find it with more nuanced, flawed characters—someone who they can identify with.”

The idea that there is a growing market for tween drama with more serious dramatic storytelling is underlined by the success of titles such as The CW’s Riverdale and by the viewing habits of tween girls who are seeking out more challenging content. Higgins says his 13-year-old daughter— much to his chagrin—has binge-watched the millennial drama Pretty Little Liars, whose themes are very advanced for a tween audience.

The question, Higgins says, is whether producers can develop shows with grown-up themes that are addressed

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Federation Kids & Family secured a host of co-pro partners for its bigbudget drama Find Me in Paris, which has been renewed for a second season.

in an age-appropriate and responsible way for the tween audience. The demand for that very much exists, and there’s little doubt that the SVODs have hit on an audience that is currently underserved. While CBBC has been screening challenging dramas such as The Dumping Ground, about a British children’s home, for years and continues to innovate, the commercial pay-TV networks and terrestrial platforms tend to play it safer.

“Commissioning decisions are advertiser-driven and shows are squarely aimed at a 6-to-11 target demographic because that’s what Kellogg’s wants,” notes Higgins. “The space where they can’t go is the space that Netflix and other SVODs cater to—and these audiences are hungry and want to be fed.”

Federation’s Michel agrees that one of the problems with financing tween drama is that terrestrial networks are programming in kids’ blocks and don’t want shows that are too adult-themed, whereas the SVODs are trying to go broader and older.

CASTING CALL The other major challenge in tween drama is finding the appropriate talent— youngsters who will be able to carry the story and be relatable to viewers.

Arne Lohmann, the VP of the junior slate at ZDF Enterprises, advises that when it comes to the production of tween drama, the casts should look older than their target audience. “Kids, in general, are more interested in what the slightly older ones are up to, so the protagonists should always be a bit older than the target group. Nevertheless, the stories need to be suitable. A good example is our new tween drama The Athena, based in the creative but fickle world of fashion.”

Produced by Foz Allan (Wolfblood, The Dumping Ground, Hetty Feather), The Athena, which will air on Sky Kids in the U.K. next year, will have a

look and feel comparable to programming for young adults. “But the scripts are targeted at the tween demographic with stories and situations suitable for their age,” declares Lohmann.

“For tween dramas, the main cast has to look 13 to 16 because the audience is very aspirational,” agrees Michel. The target audience is “not getting a realistic vision of the future but a fantasized version of what they think their lives will be in five years.”

Tween dramas should assume a mostly female audience, Michel adds.

“Networks might talk about gender neutrality, but the audience for tween drama is basically 70 percent female.”

Tween girls are also firmly on the agenda at Mondo TV. Following the success of Heidi, Bienvenida a Casa, the group is planning more investments in the genre through its sister company Mondo TV Iberoamerica. “Fortunately, the market offers many opportunities to exploit this genre and our goal is to continue to benefit from them,” says Micheline Azoury, the head of TV sales and acquisition at Mondo TV. “The tween drama market we are aiming for is more girls than boys. Girls tend to want to grow up faster and watch what their older sisters are watching.”

Kids’ viewing habits can be very complicated or very simple, depending on your point of view. For Michel, it’s straightforward. “Kids broadly watch animation until they are 6 or 7, then they watch live action on SVOD or linear until 11 to 12, and then it’s off to YouTube. On YouTube teens and preteens find something that appeals to them, like I did when I was a teenager and stopped watching TV and started listening to the radio.

For 12- to 13-year-olds it’s all about freedom—they are interested in danger and taking risks and seek out different, edgier content.”

So can the polished, big-budget, SVOD-inspired tween series compete with the lure of low-cost edgy YouTube

Produced in Canada, Boat Rocker’s The Next Step focuses on a group of dancers.

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dreadful, there wasn’t much competition [since we had] a good show. So it was easy to sell.”

And just when more investment is needed, Canada and Australia, two key territories for kids’ live action, have been stepping back—the former roiled by consolidation, the latter struggling with changes to the funding ecosystem.

NEW SOURCES

Following the success of Heidi, Bienvenida a Casa, Mondo TV is planning additional live-action dramas for tween girls.

ZDFE.junior’s Lohmann says that fluctuations in the Canadian and Australian markets “had a significant impact on our coproductions. With the lack of funding from these countries, we will have to find other ways of financing to maintain the high standard and quality of the productions.”

If only all tween live action had the gilt-edged good fortune of The Next Step, the Canadian series that has spawned spinoffs such as the CBBC talent series Taking the Next Step, a stage show and a strong line of dance-related merchandising.

The reality is that most tween drama’s commercial potential is limited to channel distribution, so ideas need to travel well.

Shows that are too culturally specific or non-Englishlanguage and need dubbing tend to be a harder sell.

“Themes need to be universal,” says Boat Rocker’s Higgins.

“We try to create characters and stories and relatable issues and avoid concepts that are too culturally specific. This can often be—for better or worse—the North American high school experience. It has become a global staple so that even if kids around the world don’t have that experience, they still understand it—they get the references.”

Higgins adds, “Tweens are going through massive changes, both physically and psychologically, so if you can tap into that you are likely to be watched by kids wherever they are in the world.”

The consensus is to focus attention on strong storylines and characters and not to shy away from controversial subjects like violence or cyberbullying.

“It is important to address all those difficult subjects,” ZDFE.junior’s Lohmann says. “The audience needs a realistic view on such topics and it may help them to face the challenges of growing up.”

content? Yes, says Higgins at Boat Rocker. “Tweens have a number of sources for their entertainment, from the highend million-dollar dramas to YouTube, where things are much cheaper. But for drama, success comes down to delivering great characters and great stories—if you can do that, then they will watch.”

Everyone agrees there is a big opportunity to serve a market of tweens “watching up,” but can it be financed? Not terribly easily is the consensus, because production costs have gone up and finding money has become tougher.

First of all, the SVODs have helped push production values higher and have encouraged binge-watching habits, so tweens are developing bigger appetites, says ZDFE.junior’s Lohmann. “The audience is also demanding a cinematographic look for tween drama and productions now routinely include extensive CGI effects.

This all means that budgets are much higher than they were five years ago.”

A good example is ZDFE.junior’s new series Heirs of the Night, a sevenway European co-production. “Only combined investments from those partners enabled us to close the financing,” reveals Lohmann.

“It’s a micro, micro market,” says Federation’s Michel. “You have to convince two buyers to finance it or you are toast—and it’s a market where there aren’t too many commissioners.

It’s the global SVODs, Hulu, Disney and Nick and then a few channels such as ZDF, Rai, the BBC and ABC in Australia.”

But having financed Find Me in Paris, selling the series was pretty straightforward, admits Michel.

“Everyone was drawn to the luster and quality of the show. We created a new category and pushed it a step further. So once we had passed the financing, which was marblemedia’s Open Heart was accompanied by a mobile app and second-screen experience.

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Superights’ Pat the Dog.

EYES ON THE PRIZE Andy Fry hears from leading commissioners at global and local channels about budgets, wish lists and digital initiatives. rom the global pay-TV behemoths to marketleading commercial channels and pubcasters, the pressure has never been greater for programmers to deliver compelling, engaging content for kids amid heightened competition from OTT, YouTube and a million other digital distractions.

The good news for content makers and distributors is that, for the most part, channels have maintained their levels of investments in children’s programming.

“Lagardère Active’s youth channels are profitable,” reports Caroline Cochaux, managing director of TV at the French channels operator and president of its DTT service Gulli. “Gulli is in the top three most profitable DTT channels. Each year we invest 10 percent of our turnover in animation, including linear and nonlinear rights. This is a good performance in a market transformed by digital developments.”

Sebastian Debertin, the head of fiction, acquisitions and co-productions at German kids’ pubcaster KiKA, says budgets have not changed—but there is additional pressure because digital activities need to be financed with the existing pot of money.

Jackie Edwards, the head of acquisitions and independent animation at BBC Children’s, reflects a similar sentiment when she states, “Our budget for acquisitions and

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independent animation has stayed the same over the last few years, but there is more funding for digital commissions.”

All kids’ linear channels have stepped up their online and on-demand activities to keep up with constant changes in viewing habits. So securing as many rights to a show as possible is crucial.

KEEPING PACE “Consumer patterns are changing and we must adapt,” Cochaux notes. “We have learned to work with new [platforms], such as Netflix and YouTube. For example, our DreamWorks series have the first window on Netflix before arriving as linear exclusives on Gulli and Canal J. These series remain very efficient on our channels despite this first window. We are also present on YouTube with thematic channels that sometimes promote programs even before they are launched on linear.”

“We know we need to be everywhere our young, mobile fans are, so we don’t manage linear and nonlinear rights separately,” says Layla Lewis, the senior VP of global acquisitions and content partnerships at Nickelodeon. “The management of different rights creates opportunities for us to program across an entire ecosystem and also launch specifically focused, targeted and curated services, such as localized content unique to different markets in Noggin, our educational SVOD preschoolers app in Latin America and the U.S.”

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Hasbro worked with Cartoon Network on the development of Transformers: Cyberverse.

Lewis’s view is backed up by Orion Ross, the VP of content, animation, digital and acquisitions, at Disney Channels EMEA. “The way we manage linear and nonlinear rights is continuing to evolve. The rights we take may differ dramatically on a show to show basis. If a series is a co-production, we may have the flexibility to share rights with partners. The biggest challenge is trying to make our deals future-proof.”

Frank Dietz, the deputy program director and head of acquisitions and co-productions at Germany’s Super RTL, adds, “One of our most important objectives is to reach kids on every possible content platform and to create sustainable excitement for our brands. We are strong believers in controlling the rights to our own IP and always try to gain rights for our own SVOD platform, Kividoo.”

DIGITAL SPIN

As the market evolves and channels have to stretch their budgets over linear and digital platforms, partnerships have become increasingly important across the kids’ channel landscape.

Lewis explains that while Nickelodeon draws on a robust pipeline of shows from the U.S., the company can also be “flexible and partner with content creators in a number of different ways with different deal structures. A recent example is the prebuy acquisition we did for Becca’s Bunch from JAM Media, which we committed to very early on and then got involved in the production.”

Lewis says Nickelodeon is also developing a new CGI-animated series called Deer Run with iQiyi, China’s largest video streaming platform. “It’s the first time Nickelodeon has taken a Chinese original series from its conception stage. Overall, we are always looking for new ideas and formats that allow us to tell stories in a different way.”

Disney balances its in-house production activities with third-party collaborations, says Ross. “We create content by working with independent companies and studios across Europe. For co-productions, we work with independent studios in a way that lets them hold onto some of their IP.” Expanding on this theme, Ross adds, “We have several financing models and every series is different. We always look to set up a co-production structure that gives us the biggest budget we can achieve within the constraints of how the series is financed. We have more competition than ever and we have to deliver quality content, but that doesn’t mean throwing money at something; it can mean structuring the production in a smarter way.”

Cochaux at Lagardère says her channel group is involved with a raft of collaborations with French and international animation studios, including Squish with Cottonwood Media and Bionic Max with Gaumont.

Debertin at KiKA also points to the importance of coproductions. “We are very happy to have teamed up with Komixx for the animated series Dog Loves Books,” he says.

As Dietz notes, investing in digital is not just about making sure you can window effectively—it’s also about developing content exclusively for nonlinear services. “We invest in digital content significantly—apps, short-form content, etc.,” he says.

“With the launch of Viacom Digital Studios, producing original premium digital programming is a big priority across all Viacom brands,” adds Lewis.

“This is taking shape in a variety of ways, including the new JoJo and BowBow Show Show.”

Patricia Hidalgo, chief content officer for EMEA kids and international kids strategy at Turner, references The Heroic Quest of the Valiant Prince Ivandoe as a good example of how Turner is experimenting with digital formats. “The ten comedy shorts launched as part of an interactive web game. The ability to launch new content on digital platforms allows us to experiment with how we put content out and get almost instant feedback.”

Disney XD EMEA is one of the commissioning platforms for Gaumont’s Furiki Wheels.

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Disney Channel EMEA prebought the Brown Bag Films and Cyber Group co-production Sadie Sparks.

“For Christmas, we are also looking forward to Lupus Films’ The Lost Letter, which tells the story of an enthusiastic boy and a lonely old lady who share a love for Christmas.”

The KiKA exec also mentions Hope Works, a project initiated by BBC Children’s and Sky Kids. “Hope Works brings together broadcasters and production companies from all over the world to work on a series of short films for children aged 4 to 12. KiKA will work with Sixteen South on Rise, which explores the impact social networks can have on children when used uncontrolled.”

WISH LISTS Regardless of the funding model, kids’ commissioners are on the hunt for an eclectic mix of ideas and styles.

“For CBeebies, animation, please—we are always looking for fresh, inventive concepts with great characters and compelling stories,” says Edwards. “We only prebuy for the preschool channel. For 6 to 16, live action and animation are always on the shopping list, as are shows with a strong female lead. We’re always happy to see non-pink girl shows.” Comedy is, of course, key, “but we’re also interested in a strong action adventure with a public-service heart,” she adds.

Comedy remains the focus at Cartoon Network. Likewise at sister channel Boomerang, Hidalgo says she’s “looking at classic, slapstick humor and less complicated characters and stories. Together with Cyber Group Studios, we have produced Taffy, an homage to the Hanna-Barbera style.”

The focus at Boomerang, she continues, is “visually funny squash-and-stretch animation that we know is loved by the channel’s core audience target of kids 4 to 7.”

Cochaux also highlights comedy, but says Lagardère is “open to all projects, even the most atypical, as long as they match our values: openness, good humor and tolerance. We are delighted to find nuggets all over the world that represent our viewers’ diversity, whether in Rabat, Abidjan, Moscow or Paris.”

Concerning what Disney is looking for, Ross cites “character-driven and creator-driven comedies. Comedy is an

essential component for Disney Channel and Disney XD audiences. Our focus for Disney Junior remains on storytelling that incorporates a sense of magic, optimism, adventure and, of course, humor. We are also looking at different formats such as short-form, limited series, miniseries and special events, because the standard series formats are not the only game in town.”

FRESH PERSPECTIVES For Super RTL, Dietz has his eye on shows that are “not look-alikes and have a fresh fit in our portfolio.” The channel reinvented its programming lineup after it was forced to replace its pipeline of Disney content at the start of 2014. “As a result of that, we remain very active in every aspect of content sourcing,” Dietz says. “We will broadcast many originals over the next six months, some of which are co-produced or co-edited by Super RTL, and we have invested a lot of energy in the production process of these shows.”

At Super RTL’s main competitor, KiKA, Debertin is keeping an eye out for “appropriate, high-quality programs for 6to 9-year-olds, although an outstanding preschool show could also make it on our shopping list. We’re putting a lot of effort into co-production because it is difficult to find appropriate shows that reflect today’s kids’ needs. Too often there are action-driven, violent boys’ shows or far too many ‘pinkish’ girls’ shows on offer, which in terms of gender questions are very outdated.”

More generally, says Debertin, KiKA needs “kid-centric, character-driven, adventurous stories with a good portion of humor, reflecting issues like diversity. We are finishing the production and dubbing of Tib & Tumtum, a GO-N, TF1 and KiKA co-production that offers a wonderful new world for girls and boys. With Gerhard Hahn, we are preparing the first season of Mystery Museum. KiKA and Hahn Film are open to additional partners for co-production here.”

Debertin is also looking for new hits that can emulate shows like The Wild Adventures of Blinky Bill, Insectibles

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Gulli in France is one of the partners on the comedy Squish from Cottonwood Media.

and Super Wings. “In other words, shows that have a great potential to work for the core target as well as reach younger and older kids with humor and adventure. We found Super Wings and Insectibles in Asia, so we keep a close eye on concepts from this part of the world. In general, KiKA is looking for appropriate, high-quality TV shows which we can co-develop, wherever they come from.”

BACK IN ACTION While everyone is on the hunt for fresh, compelling ideas, there is still plenty of room on broadcaster schedules for shows based on existing IP. Nickelodeon, for example, is launching Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which Lewis says “reinvents the franchise for a new generation of fans.”

Disney Channel has in the works 101 Dalmatian Street, inspired by Dodie Smith’s 1956 novel and Walt Disney’s 1961 film 101 Dalmatians. “Disney has a wealth of heritage properties, and that allows us to draw on a well of storytelling and reimagine classics for a new audience,” Ross says.

Cochaux at Lagardère Active is excited to roll out the Barbie animated series Barbie Dreamtopia and Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures via its long-term partnership with Mattel.

Even with the wealth of content, new and returning, on the market, there are still some things that are in short supply. Super RTL’s Dietz points to the limited availability of kids’ live-action “because the shows don’t have the same shelf life as their animation equivalents.”

Turner’s Hidalgo references a lack of “experimental content that incorporates the language and style of YouTube. That’s something we are focusing on at Turner. Our team in Latin America launched two formats that worked well, Another Week and Toontubers. We’re now looking at rolling these out across EMEA. We’re also excited to have our own Cartoon Network YouTuber in EMEA, Toony Tube (a puppet).”

Nickelodeon’s Lewis adds, “There is a plethora of serialized content, but we’d love to see something that works as standalone episodes and is fun and funny. We are always happy to partner early, so come and talk to us.”

Commissioners are also eager for shows that address pressing contemporary issues. “Diversity and inclusion are very much top of mind,” says Turner’s Hidalgo. “Relatability has always been key for us, but it’s great that we’re now seeing more and more diverse characters.”

KiKA’s Debertin says he wants to see “stories that capture kids’ attention while addressing diversity in a way that goes far beyond the gender issue. We need content that strengthens not only the self-confidence and self-awareness of children but also their respect for other people, no matter what culture, country or religion they represent.”

The preschool offering on Germany’s Super RTL includes 9 Story’s hit PBS Kids animated series Daniel Tiger ’s Neighborhood.

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By Joanna Padovano Tong

Music-based children’s series are resonating with young viewers around the globe.

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TUNING IN here’s something about a song that can have a strong influence on a person’s mood. From an upbeat track evoking happy feelings to a slow tune that brings tears to the eyes, the power of music is undeniable. And for children who are still learning about their emotions, music can play a big role in the television they watch—whether it is in the form of background melodies that express a character’s attitude or songs that are central to a show’s main storyline.

“Music helps communicate emotion and meaning,” says Christine Brendle, the CEO of FUN Union. “Any story can be enhanced by musical scores where less is told and more is conveyed—joy, melancholy, disappointment, anger, etc.”

Music is key to the storytelling in BabyRiki, a preschool show that follows the adventures of five young characters as they explore their environment. “Each episode is 5 minutes long, comprising over 2 minutes of music for young children to dance and sing along to,” says Brendle.

Music is an integral aspect of the hit preschool series Peppa Pig, even though the show is not specifically about music per se. “First experiences for preschoolers are often the main thread of episodes, so catchy songs in the show often relate to moral messages,” says Olivier Dumont, the president of Entertainment One (eOne) Family & Brands. Examples include tunes about fruits and vegetables as well as recycling—“songs that relate to everyday activities that turn into little adventures for preschoolers.”

Also in the eOne Family & Brands catalog is the animated show PJ Masks, which features a very popular theme song. “In terms of the music on that show, we wanted a nostalgic style,” says Dumont. “Parents, as a result, really love the music in the show.”

T

FEEL THE RHYTHM Music plays a big role in the storyline for Taratabong: The World of the Meloditties, a preschool program focused on a group of creatures that communicate by sound and rhythm. “It’s very musical because it teaches kids the different notes and also the different instruments that exist,” says Jérôme Alby, the managing director of Mediatoon Distribution. The company also represents Teen Crumpets and MaXi, both of which feature prominent musical themes.

Jetpack Distribution’s portfolio includes Kazoops!, about a little boy who goes on musical journeys to explore the answers to his many questions about the world around him. “Each episode has a unique song sung by a musician,” says Dominic Gardiner, the company’s CEO. “The narrative of the song reflects the narrative of the series.”

The preschool program Boj follows the adventures of a rare Australian marsupial. “Music is a really strong backbone of that series,” says Gardiner. There is also Dennis &

Gnasher Unleashed!, based on the comic character Dennis the Menace, who, in the animated television show, plays guitar in a band with his friends.

Then there is Kitty is Not a Cat, an older-skewing animated comedy that Gardiner says “has got music at its core.” The show centers on a little girl who lives in a household of felines and thinks she is a cat. “Music in that show is more of a driver of style and attitude,” says Gardiner. “Music is not just added on to fill the gaps between the dialogue; it’s actually a really important thing that holds the whole series together and makes it feel different.”

CAT-CHY SONGS Speaking of felines, Portfolio Entertainment represents The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! “It’s got all of these very catchy, entertaining songs that seamlessly help with the storytelling,” says Lisa Olfman, the company’s cofounder and CEO. “They heighten an emotion or a mood or some activity they’re doing in that moment in time. It allows the kids to get physical in front of their screen, where they can jump up, they can dance, they can sing along. The songs really help complement the storytelling.”

Another feline-focused series that incorporates music is 44 Cats. “The name of the show references a song from 1968 that won a children’s music contest in Italy and since then has become a much-loved part of Italian culture,” says Cristiana Buzzelli, the senior VP of sales and acquisitions at Rainbow. “The lovable cats in the show are part of a music band that breaks into song at every opportunity.”

Rainbow’s catalog also includes the animated Winx Club and live-action Maggie & Bianca Fashion Friends.

“Maggie & Bianca Fashion Friends has a massive musical element and is proving to be hugely popular amongst teens and tweens, [while] Winx Club addresses girls 6 to 9 years old,” says Buzzelli. “At Rainbow, we firmly believe that music is a fundamental element of every IP for children and families.”

The animated series LoliRock is part of the Zodiak Kids portfolio. The show follows the adventures of a teen girl who, after joining a band, discovers that she is an alien princess with magical powers. LoliRock is geared toward young viewers between the ages of 6 and 11. “Kids relate to the magic and language of music,” says Eryk Casemiro, the chief creative officer of Zodiak Kids Studios.

Beat Bugs, a Netflix commission that is sold by Beyond Distribution, incorporates songs made famous by The Beatles. “We wanted to bring the extraordinary music of The Beatles to life on screen with heart and imagination, so a new generation of viewers and listeners all over the world could learn to appreciate the music and all it has to offer,” says Josh Wakely, who created the animated series.

“We were able to dissect the vibrant imagery within the

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Beat Bugs, sold by Beyond Distribution, incorporates songs made famous by The Beatles.

lyrics of each song and reimagine the world in a way we haven’t seen on television before, in a way that both kids and parents can experience and enjoy together.”

LEARN TO THE BEAT

But these types of shows can also prove difficult when it comes to securing international sales.

“There are several challenges linked to the initial costs for the original songs/scores, followed by adapting and dubbing costs,” says FUN Union’s Brendle.

“Joy Rosen [also co-founder and CEO at Portfolio] oversees our global distribution division and every time we talk about [musical] shows—either our shows or other people’s shows that we’ve acquired that have a number of songs in them—she goes, OK, that’s going to be tough,” says Olfman.

“What makes that challenging is, first of all, it’s very expensive.

Translating and dubbing songs into a country’s native language presents both a creative and a technical challenge. Song lyrics can rarely be directly translated and still fit with the existing music, so it means we’re hiring creative writers to adapt the lyrics.”

At Zodiak Kids, “When you say you’re going to have music in a show to your sales team for distribution, their eyes roll to the back of their heads and they convulse because it’s expensive to dub songs,” quips Casemiro.

“When you’re going into different languages, not all dubbing actors and actresses can sing. Then you have the complication of lyrics and language. There’s a certain amount of syllables you can get away with when lip-synching speech [that] in song you can’t because there’s rhythm. So it becomes much more expensive.”

“The tricky part about shows that are based on music is that it’s always more expensive to exploit,” agrees Mediatoon’s Alby. “Then you have to translate a show; it’s easy to translate dialogue [but] you don’t always find a good actor that

In addition to its entertainment value, music in kids’ TV programming can be an effective teaching tool. “Young children learn better when they move and dance while experimenting with a new concept,” says FUN Union’s Brendle. “Kinesthetic learning—when a notion is acquired through movement or physical activities rather than listening to a lecture—is particularly adapted to young children.

Anyone who has tried to memorize a long piece of text by adding a tune or a dance to it will understand the appeal of musical shows for children.”

“Funny words and rhymes set to memorable melodies are a part of almost every child’s development,” says Portfolio’s Olfman. “Children learn extremely well through songs.... The pure entertainment value of fun songs really helps cement the show in a child’s mind.”

Music also helps keep a show fun and light while simultaneously giving youngsters an outlet for their seemingly endless amounts of energy. “Younger audiences are attracted to music as they love to move about, and when they are listening to music they are swaying, bouncing, dancing, marching and clapping,” says Rainbow’s Buzzelli.

Aside from the benefits for viewers, music-based kids’ series are also appealing to distributors due to their universal nature. “Music is the most international language there is; that’s something we have in common in all cultures,” says Mediatoon’s Alby.

Rainbow’s 44 Cats, inspired by a famous Italian song, features characters who play in a band.

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Music helps to drive the storytelling in Portfolio’s The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!

can also be a good singer, especially when it’s programmed for kids, which can be even more tricky. And of course, that significantly increases the dubbing costs.”

Dumont at eOne Family & Brands also mentions the difficulty of securing the international rights for songs. “You need to make sure your music is cleared for everywhere, which is not always easy,” he says. “Beyond this, it’s the cost—particularly the lyrics to the songs when dubbing— that is very expensive. So when songs are [involved], you need to make sure that the show is really strong.”

TEST OF TIME In order to have a music-based kids’ show that can be sold into territories around the globe, it’s crucial to have a solid storyline to justify the high costs associated with translating and dubbing.

“You need to have a good plot,” emphasizes Mediatoon’s Alby. “The character diamond has to be well-polished.

Music is very good for a show, but if it lacks the other key components, it will be a failure.”

It’s also important that the music will remain relevant as time goes by. “Music can date a program,” says Jetpack’s Gardiner. “If you’re watching stuff from the ’80s, the first thing you always notice is the music. A lot of preschool stays quite timeless because of the types of music. You’ve got to be careful with music; you want it to be cool, you want it to feel light and resonate now, but at the same time, you don’t want to make it too tied to a particular style because in three or four years, [it may not] stand the test of time.”

In addition, producers should include the right music for the audience that’s being targeted. “Occasionally, you’ll get somebody who’s trying to use inappropriate, older-skewing music for preschoolers because they think that’s really cool,” notes Gardiner. Music should also be authentic and relevant to what is taking place in the show. “Sometimes in comedy, music’s really just there for comedic effect,” he adds. “But if your series is about a bunch of skaters on high-tech missions, you want to make sure the music reflects what kids might actually be doing today in the real world, and therefore you’ve got to get artists or musicians who are able to emulate that.”

“The songs must be connected with the themes and values of the show so that they are an integral part of the content,” concurs Rainbow’s Buzzelli. “Only once this is properly done can music be a central part of what makes a brand successful.”

Zodiak Kids’ Casemiro also suggests that producers of preschool programming switch up the musical style every now and then. “Preschool music should allow a live instrument or two,” he says. “We don’t always have to use synthesizers in our scores for kids’ shows.”

Even for series where music is not central to the storyline, Gardiner feels that it’s best to get a head start on

Characters take the form of musical instruments in Mediatoon Distribution’s preschool series Taratabong: The World of the Meloditties.

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Preschoolers are encouraged to sing along and dance to the songs featured in FUN Union’s BabyRiki.

mapping out the score. “Music often is one of the last things that people think about when they’re making a show,” he says. “They spend so long sitting in front of bibles and artwork and pitch materials, then they go into production and it’s all drawings and computers. At the end, somebody is like, Oh right! It’ll feel empty without music, what are we going to do? [Instead of] suddenly just adding music, you probably should have made sure that musical direction was woven in at an early stage.”

LICENSING POTENTIAL L&M can be extremely complementary for this type of programming. “Licensing and merchandising is always important and strengthens the brand across a number of mediums and platforms,” says Portfolio’s Olfman. “Kids feel like they need something to hug, they need something to hold, they need something to sing along to, something to play from the show, and all of it reinforces the relationship to the characters.”

However, Zodiak Kids’ Casemiro cautions against nonlinear extensions just for the sake of it. “You never want the tail to wag the dog,” he says. “You want that business to follow organically and make the experience for the user better.

That’s easier said than done; we all know how hard the music business is and how different it is.”

“Music is a huge part of all the experiential activities” for Peppa Pig, notes eOne Family’s Dumont. “We have a theme park in the U.K. called Peppa Pig World, so music is a great way to make the show come alive in those parks.” Another example is Move with Peppa, a series of classes and parties for kids that use music to encourage them to stay active. Then there are Peppa Pig musical albums, with new releases in the works as the property gears up to celebrate its 15th anniversary next year.

Dumont continues, “Music is also a big part of all the apps that we make on each of our shows. We created a subscriptionbased app called World of Peppa Pig, in which music is featured very prominently. The minute you download the initial app, you’re greeted by the theme song for the show. It’s a really key part of getting more recognizability of the brand and hooking fans into any of the extensions.”

“With our master toy partner for 44 Cats (Toy Plus), we are developing a wide range of toys and every item features musical content that is linked to the TV show,” says Rainbow’s Buzzelli. “Music also gives a wonderful added value to digital media content to support the show.”

Jetpack’s Gardiner adds, “Kids want to listen to stuff that they see on TV. It makes them happy; it makes them want to sing along. If you can use music from a series to connect, it’s a very powerful thing.”

Three friends form a band and try to be ordinary teens while saving the world in Zodiak Kids’ fantasy series LoliRock.

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Eye Present & Gigglebug’s Best & Bester.

Gaming extensions have become essential to many kids’ TV brands. By David Wood t’s been reported that some 125 million people worldwide play Fortnite, which has been the biggest story in online gaming this year.

Many of those players are kids, spawning parenting blogs with titles like “What The Heck Is Fortnite, And Why Are My Kids Obsessed With It?” and “Why Can’t My Kids Stop Playing Fortnite?”

The Fortnite phenomenon—on the heels of the Pokémon GO craze—has underlined the importance of gaming extensions to kids’ shows as producers and broadcasters alike look for new ways to get viewers to spend more time with their properties.

I

“The primary reason for investing in gaming extensions is they extend the life of the property beyond the TV show,” states Pierre Sissmann, the chairman and CEO of Cyber Group Studios, which created a new interactive division this year. “They increase the engagement of the audience.”

Frank Falcone, president and executive creative director at Guru Studio, concurs, noting, “Game extensions allow us to bring a show’s core values to an interactive medium and let children build deeper connections to the characters they already love. For instance, with True and the Rainbow Kingdom, we focused on the core values of kindness, problem-solving and mindfulness, which are transferred over to our game True Wishes through task-related

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Cyber Group, which is premiering Gigantosaurus at MIPJunior, recently established a new gaming and interactive division.

problem-solving for preschoolers. New platforms and devices are popping up all the time, so to stay top of mind it’s important to be where kids are and where they’ll be next.”

Brice Dubat, interactive creative director at TeamTO, the French animation studio behind the 41 Entertainmentdistributed Skylanders Academy, which is based on the Activision video game, and the CAKE-represented Angelo Rules, points out that another big plus of gaming is that it can keep viewers connected with a property, particularly outside of the broadcast windows.

“A long time can go by between two seasons of a show, so by investing in video games you can continue creating content between seasons,” Dubat explains.

“Gaming can also be used to promote the show along with a TV launch campaign, and is also a good way to reconnect the show with former viewers. Angelo Rules launched eight years ago, so people who started watching it then are teenagers now. They no longer watch the show but are happy to download a game and play with their old friend.”

Thierry Braille, the head of Cyber Group’s interactive and video game division, emphasizes that gaming experiences have multiple benefits for the young.

“Playing a well-designed game can contribute to the development of the young players’ skills, such as decision-making, understanding choice and consequences, improving psychomotricity [the interrelationship of mental processes and motor skills], increasing agility and developing concentration and memorization. These are things that watching a linear TV show cannot do.”

Braille adds, “And if watching a TV show is a personal experience, playing a game is an experience that children love sharing with others. To this point, we will make sure our games offer multiplayer features so that the children can play with their parents, friends or siblings.”

Cyber Group Studios is taking the gaming side of its business very seriously. Braille, former VP and managing director of Disney Interactive EMEA, joined the French independent producer and distributor earlier this year to drive the development of games and interactive experiences on digital platforms (iOS, Android) as well as on consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch) and PCs. Braille will apply his know-how to Cyber Group-owned and third-party brands developed as TV series, including Gigantosaurus,

LEARNING THROUGH PLAY For Sesame Workshop, the producer of the world-famous preschool brand Sesame Street, the prime motivation for gaming extensions is education.

“Education is the pillar of everything we do—show or game,” says Michelle NewmanKaplan, assistant director of learning design at the nonprofit organization. “Some use games to keep a connection with their IP, but we use them to connect to the learning experience. Sesame Street has enormous potential for direct instruction. We are able to walk kids through learning opportunities, but this is a pretty passive experience. With games, kids can learn through play, becoming active participants in their learning experience, and we can give them immediate feedback. This increases learning and mastery of skills.”

41 Entertainment distributes the TeamTO-produced Skylanders Academy.

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Sadie Sparks, Zorro the Chronicles and Zou. “Each gaming platform has its own audience and its own technological benefit,” Braille says. “For Gigantosaurus, we have designed a great game concept that can be played on any platform. We will be looking at making it available on as many devices as possible. Each version of the game will leverage the specificities of its platform.”

AGAIN AND AGAIN When it comes to spinning off a game from a TV proposition, there is a lot to think about. For starters, crafting TV narratives and designing gameplay require very different skill sets, says Marc du Pontavice, the chairman and CEO of Xilam. “The scripted Sesame Workshop’s educational games are built around its beloved characters like Elmo. business is all about storytelling.

Guru Studio uses both approaches in game development, But gaming is all about the gameplay. However much you Falcone says. “We have a hybrid approach and adapt it to the know about the storytelling, it’s never going to tell you how specific project. We have an internal games team that has built to invent and create good gameplay that kids will want to several successful games over the years, including extensions repeat again and again.” for our preschool series Justin Time. At the same time, when That’s why so many TV producers have hired gaming additional resources or skill sets are required, we seek out partexperts to run their interactive divisions and are outsourcners, as was the case for True and the Rainbow Kingdom.” ing more complex extensions to specialist agencies.

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rewarded while they play. Our goal is to produce games All independent producers of kids’ content face the chalthat the players not only finish but also want to replay lenge of how to fund gaming extensions. many times. In order to achieve that, the game needs to “Producers should expect to budget around $200,000 for a constantly introduce new challenges.” mobile game,” says Xilam’s du Pontavice, with games for higher-end platforms likely to cost considerably more. More complex gameplay and higher-resolution graphics and video all add to the cost. The benefit is that big platforms and games For Sesame Workshop’s Newman-Kaplan, intuitive and publishers are more likely to pay a fee to develop a game.” straightforward gameplay is critical for younger gamers.

The choice is whether to license a popular kids’ brand to “Make sure there is no barrier to entry to stop kids engaga third party for game development or to develop it youring,” she advises. “We make sure our instructions are clear self, which involves upfront investment and risk but and concise. And we always put games in front of the higher potential revenues. experts—preschoolers—so we are able to make revisions Braille at Cyber Group says that the most critical step is to and improve them.” identify the most appropriate development studio for a particular game.

“Each studio has its own gameplay expertise. Some are experts in racing games while others are the best in action-adventure games. Our vision is that our games should include gameplay values such as innovation. Innovation has been a key driver of Cyber Group’s rapid growth in TV animation—it is part of the company’s DNA and it is also a common trait of all successful games.”

Braille continues, “Also, players need to feel they are constantly making progress and have to be Chop Chop Ninja, based on the mobile games, is a new series on offer from GoldBee.

PLAYTIME

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Todd Slepian, a senior digital producer at Sesame Workshop, adds, “In gameplay, we design in time-outs to support the child—to prevent them from becoming discouraged. When they come up with wrong answers, we have structures to guide them through and keep them engaged.”

DNA PROFILES It’s also crucial to translate elements of a show’s DNA into the gameplay, Cyber Group’s Braille says.

“The first step is to identify the most relevant gameplay to transpose the values of the show while making sure we can deliver the best possible gaming experience. With the development studio, we produce a high-level game design highlighting the key features. Xilam’s Oggy and the Cockroaches has a dedicated mobile gaming app.

We then develop the full game design While thematic or creative connections between TV as well as a playable execution of the game’s key features. It show and game are important, designing physical links allows us to validate that the game will deliver the experibetween the two media, such as codes contained in the ence we have in mind. During the development process, we show that can be used to unlock gaming levels, can be organize focus groups so that we collect feedback on the level of tricky, argues Genevieve Dexter, the CEO of distribution difficulty of the game, its perceived values and competitive outfit Serious Lunch and production company Eye advantages. We transpose the DNA of the show to the game by Present. “Plenty of companies are looking at it,” she developing both in parallel via an iterative brainstorming says. “Sometimes it works, but sometimes it’s just too process. The idea is that the show and the game generate great complicated—particularly for a younger, less sophistiexperiences as standalone products, but together they create cated gaming audience.” an unparalleled enhanced experience.”

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“The main challenge is the difference of temporality,” says TeamTO’s Dubat. “Watching a TV show is like a meeting. It happens at a certain time, at a certain place. It’s also broadcast a long time after being produced. Games usually have a shorter lifetime and evolve quickly depending on how players play and react to the game. If a game needs a special code to unlock some levels that will only appear in an episode of the TV show, it could be very frustrating to be blocked in the game because the episode has not yet been broadcast. There are a lot of possibilities, but also a lot of things that could go very wrong.”

Having direct links between games and TV episodes can also make the process more expensive, says Eye Present’s Dexter. The goal for many companies is to support the development of games by persuading the end user to pay for downloads, although in the kids’ market that usually involves the complication of convincing a parental gatekeeper to purchase it.

“Besides, people generally expect kids’ games and apps linked to TV shows to be free—particularly those associated with public-service content,” says Dexter, who has been involved in the development of two games to support the CBBC show Operation Ouch!, which Serious Lunch distributes.

“People are more likely to be willing to pay for content specifically designed to educate that is not linked to a TV brand,” she declares.

The aforementioned Skylanders Academy is just one of several examples of video games being adapted into a TV series.

Dexter explains that her animation studio, Eye Present, is making a 78x7-minute comedy series, Best & Bester, for 6- to 9-yearolds with the Finnish producer Gigglebug. “At the center is a simple principle—comparison and choice—with two characters who have to choose to be a new thing every day,” Dexter says.

“Originally it was a game, but we are making it into a show by developing it in tandem.”

“Games can reach very large audiences globally and successful games do present opportunities to become TV shows,” Cyber Group’s Braille says. “For example, Cyber Group helped turn the Mini Ninjas adventure-action game into a TV show.”

APP INSPIRATION GoldBee arrives at MIPCOM with Chop Chop Ninja, a series of 11-minute episodes and accompanying interstitials based on “ten apps that have generated over 20 million downloads,” says Christophe Goldberger, managing director. “The Chop Chop Ninja brand already has awareness in the market because of the success of its apps and because the fillers have been successful on many platforms.”

Guru’s Falcone adds, “We recently helped launch an indie game studio called 4L Games whose adventure game FRACTER has quickly risen to the top of the App Store charts. Though not strictly a kids’ property, it has a very wide appeal and is gaining incredible traction. The next IP hit could very likely come from the world of mobile gaming, and at some point maybe even FRACTER will have licensing and broadcast opportunities. We leave no stone unturned.”

The gaming space certainly holds lots of potential for kids’ producers, with high-tech areas such as augmented reality being actively explored to produce concepts that could bring TV shows and gaming together. This would undoubtedly take TV show gaming to the next level.

“I have heard there is some very heavy R&D going into enabling gameplay within a TV show,” says Dexter. “While nobody is convinced about the potential of virtual reality, with AR you could play a game within the TV show at the same time as you are watching it.”

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TV KIDS: How has the last year been for Super RTL in terms of ratings and market share?

SCHMIT: Fantastic! In 2017 we had a share of 21.5 percent; our colleagues from Disney had 9.1 percent and Nickelodeon had 7.8 percent. So we had more than double the share of our [commercial] competition, and more than the competition combined. We cannot complain—it was a really good year.

TV KIDS: What’s driven that dominance for you?

SCHMIT: Our in-house productions, our magazines, are working very well. That’s not surprising, because they distinguish us from the American channels. We do invest heavily in our own shows. We have Super Toy Club, which we first had on air 15 years ago. Boys compete against girls and the winning team gets three minutes to run through the aisles of a toy store collecting whatever they want in a shopping cart. We are producing the second season and there are more seasons to come. We have Woozle Goozle, a science and knowledge magazine that is very funny. The classic Warner Bros. titles are doing very well. The DreamWorks shows are doing fine. Angelo! is doing terrifically. PAW Patrol, a Nickelodeon production, airs on Super RTL and the ratings are going through the roof. It has a huge market share among younger kids. It’s our best-performing preschool format. We are also the merchandising agent on PAW Patrol. That’s a very interesting blueprint. We did a similar deal with Peppa Pig, which was part of German public television’s Die Sendung mit der Maus (The Show with the Mouse). That is working well as well. That might be a blueprint for future cooperation.

By Mansha Daswani

An institution in children’s broadcasting in Europe, Super RTL has never shied away from embracing change to move its business forward. As the marketplace in Germany has evolved over the last few years, Super RTL has shifted with it. In 2014, when The Walt Disney Company (co-owner of Super RTL with RTL Group) opted to launch its own outlet in the country, Super RTL found a raft of new suppliers to make up for the content it was losing. As viewing has moved online, Super RTL has stepped up its digital initiatives.

With young ones spending more and more time on YouTube, the channel is exploring what it can do in the short-form web content space. CEO Claude Schmit tells TV Kids about how Super RTL is strengthening its position as a market leader in linear TV while expanding its reach onto all the other platforms kids are seeking out content from today.

TV KIDS: What have been some of the key lessons since the move away from Disney Channel content to sourcing from the open market?

SCHMIT: We learned that there is a lot of stuff available. That is the good part. We also learned, the hard way, that most of that additional volume has been triggered by Netflix, Amazon and company—they are investing heavily. Our expectations are entirely different from those at Netflix. We need shows that are self-contained; we are not for the binge-watchers. Our shows have to have endings. We don’t want kids to be anxious to see what’s going to come next; interested, yes, anxious, no. Netflix wants to generate subscriptions, and they want to do it fast. After a week of being binge-watched, the format can die, as far as they’re concerned. We are in the long-term business. We are in the episode-by-episode business. We also noticed that Netflix is a niche offer, they are not targeting a large audience, so the product under their direction tends to become more niche and less suitable for Super RTL. We are lucky that other people are producing good shows that suit our needs well. We have good products from Warner Bros., NBCUniversal, Sony and also from our Canadian partners, our French partners, from Australia, and we have our own productions. So the mix is what makes the difference.

TV KIDS: We’re always hearing about how kids are growing up faster than before. Has that impacted your programming strategy? Have you needed to age up, or down, any of your shows?

SCHMIT: I don’t think kids have changed so much. They do have other means at their disposal to satisfy their need for

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Acquisitions on Super RTL include Entertainment One’s hit series Peppa Pig.

highly entertaining shows, be it digital or linear. The offer has expanded dramatically. However, I don’t think children have changed, especially the younger ones. Yes, the older ones have become older faster, that is true, but the younger ones haven’t, or at least to a much lesser extent.

From 3 to 6, kids are undergoing such fundamental educational processes. You cannot speed them up. A 12- or 13-year-old is older nowadays than he used to be. But a 3-year-old is still a 3-year-old.

TV KIDS: There have been many headlines recently about immigration in Europe. Are you thinking about any future shifts in your content strategy for these emerging populations in Germany?

SCHMIT: Almost 30 percent of the kids living in Germany have a migrant background. We know they use Super RTL as an integration vehicle; it even sometimes supports them learning German.

TV KIDS: How has the advertising market been?

SCHMIT: I would love to report 20-percent growth. It’s a saturated market. You might have a percentage point up or down, but we are not expecting substantial additional advertising revenues to flow towards linear. We are expecting to see additional advertising money flow to digital. We have nearly doubled our reach in digital over the last years, and have quadrupled our sales.

Unfortunately, it is still at a low level compared with what we do on linear, but it is increasing. The increase is a very nice development. However, the absolute numbers are still very small.

TV KIDS: Tell us about those digital initiatives. What have you learned from them so far?

SCHMIT: We are learning on a daily basis. We have refocused Toggo.de, which is our main website for school kids. We have added a video app to that offer and, in January, a games app. We feel that video and games are two different offers, so we had to separate them. Those two apps have been doing tremendously well. The Toggo video app was very successful. We have launched a Toggolino video app.

We launched a new product in the preschool business called WoodieHoo. It’s a games app for preschool children that we developed internally. It’s 100-percent owned by Super RTL and has been set up in a way that we can easily transform it into a linear television show if we want to.

Because it’s preschool, and there are no speaking characters, we can do it internationally. We are going to launch it in China and the U.K. Furthermore, we are working on a total relaunch of our Toggolino offer by concentrating everything in one app—video, gaming, audio, reading material; everything you need as a parent to offer high-quality educational entertainment to your kids. The Toggolino media hub will launch in November. In addition to that, we will launch a social media offer for kids called PopShake. There is a comparable model in the U.K. named PopJam. We will license the technical platform and build a German version early next year. We’re launching the Super Toy Club app, extending the show digitally, and we’re launching a Woozle Goozle app.

In-house productions, such as Woozle Goozle, have helped Super RTL maintain its ratings lead.

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Super RTL took on the German broadcast and L&M rights to the preschool hit PAW Patrol.

In addition to all those visible actions, we’ve hired a data architect and are now looking into data collection, how to use it and what to learn from it. We are reviewing our IT and social media structure as well as our data management, front-end technical solutions and back-end technical solutions. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work happening to make us fit for the digital future.

TV KIDS: You mentioned earlier that Super RTL is the German merchandising agency for PAW Patrol and Peppa Pig. How has your licensing and merchandising business been, and what are your forecasts for it in the years ahead?

SCHMIT: Fifty percent plus. There is much positivity in that business right now. We are, after Disney, number two in the merchandising field in Germany; we used to be number four or five. A powerful impact is coming from PAW Patrol.

That is going through the roof.

TV KIDS: And in addition to the third-party brands, are you developing consumer-products extensions to your inhouse properties?

SCHMIT: We are launching consumer products for Woozle Goozle and Super Toy Club.

TV KIDS: Tell us about Super RTL’s research initiatives to better understand your audience and how they are engaging with your content.

SCHMIT: We are the number one spender as far as kids research in Germany is concerned. This includes a lot of traditional research, for instance, different tests to better understand the media usage of kids. Now we are looking into the new way of collecting data, where we have a disadvantage. Netflix, Google and Amazon are better at handling their data exploitation. We are not there yet, but we are working on it. That’s why we hired data architects, data managers. We combine the traditional way of collecting data with the new way of collecting data.

TV KIDS: How is your SVOD platform, Kividoo, performing?

SCHMIT: We launched it three years ago. When launching a TV show, it has to be perfect, because there is no second

chance. In digital it’s different. We said, We’re launching Kividoo and it’s not perfect, but we’ll launch it and see how it works. It will turn profitable next year, which, in the digital world, is a hell of an achievement. We increased our initial business plan. We even changed it to a better [forecast]. In addition, on Kividoo we now have content from Viacom and many other content producers, not just Super RTL. TV KIDS: Would you consider producing content specifically for Kividoo?

SCHMIT: Not as a priority. We have a system called near IP. If you create something, you are the IP owner. We succeed in securing precisely the IP rights we need for Germany, particularly because of our merchandising activities. We do not have to pay for the rights for international territories; we pay only for Germany. We have all the rights we need to fill our platforms. Near IP for us is a better solution than IP. TV KIDS: What are your other significant goals and growth priorities in the 12 to 18 months ahead?

SCHMIT: We have launched our own web content studio as we produce our own content now. We have hired people who are very familiar with content produced for YouTube. They have their own department, their own studio. The aim is to produce original material for [streaming] three days a week, every week. That will be increased to seven days a week over the next six months or one year. We’ll have one brand-new daily web show on air. It’s possible that we’ll include something we have not done before: news for kids.

Furthermore, we’re focused on sourcing the right content for our platforms. We don’t have content planning for TV, linear, apps. We have a content board bundling all content “wishes” from all our platforms. All the properties are run through that department and then dispatched to whoever wants them. All the members discuss what they want, what is needed and then we check our portfolio. If we don’t have it, we buy it or produce it ourselves.

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By Mansha Daswani

Since its premiere in 2015, We Bare Bears has emerged as a popculture phenomenon, attracting celebrity guest stars and earning its first-ever Emmy nomination this summer. Created by Daniel Chong for Cartoon Network, the charming animated comedy—which won a BAFTA Children’s Award in 2016—about three misfit bears and their misadventures has become a hit with kids (and their parents) across the globe. Chong tells TV Kids about his inspiration for the series and reaching the 100-episode milestone.

TV KIDS: What was the inspiration for your The Three Bare Bears webcomic, and how did it become a TV show?

CHONG: I was working in feature animation, and I think I needed an outlet. I was in the library with my girlfriend’s niece, and I drew these three bears stacked on top of each other, and it just made her laugh! So I went with it. The webcomic came from that. It was just a goofy thing I put online that almost nobody read! Eventually, I realized I wanted to make it a TV show because I wanted more for my career. So I formed it into what I thought could be a TV show, and then I worked with Cartoon Network to fine-tune it.

TV KIDS: How did you define the characteristics of each of your three main characters?

CHONG: The nice thing was, I had the bears stacked on top of each other from the beginning. As I looked at them as a stack, I thought, well, maybe they are brothers and maybe there’s a reason they stack—there’s a brothers’ hierarchy. So the top bear, Grizzly, is the older brother, he’s the leader, he tells them where to go, he can see more than anyone else. The middle brother is Panda and he’s the middle child—more emotional, more to himself, more of the rebel. And then the bottom bear, Ice Bear, he’s the younger brother, not paid much attention to, more of an oddball. In a way, it naturally all came together once I saw them as siblings.

TV KIDS: What were some of the things you were listening for as you were voice casting the show?

CHONG: For Grizzly, I needed someone who felt like a leader, who felt like somebody who could take charge and people would want to follow him. Eric Edelstein was very welcoming and you could tell he lit up a room.

That’s exactly what Grizzly needed to be.

For Panda, I was looking for someone who could play the sweet side and be broad. Panda tends to have the worst luck of all three bears. He gets put into bad predicaments.

Bobby Moynihan played the comedy so well. And then for Ice Bear, I needed someone who could be quick with his delivery and very succinct, but also very funny and make an impression. Demetri Martin’s comedy is like that. It’s short one-liners; he makes a point and moves on. They all worked out perfectly for what I needed.

TV KIDS: I understand that you created the show in part to reflect what it’s like to be a minority and feel like an outsider. At a time when the immigration debate is front and center, do you think that message has taken on even more resonance?

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We Bare Bears is now in its fourth season on Cartoon Network.

CHONG: Absolutely. And the nice thing about animation is I can use these three bears to tell these stories about something that hopefully everyone will understand. And I hope that everyone sees that we’re all pretty much the same, and we all have the same struggles and problems and issues.

That’s the nice metaphor that we can show the world and hopefully illuminate some of the problems that the world is having right now.

TV KIDS: What kind of creative environment have you found at Cartoon Network Studios?

CHONG: They know when to step in, and they know when to leave you alone. That is probably the most valuable thing you can hope for when you’re being guided by a network.

And I think they’ve balanced it very well. There were times when I was a little unsure or something was unclear, and they would step in and start asking the right questions and start poking at the right things, and they’d allow us to problem-solve it ourselves and find our own way to resolve a situation that maybe needed to be cleared up. I’m very appreciative of the freedom they’ve given us.

TV KIDS: You’ve made a lot of episodes! How do you approach keeping it fresh every season?

CHONG: It is hard. As you get further in, it becomes less about me and more about the team. For me as showrunner, it’s about knowing the things I can let go of and the different places I can allow the show to go. I have to be a little more open-minded. The show has benefited from that. Getting to 100 episodes is the culmination of me and my team taking ownership and wanting it to be more than it is.

TV KIDS: I’ve been told by many media execs that writing comedy for children is the hardest thing to get right. How do you know when you have the appropriate tone for your demo? How do you know if you’ve taken the comedy too far in a grown-up direction?

CHONG: The key is, we don’t think of kids right away when we’re writing. If we’re laughing a lot at an episode, we believe that’s going to be a good thing for the audience. The only thing we can do to write comedy for children is to entertain ourselves and make sure we like it. The studio will help if

they think something is a little too out of reach. But overall, my taste and the tastes of my team align with what children will like. We follow our own instincts.

TV KIDS: Some of the episodes feature the three bears as toddlers. What storytelling challenges do the baby bears present?

CHONG: The baby bears were there from the webcomic, so they were built into the original pitch, but I didn’t realize how important they were going to be to the show. I thought we’d do one or two [episodes with them every] season, but we’ve done a lot more. That’s not just because they became really popular and fun to do. They provided a different style of storytelling that we could play with. The baby bears can be a little crazier, a little broader. They’re honestly a little smarter than the adult bears! They can go anywhere, which has been very liberating for us. We use them to break up the storytelling, so it’s not always the adult bears in the city dealing with possibly more adult problems. They give us a different sort of mood to go with. It’s honestly been a lifesaver to have them in our arsenal.

TV KIDS: What inspires you creatively?

CHONG: I grew up reading a lot of comic strips, like Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes. I learned how to draw that way. I would copy comic strips. But then I started getting into animation. One of the first things that struck me was Aardman’s Wallace & Gromit. The comedic sensibility, the deadpan dryness, I thought it was so funny and so appealing to adults and to me as a kid. Those are my main inspirations.

TV KIDS: Are you looking to develop other projects, or do the bears take up all of your time?

CHONG: We Bare Bears takes up tons of time! It’s a very timeconsuming project. Even though they’re drawn very simply, it’s a super complex show to make. How big can the episodes get? How many backgrounds and characters [can we have]?

These things have haunted us since day one. Everyone going into it, even the animation studio, thought it was not going to be a hard show to make, but it turned out to be really, really hard! It’s a lot of work to make the show, but the great thing is I have a team of very talented people who care about the show. That’s what got us to over 100 episodes.

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From 2003 to 2007, Raven-Symoné endeared herself to tweens around the world as Raven Baxter, the young psychic on Disney Channel’s That’s So Raven, whose attempts to make her visions a reality resulted in hilarious escapades. A decade later, she is back on Disney Channel, reprising the role in Raven’s Home, on which she also serves as an executive producer. The series centers on her character’s twins, one of whom has inherited her psychic gene. Raven-Symoné tells TV Kids about returning to the role as a grownup and the importance of children’s television in shaping the minds of future generations. By Sara Alessi 264 WORLD SCREEN 10/18

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3

CONTENTS

Toys from TV Online retailer Amazon recently released a list comprising the top 100 toys and games for this year’s holiday season. Not surprisingly, many are based on properties from the world of kids’ television.

Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher Anna Carugati Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani Editor Kristin Brzoznowski Executive Editor Joanna Padovano Tong Managing Editor Sara Alessi Associate Editor Victor L. Cuevas Production & Design Director Phyllis Q. Busell Art Director Simon Weaver Online Director Dana Mattison Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Nathalia Lopez Sales & Marketing Coordinator Andrea Moreno Business Affairs Manager

Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development TV Kids © 2018 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website: www.tvkids.ws

Included in the top 25 is the Ultimate Rescue Fire Truck inspired by Nickelodeon’s hit animated series PAW Patrol, which follows the adventures of a group of heroic pups. The truck comes with an extendable two-foot-tall ladder as well as water cannon launchers— how fun! (I wonder if it’s socially acceptable for a 31year-old to play with this toy? I mean, the product description does say that it’s intended for ages 3 and up!) Also on Amazon’s list are various items tied to such TV shows as Disney’s Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sesame Workshop’s Sesame Street, Entertainment One Family & Brands’ PJ Masks and SUNRIGHTS’ Beyblade Burst Evolution.

This list helps confirm that youngsters around the world continue to enjoy merchandise featuring their favorite characters from the small screen and beyond.

Kids want to play with a doll that looks like one of the magical creatures from the Studio 100 Media and m4e show Mia and me, hug a stuffed animal based on Mercis’s Miffy or put together a puzzle featuring characters from the action-packed R obot Trains, which is represented by both CJ ENM and Mondo TV. The variety of plush, plastic and powered toys inspired by television brands is enough to make you appreciate the comparative simplicity of cats. You can spend money like there’s no tomorrow on playthings for them, but they’re usually more intrigued by the packaging than the actual products. Children, however, are a bit more challenging to entertain since they are less interested in hopping in and out of boxes and bags. Instead, they want engaging merchandise that they can rip out of boxes and bags. That’s where Brand Licensing Europe (BLE) comes in.

In the lead-up to BLE 2018, this issue of TV Kids includes an article in which rights owners share their thoughts on the strategies needed to catch the attention of licensees and retailers with products that children will fall in love with. We also have an interview with Caitlin Friedman, the VP and general manager of Scholastic Entertainment, who discusses, among other things, licensing and merchandising plans for the reimagined book-based animated series Clifford the Big Red Dog. —Joanna Padovano Tong

FEATURE 4 RETAIL BATTLE Ahead of BLE, rights owners outline the strategies needed to get products onto retail shelves and into consumers’ hands.

INTERVIEW

12 Scholastic Entertainment’s Caitlin Friedman The VP and general manager of Scholastic Entertainment discusses how Clifford the Big Red Dog has been refreshed for contemporary audiences and reveals what’s in store for the property’s new licensing and merchandising campaign.

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Studio 100 & m4e’s Arthur and the Minimoys.

In the lead-up to BLE, rights owners outline the L&M strategies needed to get products onto retail shelves and into consumers’ hands.

By Sara Alessi ids do seem to still be getting what they want these days, even with the shuttering of Toys“R”Us earlier this year. Toy sales reached $18.4 billion in the first half of 2018, up 4 percent over last year across Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S.—the 13 international markets tracked by The NPD Group’s Global Toy Market Report. In the U.S. alone, toy sales were up 7 percent to $7.9 billion.

And the collectibles market continues to be strong, with global sales increasing by 26 percent. In fact, collectibles now account for 11 percent of dollar sales in the overall toy industry. That’s music to the ears of com-

K

panies like 4K Media, which manages the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise outside of Asia for parent company Konami Digital Entertainment. Collectibles are high up on consumer wish lists, says Jennifer Coleman, the VP of licensing and marketing at 4K Media. “Offering bespoke and limited-edition collections is something retailers and consumers all around the world are looking for.”

Two different Yu-Gi-Oh! collectible ranges—one from Funko and the other from GameStop—recently launched to the mass market. “We’re also excited to be working with the high-end collectible company First 4 Figures, which is going to be doing a beautiful resin statue for Yu-Gi-Oh!,” Coleman continues.

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For 4K, the popularity of Yu-Gi-Oh!’s lead character has been key to its L&M success. Peter Kleinschmidt, the international commercial director of Studio 100 Media and m4e, believes that brands such as Maya the Bee, Mia and me, Arthur and the Minimoys and Wissper also lend themselves so well to toys and other consumer products because they all feature “likable key and secondary characters” that work well for a “wide toy range.”

Marie Congé, GO-N International’s head of sales and business development, notes that as both boys and girls Toys is a major category for GO-N International’s preschool property Simon. can relate to the titular character in Simon, the property should be a home run in the Story, the tale of an intelligent, thoughtful and creative fox L&M market. Simon is “an adorable little boy who who in each episode comes up with a new invention, is toylooks like a rabbit, but he also makes mistakes,” just oriented, most obviously through the various inventions and like young viewers, she says. “Kids can see themthe tools used to build them, as well as the memorable charselves in him, and children and parents love him.” acters in the show,” she explains.

Kleinschmidt echoes La Macchia, noting that the basis of the licensing and merchandising of Studio 100 and m4e’s brands lies in “continually adding more content to Yet, it’s not just the characters themselves that can strike a the series in the form of new seasons or feature films.” chord with young viewers. For Joseph Kim, head of the Storytelling is also a vital pillar of the L&M strategy for global business team of the animation division at CJ ENM, SUNRIGHTS, which represents the Beyblade franchise. the messaging behind brands also makes them appealing “The very essence of the Beyblade Burst brand sets it up for and can help drive the licensing program. success,” says Natasha Gross, the director of TV sales and “Pucca has been a huge hit in the past across the world, licensing at SUNRIGHTS. “The brand is a continuing rollout and we are rebooting this outstanding brand soon,” Kim of new, relevant stories wrapped around highly collectible says. “With love and passion as themes, Pucca will be toys, all lending themselves to further merchandising appealing to every consumer group, regardless of age or opportunities.” gender.” The same goes for the girls’ property Rainbow Gross adds, “The key to keeping the brand fresh is Ruby, which “delivers the message that children can making sure its television content and merchandise are become anything they want with their passion and dreams.” relatable to today’s young, active consumers from Valentina La Macchia, Mondo TV’s licensing director, also around the world.” Thus, the company is ramping up the believes that the nature of a property and the storylines in a brand’s digital and social media presence.

TV show can drive licensing and merchandising. “Invention “We have worked on creating a more robust social experience for the Beyblade Burst brand through our GEN BEY campaign [offering fans new products, sneak peeks, giveaways and more] and new partnerships with WildBrain and BeybladeGeeks for a global YouTube experience and new, original social content,” Gross explains.

Once the content message is in place, rights owners must then convince licensees and retailers to support a property.

Kleinschmidt notes that the current focus for Studio 100 and m4e is on “signing licensing agents for important markets.

Our strategy on new brands is to first get the classic, contentdriven categories in place in order to create awareness and acceptance within the target group.” Food and beverage, home and living, and personal care are top-of-mind at the moment. “Regarding Arthur and the Minimoys and Gormiti, we are still looking for licensing partners in several categories,” he says.

For Mondo TV, La Macchia says the goal is to expand its brands’ L&M programs to “any and all territories where our shows are available.”

Similarly, CJ ENM’s Kim states that the company is keen to “enter into every available L&M category for all of our

CHARACTER APPEAL

Invention Story is one of Mondo TV’s key properties for BLE this year.

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properties, which includes toys, publishing, apparel, accessories, back-to-school, shoes, housewares, food and beverage, promotions and events.”

4K started working with a new subagent in France in the past year for Yu-Gi-Oh!, Coleman says. “We’re still looking to get further penetration for Yu-Gi-Oh! in Europe, including the U.K.” The company also wants to continue the momentum it has experienced in North America and hopes to expand further in Latin America as well. “We are talking to a couple of agents there, so Latin America is probably going to be our next big push following Europe.”

Getting the attention of retailers is never an easy process. It’s one that can be helped along if a property has some level of brand awareness already.

BACK IN STYLE

4K Media is focused on driving the L&M program for Yu-Gi-Oh! across Europe.

“For retailers, the awareness level is one of the most significant factors to building trust in a brand,” Studio 100 and m4e’s Kleinschmidt explains. “Every buyer wants products on shelves with a strong turnaround, and we deliver this from the bottom up to marketing campaigns. To work more closely with retailers, we created the position of retail manager last year. This enables us to focus even more strongly on the needs of every retailer and create tailormade promotions.”

It’s also important to work with licensees to ensure that everyone is on the same page as far as where to take the brand and its L&M program.

“In general, our licensing department works closely with the production staff in order to produce a TV series that is not just a good production in terms of quality and content, but that can also translate into appropriate merchandise,” explains Mondo TV’s La Macchia. “We back up our merchandising work with strong graphical material and the rich style guide we try to provide every time we work on a new show. Character-based graphics as well as logos, patterns, icons, backgrounds and any materials that can aid in the development of good merchandise are part of this process.”

“Finding like-minded partners has always been and continues to be key to our long-term success around the world,” says Mark Teunissen, senior project manager at Mercis, which owns the rights to the classic Miffy property. “We truly relish long-term partnerships and find it very important to grow the business and global footprint together. Our task is to stay extremely focused on what collaborations or other initiatives fit the DNA [of the brand] and will further build on the rich heritage it already enjoys. This not only means finding partners but also sometimes saying no to deals that are commercially very lucrative but not in line with our core values.”

Coleman says that 4K Media works with its licensees as much as possible to leverage opportunities in the retail space. And it helps to have partners that are aware of the brand and what fans want. “The partners that we’re working with are staying on trend. Therefore, the designs that they are then able to create from the style-guide materials that we’re providing them are spot-on.”

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CJ ENM’s portfolio of animated kids’ brands includes Rainbow Ruby.

To stay true to a brand like Yu-Gi-Oh!, Coleman notes that it is critical to work with partners that aren’t necessarily looking to “stock the next Frozen or Moana. You need to try to embrace your difference, own it and figure out where you can make it work in the market.”

Indeed, in this crowded L&M landscape, it is difficult to be “an independent Nickelodeon, Warner or Disney,” she acknowledges. “It’s an uphill battle. That’s why opportunities with specialty chains such as FYE, Hot Topic and GameStop are so valuable.” It’s retailers like these that tend to recognize the value of niche brands.

KNOW YOUR BRAND “You have to respect your fan base,” Coleman adds. “It stems from that: be true to your brand, give fans the quality they’re looking for, give them the designs they want, because at the end of the day, if you don’t have them, you don’t have a basis for your business. Respect their knowledge, respect the investment that they’ve made in the brand, and they’re going to come back for more, especially with a brand like Yu-Gi-Oh!” “The key to standing out lies in keeping your brand connected to its target audience of consumers, knowing what they want and what motivates them into action,” SUNRIGHTS’ Gross maintains. “To that end, we have looked to form licensing, merchandising and promotional deals that keep Beyblade Burst in sync with young fans.”

But rights owners agree, it’s still not easy. “The most difficult thing right now is the distribution of products,” GO-N’s Congé says. “It’s not only limited to dealing with the licensee; it’s getting your licensed product onto the shelf.”

“There is more competition than ever [vying] for less retail shelf space than ever,” says Lloyd Mintz, the senior VP of global consumer products at Genius Brands International, which represents the new girls’ preschool property Rainbow Rangers and the genderneutral, book-based brand Llama Llama. The company has seen success with Rainbow Rangers, which it created from the ground up in “response to a market void in the girls’ preschool segment.”

Yet, bringing an entirely new property to retail can pose quite the challenge. “While everyone is interested in something new and different, at the same time, everybody is afraid of sacrificing shelf space from the triedand-true for that ‘something new and different,’ so it’s a bit of a catch-22 for the retailers and the licensors to position their property as that ‘something new and different,’” Mintz explains.

“The biggest challenge is that the market is overcrowded and a property’s life can be very short,” La Macchia of Mondo TV states. “This means we need to make our properties stand out with lots of supporting marketing activities.”

For example, Rocco Giocattoli, the toy distributor in Italy for Robot Trains’ master toy licensee Silverlit, planned a marketing campaign to support the range. Similarly, the Italian launch of Heidi Bienvenida was supported by social media campaigns, competitions, cast interviews and appearances by the show’s star, Chiara Francia.

“Our challenges are to never become complacent or follow what others do, but always rely on the intrinsic strength of the brand and the people working with it,” stresses Mercis’s Teunissen.

Mondo TV’s La Macchia concurs, but notes, “Maintaining momentum is another challenge. We always work on long-term plans to renew the content and the brand constantly in order to keep awareness high and allow licensees to work on a long-term program.”

“It ultimately comes down to a brand’s relevance, collectibility and demand,” adds SUNRIGHTS’ Gross. “You not only have to know and stay in sync with the needs of your target consumer base, you also have to find ways to keep them hungry for and gobbling up the newest iterations of your brand.”

SUNRIGHTS has a broad range of licensees for Beyblade.

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TV KIDS: What new elements does the series incorporate?

FRIEDMAN: The essence of who Clifford is—his sweetness, his childlike behavior and his loyalty—are qualities that are absolutely still there. We decided to reimagine Emily Elizabeth—who adopted Clifford when he was a puppy—after spending a lot of time talking about how she could be brought forward to drive more of the story.

She’s now a modern girl who comes up with her own adventures with her best friend, Clifford. To further build upon their friendship in the new show, Emily Elizabeth and Clifford now speak to one another. Clifford still talks to his dog friends and Emily Elizabeth still speaks to her friends and family, but they have these special moments in every episode together. We’ve also added a diverse cast of new characters that help make for a richer and more exciting world on the island; that was very important to us. In addition, each episode features an original song, which is something completely new for the show.

Similar to the previous series, the new show features Clifford stories that are focused on friendship, family and adventure, but with the added layers of literacy moments and an emphasis on empathy as well as some fun imaginative play.

CAITLIN FRIEDMAN SCHOLASTIC ENTERTAINMENT

By Mansha Daswani

Clifford the Big Red Dog has been beloved by children (and their parents) for over five decades. Penned by Norman Bridwell, the book series helped establish Scholastic as a preeminent children’s book publisher. PBS Kids successfully broadcast a TV adaptation from 2000 to 2003 that became a fixture on preschool schedules worldwide. Next year, the cuddly, oversized canine will be back in an all-new production from Scholastic Entertainment. Caitlin Friedman, VP and general manager of the company, tells TV Kids about the reboot.

TV KIDS: How did the new Clifford the Big Red Dog series come about?

FRIEDMAN: Clifford has continued to be a favorite character of kids and caregivers everywhere. While we haven’t been airing new shows, we have continued to hear from viewers asking if we’re going to make more episodes and if Clifford still lives on the island. Happily, we know Clifford fans are still engaged, and with the first book having been released in 1963, we also know they are multigenerational.

From the engagement we see on the Clifford Facebook page, it’s clear that it has become a brand that represents kindness, loyalty and friendship. We have always thought about bringing him back, and after speaking with both PBS and Amazon about it, they saw our vision and Scholastic Entertainment is now in production on the new series.

TV KIDS: What about the look of the new series? Is that being updated?

FRIEDMAN: Yes, the upcoming series will have a brandnew look. We are working with 100 Chickens to help us create a fresh, modern Birdwell Island. Emily Elizabeth still has blond hair, but her clothing, her expressions and the way she jumps and climbs and moves around her world is very current. Clifford looks very familiar with the addition of more facial expressions since he now talks a lot and is on a more emotional journey with Emily Elizabeth. The island itself is quirkier and brighter with an almost classic children’s book look.

TV KIDS: What are the qualities that have made Clifford such a beloved property for so long?

FRIEDMAN: Part of it is wish fulfillment. Kids engage with the brand because of how amazing it would be to have a giant dog as their friend. Just imagine having a dog who could carry you around, lift you high, open up the world to you while keeping you safe. Beyond just the fun of having a big red dog as a best friend, Clifford has always been written as accessible and relatable to a young demographic. He’s not perfect; he is always growing and learning while also trying his best and being kind to everyone.

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Clifford the Big Red Dog is heading back to screens in 2019 with a new TV series.

TV KIDS: And the brand has remained prominent with the continued book-publishing line.

FRIEDMAN: Even though the show has been quiet, the Clifford publishing program has continued strongly.

We just released a line of Clifford fairytales and we’re doing a refresh of the classic Clifford books. We’re also kicking off a publishing initiative in spring 2019 to support the new show with books featuring art from the series, and we’ll be launching a big book inspired by the show next fall. We are focusing on our global publishing as well, with new programs launching around the world in conjunction with the series’ international rollout.

TV KIDS: Tell us about the L&M strategy you are devising for the new production.

FRIEDMAN: We have a plan for domestic L&M and are working with 9 Story to manage our international program. The strategy has a couple of pieces to it since, as we talked about earlier, our Clifford fans are all ages. We will be looking to develop a line for girls inspired by the look and design of the new Emily Elizabeth. The designs and patterns in the style guide will be more nautical because we’re building stories around Clifford and Emily Elizabeth living on an island and all of the fun and adventures that offers. In the future, we will be developing a line for babies, as so many moms today grew up with Clifford and want to share him with their kids. We are also developing a vintage line featuring Norman’s original art targeted to adults to give them a new way to engage with their favorite big red dog.

TV KIDS: How are you mining your library for content?

FRIEDMAN: The exciting thing for us is we have lots of legacy brands. We were just going through our library and found properties from 15 and 20 years ago, one of them a

series with ten books with ten stories to tell. The amount of great content and stories we have is amazing! We are also in an exciting time with so many different platforms on which to tell these stories—Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Hulu, traditional kid-focused broadcast, YouTube, feature films.

And since we have and are always coming out with such great content, we can build off of things that readers have loved or recently discovered.

TV KIDS: What are your overall goals for Scholastic Entertainment in the 12 to 18 months ahead?

FRIEDMAN: Producing the new Clifford series tops our list as well as finalizing our global plan, both for new publishing and L&M. We look forward to working closely with 9 Story, which will be helping us on the animation of the new series as well as taking on the global distribution of the show and international L&M. The new Clifford live-action hybrid movie with Paramount Pictures is also a priority and we have six or seven other projects now in development at studios and broadcasters to push forward, too. And we’re always looking at what’s coming up next.

TV KIDS: In general, when you’re rebooting a classic property, how do you retain the charm of the original while still engaging with a new set of audiences?

FRIEDMAN: With Clifford, we took a step back and looked at what people originally fell in love with, which was his heart, his loyalty and his humor. There are aspects of Clifford’s personality that are core to the viewing experience, so we made sure that they were all incorporated into the new series. And we added on layers, including original music, a stronger Emily Elizabeth and a fresher world that appeals to kids.

But with children, it doesn’t matter when they were born—they respond to love, friendship and family.

Those core values are universal.

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TV KIDS: How did the idea for Raven’s Home come about?

RAVEN: While I was on [the ABC talk show] The View, I was in conversations with people at Disney Channel about how I would love to work with them again in some capacity. They presented the idea of doing a show where Raven Baxter has kids, and I said, I am down for that all the way through and through. So, it came about organically, it came about with the need for me to be back in television in a different type of capacity than live, and it all worked out for me in a great manner.

TV KIDS: What is it like to be working with Disney Channel again?

RAVEN: I worked with Disney Channel from age 13 to 21, and then I took a break, and then I came back. So I worked with the channel during the years of life when everything is going on, every emotion, every change is happening. [Laughs] I had such a fantastic time that I wanted to go back to a place where I knew I felt safe. I tried my best to be a good girl during that time away.

[Laughs] I feel that my brand and Disney’s brand go hand in hand. We all felt that, so Gary Marsh [president and chief creative officer at Disney Channels Worldwide] and Adam Bonnett [executive VP of original programming at Disney Channels Worldwide] really embraced me as an adult and who I am now and they created this journey for us to all take together. I’m an executive producer, and this is a family here at Disney Channel. So I’m learning, I’m being mentored, I’m being taken care of.

TV KIDS: How do you go about evolving the series for a new generation of viewers while also winking at fans of That’s So Raven who are watching with their kids?

RAVEN: That’s the thing: I think bringing Raven Baxter back in all of her crazy glory helped to incorporate my generation [into the show]. I have a set of twins, a boy and a girl named Booker [Issac Ryan Brown] and Nia [Navia Robinson], and one of them is psychic. The kids are the focus of the show. Showing the camaraderie and the gap that separates the two generations actually proves that the gap is not that large at all.

As long as we’re telling the truth and caring for one another, putting others first and being smart and kind, everyone can be a part of this family. I have my kids and then Chelsea [played by Anneliese van der Pol] has her child there, so we’ve constructed a unit with these two single moms that can be looked at as a construct for a family.

TV KIDS: What has it been like to reinhabit the character of Raven Baxter after ten years?

RAVEN: It has been so much fun because I get to act crazy on stage. I get to do whatever my body feels like it needs to do in order to get that line out, and people laugh, which is amazing to me. Otherwise, my mom just says, I don’t know what’s wrong with you! I can’t do that at home, but

I can do it on set, and having that type of freedom on set is liberating. It hopefully will teach the kids on set that to be free and happy and comfortable in your character will [make] for a good character. To be stiff and uncomfortable and to choose a role that you are uncomfortable with will show through the camera, and we don’t want that.

TV KIDS: Do you try to keep the on-set atmosphere lighthearted, especially for the young talent?

RAVEN: Yes! We keep it professional first, and then we keep it fun. This is a kids’ show. This is not a documentary; this is a fun show. [Laughs] We do physical comedy, we do comedy, we do characters. Oh, my goodness, we do everything! So if I have constructed a set that is not fun, you won’t be able to see that [playfulness] on film.

TV KIDS: With the show, do you feel a responsibility to teach young viewers important life lessons while also making them laugh?

RAVEN: I think it’s everyone’s responsibility in television and entertainment to teach. Not everybody does it. [Laughs] But I do believe, especially in children’s programming, it’s up to us to realize that we’re molding the minds of the future. We’re entertaining them, we’re showing them how to deal with situations that they might not necessarily go through in life right now, but when they encounter that same scenario later, they can go back and say, Hmm, how would Booker handle this? Did he get in trouble, or didn’t he? I know that was the way for me when I was growing up. Sometimes people are scared to talk to other people, and we go to these television shows and sitcoms and cartoons, and they become our family. So, I have always felt [this way], even from before I was able to choose my roles. My parents chose the roles I was in, and they always taught me to be aware of what I’m saying yes to, and the marks that I make on society with my role choices.

TV KIDS: What advice do you have for individuals currently navigating the TV landscape?

RAVEN: You have to do what you’re comfortable with.

You have to choose roles that will lead you on the path that you want to be on. You have to be aware of your surroundings and make sure that you keep it 100 percent business.

TV KIDS: Do you view yourself as a role model for young girls?

RAVEN: It’s funny—people ask, Do I want to be? I think the career that I’ve chosen is constructed of role models. That comes with the territory in the situation I’m in, and it’s another reason my parents always said to be mindful of what you choose to do because people are looking up to you, and I have to remember that. What’s most important is a girl needs to know to be herself, to

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Raven’s Home, the follow-up to That’s So Raven, is currently in its second season on Disney Channel.

not be pressured by society to be something that she’s not innately. We all have the mirror syndrome, but I think if we continue to be true to who we are, take each day at a time, and breathe before we get all heated and riled up in a situation, we’ll be able to think clearly. Hopefully, as Raven Baxter—a mother who has to deal with kids who will not always make the right decision and who will come up against some challenges—I help young parents and their children to make better decisions.

TV KIDS: Why do you think That’s So Raven and Raven’s Home have both resonated so well with viewers?

RAVEN: I think Raven’s Home and That’s So Raven resonate with viewers because we are a genuine family. It’s about love, it’s about kindness, it’s about fun and excitement. It’s working through challenges. It’s all of the above.

TV KIDS: What are some of your favorite episodes or moments from season two?

RAVEN: In terms of guest stars and journeys, we want to be as current as we can within the landscape of society. We have a great episode with Michelle Williams. She plays a fashion designer. Raven and her daughter, Nia, go on a retreat together. They both learn the lesson of letting someone shine in their own light, not trying to morph them into someone that they’re not in order for you to succeed. The best way to succeed is to embrace people’s faults and who they are

and let them shine through that way. That’s a great lesson that I really like.

We have a great Halloween episode featuring Debbie Allen and a special musical episode that is super fun.

Everybody in the cast performs a song and dance number that creates a journey that’s fun and exciting.

Let’s just say there’s pie, juice and a little Bruno Mars influence in the beginning, and by the end you see the heart of the Baxter family. We’re very excited and proud of the musical. Everybody in Raven’s Home is musically inclined in some fashion, so being able to put a spotlight on other aspects of our talent brought joy to everybody. We had a screening of the episode after it was done with just the cast and crew. We worked so hard. It was sometimes tiring, but it’s a good type of working, and being able to see the product come together as the musical has come together is rewarding, and [to have] your network be so proud of it—Disney Channel is behind it 100 percent. The producers, the writers, everyone is behind it. We put our all into it and I think it will show.

We did an episode touching on social media, and it was about more than what I’m about to speak of, but what I got from it is: just because you have a whole bunch of followers that doesn’t mean family isn’t important. There are so many micro and macro lessons sprinkled with fun and excitement within this season that hopefully will resonate with ages across the board.

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By Mansha Daswani

Despite a wealth of competition, both linear and digital, BBC Children’s reigns supreme in the British kids’ market. Across CBeebies, CBBC and BBC iPlayer Kids, the British public broadcaster is serving its mission of educating, and entertaining, young audiences across all the platforms they are using. Alice Webb, the director of BBC Children’s, is committed to that public-service mission, which, she tells TV Kids, is more important than ever.

Ahead of attending MIPJunior to speak about the role of children’s programming on public broadcasters, Webb shared with TV Kids her strategy for maintaining BBC Children’s ratings, and relevance, to British youth audiences today.

TV KIDS: What’s driving the overall success of the BBC Children’s portfolio?

WEBB: The simple answer is the content. I’m really proud of the range of content we have. It’s a real breadth. We’re still the mostwatched and the most-loved [kids’ channels] in the U.K. The other thing that is helping us drive that is our ability to get content to children in the way they want it. BBC iPlayer was ahead of its time and it still continues to be right at the top end of video on

demand in terms of the experience. We have a full-fledged kids’ version of it. So we’re making sure we have the right content and are getting it to children in the way that they want it.

TV KIDS: How is the dedicated kids’ iPlayer doing? What have you learned from the data there about how your audiences are interacting with your content?

WEBB: It’s really interesting. It works particularly well for the youngest audience. It’s only an app on mobile and tablets—it’s not on connected TVs—so it’s not on every device. We see week in and week out that iPlayer Kids is visited even more frequently than the main iPlayer. If you’re on iPlayer Kids, you love it even more than being on the iPlayer. There’s something that’s really working for that younger audience with iPlayer Kids.

TV KIDS: How are you using the data from both digital and linear to inform your programming decisions?

WEBB: That’s a really important part of what we do. We have a much broader range of measures that we look at

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WEBB: We had a real desire to bring liveaction drama to preschoolers, and boy have they rewarded us for that! They absolutely love those shows. We bring the same standards, the same expectations and the same craft to preschool as we do for our older children. A lot of our writers are writing for grown-up TV as well. The way we do children’s drama, it’s not about compromising, it’s not about dumbing down. We believe children deserve the very, very best. And I think that’s an ethos we’ve kept at our hearts. We’re expanding into the 12 to 16 bracket as well, so you’ll see some new dramas coming down the line there. It’s the age-old stories of rites of passage, loyalty, betrayal, finding your place in the world. Overall we are as exacting with our children’s dramas as we are with BBC grown-up dramas.

CBeebies has entered into the preschool drama space with acclaimed series such as Apple Tree House.

because what represents value to us isn’t just money and eyeballs. We have a strong public-service remit, so it’s about making sure we’re delivering for everybody and that we have a broad range of genres. We judge our shows against lots of different criteria, which means that it’s as much art as it is science.

There’s a good dollop of science in there, but of course, there has to be a good degree of art as well.

TV KIDS: Tell us about your programming teams’ efforts to source and develop content that is inclusive and reflective of all kids in the U.K. WEBB: That’s a topic that is close to our hearts. We get a lot of recognition for the range of diversity that we have on our channels and in our content. It’s a natural part of what we do. Pablo features an autistic little boy. It’s a beautiful show that has captured the heart of the entire nation. Apple Tree House is from the same stable as Rastamouse. It’s live-action drama for CBeebies. It’s set in an inner-city tower block and has an incredibly diverse cast and, excitingly, a diverse crew as well. So it’s not just in front of the camera, but behind the camera, too. We’re pushing that. We have schemes to bring on new, diverse writers, and when I talk about diversity, that is literally in every direction. It’s not just about ethnicity or disability. We’ve had some powerful stories of kids who are discovering things about their own identity. We had a BAFTAwinning show about a transgender [child], My Life: I Am Leo. So [diversity is] completely part of our DNA and it’s almost hard to talk about it because it’s something that just happens.

TV KIDS: The BBC is one of the few backers of high-end children’s drama. What’s the key to getting it right, especially for preschoolers?

TV KIDS: Tell us about the importance of your factual productions. What have been some recent stand-outs for you?

WEBB: My Life holds a special place on CBBC for us because it is children telling their own stories. It never ceases to amaze me the emotional cut-through that children can get by telling their own stories, whether it’s I Am Leo or The Boy on the Bicycle or one about a child whose parents have Alzheimer’s.

We have CBeebies factual as well. There’s Do You Know?, Maddie Moate’s show. And our Newsround service for children continues to be the gold standard. That has now gone international, so you’ll find versions in several countries in Africa. We got an incredible response nationally and internationally when we covered the Manchester Arena bombing last year. That whole sense of how you talk to children about these types of attacks, especially since that one was aimed at children [when terrorists bombed an Ariana Grande concert]. And then I have

CBeebies Bedtime Stories has featured a host of celebrities, including actor Tom Hardy.

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Blue Peter, on CBBC, is the longest-running kids’ show on TV, having launched in 1958.

to mention Blue Peter, which is a flagship show and it’s about to be 60! I will be flying back from MIPCOM a couple of days early to attend the 60th birthday of Blue Peter, which by any standard is the most astonishing achievement.

TV KIDS: What do you think it is about that show that has allowed it to last for so long?

WEBB: I think it’s a world record for the longest children’s show ever. It could be the longest-running TV show ever. It’s still as relevant today as it was in the days that it started. It taps into everything and anything children are interested in, whether that’s a presenter skydiving in some daredevil way through to campaigning and saving the environment to learning a new sport. Literally everything. We have amazing competitions and of course the ability to win your Blue Peter badge, of which there are now quite a few! People like you and I spend a lot of time talking about the world of digital and what it means for children. We receive about 75,000 letters into Blue Peter every year. Kids are still engaging with it as much as they ever have done.

TV KIDS: What were some of the things you learned from your international compatriots at the Children’s Global Media Summit that BBC hosted in Manchester last year about the issues they are facing in their markets?

WEBB: One of the things that was a hot topic at the summit, which we’re all grappling with, is that our content lives on many different platforms in many different territories. As responsible content makers, we’re wrestling with, What if my content is on a platform that isn’t as responsible as I am? We had a big open forum devoted to this subject and what level of responsibility we should have as the content makers versus the platform providers. Nobody works in this business without a massive degree of love for our audience. We’d like to see that reflected more by some of the platform providers. As

content creator and broadcaster and platform provider, we have that level of trust and safety and responsibility. We’d like to see that with others.

TV KIDS: What are your big-picture priorities for BBC Children’s in the year to two ahead?

WEBB: We’ll be bringing new shows to the channel and to iPlayer for the older age group. We’re going to be getting behind a smaller number of brands in a bigger way. Everybody is clear that if you’re going to break through a very busy, noisy landscape, you’ve got to have a fewer number of titles that punch above their weight. We’ll be doing that. I’m excited that we’re adding more ways for children to connect to the brands and the characters and stories they love. We’ve got apps for CBeebies around stories and games. We’re adding to that with new creative apps coming down the line. We’ve launched CBBC Buzz for that older age group. We’re increasingly doing more around kids’ online wellbeing. At the summit, we launched BBC Own It, which is a great website about helping kids to be empowered to own their online lives. You’ll see more from us in the next six months in that space.

TV KIDS: Can you give me a bit of a preview of what you’ll be talking about at MIPJunior concerning the importance of kids’ public-service broadcasting?

WEBB: Just that—the importance of it. And the fact that it’s more important than ever that there is a strong public-service broadcaster as a staple of a kid’s media diet. Making shortterm decisions is easy. We all create a patchwork of funding to get a show made. And if we’re not careful, what we’ll be doing is selling our future. If we’re all reliant on big SVOD platforms, we risk finding we’ve sold our future and our ability to fund shows. Public-service broadcasting needs to make sure that it’s still funded well enough around the world to be a great partner.

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TV KIDS: Tell us about the Hopster journey so far.

WALTERS: Before starting Hopster, I worked in TV. I was at Viacom and spent a lot of time working at Nickelodeon.

Back in 2012, you could begin to see kids turning off the TV and moving into a world of digital products. Our now 9-year-old was just beginning to discover that world herself.

As that shift played out, it felt like there were opportunities to do better things, to take the essentials of a kids’ TV channel and turn it into a much more interactive and stimulating experience, something that is completely safe, adfree. A digital world that parents would feel as good about as kids. That’s what we set out to do.

TV KIDS: Did you have to course correct, as it were, at any point as you were building out the platform?

WALTERS: [Laughs] You constantly learn and course correct every day. There were things we thought would work but didn’t.

One of these things was launching globally. We thought there would be a percentage of every market that we’d pick up without having to do too much work, but we later realized that this percentage is very, very small. To build scale and a presence in any territory, you have to invest in that region, spend time there and build a marketing and distribution strategy around it.

There’s no place in the world where you’ll grow organically and sustain a subscriber base without investing in it. That’s just one thing we came to understand over time.

TV KIDS: Tell us about your recent deal with STV in Scotland.

Do you see that as a model you’ll pursue going forward?

WALTERS: It’s such an interesting deal. STV in Scotland has an online streaming platform, STV Player, and they made our content available on it in a dedicated Hopster-branded area. They have second-to-none brand awareness and audience reach in the region but didn’t have a particularly large kids’ offer on the Player. To upgrade it and make it more premium, it made sense for them to partner with us. As part of our agreement, they will be offering marketing and sponsorship for us across their portfolio of services. What’s interesting is that there are more and more digital platforms like STV that are aggregating content to build their service that way. In the past, if you wanted to distribute content you had to go to TV channels or pay-TV operators, but now it’s all changed. This shift allows us to set up some fantastic partnership deals, like this one with STV.

By Mansha Daswani

When it launched in late 2013, Hopster had both parents and little ones in mind. For 2- to 6-year-olds it wanted to deliver storytellingbased learning. For parents of preschoolers, it aimed to provide a worry-free experience, for a monthly subscription fee, with no ads or in-app purchases, accessible on as many devices as possible. Five years later, the platform has expanded outside of its home base of the U.K., inked deals to be bundled into a raft of consumer-electronics devices and moved beyond licensed content into original series, while also extending its offer to include music, games and ebooks. Founder and CEO Nick Walters talks to TV Kids about the Hopster mission and reveals his growth aspirations for the service.

TV KIDS: What were some of the things you needed to do to prepare to launch outside of the U.K.?

WALTERS: You have to prepare some big global content agreements to go international. We’re still working with some of our core launch [suppliers]—DHX, Nelvana, Millimages, CAKE—who have been great partners throughout our international experience. Later, we signed deals with independent producers specific to one market or territory. In Iceland, for instance, where we have a partnership with Vodafone and are distributing to tens of thousands of households, we have six titles that are locally originated. We have a similar story in France and we’re looking to do the same in other territories. So we start with a core selection of global deals and then look around on the market and add content that we think is relevant in that specific territory.

TV KIDS: What’s the Hopster programming ethos? What sorts of content do you look for?

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short-form, fairly low-volume and low-budget productions. This means that we can bring shows to the market quickly—instead of it taking three to four years, we can produce series in three to four months, then take the learning and iterate from that. We launched our first slate of original productions last year, including Clever Brenda, our STEM-focused animation, and Two Minute Tales, based on Grimm’s fairy tales. We’ve greenlit our second slate of series and started working on an exciting new animation about social and emotional literacy called Saturday Club.

Launched in 2013 in the U.K., Hopster is now available in multiple markets, delivering preschool content via an app for a monthly fee.

WALTERS: There are a couple of big things. One, our mission as a platform is to help kids learn through the stories they love.

All of our content has strong stories and great IPs at the core, so they are fun to watch. But we also want kids to learn something new every day. So the second big thing we’re looking for is learning opportunities. We have an early learning curriculum that drives most of our content decisions, so before we license a piece, we evaluate whether it fits into that. Sometimes it can be teaching kids about relationships in a family or managing emotions, which a show like Peppa Pig does really well, but it might be something more explicitly educational, such as Sid the Science Kid. Lastly, we’re always on the lookout for what you might call socially conscious content. We’re a gender-neutral platform and are committed to encouraging diversity. One of our favorite shows is Punky, a beautiful Irish animation of a little girl who has Down syndrome. It does a nice job of showing kids that we’re all different and it’s great. It’s really important to us that diversity is celebrated across our content.

TV KIDS: When did you decide to expand beyond video to also feature music, games and books?

WALTERS: We wanted to have games from day one as we thought it was a really important part of delivering our learning mission. We have certainly developed the range and extent of interactivity of our games over time. The most recent game we launched teaches preschoolers the fundamentals of coding, but we also have a game designed with kids on the autism spectrum in mind. Music has also been important to us from a very early stage. Initially we started with nursery rhymes and then added fun children’s songs from performers like Nick Cope and Caspar Babypants. Books arrived on Hopster in 2017 when we launched a selection of HarperCollins Children’s Books.

TV KIDS: What are you doing in the original-content space?

WALTERS: Over the last few years we’ve seen the distribution landscape completely change. Netflix started and YouTube got big. The TV industry got shaken up but [the digital platforms] still had little impact on the production side. The new players like Amazon and Netflix are still commissioning content in a way that is very similar to the old linear model. But we wanted to do things a bit differently. We’re working with independent producers and are focusing on

TV KIDS: Building an OTT service is generally seen as a cash-burn endeavor. How have you and your team been able to create a financially sustainable operation— without running through all of your funding?

WALTERS: We have supportive investors who I’m super grateful to. We initially had private investors, then a venturecapital fund called Sandbox and now most recently Sony Pictures Television. We couldn’t have done it without these investments. That said, we’re focusing on growing without having to put billions into marketing. The STV partnership is a good example of how we can reach thousands of families in Scotland without the need to spend millions on advertising campaigns. We have tried to be smart and strike those kinds of partnerships where we can build our brand and our partners get something in return as well.

TV KIDS: In the next 12 to 18 months, what are the initiatives you’re going to be most focused on as you drive the business forward?

WALTERS: You’re going to see us doubling down on original content production—that’s video, games and books.

We’re pleased with how our originals are performing so we are going to do more of those as quickly as we can. You’ll also see us push pretty hard on distribution. We announced the STV deal recently and an SVOD deal with TalkTalk in the U.K. where we’re bundled in with their Kids Boost subscription. We have a full business-development pipeline with a good chunk of deals that we’ll be announcing in the second half of this year. And we’re also trying to keep pushing the pace on our platform and products. We launched our first companion app, Hopster Coding Safari, recently and we’re excited to keep developing these projects.

TV KIDS: You said Scotland was a market that was important to you. What are some of your other key territories?

WALTERS: The U.S. is important. We launched there in 2016 and have been steadily building our user base. We launched on Apple TV 3rd generation recently, which has been good for us. We will have some significant announcements in the U.S. in the next couple of months. We’re looking very closely at some opportunities in Australia and New Zealand at the moment, and in Europe and the Middle East. It’s a pretty rich world out there right now.

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By Joanna Padovano Tong

The BAFTA Children’s Award-winning Operation Ouch! revels in being gross—and kids love it. Fronted by twin brothers Chris and Xand van Tulleken, who are both doctors, the series uses humor and experiments to demystify the human anatomy.

TV Kids hears from Dr. Xand about why the show, represented by Serious Lunch, works and what’s in store for the CBBC hit as it heads into its seventh season.

TV KIDS: What made you and Chris decide to enter the world of children’s television?

VAN TULLEKEN: We wanted to make the show that we wished we could have watched when we were kids. We loved science shows, but there was nothing really about the human body. Maverick, the company that makes Operation Ouch!, had an incredible track record with Bizarre ER and Embarrassing Bodies, two iconic medical shows of the last couple of decades in the U.K. [featuring] amazing bits of public health with incredible access. So we knew Maverick would do a very good job. And there’s something quite fun about the fact that if you’re siblings, you can mess around on children’s telly in a way that you can’t on adult telly.

TV KIDS: How does Operation Ouch! help young viewers become more comfortable with doctors and hospitals?

VAN TULLEKEN: The message in every episode is that if something goes wrong, there are teams of people who are there to help you all over the country. No matter what goes wrong, whether you’re having an asthma attack at school, you get lost on a mountainside, you get stuck in the mud or you drift out to sea—whatever the situation is, there are people who can help. We’ve filmed with paramedics, firefighters, police officers, Coast Guard—all sorts of different people. Then in the hospital itself, there are a few things that we try to do. First, we get the kids to tell the stories themselves, so you hear what’s happened from them. The story is then animated, so there’s heightened reality, but you get a good idea of what’s happened.

And then we show a huge amount of the details. A lot of the show is quite gory, but it removes all the mystery [behind] stitching and injections and the processes. The way that we put it together, we don’t show kids in pain, we don’t show kids who are embarrassed or screaming; we usually show kids having a pretty good experience, which is quite typical of an emergency room. A modern emergency room is pretty good at managing pain, at getting kids comfortable and relaxed, and we show that. The nicest feedback we get is when we’re filming in hospitals now, the staff will say, Your show makes kids better patients and they’re just more relaxed. We give them enough information that they’re quite informed about their body.

The hospital is demystified.

They’ve seen lots of doctors, nurses, radiotherapists, physiotherapists and all kinds of other people in the hospital—all of whom we show the best side of.

TV KIDS: Is there anything on the series that still grosses you out?

VAN TULLEKEN: I was doing the voiceover for a little girl who had been rolling down a hill and had

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caricatures of us. You know how when you’re with your family, you regress and go back to being about 12 or 14? That’s every day filming Operation Ouch! [Laughs] You can’t pretend to be someone else when you’re with your brother.

Distributed by Serious Lunch, Operation Ouch! is a CBBC commission hosted by Chris and Xand van Tulleken.

her arms above her head so that as she rolled, her arm pushed her earring inside her earlobe. It’s sometimes the small things that make you squeamish; watching the doctor get the forceps and have to pull hard to extract this thing from her earlobe while I’m in the recording phase was like, Eww! Every time something gross is going to happen, there is a big “gross” alert on the screen; there’s a voiceover saying, Look away now if you’re squeamish! Don’t look now! Whenever we’re filming in schools, we ask everyone, Should we make it more gross or less gross? And we have never met a child yet who doesn’t say, Make it more disgusting!

TV KIDS: What are some of your favorite experiments from the show?

VAN TULLEKEN: When we were little, our dad used to do weird experiments with us. When we went to the butcher shop, he would buy hearts and show us that if you held a heart under a tap of running water, you could fill it and squeeze it and make it pump the water in one direction; the valves still worked.

Then we’d cook them and eat them. We did that as a proper experiment in Operation Ouch! and showed it to our dad. It was just a silly thing that he did one afternoon to amuse his kids—it was cheap and easy and a bit ridiculous. It was nice to have our old dad’s idea on the screen.

There’s another experiment where we show how sneezes work. If you get a room full of doctors or medical students and ask them what a sneeze is, most of them will give you the same answer, which is: A sneeze is an irritation in your nose; you take a deep inhalation and when you sneeze, it blows the irritation out of your nose. That is completely wrong. If you sneeze in a relaxed way, your entire sneeze comes out of your mouth and nothing comes out of your nose at all. You can direct it out of your nose, but a free sneeze comes out of your mouth. It’s stimulating pressure receptors at the back of your mouth, which effectively trigger mucus production and your nose will start to run. So, your sneezes are about getting your nose to wash itself out.

TV KIDS: How do your interactions on the show compare with how you and Chris behave around each other in real life?

VAN TULLEKEN: Because we’re not actors, we can only be exaggerated versions of ourselves. So in real life, I’m the sillier one and he’s quite serious and stern. The characters are sort of

TV KIDS: How do you achieve the right balance between being both educational and entertaining?

VAN TULLEKEN: We start with the idea that we can take something fascinating that people don’t know and the material is engaging. It’s so interesting to understand your body. And then because it’s fun explaining it, it’s not too hard. The body up close is just full of poo and pus and blood and guts—all of this disgusting stuff that’s intriguing as well. The material of what makes us human is so fascinating, particularly to children.

There’s a limitless supply of it. You make it as fun as possible.

TV KIDS: Is it challenging to keep the show fresh season after season?

VAN TULLEKEN: Medicine is just endless; every patient is different, every human body is different, every condition is fascinating. Medical stories, particularly in which people are getting ill or injured, have a beginning, middle and end; they’re just such perfect, natural stories. I felt that after six years of medical school, we’d barely scratched the surface. I’m still learning things now when we do Ouch! And then science is always evolving. It’s just the gift that keeps on giving. We haven’t even covered all the organs in the body yet.

TV KIDS: What’s in store for the future of the series?

VAN TULLEKEN: We constantly get emails saying, Because of your show, a kid was able to call 9-9-9 and save their parent’s or grandparent’s life; they knew how to treat a severe injury, they were able to stop some bleeding, they were able to do some CPR, etc. We wanted to recognize those kids, so in the next series, we’ve got the Ouch Awards, which is for kids who have either showed immense personal courage in coping with an illness themselves, have called the emergency services to help someone or have done amazing first aid.

We have a burp filmed from the inside. We managed to get a camera to the back of my throat and then up and around into the back of my nose to see my nasal turbinates, which is a view that I cannot find anywhere on the internet.

We’re also doing more search and rescue. We’ve done paramedic stuff in the past where we’ve gone out with a rapid response vehicle and got to the scene of emergencies quickly.

The next season, we’re going out with a proper ambulance to follow the patients all the way to the hospital. We have a boy who’s lost his leg and we’re following him as he deals with various prostheses and his ambition to become a sprinter.

We’ve also got a little girl with scoliosis who’s got a magnetic spine. They’re serious health problems, but the kids are all super lovely and all the stories are very optimistic.

And we have a new presenter who’s joining us. She is an emergency department doctor and she’s phenomenal.

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For instance, My Knight and Me’s creator, Joeri Christiaen, has a company with Perrine Gauthier, La Cabane Productions.

We joined their project Mush-Mush and the Mushables at the end of last year and it’s about to be greenlit. The concept was already well advanced, so it’s just been a question of fine-tuning, but we will have an editorial role on the production, which will mainly be produced and managed by La Cabane.

Space Chickens in Space is created by Ánima Estudios from Mexico. We joined the development and pitched it to Disney EMEA, who came on board to develop it, and now we are showing the first episodes to the market this MIPCOM. We not only put those people together and managed the development process with Disney, but we also created a joint-venture studio with Studio Moshi, another co-pro partner on Space Chickens, called Gingerbread Animation, based in Dublin. It’s a pre-production studio, so it’s a manageable size and gives us hands-on involvement in the production process. We are acutely aware that running a studio and a production is a skill in itself, so we’ve brought experienced people on board to help manage that process. Rob Doherty joined CAKE as VP of production in February and we have Lindsey Adams, who is the supervising producer at Gingerbread.

Then there are the shows on which we’re already taking on a producer role during the development process. You can only do very few of those. Mama K’s Super 4 is a great example of such hands-on involvement, working alongside Triggerfish Animation to identify writers to take the script and other materials to the next level. Based on a spectacular initial pitch created by Triggerfish and Malenga Mulendema, [we are] working with the creator and the studio as one team.

By Mansha Daswani

London-based boutique outfit CAKE has developed a reputation as being a go-to supplier of compelling kids’ and family series.

With a portfolio that boasts such hits as Angelo Rules, the Total Drama franchise and series based on the Angry Birds gaming phenomenon, CAKE has developed close relationships with animation producers, broadcasters and platforms across the globe.

As Tom van Waveren, the CEO and creative director at CAKE, tells TV Kids, boarding projects at an early stage has allowed the company to work collaboratively with creatives to develop properties that will resonate worldwide.

TV KIDS: Tell us about CAKE’s model for aligning with thirdparty producers and investing in co-productions.

VAN WAVEREN: Five years ago our involvement in development was the exception. Today, while we still take on finished product when we find it, we have many more development roles and give editorial input on most of the series we get involved in. To get to this point, we made a conscious decision several years ago to roll up our sleeves and build our development and production slate through partnerships with independent producers from around the world. This was motivated by the observation that projects that benefit from several cultural or creative perspectives tend to be much better adapted to the international market and perform better commercially for CAKE.

And finally, there is still the business of selling finished programs. A lot of broadcasters and platforms are looking to acquire finished content, and we’re thrilled to continue doing that. We have a series called Kiri and Lou from New Zealand that we are launching at MIPCOM. It’s a delightful stop-motion preschool show. It’s one of those little presents that came to us unprompted, a real delight!

Our slate is a mix of all of those different models. We can help develop and package the financing and production. And then, once the production starts, if there is a role to be fulfilled in production, we will look at that, but it’s not an obligation. We’re happy to take on production services when that makes sense. But we always want to have editorial input, so we can make sure that the concept is optimized through production, and we always want to make the international sales on completion. It’s what we think we are good at.

TV KIDS: Tell us about your Popcorn Digital joint venture and the approach to online video.

VAN WAVEREN: In today’s world, you need to think upfront about the online strategy for a property. How do we create content that does not replicate the linear show 100 percent, but presents the same world and the same characters?

Sometimes we’ll do it jointly with our broadcast partners, sometimes independently. In all these scenarios, we’re

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Space Chickens in Space, co-produced

by CAKE, Ánima Estudios and Studio Moshi, is set to air on Disney EMEA and Nine Network in Australia.

aware that for an IP to find its audience, it needs to be where its audience is. More often than not, that audience is everywhere. Consequently, while we can provide distribution solely on linear platforms, our preferred approach is to provide distribution across all platforms, which means we can be more strategic about how we market a show as well as embrace the diverse way that the audience engages in content. Furthermore, with Popcorn, we are moving increasingly into original content creation. We have a team of digital experts who are able to produce content geared specifically to YouTube. Most recently, we collaborated with Rovio Entertainment on the World Cup-themed Angry Birds BirLd Cup series. We are working on three new original shows set to be released on YouTube next year and we have further significant partnerships in the pipeline.

TV KIDS: What impact have the OTTs had on the market?

VAN WAVEREN: Five years ago, OTT platforms were mainly looking at buying catalog. Now they are increasingly looking for flagship, fully owned productions that they control exclusively or at least co-produce. That is a very substantial shift. It does not mean that they won’t make acquisitions as well.

The shift of the audience is having an impact on kids’ specific channels. If only financially, their ad revenues have drastically diminished. At the same time, several of them have been producing very successful shows themselves and are making substantial revenues on licensing their content to the OTTs, while at the same time preparing their own OTT offerings. So, it’s in full evolution. It’s hard to gauge how many will be operating five years from now and what shape they will take.

Whatever the constellation will be in the years ahead, there will be a need for high-end independent animation and liveaction content. Our challenge is to make sure that we find talent and ideas of a caliber that will attract high-end partners, be they traditional or OTT, and put a smile on the faces of viewers. I’ve been in this business for over 20 years now. There hasn’t been a year where we haven’t looked back at the year before and said, It didn’t feel quite as competitive last year!

That’s just the way it is. At the same time, it’s very interesting to see what’s happening with national broadcasters, commercial and public. They’re going through ups and downs and trying to figure out in what form they’re going to exist in a digital world.

I hope we will not end up in a world where everything that’s being offered is international and commercial. If you look at each sizeable market, in the top ten properties you’ll typically find at least five, and often more, that are local.

They are culturally relevant. In a balanced world, there are local players that reflect local culture—and that can still be done in a way that is interesting and attractive to others— as well as international, commercial offerings.

TV KIDS: When you’re working with a producer who has only made local productions, is there a steep learning curve for them when making a show that is tailored more to the global market?

VAN WAVEREN: From the Greeks to Shakespeare to Hollywood, it’s the three-act play. That’s the clearest way to tell a story.

We want to know whose story it is and why you are rooting for this character. That needs to be made sufficiently explicit. It helps elevate a property from the local to the international. It’s also the level of execution. Not every market has experienced writing talent. So sometimes it’s just bringing in proven talent who can coach and guide less experienced local writers. There is a craft to writing a good script that is not necessarily present in each market.

TV KIDS: What are some of the properties you’ll be showcasing at MIPCOM? VAN WAVEREN: We’ll be presenting four new shows at MIPCOM, which is more than we’ve ever done. Apart from Kiri and Lou and Space Chickens in Space, which I’ve already mentioned, we have Total Dramarama, a reboot of the Total Drama franchise from the amazing team at Fresh TV. If you’ve never seen an episode of Total Drama you can fall into it and have a wonderful time. If you do know the franchise, you’ll recognize the characters that you love and have spent a lot of time with and it’s even funnier. Total Drama has been running for ten years and it’s been reenergized by taking a different slant but effectively using the same key characters that the audience has grown to love. And finally, our much-maligned pug Mighty Mike from our long-term partner TeamTO. French studios have had a long tradition of success with non-dialogue comedy.

Coupled with an unprecedented photorealistic style, Mike merges universal slapstick with the popularity of funny pet videos. This is a truly stand-out proposition.

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TR E N D S E T T E RS elevision shapes the lives of children in powerful ways.

Shows for preschoolers teach 123s and ABCs along with values such as sharing and respect. Fun animated comedies offer school-age kids a break from homework, while live-action shows for tweens illustrate the problems, pressures and changes faced by that age group.

Children today have a rich offering of content to choose from and they can watch their favorite shows on a variety of screens. Precisely because kids have so many options and have become increasingly sophisticated, only the best-made programs grab their attention and capture their imaginations.

To satisfy children’s discerning tastes, linear and nonlinear platforms rely on high-quality content from talented creators—individuals whose original ideas, brilliantly executed, feature compelling characters in real-life settings or fantastical worlds or even parodies of prime-time reality shows.

In acknowledgment of this vital segment of the television industry, World Screen, in partnership with MIPJunior, is holding its fourth annual Kids Trendsetter Awards to honor four

T

individuals who have made significant contributions to the children’s television business.

The honorees are executive producers and creators who have brought to life award-winning hits that have traveled around the globe: Ben Bocquelet, Tom McGillis, Angela C. Santomero and Jonathan M. Shiff.

These four television professionals will take part in The Creators’ Superpanel, on Saturday, October 13, from 10:10 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. in the Grand Theatre of the JW Marriott. World Screen’s group editorial director, Anna Carugati, will moderate a lively discussion that will focus on coming up with ideas for shows and executing them for today’s media-savvy children.

“We’ve been thrilled with our partnership with Reed MIDEM over the last four years to honor professionals who are tasked with delivering programming to the most impressionable and vulnerable of audiences—children,” says Ricardo Guise, president and publisher of World Screen. “Given the responsibility children’s programmers hold, we felt it was time to create the Kids Trendsetter Awards.

These creators have the difficult task of producing entertaining shows while serving the developmental needs of children. We look forward to celebrating their achievements with this award.”

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KIDS TRENDSETTERS JONATHAN M. SHIFF Jonathan M. Shiff began his career practicing law but in 1988 set up the company Jonathan M. Shiff Productions focused on high-end drama and documentary series for children and families. After two science-fiction-themed and BAFTA Award-winning series, Ocean Girl and Thunderstone, Shiff produced The Elephant Princess, about a princess of a magical kingdom, Wicked Science and Cybergirl, all of which won awards. He dove into the world of mermaids with special powers, first with H2O: Just Add Water and then with Mako Mermaids. Magical worlds and empowering girls have been recurrent themes in Shiff’s shows. He says he wants to make fearless shows for fearless girls. His latest hit is The Bureau of Magical Things, about a regular teenage girl who acquires magical powers when caught in a clash between an elf and a fairy.

ANGELA C. SANTOMERO When Blue’s Clues premiered on Nickelodeon in 1996, it offered a different take on preschool programming. In each play-along episode, the animated girl puppy Blue, along with a human host, helps viewers at home find the three clues that will solve the day’s puzzle. Angela C. Santomero co-created, executive produced and served as head writer on Blue’s Clues, for which she won a Peabody Award. She has since created, executive produced and been head writer of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, inspired by the classic PBS show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood; Super WHY!, which imparts reading skills; Creative Galaxy that focuses on art; and Wishenpoof about a young fairy girl. Santomero, who has a Masters degree in Child Developmental Psychology and Instructional Media & Education from Columbia University, has remained focused on educational preschool programming that teaches children through play.

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KIDS TRENDSETTERS TOM MCGILLIS Adventure-competition reality shows have been captivating prime-time audiences for two decades. Why not adapt the genre to animation for younger viewers? Emmy Award-winning executive producer Tom McGillis, president of Fresh TV, took that challenge and co-created the animated series Total Drama Island in 2007. He then went on to develop a whole Total Drama franchise, which includes Total Drama: Revenge of the Island and Total Drama Presents: The Ridonculous Race. The franchise pays tribute to and parodies shows like Survivor, Fear Factor and The Amazing Race. McGillis also co-created the liveaction series My Babysitter’s a Vampire and a movie of the same name. He has pushed his Toronto-based production company beyond Canadian borders. Fresh TV’s development team now works with Canadian and American networks and talent, producing shows that have been sold around the world.

BEN BOCQUELET Ben Bocquelet studied 2D and 3D animation at the EMCA— École des Métiers du Cinéma d’Animation in Angoulême, France, before joining Studio AKA as a designer, animator and director. He then created The Amazing World of Gumball for Cartoon Network. With its lively mix of 2D, 3D and live action, the series features the feisty cat Gumball Watterson, who has a knack for creating schemes that too often get him in trouble. Gumball is quite jealous of his sister, the brightest member of the family; mom is the breadwinner and stay-at-home dad watches a lot of TV. This comedy for school-age children was the first show greenlit by Turner out of the Cartoon Network Development Studio in Europe. The Amazing World of Gumball has won multiple awards, including eight BAFTAs and one Emmy.

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TV KIDS: Tell us how the idea for Guru Studio first came about.

FALCONE: Guru started as an accidental comment at dinner. [Laughs] I felt like there was no place for me in Toronto to properly thrive as a creative person. I didn’t think there were places focusing on character animation and narratives that would come from good characters. I was debating moving abroad; I was basically debating what studios I could go to and the struggles of having to be a forced immigrant [since I felt I was] not able to do what I wanted to do in the city. I sort of jokingly said, Let’s just start a studio, to a producer friend of mine, and she said, We should! And then I was like, I guess I’ve got to put my money where my mouth is— maybe I should do it. So we went ahead and did it.

TV KIDS: What are the company’s current and upcoming highlights?

FALCONE: [We have a] collection of things that we really treasure and care about. We choose the projects that we get involved in very carefully. Right now, one of the highlights is our series True and the Rainbow Kingdom, which has just launched a second season on Netflix. A third season was announced [for] next year. We also launched some extended music videos from content from season one.

We recently announced a new series that I’m a creator on called Pikwik. That should be slated for a late 2019 launch on Disney Junior in the U.S. and in other territories. We also have a new series greenlit at the CBC called Big Blue, a comedy adventure. There’s lots of new content coming out of the studio this year and you’ll hear more about it as the year goes on.

By Joanna Padovano Tong

With hits like True and the Rainbow Kingdom, a Netflix original also available on CBC in Canada, and PAW Patrol, airing on Nickelodeon as well as Canada’s TVO, Guru Studio has positioned itself as a boutique producer and distributor of top-quality kids’ animation. Upcoming shows include Pikwik, due to debut on Disney Junior in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Korea and India, and Big Blue, which was recently given the go-ahead by CBC in Canada. Frank Falcone, cofounder, president and executive creative director at Guru Studio, tells TV Kids how the Toronto-based company was created and discusses the importance of quality over quantity, trends in the kids’ landscape today and growth ambitions for the year ahead.

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TV KIDS: What trends have you noticed in the animation industry?

FALCONE: The trend is producing a volume of originals.

The danger is when you are focused on originals, you really can generate a catalog very quickly now. Whether you will be able to control that catalog or participate in the long tail of it is debatable as the landscape changes.

But I think the danger in just generating a lot of original content for the sake of feeding the demand is that you just become, for lack of a better comparison, yet another app in the App Store. As we know, there are 2 million apps in the App Store, there are 26 million songs on iTunes, and just releasing a song isn’t enough.

You have to have a great song, first of all—that helps a lot—and you have to know how to launch originals in the market. So I think it’s increasingly important for us to understand not just the shows and the content that we’re producing, and understand their DNA, but [also to] understand who our audience is, reach out to our audience, appeal to our audience and our demographics, and do what we need to do in marketing to succeed.

No one should rely on any of the emerging services to make their show a success. They need to do the deep soul-searching and heavy lifting required to find their audience.

TV KIDS: How important are nonlinear extensions for kids’ programming?

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Guru’s True and the Rainbow Kingdom was produced for Netflix.

FALCONE: It’s debatable whether more is more. [Laughs] I think it’s important to have a good product, first and foremost, whatever extension. I think an app could create a show, a show could create an app; I don’t think they need to all the time. Some concepts and some brands have the DNA to warrant extensions, where the audience is in search of more experiences [because] they can’t get enough of the thing they love. I think without having a brand and a set of characters and a storyline and a world that people deeply engage in and love and that has room to build more connection, there’s very little point in creating extensions because it’s just busywork and it’s cluttering the marketplace.

TV KIDS: What’s in store for the future of the company?

FALCONE: We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. We’re very happy with what’s on our slate at the moment. I’d like to say we’re sold out, but we’re not. [Laughs] The projects we’ve been working on and bringing to market over the last few years have all found homes, so we’re very happy with that. We have another round of projects in our development slate now that we’re very excited about; we’ll start to bring those to market later this year and early in 2019. I’m super excited about [these] new projects that will take us into new markets and new types of content. We’re known for preschool; we don’t have a preschool show to sell right now, but we have one in development that we’re very

excited about. So we are not neglecting our core competency, which has been preschool, but there are lots of other areas that we’re extending our abilities into. As artists, we’re excited to stretch what we do. I think what we do for other age groups and other demos can only strengthen what we do in preschool. Certainly there’s a lot to be learned and there’s value in exercising your brain to appeal to audiences in other demographics and to story-tell in other ways that could be leveraged back into the storytelling that you do for preschoolers. And vice versa—there’s a lot to be learned in preschool when you’re telling stories for older demos as well. So lots of fun stuff coming up in the next year.

We’re expanding into licensing. We have new licensees on board for our big property True and the Rainbow Kingdom. We have a master toy [partner], we have a costume licensee in Palamon, we have sleepwear with AME, we have Global Brands Group for socks, we have Chouette for master publishing, we have Bendon for coloring books and art sets. We also have a huge success on our GIPHY page for True, which is approaching 700 million GIF shares. Clearly there are people—either guilty older-kid viewers or parents— who are sharing these things, which means that there is a connection to an audience out there that we are seeing in social media. And we are going to continue to build that brand on Netflix and outside the service.

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