World Screen February 2022 Edition

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February 2022

WWW.WORLDSCREEN.COM

THE MAGAZINE OF INTERNATIONAL MEDIA

Behind the Scenes of The Tourist / Banijay’s Cris Abrego UKTV’s Emma Ayech / WorldScreenings: Gusto TV

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at MIPTV

SPACE RESERVATIONS: March 7 ADVERTISING MATERIALS: March 10 For more information, please contact Ricardo Guise at rguise@worldscreen.com or Dana Mattison at dmattison@worldscreen.com.

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CONTENTS

FEBRUARY 2022 WORLD VIEW By Mansha Daswani.

UPFRONTS New content on the market.

IN THE NEWS Banijay’s Cris Abrego took part in a NATPE keynote conversation with World Screen’s Anna Carugati before receiving the Premio Ícono TV Latina 2022.

MAKING THE TOURIST Two Brothers Pictures’ Chris Aird takes us inside the production of the acclaimed new thriller.

Publisher Ricardo Seguin Guise Group Editorial Director Anna Carugati Editor Mansha Daswani Executive Editor Kristin Brzoznowski

TIME TO COOK Chris Knight on how Gusto TV is bolstering its culturally diverse slate of culinary content.

Managing Editor Chelsea Regan

SPOTLIGHT UKTV’s Emma Ayech on what’s driving the gains at the Drama channel.

Associate Editor Jamie Stalcup

TRENDING ON WORLDSCREENINGS.COM The most-viewed clips on our video portal for the last 30 days.

Editor, Spanish-Language Publications Elizabeth Bowen-Tombari Contributing Editor Elizabeth Guider

STAR GAZING Several leading content sales executives share their perspectives on what’s in store for the kids’ business in 2022.

TV KIDS PIONEER AWARD: M6 GROUP’S PHILIPPE BONY The general manager of thematic channels and president of Gulli on the company’s winning combination of linear and digital assets.

MATTEL TELEVISION’S FREDERIC SOULIE The senior VP and general manager of the content division of the toy giant on bringing beloved brands and new IP to kids and families worldwide.

NBCUNIVERSAL GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION’S CHLOE VAN DEN BERG The senior VP, head of kids and family entertainment talks about the boundary-pushing animation and storytelling found at the heart of NBCUniversal’s slate for young ones.

KIDOODLE.TV’S BRENDA BISNER The chief content officer at the platform weighs in on the strengths of the AVOD model and the “Safe Streaming” movement.

Production & Design Director David Diehl Online Director Simon Weaver Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Dana Mattison Sales & Marketing Coordinator Genovick Acevedo Business Affairs Manager Andrea Moreno Contributing Writers Steve Clarke Andy Fry Joanna Stephens Jay Stuart David Wood

TOON TIME Cyber Group Studios’ Raphaëlle Mathieu on what’s next for the company’s always-ambitious undertakings.

Ricardo Seguin Guise President

PROGRAM LISTINGS Highlights from several distributors.

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Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development

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WORLD VIEW

BY MANSHA DASWANI

Streaming Wars: What’s Next?

CNN+ is set to launch in the coming months, arriving in an already crowded landscape. In its 2022 Media & Entertainment Industry Outlook report, Deloitte listed the maturation of the streaming video industry as one of five key trends to watch this year (alongside live entertainment, social media reaching a turning point, the rise of NFTs and opportunities in the metaverse).

“With top SVOD players spending billions on content development and global expansion, the business models that got them this far may not provide the future profitability needed for the industry to grow,” Deloitte said in its report.

The existing model of focusing on subscription numbers as a metric of success may need to be reconsidered, Deloitte said.

“Subscribers are necessary, but providers should increasingly focus on how much revenue they generate.”

Deloitte went on to note that only some platforms have the scale to compete globally; “2022 will further underscore these winners, some of whom are likely to see more M&A activity from consolidation across multiple markets.”

Platforms may also need to evolve their offerings. “By the end of 2022, top providers might look more like digital platform companies, with premium SVOD and AVOD capabilities, user-generated content, gaming properties and social integration. This evolving business model will likely test the willingness of shareholders to underwrite expansion, so pressures on profitability may become even more significant.”

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UPFRONTS

Global Screen The Palace / Recipes for Love and Murder / 3Hz The Global Screen slate features The Palace, a period drama shot at the iconic FriedrichstadtPalast in Berlin. The catalog also features Recipes for Love and Murder, a quirky murder mystery series based on the novel by best-selling South African author Sally Andrew. Meanwhile, the family-targeted adventure/mystery series 3Hz is told in two different timelines. “We are delighted to have so much strong content across both film and television to share with our clients virtually and soon again in person,” says Julia Weber, head of international sales and acquisitions.

Recipes for Love and Murder

“February is a big month for us at Global Screen as we head to the online Berlinale and EFM.” —Julia Weber

Russia Television and Radio/Sovtelexport Elizaveta / Cloister / Elsa’s Land The period-set adventure drama Elizaveta leads Russia Television and Radio/Sovtelexport’s slate.

The historical series charts the ascension of Peter the Great’s daughter to the throne. “Period dramas about Russian royal families are international bestsellers,” says Julia Matyash, director of Sovtelexport. Also on the slate, Cloister tells the passionate love story between a prisoner and officer in a Solovetsky concentration camp. Elsa’s Land details a love story as well, between two people in their 70s whose families do not approve.

Elizaveta

“Framed by real historical events, Elizaveta is shot in the trendy genre of adventure drama and appeals to a younger audience.”

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—Julia Matyash

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Viaplay Harmonica / Trom / Hilma This year, Viaplay will premiere at least 70 originals, with highlights in February such as Harmonica and Trom, both of which are also showing at the Berlinale. Harmonica is the latest series from Josephine Bornebusch (Love Me).

Trom stars Ulrich Thomsen (The Blacklist). “The first-ever original drama series from the Faroe Islands, Trom is a landmark in many ways,” says Filippa Wallestam, executive VP and chief content officer at Nordic Entertainment Group.

Coming later this year, Lasse Hallström’s Hilma explores the enigmatic life of Hilma af Klint.

Trom

“We really look forward to showing Harmonica and Trom at the Berlinale ahead of their Viaplay premieres.”

—Filippa Wallestam

ZDF Enterprises White Night / Going Circular / Shorty and the Legend of the Enchanted Reef The ZDF Enterprises highlight White Night, a murder mystery, centers on a family dealing with an imbalance of power. “The unique plot twists and memorable characters of this original Québec series will move and engage audiences worldwide,” says Fred Burcksen, president and CEO. The documentary Going Circular details the concept of a system that eliminates waste and saves the planet’s resources. The kids’ film Shorty and the Legend of the Enchanted Reef focuses on courage and friendship.

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White Night

“Our highlights are guaranteed to find a place in the hearts of your viewers.”

—Fred Burcksen

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Our New Address in Los Angeles:

LAScreeningsF Need a new way to unveil your lineup? Take part in the LA Screenings Festival, which runs from May 10 to May 13.

This Spanish-language virtual event will showcase keynotes with top executives and screenings of new programs available in Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic market.

Click here to see an example of what the LA Screenings Festival will look like.

As a Sponsor, you will have your logo on the invitation, in the agenda and on the opening screen of the festival sessions.

You can also showcase trailers of your shows at no additional cost.

AVAILABLE SPONSORSHIP OPTIONS: GOLD (Three Available): US$3,000. You can showcase five trailers.

SILVER (Five Available): US$2,000. You can showcase three trailers.

BRONZE (Ten Available): US$1,000. You can showcase one trailer.

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sFestival.com

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT MATERIALS: April 28.

Want to be included in the LA Screenings Festival?

Contact Ricardo Guise at rguise@worldscreen.com or Dana Mattison at dmattison@worldscreen.com.

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IN THE NEWS

Cris Abrego Banijay

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ris Abrego is chairman of the Americas for Banijay and president and CEO of Endemol Shine Holdings.

He oversees a portfolio of nine studios in the U.S. and Latin America that produce a range of shows in English, Spanish and Portuguese, from mega-formats and successful franchises like Big Brother and MasterChef to social experiments and scripted dramas.

In recognition of his contributions to the Latin American and U.S. Hispanic media markets, TV Latina, in collaboration with NATPE, presented Abrego with the Premio Ícono.

In a video interview, Abrego talked with Anna Carugati, World Screen’s group editorial director, about his career, serving Spanish-language viewers, advancing diversity and inclusion, the importance of vision—seeing into the future by learning from the past—and opportunities for Banijay Americas in the coming year.

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Making Th

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The Tourist

Chris Aird, the head of drama at Two Brothers Pictures, takes World Screen inside the production of The Tourist. By Mansha Daswani

T

hings aren’t going terribly well for “The Man” in the opening minutes of The Tourist. Driving through the Australian outback, singing along to Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes,” the unnamed Irishman— played by Belfast star Jamie Dornan—is driven off the road by a truck. When he wakes up in the hospital with amnesia, he sets off to figure out who he is and why someone is trying to kill him.

Distributed by All3Media International, the series counts HBO Max in the U.S., ZDF in Germany and Stan in Australia as co-production partners. It was conceived by Jack and Harry Williams about three years ago, says Chris Aird, head of drama at Two Brothers Pictures, and taken to Piers Wenger, the director of drama at the BBC, who “got it straight away,” Aird notes. “It has a different tone from much of what Jack and Harry have written before.

They were comedy writers in a previous life, so it melds their love of comedy with their love of hard-hitting thrillers. He understood from the get-go that it wasn’t just going to be a straight thriller.”

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Indeed, the comedic edge that runs through the piece is key, from the scripts themselves to how the show was directed. “Chris Sweeney, who directed the first bloc and is an exec on the show, was actually at school with Harry, so he knows [the brothers] extremely well. He also directed

“It has a different tone from much of what Jack and Harry [Williams] have written before.”

Back to Life. It’s that kind of realistic, story-driven comedy.

You’re taking genre moments but putting real, fallible characters in them.”

Helen Chambers, played by Australian actress Danielle Macdonald, is the local police officer tasked with investigating The Man’s accident. “Jack and Harry always saw [Helen] as the big beating heart” of the show, Aird says. “She’s the way in for the audience. By dint of the story, it’s quite difficult to identify with a guy who has amnesia because you can’t know anything about him. But you get everything with her.”

As the episodes progress, audiences learn more about The Man as he’s piecing together what’s happened to him. The team at Two Brothers takes a careful, deliberate approach to pacing out a story, Aird explains. The Williams brothers “alternate between the fastpaced scenes with trucks chasing cars and things blowing up and the bits they really love to write—the smaller, quieter, more dialogue-driven scenes between characters.”

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The TV KIDS SUMMER FESTIVAL is a four-day must-attend virtual event taking place a week prior to Annecy/MIFA and a month before Kidscreen Summit.

Taking place from June 7 to 10, 2022, the TV KIDS SUMMER FESTIVAL will feature keynotes and panels with leading executives and creatives discussing the major trends in the children’s programming business. It will be streamed live and available on-demand for two months on TVKidsSummerFestival.com.

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact Ricardo Guise at rguise@worldscreen.com or Dana Mattison at dmattison@worldscreen.com.

ay

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Gusto TV’s Spencer ’s BIG 30.

Time to Cook

Chris Knight on how Gusto TV is bolstering its culturally diverse slate of culinary content. By Chelsea Regan

A

s Gusto TV continues to chart its expansion path across the globe, the company is hard at work bolstering the culturally diverse catalog of culinary content it offers to its international subscribers. “We’re constantly looking at new ways into food stories and doing things slightly different while remaining true to our ethos and cultural values,” says Chris Knight, president and CEO of Gusto Worldwide Media, noting that the company produces 100 percent of the content available on Gusto TV. “Right now, we probably have 30 to 35 different show ideas in various stages of development.”

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Knight adds, “Somebody is always coming into the office and saying, ‘Hey, how about this? Or how about that?’ It’s a very— pardon the food pun—organic process. We realize how unique this is and how blessed we are to be able to be that nimble.”

The inherent flexibility in being the sole producer of its own content means that Gusto TV can change its programming lineup up to just a couple of months out. The channel is

“We’re constantly looking at new ways into food stories.” —Chris Knight

also able to experiment with different formats; it has 10- and 20-episode seasons, hour-long shows and is now trying out 15-minute programs.

Gusto TV is currently available in 160 countries and on 31 platforms—with much of the platform expansion coming in the last nine months.

Knight believes that central to Gusto TV’s global appeal is the diversity of its programming. “I think diversity in our hosts, the recipes and the cultures is why our audiences are growing, whether we’re on in Singapore or on in Italy,” he says.

“Food has a very special opportunity to [connect with viewers] because people become engaged and they download the recipes, and the conversation starts,” Knight adds. “The food genre is a very special one when it comes to developing longtail relationships with viewers. It’s a great space to be in.”

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SPOTLIGHT

Emma Ayech UKTV

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t was a year of record growth for UKTV in 2021, with improved shares across its seven-channel portfolio. Its Drama channel, for one, celebrated its best year ever, with adult share up 11 percent and ABC1’s up 14 percent year-on-year.

Emma Ayech, channel director for Drama and Alibi, discusses the “winning formula” that’s driving the gains, current programming strategy and wish list for acquisitions.

WS: Drama as a channel had an incredibly strong 2021.

By Kristin Brzoznowski What drove these gains?

AYECH: Growth on Drama has come from a few different places. The channel has an incredibly loyal core audience and a very consistent offering; people know they can come in for their classic soaps in the mornings, nostalgic drama in the afternoons, classic comedy at teatime and their favorite detective shows in peak. It’s a winning formula, and the channel has been a reliable friend to viewers through the various 26 WORLD SCREEN 2/22

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lockdowns. However, we have also worked hard to keep Drama feeling fresh for our viewers. Key additions have been contemporary classics like Happy Valley and Luther, more free-to-air premieres for the likes of Miss Scarlet and the Duke and Dial M for Middlesbrough, on top of our usual U.K. premiere, and Dramaexclusive series like the crime drama The Brokenwood Mysteries.

We have also brought some “noughties” classics back to people’s

“The channel has an incredibly loyal core audience and a very consistent offering.” screens, with all of Bad Girls showing on linear as well as being boxset-dropped on our VOD service, UKTV Play.

WS: What’s guiding Drama’s programming strategy at present?

AYECH: We listen to our audience, with regular focus groups and a close eye on social conversations around the channel.

We know they love the trusted archive curation we give them, but they also have a huge appetite for new drama.

Our aim is to continue to grow our linear channel by always refreshing our archive content, as well as focusing more on premiere drama for our viewers. Alongside that, we want to continue to grow our on-demand service, UKTV Play, and make sure it offers viewers a deeper archive library to complement the linear channel, as well as a wider choice of content that can stretch the 2/22 WORLD SCREEN 27

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The Brokenwood Mysteries, sold by All3Media International, is part of the Drama slate.

brand into new areas to satisfy all tastes in drama. Our goal for Drama on both linear and nonlinear services is unsurpassed curation, bringing viewers a wide range of quality drama, both old and new.

WS: How much of the Drama slate comes from acquisitions?

AYECH: The majority of Drama’s slate comes from the incredibly rich archive of the BBC; however, around one-fourth is acquired, and these are hugely important titles for us. We are looking to have the best content—not just the best BBC content—so that means acquiring classic archive as well as finding new titles that can sit well alongside the great, quality BBC shows we have.

WS: What’s on your wish list for acquisitions at present?

AYECH: U.K.-premiere soft crime and U.K.-premiere period drama, with high production values and good British talent. Also looking for iconic archive content and volume archive.

We buy a lot of archive from a few key suppliers; however, we continue to engage with a range of distributors to ensure our peak content remains fresh.

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WWW.TVKIDS.COM

FEBRUARY (TV KIDS FESTIVAL) 2022 EDITION

Kids’ Media Trends / M6 Group’s Philippe Bony / Mattel Television’s Frederic Soulie NBCUniversal’s Chloe Van den Berg / Kidoodle.TV’s Brenda Bisner / Cyber Group Studios’ Innovative Edge

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A Special Thanks t G OL D SPO N S O R S

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

ADDI T I ONA L S P O N S O R S

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nks to All Our Sponsors GOLD STREAMING SPONSOR

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14 TV KIDS

CONTENTS

Playing for Keeps

FEATURES

STAR GAZING

Several leading content sales executives share their perspectives on what’s in store for the kids’ business in 2022.

Like so many other businesses amid Covid-19, World Screen expanded into many new areas over the last two years. But the gains in our already dominant coverage of the kids’ industry may be the thing we’re most proud of.

Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher Anna Carugati Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani Editor Kristin Brzoznowski Executive Editor Chelsea Regan Managing Editor Jamie Stalcup Associate Editor David Diehl Production & Design Director Simon Weaver Online Director Dana Mattison Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Genovick Acevedo 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 ©2022 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website: www.tvkids.com

We moved into the virtual events business, with the 2022 edition of the TV Kids Festival taking place this month and a TV Kids Summer Festival planned for June.

We produced a raft of our super-popular in-demand reports. We launched the inaugural TV Kids Screenings Festival ahead of MIPCOM and MIPJunior last year, highlighting some of the most compelling new IP on the market today. And there is an awful lot of it, as the growing SVOD landscape, booming AVOD opportunities and continued investments from pubcasters have powered new narrative techniques and an increased focus on diversity and inclusion.

We checked in with several distributors in this edition of TV Kids to hear their perspectives on the prospects for the children’s media business this year. We also spotlight the recipient of this winter’s TV Kids Pioneer Award, M6 Group’s Philippe Bony, on how he is managing the French media company’s portfolio of linear and digital platforms aimed at kids and families. Also in this edition, Frederic Soulie updates us on all the latest developments at Mattel Television, Chloe Van den Berg outlines the strengths of the kids and family entertainment slate at NBCUniversal Global Distribution, and Cyber Group Studios’ Raphaëlle Mathieu reveals what’s next for the company’s expansion plans. We also hear from Brenda Bisner about what’s driving the usage gains at the AVOD platform Kidoodle.TV. What are we keeping our eye on in 2022, outside of when Covid-19 lets us get back to life as usual? Ongoing opportunities in the metaverse are expected to be critical following a range of developments last year, including the digital entertainment and media platform Azerion welcoming WildBrain’s Teletubbies into the online Habbo and Hotel Hideaway games. Producers are also exploring the use of Epic Games’ Unreal Engine technology, with Digital Dimension Entertainment Group and Cyber Group Studios among those receiving Epic MegaGrants.

Don’t forget to stay up-to-date with everything happening in the kids’ media business on our recently rebranded website, TVKids.com.

—Mansha Daswani

GET DAILY NEWS ON KIDS’ PROGRAMMING

TOON TIME

Cyber Group Studios’ Raphaëlle Mathieu on what’s next for the company’s always-ambitious undertakings.

INTERVIEWS TV Kids Pioneer Award: Philippe Bony M6 Group

Frederic Soulie Mattel Television

Chloe Van den Berg NBCUniversal Global Distribution

Brenda Bisner Kidoodle.TV

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16 TV KIDS

Interstellar Ella

Aardman The Very Small Creatures / Interstellar Ella / Lloyd of the Flies The Aardman highlight The Very Small Creatures, a brandnew stop-frame series for toddlers, launched successfully on Sky Kids in the U.K. late last year. This year will see the launch of Interstellar Ella, produced by Fabrique Fantastique and Apartment 11. The CGI preschool series was commissioned by VRT Ketnet, Knowledge Kids, Société Radio-Canada, TFO and TVOkids. Aardman also has plans to launch Lloyd of the Flies, its first in-house CGI-produced comedy series for kids ages 7 to 9. “Humor and comedy play a strong part in each of these titles, and we’ve yet to find a buyer who doesn’t appreciate being made to laugh,” says Alison Taylor, director of distribution at Aardman. “The storytelling in each of the programs is incredibly strong, with fantastic and identifiable characters in each.”

“Buyers can always trust Aardman to produce and distribute quality shows.”

—Alison Taylor

Boat Rocker Studios Dino Ranch / Love Monster / The Next Step Boat Rocker Studios’ catalog features Dino Ranch, a preschool series that “portrays the excitement of the great outdoors and is a thrilling combination of dinosaurs and ranchers—topics adored by children around the world,” says Gia DeLaney, senior VP of global sales for kids and family. A second season with new characters, locations and more adventures is slated for this year. Season two of Love Monster, which aims to help children understand and accept their emotions, introduces a new character voiced by Emmy-winning actor Rosamund Pike and sees the return of George Takei’s character, Elder Panda. The tween dance series The Next Step follows the adventures of A-Troupe, combining dynamic dance routines with the daily ups and downs of its characters. “Tweens can be inspired by its aspirational messages,” DeLaney says.

Cyber Group Studios

Love Monster

“All of these shows tap into universal themes that are instantly relatable wherever kids may be watching.”

—Gia DeLaney

Nefertine on the Nile

Nefertine on the Nile / Squared Zebra / 50/50 Heroes Nefertine on the Nile, co-produced with Italy’s Graphilm Entertainment in collaboration with Rai Ragazzi, leads Cyber Group Studios’ highlights. The Egypt-set series sees its heroine help her friends when they’re in trouble. Produced under the French and Russian joint label Cyber Soyuz Junior, Squared Zebra invites kids to discover the world’s beauty and learn it’s okay to be different. The comedy series 50/50 Heroes, which has France Télévisions and Disney Channel (Germany, Eastern Europe) on board as commissioning partners, has presold to ITV in the U.K. “They all are, in their special way, feel-good series,” says Raphaëlle Mathieu, senior VP of sales, acquisitions and new media. “But they are still very different from each other, which enables us to reach different targets and time slots.”

“In 2022, we really want to see much more of our clients in person.”

—Raphaëlle Mathieu

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18 TV KIDS

Alma’s Way

Fred Rogers Productions Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood / Donkey Hodie / Alma’s Way Fred Rogers Productions’ slate includes two spin-offs of the classic Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood: Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Donkey Hodie. The animated series Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood models social-emotional strategies for young children. The puppet show Donkey Hodie, launched in 2021, empowers preschoolers to dream big and overcome obstacles. Also launched in 2021, Alma’s Way, created by Sonia Manzano of Sesame Street fame, centers on a proud, confident Puerto Rican girl and her family living in the Bronx. “Each series has a unique hook, such as singing helpful little songs with Daniel Tiger, persevering with the super exuberant Donkey Hodie and learning to think through dilemmas with Alma Rivera,” says Ellen Doherty, chief creative officer.

“Shows produced by Fred Rogers Productions always have kids’ interests and needs at their heart.”

—Ellen Doherty

Gaumont Stillwater / Do, Re & Mi / Bionic Max Stillwater, a mindfulness show for preschoolers from Gaumont, launched to critical acclaim last year, earning a Daytime Emmy and a Peabody. “We hope it brings tools into kids’ (and parents’) lives that help them cope as they experience life’s little disappointments without losing sight of the greater joys,” says Terry Kalagian, executive VP of creative content for the U.S. Also a preschool series, Do, Re & Mi stars Kristen Bell, Jackie Tohn and Luke Youngblood. A new set of episodes recently launched, and there are two holiday specials. The buddy comedy Bionic Max launched in France and “continues to find new homes across other markets around the world,” Kalagian says. Gaumont will also be launching Samurai Rabbit: The Usagi Chronicles, based on Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo comics, this year on Netflix.

Do, Re & Mi

“Gaumont, as always, will continue its commitment to develop and produce relevant, engaging stories.”

—Terry Kalagian

GoldBee The Game Catchers / The Muscleteers / Hoodie GoldBee’s highlight The Game Catchers, which has earned high ratings on Rai Yoyo, sees a team of five friends go on an interstellar journey to explore other planets, with the aim of playing and collecting playground games. “This series brings attention back to playground games, promoting an active lifestyle,” says Christophe Goldberger, managing director of GoldBee. For children ages 6 to 9, The Muscleteers provides “a great mix of intrigue and fun,” Goldberger says, as a group of swashbuckling rodents set out to defend their peers and save the day. The live-action series Hoodie, now going into its third season, tells the story of Pieter and his friends, who all secretly become crime fighters using their parkour skills. The series has “current themes relevant to today’s youth,” Goldberger notes.

The Game Catchers

“We continue to offer our partners a diverse slate of high-end kids’ and family programs and movies.”

—Christophe Goldberger

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True and the Rainbow Kingdom

Guru Studio Big Blue / Pikwik Pack / True and the Rainbow Kingdom Guru Studio’s new comedy adventure Big Blue, created by Gyimah Gariba, who was on Forbes magazine’s list of Young African Creatives Rebranding Africa, follows sibling underwater adventurers who lead a submarine crew with a magical fairy stowaway named Bacon Berry. The series aims to redefine what family means and show that caring for each other is the most important thing of all. The preschool program Pikwik Pack centers on themes of working together and sharing joy with those in our communities, “which is really resonating with families,” says Jonathan Abraham, VP of sales and business development. True and the Rainbow Kingdom encourages “children to be mindful, courageous and respectful of all living things,” Abraham says.

“Guru’s roster of original content is continuing to travel worldwide.”

—Jonathan Abraham

Mystery Lane

Hari International Mystery Lane / The Weasy Family / Grizzy & the Lemmings World Tour The Hari International highlight Mystery Lane centers on a brother-and-sister hamster duo who investigate unusual cases in London. The series features “seemingly unfathomable enigmas and revelations that leave you flabbergasted,” says Adeline Tormo, head of sales. Also on Hari International’s slate, The Weasy Family features a teenage weasel burglar who finds himself catapulted into the role of father when he ends up sitting on a large egg that hatches two ducklings. “We like to think that this is the first benevolent slapstick cartoon ever, where no one wants to harm anyone, even when the situation gets out of hand,” Tormo says. The second season of Grizzy & the Lemmings World Tour sees the characters journey back to Canada while making stops in Africa, Asia, Europe, Antarctica and Oceania.

“We are really excited to reveal the first episode of the ambitious series Mystery Lane.”

—Adeline Tormo

Headspinner Productions Denis and Me / Happy House of Frightenstein / My Shadow is Pink The animated series Denis and Me on Headspinner Productions’ slate “is just pure cartoony fun,” says Michelle Melanson, president. “It’s relatable yet truly original at the same time.” Happy House of Frightenstein follows four little monsters and their serpent caregiver as they laugh, play and grow in their castle. In development with author and illustrator Scott Stuart and Sticky Pictures, the preschool series My Shadow is Pink features the themes of expression and acceptance. “My Shadow is Pink has a message that the world needs right now,” Melanson says. “It’s a ‘free to be me’ message that we are proud to be bringing to the world.” Also on Headspinner Productions’ slate are Gardenkeeper Gus, a brand-new preschool podcast for Spotify Kids, and several live-action series currently in late-stage development.

Denis and Me

“We are very proud of what we brought to the market in 2021 and continue to in 2022.”

—Michelle Melanson

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Kidoodle.TV Safe Streaming The AVOD service Kidoodle.TV serves kids under 12 in over 160 countries, with no barrier to entry, so that families everywhere can enjoy its Safe Streaming promise. It houses more than 30,000 episodes, all handpicked and human-vetted, and has a weekly release schedule that debuts 10 to 20 new shows. “Our offering is robust, well organized and evolves as quickly as the attention span of a child,” says Brenda Bisner, chief content officer. The focus is on “needle-moving brands,” she adds, and making sure that Kidoodle.TV is a differentiated offering that kids embrace and parents trust. Gaming content has been a strong addition to the roster, and adding more podcasts and music-based streams is a priority.

“The AVOD space has been growing significantly, and Kidoodle.TV has a major role to play in that happening.”

—Brenda Bisner

Konami Cross Media NY Yu-Gi-Oh! SEVENS / Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS / Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters The latest Yu-Gi-Oh! series, the Konami Cross Media NY highlight Yu-Gi-Oh! SEVENS, features all-new characters and introduces Rush Duels to the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe. “We continue to grow the Yu-Gi-Oh! audience across streaming and broadcast alike, and we are excited for the launch of the latest series in the franchise,” says Kristen Gray, president of Konami Cross Media NY. The third and final season of Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS and the popular Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters series are also on offer from the company.

“Yu-Gi-Oh! ranks among the top 25 highest-grossing media franchises in the industry,” says Gray. “With anime content continuing to drive viewership on streaming services worldwide, it makes sense for buyers to want to work with a known entity that can deliver an audience.”

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters

“We are looking to uncover further opportunities in 2022 to engage our gaming fans through different entertainment mediums.”

—Kristen Gray

Mattel Return of Monster High / Deepa & Anoop / Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go At Mattel Television, there are currently 20 shows and specials in production and more than 25 projects in development.

Highlights include the return of Monster High. “We are proudly bringing back our iconic franchise about the children of famous monsters and creatures with a new animated series and liveaction TV-movie musical based on Monster High, the franchise built on the inclusive message of belonging,” says Frederic Soulie, senior VP and general manager of Mattel Television.

Meanwhile, Deepa & Anoop is a new preschool series that follows the adventures of 7-year-old Deepa at her Indian family’s bed-and-breakfast. There’s also a new season of the updated Thomas & Friends series, produced in 2D animation.

The show maintains “Thomas’s core brand ethos, which is all about the importance of friendship,” says Soulie.

Deepa & Anoop

“Each of our brands is built on a core purpose.”

—Frederic Soulie

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NBCUniversal Global Distribution Dragons: The Nine Realms / Take Note / Gabby’s Dollhouse Dragons: The Nine Realms, part of the NBCUniversal Global Distribution slate, is the next chapter in the beloved franchise from DreamWorks Animation. It “has the same adventure and heart as the How to Train Your Dragon films that fans know and love,” says Chloe Van den Berg, senior VP, head of kids and family entertainment at NBCUniversal Global Distribution. Take Note, a Peacock and Sky co-production, has “cross-generational appeal and manages to deftly balance heart with high-stakes Hollywood competition,” Van den Berg says. DreamWorks Animation’s mixed-media series Gabby’s Dollhouse has already proven to be a success, according to Van den Berg, who adds: “With music, friendship and an incredible ensemble cast of cat characters, preschoolers everywhere are falling in love with Gabby and friends.”

“Our upcoming slate and product offering have never been more varied.”

—Chloe Van den Berg

Nelvana

Take Note

Builder Brothers Dream Factory

Super Wish / Builder Brothers Dream Factory / The Dog & Pony Show In Nelvana’s Super Wish, Jesse Cameron accidentally wishes for his birthday party to disappear, leading him and his friends to journey through The Happy Land of Birthdays to reverse his wish and get back home. “The series is the perfect ageappropriate introduction to fantasy for the older-skewing preschool demographic,” says Pam Westman, president of Nelvana. Based on the real-life Property Brothers Drew and Jonathan Scott, Builder Brothers Dream Factory centers on transformation, innovation and resilience. The Dog & Pony Show follows two best friends who leave the fantastical world of Rainbow Fjörd to explore UniCity. “The series’ animation is set against cinematic backdrops, allowing graphic characters to live in realism, helping to bridge the two worlds of younger to older kid demographics,” says Westman.

Studio 100 Media

“Our 2022 plans include the development and production of even more creatordriven series and expansion into other formats and styles of content.”

—Pam Westman

Game Keepers

FriendZSpace / SeaBelievers / Game Keepers The Studio 100 Media highlight FriendZSpace follows best friends and deep-space friend-makers Alice, Leo and Kim and the half-puppy and half-high-tech Swiss army knife BotDog. “FriendZSpace is all about kids and kid culture— alien and human; it’s about embracing our differences and getting into exciting trouble in the process,” says Dorian Bühr, head of global distribution at Studio 100 Media. An ecotainment series, SeaBelievers leads its young viewers on an adventure to save the ocean alongside Amelia and the titular team of underwater superheroes. The live-action series Game Keepers sees teenagers Mats and Sari chosen to play in an action-packed competition for which they must enter an unknown digital gaming world, play a game and defeat the mysterious GameMaster.

“The demand for good entertainment and making people laugh is more prevalent and needed now than ever, and we aim to continue to deliver.”

—Dorian Bühr

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TeamTO Jade Armor / Angelo Rules / Presto! School of Magic An action-adventure comedy, TeamTO’s Jade Armor is centered on a teenage heroine with martial arts skills.

Speaking of the comedy series Angelo Rules, Corinne Kouper, senior VP of production and development and cofounder of TeamTO, says, “Broadcasters will be really pleased to have a first-ever Christmas special and another season featuring some really great villains from a brand-new rival school.” Presto! School of Magic is an animated series about real magic that can inspire and teach aspiring young magicians. A new purpose-built, state-of-the-art studio in Paris is also in the works at TeamTO. “Our new workplace will be one of the most environmentally friendly, sustainable studios in the world, implementing a great number of energy-saving protocols across the board,” says Kouper.

“There are several exciting, big project announcements coming up— stay tuned for those!”

—Corinne Kouper

WildBrain Degrassi / Ruby and the Well / Princess Mirror-Belle A brand-new version of WildBrain’s award-winning youth franchise Degrassi has been commissioned by WarnerMedia Kids & Family for HBO Max. The reboot, “while staying true to the fundamental honesty, humanity and integrity of the brand, promises fans a journey into exciting new territory, both creatively and dramatically,” says Caroline Tyre, VP of global sales and rights strategy. Ruby and the Well, a cinematic liveaction series set to launch on Family Channel in Canada this year, highlights the importance of helping one another. “We know there is a real demand for thoughtful live action that captivates imaginations for this age group, and Ruby and the Well certainly fits this category.” Princess Mirror-Belle, the first-ever live-action adaptation of the best-selling books by Julia Donaldson, recently made its debut on the BBC in the U.K.

Princess Mirror-Belle

“For 2022, we’ll continue adapting and responding to the rapid changes we’ve seen in how kids and families consume content.”

—Caroline Tyre

Shorty and the Legend of the Enchanted Reef

ZDF Enterprises Shorty and the Legend of the Enchanted Reef / Scream Street / School of Roars Among the kids’ titles that ZDF Enterprises (ZDFE) is representing in the international market, Shorty and the Legend of the Enchanted Reef is an animated film about the titular clumsy but energetic reef fish, his clever sister Indigo and a daring sawfish named Jake. Now in its second season, Scream Street, based on the book series by Tommy Donbavand, follows a regular teenager with a werewolf gene. “A recurring narrative is the importance of being who you are, but the themes and messages are delivered with plenty of humor, wit and some kick-ass moves, too,” says Peter Lang, VP ZDFE.junior. The preschool series School of Roars explores a child’s first year at school through mini monsters and their teacher Miss Grizzlesniff, who delivers lessons on math, music and more.

“We have lots of terrific programs to choose from, catering to preschoolers through to 6- to 10year-olds.”

—Peter Lang

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Studio 100 Media’s FriendZSpace.

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TV KIDS

STAR GAZING Several leading distributors share with Mansha Daswani their thoughts on what 2022 holds for the global kids’ content business.

T

he British kids’ content industry was dealt a significant blow last month when the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport said it was pulling the plug on the Young Audiences Content Fund following a three-year pilot program. The fund had helped support 144 development projects and 55 brand-new productions.

“These have considerably enhanced the public-service offering of CITV, Channel 5’s Milkshake!, Channel 4, S4C and others,” said Anna Home, chair of the Children’s Media Foundation. “Now we face a definite decrease in the number and range of programs being made for young people in the U.K. We could very quickly be back where we started three years ago, with the BBC as the only body commissioning content for children. And in fact, it’s worse, as the BBC is facing government-imposed budget cuts of its own over the next few years, too.” Indeed, the BBC learned last month that its license fee would be frozen for the next two years.

As pubcasters and commercial linear channels look to new funding models to survive in this environment, the streamers continue to exert their influence on the industry. The streaming wars kicking into high gear last year, and continuing into 2022, is the industry development that most impacted distributors’ businesses last year.

“Everyone can agree that the rollout of Disney+ and other streamers across several international regions changed the dynamics of the children’s TV industry in 2021,” says Cécilia Rossignol, executive VP of international sales and development at Gaumont France.

For Martin Krieger, CEO at Studio 100 Media, the trend that had the most significant impact on his business last year was the fast growth in the AVOD space, “with more and more players emerging and global players like ViacomCBS/Pluto TV and Comcast/Xumo being part of it,” he says. “FAST channels were not a significant part of our business in 2021, as we were testing the waters. For 2022, we will actively be pursuing an ambitious strategy to push and expand our activities in this area.”

Christophe Goldberger, managing director of indie distributor GoldBee, also has his eye on AVOD developments, projecting some consolidation in that space this year “as the business matures and revenues increase—but not all of them will survive in a very competitive environment,” he observes.

The overall growth of the streaming business, he notes, “has had a significant impact on our business, as we have seen a growing appetite for our renowned IPs,” on both the liveaction and animated sides of the company’s catalog.

FLIPPING THE SCRIPT However, while the opportunities created by the streamers have been immense, they are not without their complications.

“With financing for new kids’ shows largely coming from digital streamers, the challenge of retaining secondwindow and licensing and merchandising rights continues to have an impact on independent studios,” observes Jonathan Abraham, the VP of sales and business development at Guru Studio. “Studios like ours that continue to develop incredible new IP are having to get more creative with how financing gets pulled together.”

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GoldBee’s slate includes The Muscleteers, which it sells in select territories for ZDF Enterprises.

Guru Studio has begun rolling out its new kids’ comedy Big Blue.

Gaumont’s lineup includes the beloved Belle and Sebastian animated series.

Indeed, funding models continue to evolve as the marketplace adapts to a raft of new players. “We are seeing fewer prebuys from linear channels as they contemplate shifting to a VOD-first strategy, which naturally locks up territory VOD rights,” Abraham continues. “It’s a paradigm shift as broadcasters change their business model. In the end, we’ll have to do what we do best in the animation community and think creatively to build out new financing models from a broader range of potential funding partners.”

In terms of content trends, meanwhile, Gaumont’s Rossignol highlights the enduring demand for “big franchise brands,” especially among streaming platforms. “These established brands that strongly resonate across the kids’ and family demo contribute to the elevation of the individual streamer’s brand, playing a major role in their ability to deliver upon their customer value propositions. Never was this more evident than during the period of successive lockdowns around the world, when we saw families, in record numbers, come together to enjoy the co-viewing experience while in the safety and comfort of their own homes. As we continue to navigate our way through what we hope will be the end of this challenging time, this trend continues, and therefore, the search for the right intellectual property is on!”

Goldberger cites a growing demand for “positive and joyful kids’ programs,” especially since the onset of the pandemic. “We have received a very positive response to our newly launched preschool IP The Game Catchers, which promotes games, friendship and an active lifestyle with adventures full of laughter.”

At Studio 100, as demand from platforms surges, the company will be looking to expand its content output, Krieger reports. This includes a second season of the 100% Wolf franchise after the first batch of episodes sold to almost 100 countries, including Australia (ABC), Germany (Super RTL), France (Gulli), the U.S. (IMDb TV) and China (Tencent). It is also gearing up to roll out FriendZSpace, which wraps production this year, and Vegesaurs, a key pillar in the company’s efforts to expand its licensing and merchandising business.

“We own a strong portfolio of IPs and have recently added high-value third-party licenses to it,” Krieger says. “This will push our L&M business even further in 2022.”

For Abraham at Guru, the priority this year will be “pursuing projects that are best suited to leverage our strengths as a production, distribution and brand-building entertainment company,” he says. “We’re looking at a wide variety of projects from potential partners [seeking] help with anything from early-stage development, production, distribution or financing. We’re also actively looking at some interesting partnership opportunities on new IP with emerging players in the toy and L&M space.”

The key, Abraham adds, remains in “adapting to the changing landscape and keeping your finger on the pulse.”

Gaumont’s Rossignol also offers up a big-picture take on navigating the complexities of the business this year. “In 2022, decision-makers and the industry as a whole have an opportunity to take a breath and consider the purpose content holds for young viewers and parents in addition to the question of: What do they want to watch and why? It is this back-to-basics approach that will guide us as we forge a new path forward, applying all we have learned over the last two years—it is about thinking differently as we push the creative process to new heights.”

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TV KIDS PIONEER AWARD

Philippe Bony everyone can broadcast whatever they want all over the world. The landscape has changed a lot, but we are still in the same business at the end of the day. It’s always about selecting, acquiring and producing the best content and finding the right moment and the right way to market the content to the public.

By Anna Carugati

P

hilippe Bony has been working in the media industry in France for his entire career, starting with the linear channel Paris Première and later for the satellite platform TPS. He joined the M6 Group in 2005 and today serves as general manager in charge of thematic channels and president of the successful kids’ and family channel Gulli.

At the TV Kids Festival, Bony is being awarded the TV Kids Pioneer Award for his contributions to the children’s programming industry. He talks to TV Kids about reaching children and families on linear and nonlinear platforms and supporting the French animation industry.

TV KIDS: The media landscape in France has changed a lot since you started in the business. How much more competition is there?

BONY: We have come from scarcity to a tremendous abundance of opportunities [to offer programming]. Now

TV KIDS: Are linear channels still an important destination for children and families?

BONY: It was already important five or ten years ago to invest in nonlinear distribution. Now, it’s crucial, especially when you are working for kids. We think the combination of linear and nonlinear viewing is still a good [way] to reach children and families. In France, kids’ consumption is more and more [moving] to nonlinear, [even if] sometimes the nonlinear services [are viewed on the traditional] TV set. And when it comes to co-viewing with brothers and sisters or parents, it’s still on the television and linear programs most of the time. We see that the combination of the two is the best way to reach the whole family. It also gives children the opportunity to choose whatever they want at any moment of the day.

On nonlinear, we have developed our catch-up service, Gulli Replay, and we are trying to enhance the volume of programs available on this service. We are also trying to provide some other services, for example, gaming, which is also available on our platform. We have also developed an SVOD platform called GulliMax, which provides about 5,000 videos every month. We have reached about 3 million subscribers in France. Gulli Replay and GulliMax are dedicated specifically to children. Our competitors in the streaming business are international platforms, which are general-entertainment [offerings], whether it is Netflix or Disney+ or any other.

They have very strong programs dedicated to children, but globally, they are general-entertainment platforms.

With GulliMax and Gulli Replay, you know that all the programs will be only for children, and there is no program that is not appropriate for children. We think we have to develop a different experience for children on linear TV. Television provides the opportunity to broadcast new animation shows, which, of course, we do, but, in addition to that, we have a lot of entertainment shows, game shows, a lot of things that we can produce. It’s also a way to accompany the children throughout the day before they go to school and when they come back.

At the end of 2021, we launched a daily show, Gu’Live, to help children participate with the channel with interactive game shows. It’s important to continue to have this interaction with the children. That’s the strength of our linear TV [channels] compared to what we can provide on our nonlinear platforms, which is more [about watching] your best heroes and your best animation shows whenever you want.

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Cyber Group Studios’ Mini Ninjas is currently airing on Canal J.

TV KIDS: Besides providing fun and entertainment, what responsibility have you felt toward children and families during these past two challenging years?

BONY: This period has been very challenging for everyone, but it was also an opportunity to focus more precisely on what was most important. I think it was the same for companies. At our channels, we have tried to rethink the meaning of our messages, enhance the strong values that we want to share [through] our programs, and strengthen our social commitments. I think it’s working quite well, especially on our linear channels, [in part] because we have a generation that is very committed. [This was not] the case in the past, but now we think all the children are very committed to many topics: the planet, animals and the way they behave. It’s very easy to interact with them on social networks—we have developed ours, which are very important to share our views with them—and

Polly Pocket, from the Mattel Television slate, is broadcast on free TV on Gulli and pay TV on Tiji.

through programs on our channels. This is a committed generation, and it’s a chance for us and [our] duty to try to create the world they want to live in in the future. And they are ready for that. It’s a big moment to share that with families and children. In 2021, we were nominated as the favorite channel by families in France. That was the fourth year in a row that we got this nomination, so I think we have succeeded in helping families cope during this period and helping children find a new way to interact with programs and TV. TV KIDS: How have Gulli and the other brands in your portfolio been helping the French animation market?

That’s also a significant commitment you have taken on.

BONY: Yes, you are right. It’s a commitment. It has been very difficult for some of the producers. Everyone has had to rethink how to produce and develop new programs. Our first decision was to maintain our investments, do whatever it takes and help producers during this period. In France, we [are lucky to] have many producers and a great ecosystem. We have sustained this system. [Across] all our channels, we have transmitted something like 30,000 hours of French animation all around the world. We are the number one broadcaster of French animation around the world, and we are proud of that. We have about 20 different French animation shows either in active development or in production.

TV KIDS: You mentioned you provide a global outlet for French animation. Looking beyond France, what growth opportunities do you see for the international channels in your portfolio?

BONY: The international channels are really important for us and French animation. We are quite successful in different parts of the world, especially in Africa. We have an agreement with Canal+ for the distribution of Gulli Africa in about 25 countries. The channel is very successful there. During this pandemic, UNESCO has selected us to be part of a global coalition for education, especially in Africa. We have done a lot of promotions to tell families that children need to go back to school

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the best of French animation. We try to [create an offer] for each specific region with French animation and local productions.

TV KIDS: What have been the biggest surprises and the most satisfying experiences throughout your career?

BONY: With regard to animation programs, it’s the fact that I had the wonderful chance to produce two CGI animation feature films adapted from the famous comic book Asterix. Asterix is an iconic hero, and when I was a kid, I used to read the comic books, and I couldn’t have imagined at the time that I would be able to work very closely with the author, René Goscinny. It’s been a dream come true.

Gaumont’s Bionic Max is part of the Gulli lineup.

after the pandemic, especially girls. Africa is still a growing market. We are also very developed in some other parts of the world. One year ago, we launched a channel in Brazil. We are also present in the Middle East with Gulli Bil Arabi. We are present in Russia and all the countries around Russia with two channels, Gulli Girl and Tiji. We have around 20 million subscribers in these different territories, and we still have expansion there. In early 2022, we will launch a new channel in Kazakhstan, Tiji, in the Kazakh language. We still have some growth. It is also an opportunity for us to share

TV KIDS: Do you still enjoy working in this field?

BONY: It is very challenging to produce for kids. Kids are changing faster and faster.

What is fascinating is that now when you are launching a new show and start the first sentence on a white page, you know that you are working for the next generation. You need to anticipate their behaviors, tastes and interests, which are changing so quickly. You know [it will be] several years before you can broadcast the show and that a lot of things will have changed. It’s interesting to try to anticipate that. You need to be lucky because you never know which way the world will go. So it is really exciting to work for children and help them discover this new world.

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SOULIE: Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go premiered last fall on Cartoon Network and is now available on Netflix in the U.S. and with linear broadcast and streaming partners globally. The new series introduces an entirely new look and feel to Thomas & Friends content and features new art direction, more physical comedy and a greater range of character expressiveness. It is crafted to appeal to contemporary audiences’ sensibilities while maintaining Thomas’s core brand ethos about the importance of friendship.

Cartoon Network saw strong performances across various regions, as did Milkshake! in the U.K. The series was also number one in its slot in Canada on Treehouse TV. We also debuted Thomas & Friends: Race for the Sodor Cup on Cartoon Network and with additional global distribution plans to be announced. The action-packed adventure introduces new characters, a collection of new songs and plenty of train-racing fun. We are already at work producing new seasons and specials.

Frederic Soulie Mattel Television

By Kristin Brzoznowski

ith venerable brands such as Barbie, Thomas & Friends, Polly Pocket, Fireman Sam and Bob the Builder, there is a true trove for Mattel Television to mine from. The television production division of Mattel has been bringing these beloved, well-known properties to the screen in TV series and specials, telling new stories and introducing fresh characters along the way. It is also delivering brand-new, original IP and building out its slate beyond animation into broader live-action offerings. Frederic Soulie, senior VP and general manager of Mattel Television, tells TV Kids about the latest developments.

W

TV KIDS: What’s the strategy for mining Mattel’s vast IP portfolio for characters and franchises ripe for episodic programming and TV specials?

SOULIE: At Mattel Television, we believe the best stories have universal themes that transcend generations and languages. Our various franchises are each built on a strong purpose, which creates universal appeal. We also make sure that our storytelling is visually dynamic.

Barbie inspires the limitless potential in every child.

Masters of the Universe encourages each of us to become the best version of ourselves. Thomas & Friends is all about the importance of friendship. These broader brand purposes are threaded throughout each piece of content we create.

TV KIDS: How have audiences embraced the new-look Thomas series in 2D animation?

TV KIDS: What are the latest developments in the Barbie programming franchise?

SOULIE: In 2021, we premiered two Barbie specials on Netflix: Barbie & Chelsea: The Lost Birthday and Barbie: Big City, Big Dreams, both of which debuted in the top ten.

Both specials also debuted on broadcast internationally.

We have barely scratched the surface of the stories the Barbie brand can tell, and we have a variety of scripted and unscripted Barbie projects in production and development.

We look forward to sharing the upcoming Barbie content with some all-new and returning faces in 2022.

TV KIDS: What is the approach for producing outside of known IP? SOULIE: Mattel Television is focused on engaging audiences through timely and compelling episodic content and TV movies. Mattel’s purpose across all our franchises is to empower the next generation to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential. As part of that commitment, we continue to find ways to represent the diverse world we live in through the content we create. It is a priority for us to tell diverse stories authentically, making sure to include subject-matter experts through all areas of production, in order to design content that reflects the world around us.

TV KIDS: Is live action going to be more of a focus as you look ahead?

SOULIE: At Mattel, we have a treasure trove of brands that offers numerous opportunities to create great television across both live action and animation. Live action is definitely a priority for our overall television slate. We are also developing a robust unscripted slate, including a game show based on Pictionary that was recently picked up for a full season on all FOX-owned stations.

TV KIDS: What else is coming down the pipeline?

SOULIE: We have an all-new animated series and liveaction television-movie musical based on Monster High with our partners at Nickelodeon. We also will debut new seasons of Polly Pocket and Fireman Sam on linear TV and streaming platforms around the world, and Deepa & Anoop, a new preschool series and the first piece of Mattel Television content based on all-new IP.

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time ever, expertly weaving the adventure and heart at the core of How to Train Your Dragon with the modern-day hopes and dreams of a diverse teenage cast. In Madagascar: A Little Wild, we’ve aged the four dynamos from the films down to their younger selves and opened up the big world of New York City for them to explore and chase their even bigger dreams. The series is effortlessly inclusive through its representation of deaf characters, as well as meaningful LGBTQ+ storylines, sharing messages of acceptance and positivity throughout.

Peacock is also breaking new ground with its original kids’ programming. Featuring a foot-tapping, handclapping, sing-along world of music, dance and play, Babble Bop! is a one-of-a-kind musical jamboree, bringing a new take on classic nursery rhymes for the preschool set. The series uses motion capture in the animation to get the characters dancing and moving like real kids.

Take Note is a scripted dramedy/musical talent show that is truly different from anything we’ve ever seen before.

The series showcases a loving family that sticks together and a young boy who gets to live out his dreams, showing audiences that dreams can come true.

Peacock and Sky Kids’ co-production The Makery is a live-action and CGI combination series, which gives it a very different feel. Each themed episode shows the host taking viewers on a baking and creative adventure—whether it be scribbling in a sketchpad or cooking up tasty treats in the

Chloe Van den Berg NBCUniversal Global Distribution T

By Kristin Brzoznowski

he kids and family slate from NBCUniversal Global Distribution features a bevy of brands, including those based on iconic DreamWorks IP. From Dragons to Madagascar, Trolls to Jurassic World, core film franchises have been given new life through animated series that are resonating with kids across the globe. Alongside this known IP, there are fresh, original properties creating legions of fans all their own, Gabby’s Dollhouse among them. Chloe Van den Berg, senior VP, head of kids and family entertainment at NBCUniversal Global Distribution, shares insights about the boundary-pushing animation and storytelling found at the heart of these properties and more.

TV KIDS: How has NBCUniversal’s kids and family programming pushed boundaries?

VAN DEN BERG: DreamWorks is consistently pushing boundaries in animation and storytelling with its breadth of style and constant innovation of its original content and core franchises. The immensely popular Gabby’s Dollhouse is taking the world by storm with its magical and adorable world of cat characters, and its live-action/animated hybrid style is a first for the studio. Kids are loving Gabby in both forms, and we can’t wait to share more of her cat-tastic adventures with audiences around the world.

In regard to core franchises, Dragons and Madagascar come to mind. In Dragons: The Nine Realms, DreamWorks has catapulted the franchise into modern times for the first

kitchen—that educates children through play and inspires them to explore their imagination and creativity.

TV KIDS: What are some of the new TV properties that continue to build from DreamWorks film franchises?

VAN DEN BERG: Dragons: The Nine Realms is new for 6- to 11-year-olds and co-viewing, and Dragons Rescue Riders: Heroes of the Sky is for preschoolers. [There are also] The Croods: Family Tree; Madagascar: A Little Wild, which has been really successful for us; and, of course, TrollsTopia, following on from Trolls World Tour.

TV KIDS: Tell us about some of the original IP. VAN DEN BERG: Gabby’s Dollhouse was a phenomenal success and a global brand for NBCUniversal; it was treated with as much love and focus as, say, Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, which was a global brand based on known IP.

TV KIDS: What do you look for in a broadcast or streaming home for one of your beloved properties?

VAN DEN BERG: Partnership. We want to work with our partners to make sure we’re supporting them [to] drive awareness of the shows to help deliver ratings for their platforms.

When our beloved franchises stay with our long-standing partners, this is incredibly important to us—and to our partners. Kids know where to find the shows, and we know what our partners need to support them.

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44 TV KIDS

Brenda Bisner Kidoodle.TV BISNER: The AVOD space has been growing significantly, and Kidoodle.TV has a major role to play in that happening. As we look at the AVOD landscape, there is a focus on differentiation, value-add and, of course, partnerships that are supportive. The focus for us is to keep growing and supporting families and their children globally while elevating our relevance in the AVOD space with our partnerships and brands.

TV KIDS: What are some of the factors you see driving the growth of AVOD? BISNER: The objective from all companies is to get their content distributed more broadly in the AVOD space, which makes the convincing of granting those rights easier. Our reputation has been wildly celebrated as we have been, and remain, a new revenue stream for companies. The driving factors always start with our intuitive product, which we are proud to offer, matched with excellent content and discoverability—all areas we are focused on as we look to cater to families’ needs in the screen-time world we live in.

TV KIDS: How has Kidoodle.TV grown and evolved with the needs of kids over the last few years?

BISNER: In the last two years, we have seen incredible growth of our audience and that we are a trusted place for families. Covid-19 had a lot to do with that; however, so did cord-cutting. Parents aren’t living in the dark when it comes to the dangers children face while online streaming. It takes a second for something to go wrong, and streaming is no different. Our Safe Streaming mission combats that concern. We know parents want their kids to have access easily and be safe, and those reasons will continue to be guided by the principle that every child deserves to have a safe place to watch content.

By Kristin Brzoznowski

he creators of the Safe Streaming movement for kids, Kidoodle.TV is a tech company that has been on the map since 2012 and has paved the way in the AVOD space as a leader. Its programming is handpicked and human-vetted and does not rely on computer algorithms. Kidoodle.TV is focused on needle-moving brands that kids love and advertising partners want to be associated with. Brenda Bisner, chief content officer at Kidoodle.TV, talks to TV Kids about the strengths of the AVOD model and what’s ahead for the platform.

T

TV KIDS: With the proliferation of AVOD platforms for kids over the last couple of years, how is Kidoodle.TV positioned to stand out in the marketplace?

TV KIDS: What does Safe Streaming mean to you in today’s landscape?

BISNER: Every day, there is reinforcement in the press about the dangers that children face online, further elevating the need for the important work we do to keep kids Safe Streaming. It has been said time and time again: When you cross the street, you hold your child’s hand, which is exactly what we do. Our human-driven approach is something we work hard on for a reason.

TV KIDS: Tell me about the Kidoodle.TV content slate.

BISNER: With pride, we are offering today over 30,000 episodes of content. We have a weekly release schedule that debuts 10 to 20 new shows. Our offering is robust, well organized and evolves as quickly as the attention span of a child. We work to ensure that not just the top brands are on Kidoodle.TV, but also that favorites from all over are accessible. We are actively closing many deals a week, which will remain focused on needlemoving brands.

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TV KIDS: What’s guiding the current acquisition strategy?

BISNER: When we look at any brand, we are looking at the content plus who the partner is. We do a lot of the heavy lifting, and we expect our partners to also contribute to that success. It’s important that any company and brand in the AVOD space has a social media strategy that can be tapped into and delivered in a meaningful way to today’s busy parents. Big brands will have the most success because they are known. The fun comes when we find a new gem that thrives and sits competitively with the major brands. We are not a niche channel; we serve kids under 12 in over 160 countries, so we are always looking at a lot. Last year, our gaming offering grew over 500 percent, and this year, we will be ramping that area up even more.

TV KIDS: What are you currently looking for in the marketplace, and what would you like to see more of?

BISNER: Diversity in content is grossly underserved in general. Viral content that shows real kids from many parts of the world is something that is exciting for us to watch and gather for our audience. Gaming content is also a strong sector for us; anything from Roblox to Minecraft gamers continues to thrive as kids grow stronger in those communities. We are currently rolling out some more major brands and will continue that process throughout the year. In addition, movies are something we plan to increase as we look to marketing moments and events to drive viewership.

TV KIDS: What’s on the planner with regard to original programming?

BISNER: We have had a lot of fun with originals and rolled out three additional ones in Q4 last year. It’s an important part of our strategy and a great way for new creators to make an impact and create.

Supporting the talent making content is something we care about, and Kidoodle.TV’s values are something the community is excited about. We will continue to deliver unique content in new ways, as the production models have drastically changed since the emergence of the AVOD space in general. We are committed to growing in this area and changing the way content gets made.

TV KIDS: What does Kidoodle.TV offer to producers and distributors that makes it a great partner for brands?

BISNER: We always say, “Welcome to the Kidoodle.TV family,” when we engage with a new partner, and we mean it. We work very hard to be accessible to our partners so we can contribute to the success of content and the mission of Safe Streaming globally for kids and families. We have a very competitive business model, matched with extraordinary reach and a quality experience. The team is dedicated to this important work, and that shows in all areas of the business, including advertising. Last year we also rolled out a back-end analytics portal, making us the first in the AVOD space [to do so], and our partners love it. The goal was to have a transparent view on performance so not only could decisions on support be made in real time, but our partners could participate.

TV KIDS: Podcasts have been a new area for Kidoodle.TV. What other formats and types of content does Kidoodle.TV want to bring to kids outside of traditional episodic programming?

BISNER: The audio experience is a no-brainer when it comes to the screen-time fatigue we all feel. Studying the podcast space has continuously pointed to it being a strong trend, and we were one of the first to roll that out. Adding more podcasts is a focus, as is more musicbased streams. We have found that when we have a user, they make Kidoodle.TV part of their life. Music and podcasts support that growth.

TV KIDS: How are you working to grow the reach of the platform so that it can be enjoyed by as many kids as possible around the world?

BISNER: Connected TVs, along with iOS and Android, have always been our point of entry for families and will continue to be a major focus of expansion, as well as other new areas. Looking at the AVOD space in general, there are a lot of choices, and we will continue to work on new ways to break through the clutter and evolve as fast as the space is.

TV KIDS: Is localizing for international markets going to increase in focus as well?

BISNER: We know that families’ first language may not be English, and we know that we have families in over 160 countries enjoying the service. We will be adding more language content and strategic marketing to support those languages in key markets.

The Kidoodle.TV AVOD platform serves kids under 12 in more than 160 countries around the world.

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TOON TIME Squared Zebra

Raphaëlle Mathieu on what’s next for Cyber Group Studios’ always-ambitious undertakings.

By Chelsea Regan

C

yber Group Studios’ central aim is to deliver content to as many kids in as many markets across the globe as possible. Over the years, the company has been steadily growing its reach in keeping with that mission. “We launched the company producing and distributing preschool CGI with Ozie Boo and Zou,” says Raphaëlle Mathieu, senior VP of sales, acquisitions and new media.

“Then we went into bridge with Tales of Tatonka and jumped into the kids’ area thanks to Zorro the Chronicles.

We headed into 2D thanks to Mirette Investigates and to 2D cartoon thanks to Taffy, a Boomerang original series co-developed and co-produced with Turner International; and, of course, we reached another level thanks to the adaptation of Gigantosaurus, our hit series.”

Keen to work with independent producers to distribute their productions—and to co-produce with them when it makes sense—Cyber Group has partnered with Media Valley for Ernest & Rebecca, commissioned by TF1 and ZDF; and La Chouette Compagnie and Supamonks Studio, with which the company coproduced Droners, commissioned by TF1 in France and WDR in Germany.

“We look for partners with passion and projects that are complementary to our own in-house productions and

development,” explains Mathieu, pointing to a partnership with Graphilm Entertainment in Italy that led to the coproduction of the animated Nefertine on the Nile series for Rai. “We are also very happy to have structured a strategic partnership with the Russian studio Soyuzmultfilm and to have launched the joint label Cyber Soyuz Junior, starting with two wonderful series: Orange Moo Cow and Squared Zebra.”

As part of its strategy to connect to kids around the world, Cyber Group Studios has explored new genres and animation techniques, including cartoon. “This is a very specific genre in which we had a strong will to work but literally no experience,” says Mathieu. “We worked with the talented director Ahmed Guerrouache and are so happy with the result that we are now developing another original series with him.”

Book adaptations have been particularly successful for Cyber Group. Gigantosaurus, based on the book by Jonny Duddle, has been translated into 29 languages and is available in 194 territories. Last fall, it was awarded the 2021 Export Award for animation by UniFrance. “When we adapt a book, there is a lot of creative work involved to bring the series to life,” says Mathieu. “Very often, one single book must be adapted into a total of 52 episodes of 11 minutes each. We believe that the storytelling will naturally bring its own style. The development team attached to the project will work very hard to make sure we adopt the right storytelling for each story and genre.”

To reach older children, Cyber Group is looking to delve into the anime style of animation that has proven popular with the demographic. “That is quite a challenge and definitely our next one,” says Mathieu. “We trust as well that older kids tend to watch more serialized content that the streamers offer more easily than [traditional] broadcasters. Therefore, we are developing huge brands with Final Fantasy IX, for example, and original series we will soon be at liberty to discuss.”

Currently in internal development, Cyber Group is working to make Final Fantasy IX “the best show that will conquer the original fans and will bring a new generation of kids on these original adventures. Pierre Belaïsch [senior VP of creative development] and his team are working very hard to bring us in the coming months cutting-edge new programs in directions you are not used to finding at Cyber Group Studios!”

Top of mind for Cyber Group Studios as it looks to the year ahead are the following priorities, according to Mathieu: “Keep on being multi-local. Keep on looking for talent everywhere.

“When we adapt a book, there is a lot of creative work involved to bring the series to life.”

—Raphaëlle Mathieu Work even more with the talent we are already working with.

Remain humble and open-minded. Test and try to learn and create in all areas. Keep talking to the heart of kids and families. Never forget that we have a strong responsibility to kids and their families. Never forget that we are so lucky to work in our industry.”

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WWW.WORLDSCREENINGS.COM

FEBRUARY 2022 EDITION

THE LEADING SOURCE FOR PROGRAM INFORMATION

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TV LISTINGS

IN THIS EDITION 3

Aardman

4

All3Media International

5

Boat Rocker Studios

6

Cisneros Media

7

Cyber Group Studios

8

Fred Rogers Productions Gaumont

9

GoldBee

AARDMAN

O (44-117) 984-8485 m hello@aardman.com w www.aardman.com Contact: Alison Taylor, dir., dist.; Robin Gladman, head, acq.; Miguel Mestre, snr. sales mgr.; Kate Stevenson, snr. sales mgr.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS The Very Small Creatures (Preschool 1-3 stopframe comedy/discovery, 21x3 min.) Five curious friends have lots of fun exploring a child’s playroom.

Through play and discovery, they learn about themselves, each other and the world around them.

10 Guru Studio 11 Hari International Headspinner Productions 12 Konami Cross Media NY 13 Mattel Television 14 NBCUniversal Global Distribution 15 Nelvana 16 Studio 100 Media 17 TeamTO 18 WildBrain 19 ZDF Enterprises

The Very Small Creatures

Big Lizard (Bridge 4-6 CGI comedy/adventure/ science, 52x7 min.) Imagine having a whole alien planet to explore with your new best friend, who happens to be a fun-loving big lizard.

Brave Bunnies (Preschool 3-5 2D edutainment, 52x7 min.) Bursting with curiosity, the Brave Bunnies set off on an adventure-filled road trip around Bunny World to explore, meet new friends, play games and learn new things.

Interstellar Ella (Bridge CGI, 52x11 min.) In 3021, on a faraway space station, Ella and her friends set THE LEADING ONLINE DAILY NEWS SERVICE FOR THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA INDUSTRY. For a free subscription, visit subscriptions.ws

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TV LISTINGS

out on interstellar adventures and discover the wonders of the universe.

Lloyd of the Flies (Kids 7-11 CGI comedy, 52x11 min.) It is estimated that there are some 10 quintillion individual insects alive at any one time. This series is about one of them: Lloyd.

Numberblocks (Preschool 3-5 CGI educational, 120x5 min., 1x20 min., 3x10 min.) A revolutionary math brand that uses humor, music, delightful characters and engaging storylines to show children how numbers really work.

Pop Paper City (Preschool 3-5 3D/mixed-media view-and-do adventure, 52x11 min.) Focuses on creating adventures together, encouraging “doing as well as viewing” through lovable characters and adventures.

Shaun the Sheep (Kids 6-9/family stop-frame comedy, 170x7 min., 1x30 min., 1x28 min., 15x1 min., 21x1 min.) Aardman’s family-favorite TV series is recognized the world over for its slapstick humor, distinctive look and strong, quirky characters.

Sol (Family 2D, 1x28 min.) This heartwarming film celebrates the light that true love brings into the world.

The Epic Adventures of Morph (Kids 5-11 stopframe comedy, 15x5 min., 40x1 min.) Morph, his sidekick Chas and the rest of the gang are up to their usual mischievous antics but in bigger and bolder adventures.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Ghislaine Maxwell: Life on Trial (w.t.) (Doc., 3x50 min.) Combining biographical storytelling and exclusive interviews, traces Ghislaine Maxwell’s story from her chaotic upbringing right up until the current events of her trial.

Attenborough and the Giant Mammoth (Nature/environment doc., 1x60 min.) David Attenborough presents insights into the unexplored story behind this prehistoric beast’s extinction.

Murder in the Valleys (Crime doc., 4x60 min.)

Sheds new light on a shocking murder that wiped out three generations of one family in 1999 in the small community of Clydach in South Wales and presents extraordinary narrative twists and exclusive insights from many of those closest to the case.

Attenborough and the Giant Mammoth

Gordon, Gino and Fred’s Road Trip (Factent./food/drink, S3: 1x75 min. & 2x60 min.) The ALL3MEDIA INTERNATIONAL three friends return for more fun-filled culinary O (1-917) 606-3863 adventures across the wintery wonderland of Lapland m international@all3media.com before beginning their food-focused odyssey w www.all3mediainternational.com through Athens and the Greek Islands.

Contact: Sally Habbershaw, EVP, Americas; Janel Gordon Ramsay’s Future Food Stars (FactDowning, VP, LatAm. ent./food/drink, 8x60 min.) This competition series

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follows Gordon Ramsay’s search for entrepreneurs who will revolutionize the food industry.

Playgrounds of the Rich and Famous (Lifestyle/fact-ent., 6x60 min.) Gain unprecedented access into how the rich and famous holiday, across the lavish locations of St. Tropez, Marbella, Monaco, St. Barts, the Hamptons and St. Moritz.

Inside Beverly Hills: The Land of the Rich and Famous (Fact-ent., 3x60 min.) Explores the world of Hollywood stars, social media super-influencers, aristocrats and millionaires whose lives are defined by money, luxury and status, and the entrepreneurs who have made their fortunes catering to their every need.

Undercover Boss (Fact-ent., S11: 9x60 min.) Follows the journey of nine top-level executives as they become just another employee in their own companies and discover what life is like at the bottom rather than the top of their businesses.

Highlife (Reality, 4x60 min.) Provides unprecedented access to the experiences, successes and stories of a generation of young, influential and trailblazing West African Brits living in London.

BOAT ROCKER STUDIOS

O (1-416) 591-0065 m sales@boatrocker.com w www.boatrocker.com

Contact: Jon Rutherford, pres., Boat Rocker Studios, kids & family & rights; Kate Schlomann, EVP, brand mngmt. & content mktg.; Bob Higgins, EVP, content, kids & family; Gia DeLaney, SVP, global sales, kids & family; Henry Or, SVP, strategic

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partnerships, Asia; Natalie Vinet, VP, global sales, unscripted; Chapman Maddox, VP, content, kids & family; Shaleen Sangha, VP, content, kids & family; Jessica Watson, snr. dir., global sales & acq.; Kelsey Griffin, snr. mgr., global sales & mktg.; Fabien Ching, mgr., global sales & lic., Asia.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Mary Makes it Easy (Food/lifestyle, 25x30 min.)

Join Mary Berg as she takes you step by step through recipes guaranteed to impress without the stress, filmed at her very own home kitchen.

Hungry Brain

Weeks of War (History, 8x60 min.) By analyzing the events in 41 critical weeks of WWII, we explore how people lived and survived during the most devastating conflict the world has ever seen.

Spirit Talker (Paranormal, 13x30 min.) Follows medium Shawn Leonard as he travels from coast to coast using his psychic abilities to connect the living with the dead and bring hope, healing and closure to communities.

Relative Race (Reality/competition, S7: 10x60 min.) In this race unlike any other, four teams take a ten-day journey across the country to discover new

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TV LISTINGS

relatives and compete for a grand prize using the contestant’s DNA as a road map.

Hungry Brain (Kids 9-12 science, 100x12 min./500x2 min.) Delves into the fascinating revelations our world has to offer, jam-packed with top facts about history, science, sports, fashion, do-ityourself, recipes, animals and magic.

Dino Ranch (Preschool 2-5 3D comedy/adventure, 104x11 min.) Follows the action-packed adventures of the Cassidy family as they tackle life in a fantastical, “pre-westoric” setting where dinosaurs still roam.

Love Monster (Preschool 2-5 2D comedy/adventure, 79x7 min. & 1x14 min.) Love Monster happens to be the only monster among a sea of cute baby animals. He is universally loved and accepted by his fellow Fluffytown residents, but sometimes feels a bit out of place.

Remy & Boo (Preschool 2-5 3D adventure, 52x11 min.) Remy is an adventurous 6-year-old girl with a unique best friend, Boo, a big, squishy, pink robot.

Their days in Dolphin Bay are filled with new adventures both big and small.

Kingdom Force (Preschool 3-6 3D action/adventure, 52x11 min.) Follows the fastpaced exploits of five mighty animal heroes as they serve and protect the citizens of five unique animal kingdoms.

The Strange Chores (Kids 6-11 2D comedy/adventure, 52x11 min.) Two teenage wannabe warrior heroes and a super high-spirited ghost girl master the skills they need to replace the world’s greatest (and oldest) monster hunter by doing his strange, supernatural chores.

CISNEROS MEDIA

O (1-305) 442-3400 m mbenel@cisneros.com w www.cisneros.com Contact: Jonathan Blum, pres.; Ailing Zubizarreta, VP, content & creative services; Carlos Cabrera, VP, sales; Maria Benel, sales dir.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Zumbar (Kids, 26x5 min.) A live-action series in which six children play interactively with a variety of animals while learning from them and our ecosystem.

AnimalFanPedia (Edutainment, 26x11 min.) An educational wildlife program, bringing every kind of animal imaginable to families in an incredible adventure to discover the animal kingdom.

Planet A (Doc., 8x60 min.) A travelogue that will tell the stories of people who are changing the game by taking actions and initiatives that have a positive impact on our planet’s resources.

Food Pop/Comida Pop (Docuseries/ent., 13x30 min. English & Spanish versions) Brings to light the various aspects of popular foods that are consumed worldwide and how their recipes change in each region or country.

Zumbar

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TV LISTINGS

Wowzu (Kids, 52x7 min.) In this live-action series, children will react in fun and silly ways to wild and wacky animal behaviors.

Palm House (Reality, 60 min. eps.) Presents the lifestyles of 12 beautiful, powerful and influential Latin women in Miami.

CYBER GROUP STUDIOS

O (33-1) 5556-3232/

(1-818) 844-1660 m sales@cybergroupstudios.com w www.cybergroupstudios.com Contact: Pierre Sissmann, chmn. & CEO; Raphaelle Mathieu, SVP, sales, acq. & new media; Karen K. Miller, pres. & CEO, Cyber Group Studios USA; Dominique Bourse, COO; Pierre Belaïsch, SVP, creative dvpmt.; Bruno d’Aumont, lic. & mktg.

VP; Michèle Massonnat, snr. sales mgr.; Pauline Berard, intl. sales exec.; Jessica Laloum, intl. sales exec.; Ira Singerman, VP, dvpmt., Cyber Group Studios USA. PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Gigantosaurus (Kids 4-6 CGI comedy/adventure, 156x11 min.) Four young dinosaur friends are about to leave the family and explore a world full of mysteries and danger.

Droners (Kids 6-10 2D/CGI adventure/comedy, 52x22 min.) In Terraqua, a world 95 percent covered by oceans, Corto, Arthus, Enki and Mouse firmly intend to win the Whale Cup, the most extreme drone race of all time.

Taffy (Kids 6-10/family 2D comedy, 156x7 min.)

Follows the nonstop, slapstick extravaganza faced

by loyal hound dog Bentley when his billionaire old lady owner, Mrs. Muchmore, takes in an imposter posing as a wide-eyed, fluffy Angora cat.

50/50 Heroes (Kids 6-10 2D/CGI comedy/adventure, 52x11 min.) Follows the adventures of Mo and Sam, half-siblings aged 11 and 9, who discover they have inherited superpowers— that must be shared down the middle.

Orange Moo Cow (Preschool 3-6 2D comedy, 78x7 min.) Follows the daily life of Zoh, an energetic 6-year-old cow, and her little brother, Boh, a sensitive and curious 4-year-old bull.

Squared Zebra

Squared Zebra (Preschool 4-6, 2D comedy/ edutainment, 78x7 min.) Polly the striped zebra, Rodion the elephant, Gosha the crocodile, Yana the monkey, Pasha the ostrich and his little brother Petya the egg live in a jungle on a faraway island, where every day is full of adventures (and the occasional arguments).

Nefertine on the Nile (Kids 4-7 2D/CGI comedy, 52x11 min.) Nefertine, an 8-year-old girl, aspires to be the first female scribe in the history of Egypt and is constantly recording her exciting experiences in her papyrus diary.

The Last Kids on Earth (Kids 6-10 2D comedy/action, 1x66 min. pilot, 24x22 min. &

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2 specials) Netflix original animated series follows Jack Sullivan and a group of zombie-fighting middle schoolers who live in a treehouse filled with video games and candy.

Bananimals (Kids 5-8 2D comedy, 78x7 min.) Follows the daily lives of the animal inhabitants of a farm village whose primary activity is to go and ask Gordon the Bull, their mentor, for help and advice.

Tom Sawyer (Kids 6-12 2D/CGI adventure, 26x22 min.) Every Tom Sawyer story exudes adventure. Tom also teaches kids to think for themselves and ultimately helps them grow up.

a core team of young agents whose problem-solving, teamwork and perseverance help them to overcome the ever-changing oddness in each episode.

Through the Woods (Kids 3-5 animation, 10x3 min.) An Emmy-winning animated preschool series that follows Rider and his dog Wolfie as they explore the kind of “nearby nature” that so many kids can relate to.

FRED ROGERS PRODUCTIONS

m info@fredrogers.org w www.fredrogers.org

Contact: Paul Siefken, pres. & CEO; Christopher Arnold, COO; Lisa Moss, CFO; Ellen Doherty, chief creative officer; Suzanne Masri, VP, mktg., comms. & engagement; Matthew Shiels, VP, business & legal affairs.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood (Kids 2-4 animation, S1-5: 125x30 min., 4 specials) An Emmywinning animated preschool program that models age-appropriate, social-emotional strategies and practical life skills for young children.

Peg + Cat (Kids 3-5 animation, 65x30 min.) In this Emmy-winning preschool series, Peg and her sidekick Cat embark on outrageous adventures solving “really big” problems with basic math skills.

Odd Squad (Kids 5-8 live action, S1-3: 107x30 min., 2 specials) An Emmy-winning series featuring

Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood

Donkey Hodie (Kids 3-5, 40x30 min., 1x30 min. special) A puppet series for preschoolers inspired by the quirky, funny side of Fred Rogers as well as his mission to help young viewers navigate the frustrations and challenges of childhood.

Alma’s Way (Kids 4-6 animation, 40x30 min.)

Each half-hour episode consists of two 11minute stories filled with heart, comedy and the beat of the Bronx.

GAUMONT

O (33-1) 4643-2000 m tvsales@gaumont.com w www.gaumonttelevision.com Contact: Cécilia Rossignol, EVP, intl. sales & dvpmt.

THE LEADING ONLINE DESTINATION FOR THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA BUSINESS.

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Bionic Max

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS What Pauline Is Not Telling You (Drama, 4x60 min.) Pauline finds the dead body of her soon-tobe-ex husband. Facing the authorities and the judicial machinery, Pauline remains silent.

Nona and Her Daughters (Dramedy, 9x30 min.)

Feminist advocate and a mother of three daughters in their 40s, Nona (ironically) finds herself pregnant at 70.

The Art of Crime (Drama, S1-5: 24x60 min.) In this modern-day police procedural, a hot-headed Paris cop teams up with a Louvre art historian to solve crimes across storied French museums and landmarks.

El Presidente (Drama, 8x60 min.) Inspired by the real-life characters and events behind the 2015 “FIFA Gate” corruption scandal.

Narcos: Mexico (Action/drama, S1-3: 30x60 min.) Chronicles the real-life rise to global power of the most infamous drug lords. Latest installment focuses on Mexico’s cannabis trade and the rise of the Guadalajara Cartel.

F Is for Family (Adult animated comedy, S1-5: 44x30 min.) Follows the Murphy family in the

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9

1970s—a time when you could smack your kid, smoke indoors and bring a gun to the airport.

Bionic Max (Kids 6-11 animated comedy, 52x11 min.) A malfunctioning bionic guinea pig and his goldfish buddy escape from their laboratory into Woodchuck Woods and must learn to adapt in this urban jungle.

Belle and Sebastian (Kids 5-9 animated action/adventure/comedy, 52x11 min.) Tells the outdoor adventures of a courageous young boy, Sebastian, and his huge white dog, Belle, who will rush to anybody’s rescue, friend or foe, no matter what the risk.

Untouchable (Comedy, 1x112 min.) After a paragliding accident, a wealthy aristocrat hires a young guy recently released from prison as his caregiver, giving birth to an unexpected friendship.

Bye Bye Morons (Dramatic comedy, 1x88 min.)

When Suze learns she is sick, she decides to engage in an improbable search for the child she was forced to abandon when she was 15.

GOLDBEE

O (34-931) 592-212 m christophe@goldbee.es w www.goldbee.es Contact: Christophe Goldberger, mng. dir.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS The Muscleteers (Kids 6-9 3D, 45x11 min.) The Muscleteers team up and swear to help and protect anyone in need.

Hoodie (Live-action tween/teen drama, S1-2: 104x11 min.) A superhero story centered on a perfectly

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normal boy with an exceptional talent for parkour and a heart for justice.

The Bureau of Magical Things (Live-action tween/teen comedy/drama, S1-2: 40x25 min.)

Follows the adventures of teenage girl Kyra, who is magically transformed into a Tri-ling when caught in a clash between an elf and a fairy.

best friend Zoom, a white dolphin of exceptional intelligence.

The Game Catchers (Preschool 2D/3D, 52x7.5 min.) The Game Catchers are a team of five friends on an interstellar journey to explore fantastic planets with the aim of learning about, playing and collecting playground games so they are never lost again.

School of Roars (Preschool 2D, S1-2: 104x7 min.) Helps children prepare for school life by exploring a child’s first years through the relationships and experiences of mini monsters.

Time Traveler Luke (Kids 6-10 3D adventure, 52x11 min.) An epic adventure fantasy series about Luke, a bellboy with a secret: He is a time traveler protecting relics from ancient civilizations.

Time Traveler Luke

Heirs of the Night (Live-action kids/family drama, S1-2: 26x26 min.) In 1889, the children of the five remaining European vampire clans come together to join forces against Count Dracula, as each child has powers unique to their clan.

The Worst Witch (Live-action kids/tweens comedy/drama, S1-4: 52x28 min.) Faithfully based on Jill Murphy’s well-loved books, an exciting new series of adventures for one of the most iconic and best-loved characters in children’s literature.

Space Nova (Kids 6-10 3D adventure, 26x24 min.) Science-based sci-fi adventure series about the Nova family, who discover the first-ever proof that humanity is not alone in the universe.

Zoom the White Dolphin (Kids 6-10 3D adventure, 104x12 min.) Follows the adventures of Yann, an intrepid 15-year-old diving enthusiast, and his

GURU STUDIO

O (1-416) 599-4878 m sales@gurustudio.com w www.gurustudio.com Contact: Frank Falcone, pres./exec. creative dir.; Jonathan Abraham, VP, sales & business dvpmt.; Rachel Marcus, VP, creative dvpmt.; Daniel Rattner, VP, mktg.; Corey Caplan, dir., intl. sales; Emily Jenkins, dir., creative dvpmt.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Pikwik Pack (Preschool 2D, 52x11 min.) Follows Suki the hedgehog and her team of adorable animals as they deliver magical packages to the kind citizens of Pikwik.

True and the Rainbow Kingdom (Preschool 3D, 30x22 min., 5x22 min. seasonal specials, 1x44 min. holiday special & bonus content) True, our

Video interviews with leading players in the media business, industry analysis and a recap of the week’s events—delivered to your inbox every Thursday.

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bright and fearless heroine, and her hilarious best They didn’t really plan on going around the world, but friend, Bartleby the cat, come to the rescue of they accidentally took off in the Rangers’ station.

Pipas & Douglas (Kids 4-8/family CGI comedy, Rainbow City’s whimsical citizens.

52x2 min.) Pipas and Douglas are two atypical (to say the least) performing artists who want to be a hit at the Music Hall, at any cost.

Mystery Lane (Kids 6-10 CGI adventure/comedy, 26x22 min.) Clever, a young guinea pig with extraordinary analysis capacities, and her little brother Bro lead investigations into strange things going on in London.

Big Blue

Big Blue (Kids 5-9 2D comedy, 52x11 min.) Siblings Lettie and Lemo lead their quirky submarine crew to solve the ocean’s mysteries and find the origins of a new magical recruit named Bacon Berry.

Justin Time (Preschool 2D, 74x11 min. & 2x22 min.) Justin’s imagination catapults him into largerthan-life adventures set in different points in history. Grizzy & the Lemmings World Tour The Weasy Family (Kids 4-8/family CGI comedy, 78x7 min. in dvpmt.) Weasy, an opportunistic HARI INTERNATIONAL weasel with a nose for burglary, finds himself sitO (33-6) 7535-9961 ting on a large egg during its final moments before m atormo@studiohari.com hatching. Two little twin girl ducklings latch onto w www.studiohari.com Weasy as their daddy.

Contact: Adeline Tormo, head, sales.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Grizzy & the Lemmings (Kids 4-8/family CGI HEADSPINNER comedy, 156x7 min.) No animal dares to contest PRODUCTIONS O (1-416) 882-5579 Grizzy’s “bear’s privilege”—except a tribe that m michelle@headspinnerproductions.com belongs to the most inoffensive, stupid and ridicuw www.headspinnerproductions.com lous mammal family that exists: the lemmings.

Grizzy & the Lemmings World Tour (Kids 4-8/ Contact: Ken Cuperus, pres.; Michelle Melanson, family CGI comedy, S1: 78x7 min., S2: in dvpmt.) pres.

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Aunty B’s House (Live-action preschool sitcom, 26x11 min. in dvpmt.) Aunty B is a foster mom whose unconditional love supports her diverse, non-traditional family as they navigate the ups and downs of childhood and family life.

Gisele’s Mish Mash Adventures (Upper preschool, 10x3 min. in dvpmt.) Through improvisational interviews with children from diverse backDenis and Me grounds, story ideas are triggered and then aniPROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS mated, starring preschool celebrity Gisele Denis and Me (Kids animated comedy, 30x3 Corinthios and the storytelling child. min., 4x11 min.) A hit series about Denis, an easygoing guy, and his chaos-magnet cat, Sir Meows A Lot. Created by YouTuber Denis KONAMI CROSS MEDIA NY O (1-212) 590-2100 Kopotun (9.5 million followers) and showrunner m jbuzzelli@konamicrossmediasales.com Diana Moore.

Happy House of Frightenstein (Preschool ani- Contact: Jennifer Buzzelli, coprod. & dist. cnslt. mated comedy, 10x3 min.) Join Iggy, Grizz, Count PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Jr. and Wolfie as they play, learn and grow in the Yu-Gi-Oh! SEVENS (Animation, S1: 52x22 min., play castle behind the famous Castle Frightenstein. S2: 40x22 min.) Yuga Ohdo may seem like any Based on the original Hilarious House of Frightenstein other fifth grader in Goha City, but he’s about to take (1979) starring Vincent Price. his favorite game to the next level by inventing a Gardenkeeper Gus (Preschool podcast, 14x7 whole new way to duel: Rush Duels. min.) A Spotify original podcast that follows the Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS (Animation, S1: 46x22 min., adventures of 6-year-old Gus and his squirrel best S2: 36x22 min., S3: 38x22 min.) Duelists worldfriend, Rel, as they observe, explore, understand, wide plug into LINK VRAINS to compete in fastappreciate and nurture the endless and larger- paced competition. But this cyberspace is under than-life garden behind his family home. attack by a team of hackers.

My Shadow Is Pink (Preschool animation, Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dark Side of Dimensions 26x11 min. in dvpmt.) A co-production with Sticky (Animation, 1x110 min.) A decade after the Pictures, based on the best-selling book by Scott finale that bid farewell to the franchise’s original Stuart. Riley Bennett is a sweet, clever, energetic storyline, this movie marks the return of the 7-year-old boy with a big heart, an adventurous original creator, the iconic hero and the classic nature and a pink shadow. characters idolized worldwide.

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MATTEL TELEVISION

m content_sales@mattel.com w www.mattel.com Yu-Gi-Oh! SEVENS

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Barbie Big City Big Dreams (Animation, 1x60 min.) Barbie swaps the shores of Malibu for the bright lights of Broadway to attend a summer performing arts program and meets…Barbie in this new sing-along adventure. Fast friends, the two discover the joys of sharing the spotlight.

Barbie & Chelsea The Lost Birthday (Animation, 1x60 min.) Barbie, Chelsea and the Roberts family set sail on an adventure cruise. During the trip, Chelsea embarks on a fantastical journey through an enchanted jungle island to save her lost birthday.

Barbie Princess Adventure (Animation, 1x72 min.) In this all-new musical, the adventure begins when Barbie meets Princess Amelia, who looks a lot like Barbie. The princess is nervous about becoming queen, so she comes up with a plan to switch places with Barbie.

Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie (Animation, 1x90 min.)

Heroic Yugi squares off against archrival Kaiba in an adventure even more dangerous when the imaginary monsters in their playing cards become real, and an old evil enters the fray.

Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V (Animation, S1-3: 148x22 min.)

Yuya Sakaki’s dream is to become the greatest “duel-tainer” in history–and he just might pull it off when he discovers a technique that lets him summon many monsters at once.

Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL (Animation, 146x22 min.) When aspiring duelist Yuma meets Astral, a mysterious visitor from another universe, it seems like destiny. Yuma needs Astral to teach him how to duel, and Astral needs Yuma to help him regain his memories.

Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s (Animation, 123x22 min.) Once the playground to legendary duelist Yugi Muto, New Domino City has since been transformed into a futuristic society where dueling has kicked into overdrive.

Yu-Gi-Oh! GX (Animation, 155x22 min.) Follows a new generation of duelists at the Duel Academy—a competitive boarding school where pencils and books have been replaced by Duel Disks and monster cards.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Animation, 236x22 min.) Meet Yugi and his best buds Joey, Tristan and Barbie Big City Big Dreams Téa, who share a love for Duel Monsters.

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Thomas & Friends S25 (Animation, 52x11 min.)

Adventure and excitement abound for Thomas and his friends as they work together and form lasting bonds that help them overcome any obstacle on the Island of Sodor.

Thomas & Friends Race for the Sodor Cup (Animation, 1x60 min.) Super-fast Kana is convinced that her speed is all she needs to win the Sodor Cup. But when she ends up paired with Thomas, she discovers that it takes much more than speed to really be a champion.

NBCUNIVERSAL GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION

Dak and Leyla work alongside their dragon friends to defend and protect other dragons in adventures around their home of Huttsgalor.

Trolls Holiday in Harmony (Animation/comedy/ music, 1x30 min.) When Queen Poppy plans the first annual Trolls Kingdom Secret Holiday Gift Swap, things take an unexpected turn when she and Branch draw each other’s name.

Little Darlings (Live-action/drama/music, 4x30 min./1x120 min., 10x5 min.) When two girls who share the same ex-rockstar dad meet in unlikely circumstances, they are surprised to find in each other something they’ve been missing all their lives.

O (1-818) 777-1300 w www.nbcuniversal.com

Contact: Belinda Menendez, pres. & chief revenue officer, global dist.; Don McGregor, EVP, head, worldwide dist., NBCUniversal; Chloe Van den Berg, SVP, head, kids & family ent.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Dragons: The Nine Realms (Animation/ action/adventure, 52x30 min.) In the modern world, Tom Kullerson and his friends explore an immense fissure and discover a hidden world where dragons exist.

The Croods: Family Tree (Animation/comedy/ adventure, 52x30 min.) The ever-evolving story of the Croods and the Bettermans as they learn to live together on the most idyllic farm in prehistory.

Dragons Rescue Riders: Heroes of the Sky (Animation/adventure, 24x30 min.) Viking twins

Dragons: The Nine Realms

Take Note (Live-action/music/comedy, 10x30 min.)

Calvin is chosen to compete on a tween reality singing show, relying on his close-knit family to survive the pressures of being in the national spotlight.

The Makery (Live-action/crafting, 25x15 min.) A bold and humorous make-and-do show packed with creative ideas. It educates through play, inspiring children to explore their imagination and creativity.

Siwas Dance Pop Revolution (Liveaction/competition/music, 8x60 min.) The ultimate reality competition series, in which teen icon

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JoJo Siwa and her “momager,” Jessalynn Siwa, work together to identify the next pop-group sensation.

Babble Bop! (Animation/music, 72x2.5 min./6x30 min.) A foot-tapping, hand-clapping, baby-bottom-wiggling, sing-along world of music, dance and preschool play.

Dodger (Live-action/comedy/drama) A funny, fast-paced tale full of jeopardy and adventure, following the adventures of the Artful Dodger and Fagin’s gang before the events of Oliver Twist.

Builder Brothers Dream Factory (Kids 4-7 3D, 40x11 min.) Inspired by the Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan dream big. With extraordinary imagination, creativity, resilience and their crew, there’s no build too big to handle.

NELVANA

O (1-416) 479-7000 m nelvana.distribution@corusent.com w www.nelvana.com Contact: Pam Westman, pres.; Athena Georgaklis, head, dvpmt.; Mellany Masterson, head, Nelvana Enterprises; Julia Dodge, digital dist. & global strategy lead; Sharon Lee, intl. sales mgr., AsiaPac, U.K.; Sylvie Didierjean, dir., sales, Western Europe, Southern Europe, MENA; Nina Koch, sales rep., Germany, Eastern Europe; Leyla Formoso, sales rep, LatAm. PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Super Wish (Kids 4-8 2D adventure comedy, 52x11 min). After accidentally wishing his birthday party away, Jesse must venture through The Land of Birthdays to find his Super Wish and return home.

Agent Binky: Pets of the Universe (Kids 4-8 3D adventure comedy, S1-3: 156x11 min.) The P.U.R.S.T. agents are back and ready as ever to protect their human families from aliens, robots and the W.U.R.S.T. villain—Chirpy McChirp.

GET DAILY NEWS ON KIDS’ PROGRAMMING

Super Wish

The Dog & Pony Show (Kids 4-8 2D comedy, 52x11 min.) Hilarious chaos ensues when best friends Dog and Pony leave their magical world of Rainbow Fjörd for UniCity in search for where they belong.

Toon Bops (Kids 2-5 2D, S1-2: 41x2 min.)

Endearing musical shorts encouraging little ones to explore and have fun will have preschoolers bopping to beats inspired by pop, country and R&B. Miss Persona (Kids 2-5 live-action, S1-2: 52x3 min., S3: 60x7 min.) Miss Persona and her shy best friend Brandon Bear work through life’s little obstacles through imaginative play, crafts and songs. Nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards.

Esme & Roy (Kids 2-5 2D, S1-2: 104x11 min.)

Esme and Roy are the best monstersitters in Monsterdale. They’ve become experts at using creative games and mindfulness strategies to solve little monsters’ big problems.

Bakugan—Evolutions (Kids 6-9 2D action/ adventure, S1-4: 308x11 min.) The awesome

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Brawlers are back for a fourth season. Bakugan, Drago, Trox and Pegatrix all return stronger, faster and better than ever.

Ranger Rob (Kids 4-8 3D action/adventure, S1-3: 132x11 min.) Bursting with energy, Ranger Rob ziplines, swings and even snowboards his way around the one-of-a-kind Big Sky Park.

The Hardy Boys (Kids 10+ live-action mystery/adventure, S1-2: 23x60 min.) The Daytime Emmy-nominated series returns with Frank and Joe Hardy intertwined in yet another complicated mystery when a local Bridgeport teen goes missing.

to a line of werewolves, was in shock when on his 13th birthday his first “warfing” went awry, turning him into a poodle.

Game Keepers (Live-action, 10x25 min.) Two teenagers have to enter an unknown digital gaming world, play a game and defeat the mysterious GameMaster. If the two don’t win the game, it’s game over—and the evil from the game will take over our world, too.

STUDIO 100 MEDIA

O (49-89) 960855-0 m distribution@studio100media.com w www.studio100group.com Contact: Martin Krieger, CEO; Dorian Bühr, head, global dist.; Tanja Aichberger-Schätzle, snr. sales exec.; Vanessa Windhager, sales exec.; Fabrice Laventure-Darival, sales exec.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS FriendZSpace (Comedy/adventure, 52x11 min.)

Animated comedy about three human kids committed to making friends with alien kids all across the supercluster of stars—and sharing cool selfies.

SeaBelievers (Ecotainment, 52x11 min.) Each animated episode leads kids on an eco-adventure.

Whether in the sea or on shore, the positive SeaBelievers characters problem-solve and take action around key environmental issues.

100% Wolf—Legend of the Moonstone (CGI comedy adventure, 26x22 min.) Freddy Lupin, heir

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SeaBelievers

Heidi (CGI adventure, S1-2: 65x22 min.) Heidi lives with her grandfather in the scenic idyll of the Swiss Alps. She makes friends quickly, and people know that they can call on her for help.

Tip the Mouse (CGI preschool comedy, S1-3: 104x7 min.) The little mouse Tip must go through all the adventures that each child faces while walking the extraordinary path to growing up.

Wissper (CGI preschool adventure/comedy, S1-2: 104x7 min.) Wissper is a little girl who was born with the ability to talk to animals. She can transport herself to anywhere an animal is in trouble and in need of help.

Arthur and the Minimoys—The Series (CGI adventure/fantasy, 26x24 min.) Arthur found the world of the Minimoys and visits his friends Selenia

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and Betameche. This time, the King of the Minimoys is organizing the resistance against tyrant Malthazar.

Maya the Bee (CGI preschool adventure, S1-2: 130x13 min.) A young bee named Maya has left her hive to discover the beauty and mysteries of nature.

As she explores the meadow where she lives, she meets other insects, plays to her heart’s content and shares her joy with her friends.

Mia and me (Fantasy/adventure, S1-3: 78x23 min.) The fantastic adventures of Mia and her friends in the magic land of Centopia, where they must protect unicorns from villains of all kinds.

TEAMTO

O (33-1) 7008-7979 m info@teamto.com w www.teamto.com Contact: Guillaume Hellouin, pres., CEO & fndr.; Corinne Kouper, SVP, prod. & dvpmt. & cofndr.; Patricia de Wilde, dir., mktg. & new business; Mary Bredin, creative dvpmt. producer, TeamTO Toronto; Lenore Hume, mng. dir., TeamTO LA; Shu Ye, mng. dir., Beijing; Caroline Souris, head, prod. & cofndr.; Patrick Dedieu, VP, legal & finance, associate; JeanBaptiste Spieser, CTO, technical dir., associate.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Jade Armor (Action-adventure comedy, 26x26 min.)

Lan Jun’s life takes an unexpected turn when a jade bracelet bestows her with magical jade armor, masterful kung fu moves and mystical Beasticons.

Angelo Rules (Comedy, S5: 46x11 min.) The fifth season of the long-running comedy introduces Angelo’s new rival: West Side Academy.

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17

Jade Armor

Angelo Wake Up It’s Christmas! (Comedy, 1x66 min.) Angelo finds himself on Santa’s naughty list and gets stuck reliving the day before Christmas over and over again in a nightmarish yuletide time loop.

Presto! School of Magic (Comedy, 52x11 min.) A band of talented kids dream of becoming magicians. At famous magician Lorenzo’s school, they learn tricks of the trade and the art of magic.

Mighty Mike (Dialogue-free slapstick comedy, 78x7 min.) Mike defends his house from a bunch of furry intruders. Raccoons, turtles and Fluffy the Cat drag Mike into a series of hilariously impossible misadventures.

GG Odyssey (Action-adventure, 26x22 min. in dvpmt.) While gaming, Kiran gets transported into the world of Greek mythology, where he must protect the legendary King Odysseus with the help of junior Goddess Leuki.

Winter Is Here! (Animation, 1x27 min., 3x5 min., 1x24 min. in dvpmt.) Three enchanting winter specials based on popular children’s books star a lonely fox befriended by shy Sacha, some comedic polar characters and an elfin snowgirl.

Oscar’s Oasis (Dialogue-free comedy, 78x7 min.)

Lost in the desert, Oscar tries to survive while not

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dying from boredom in his quest to find water, shade, food and something to do.

Yellowbird (Family, 1x90 min.) A tiny, orphaned bird that had never left the nest finds himself in over his head leading a flock on their annual migration to Africa.

WILDBRAIN

O (1-416) 363-8034 m sales@wildbrain.com w distribution.wildbrain.com Contact: Josh Scherba, pres.; Stephanie Betts, chief content officer; Deirdre Brennan, COO; Anne Loi, EVP, M&A & chief commercial officer; Caroline Tyre, VP, global sales & rights strategy; Katie Wilson, VP, channels & curation, WildBrain Television; Lara Ilie, VP, revenue share & transactional; Richard Rowe, dir., intl. acq. & coprod.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Alva’s World (Kids, 52x11 min.) With the help of her Oolie friends and Mo, Alva learns how to navigate Gizmo, a world that echoes the internet with all its wonders and risks, safely.

Ruby and the Well (Family drama, 10x45 min.)

When 12-year-old Ruby O’Reilly discovers she’s the latest “keeper” of a magic well, she rallies her two best friends to make secret wishes come true.

Denis and Me (Kids comedy, 30x3 min. & 4x11 min. specials) Created by Canadian YouTuber Denis Kopotun and animation writer/showrunner Diana Moore, an animated series about the adventures of a quirky 12-year-old named Denis and his best friend, an enterprising business cat named Sir Meows A Lot.

GET DAILY NEWS ON FACTUAL TV

Tata and Kuma (Kids comedy, 53x2.5 min.) Genius inventor dog Tata and chubby, easygoing cat Kuma live with their owner, Mei, in Room 1004 of an ordinary apartment building. However, when Mei goes to work each day, anything but the ordinary ensues.

Malory Towers (Tween drama, 39x24 min.)

Based on the iconic six-book series of the same name by Enid Blyton, follows 12-year-old Darrell as she attends Malory Towers, an all-girls’ boarding school that surpasses her expectations.

Strawberry Shortcake Berry in the Big City (Preschool, 80x4 min.) Strawberry Shortcake dreams of being the greatest baker the Berrylands has ever seen—she says goodbye to small-town Berryville and moves to Big Apple City to make it happen.

Alva’s World

Princess Mirror-Belle (Kids, 13x22 min.) Tenyear-old Ellen gets a huge shock when her reflection springs to life as a feisty princess from a fairytale land in this comedy-drama series based on books by Julia Donaldson.

The Brilliant World of Tom Gates (Kids, 40x12 min. & 1x23 min. Christmas special) Based on the best-selling books by Liz Pichon. Tom’s very own

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TV show is full of epic things to make and do, hilarious stories with friends and family, toe-tapping tunes and top doodling tips, too.

The Deep (Kids, S4: 13x22 min.) After searching for generations, the Nekton family have finally found the fabled city of Lemuria, unlocking secrets and tantalizing mysteries.

Degrassi (Teen/tween drama, 10x60 min.) A character-driven series about the high school experience and the journey of self-discovery. Set in Toronto, the new series explores a group of teenagers and school faculty living in the shadow of events that both bind them together and tear them apart.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS Agatha Christie’s Hjerson (Crime/suspense, 4x90 min./8x45 min.) In this modern, playful whodunit, we follow Agatha Christie’s character Sven Hjerson in the contemporary Nordic setting of Stockholm and the islands of Åland as he solves murder mysteries together with TV producer Klara Sandberg.

Huss (Crime/suspense, 5x90 min./10x45 min.)

Follows the ambitious new graduate of Sweden’s police academy, Katarina Huss, as she is drawn into a tangled web of corruption and betrayal.

ZDF ENTERPRISES

O (49) 6131-9910 m info@zdf-enterprises.de w www.zdf-enterprises.de Contact: Fred Burcksen, pres. & CEO; Robert Franke, VP, ZDFE.drama; Ralf Rückauer, VP, ZDFE.unscripted; Peter Lang, VP, ZDFE.junior; Arne Lohmann, VP, ZDFE.junior; Christine Denilauler, VP, mktg. & corp. comms.; Sebastian Krekeler, dir., ZDFE.drama; Mirela Nastase, dir., ZDFE.drama; Susanne Frank, dir., ZDFE.drama; Yi Qiao, dir., ZDFE.drama; Florian Streit, dir., ZDFE.drama; Yuliya Fischer, dir., ZDFE.drama; Katharina Pietzsch, dir., ZDFE.junior; Marei Bruckmann, dir., ZDFE.junior; Jan-Frederik Maul, dir., ZDFE.junior; Oliver Grundel, dir., ZDFE.junior; Nikolas Huelbusch, dir., ZDFE.unscripted; Kerstin Jaitner, dir., ZDFE.unscripted; Margarita Garcia, dir., ZDFE.unscripted; Sylvia Brucker, snr. dir., ent., ZDFE.unscripted.

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Zoom—The White Dolphin

Stories to Stay Awake (Crime/suspense, 4x50 min.) Four top Spanish directors (Rodrigo Cortés, Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Paula Ortiz, Paco Plaza) bring Chicho Ibáñez Serrador’s iconic horror series back to life with a modern cinematic edge.

Sherlock: The Russian Chronicles (Crime/suspense, 8x50 min.) Set in 19th-century St. Petersburg, follows Sherlock Holmes as he attempts to track down the serial killer Jack the Ripper.

Zoom—The White Dolphin (Animation, 104x12 min.) Yann, an intrepid 15-year-old teen, has many thrilling adventures on the paradise island of Maotou together with his best friend, Zoom, a white dolphin of exceptional intelligence.

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TV LISTINGS

School of Roars (Animation, 104x7 min.) The monsters are back with a new season full of adventures. The new episodes feature the same delightful mix of comedy, fun and life lessons for little learners.

Scream Street (Animation, 78x11 min.) Based on the hit book series, this funny, scary, gross-out stop-motion animation show follows the adventures of Luke Watson. A fast-paced, stylish, comedyhorror extravaganza.

Rescued Chimpanzees of the Congo with Jane Goodall (Wildlife/nature, 5x50 min. & 1x50 min.)

Looks behind the scenes at one of the largest great ape sanctuaries in Africa and, with unprecedented access

into the daily lives of the chimpanzees, also showcases intimate stories from Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and a UN Messenger of Peace.

Ancient Superstructures (Wildlife/nature, S2: 7x50 min.) In its second season, the series reveals the secrets behind the world’s most famous monuments, such as the Louvre, Angkor Wat and the Hagia Sophia.

Going Circular (Science/knowledge, 1x90 min.) A simple idea is at the heart of nature, but it is far from the way we live: nothing should go to waste. The concept of circularity can save our planet’s resources and save us from future climate change.

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Going Circular (Science/knowledge, 1x90 min.) The concept of circularity can save our planet’s resources and save us from future climate change. Distributor: ZDF Enterprises

Mini Ninjas 2 (Kids 6-10 CGI/2D adventure comedy, 104x11 min.)

Discover a new generation of 12-year-old ninjas, trained by the Ninja Master. Distributor: Cyber Group Studios

Because Victoria (Dramedy, 10x30 min.) Victoria starting school seems to mark the return of personal problems between the three mothers. Distributor: ViacomCBS International Studios

The Muscleteers (Kids 6-9 3D, 45x11 min.) The Muscleteers team up and swear to help and protect anyone in need. Distributors: ZDF Enterprises & GoldBee

Germinal (Drama, 6x60 min.) The story of a miners’ strike during the Second Empire, recounting their passion, suffering, rebellion and comradeship. Distributor: Banijay Rights 100 WORLD SCREEN 2/22

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