Kids round-up: RTÉ preps first children’s slate; Sky Kids & AnimeLab pick up ‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’; Rainbow & Toonz partner for Pinocchio

Wild Kids

RTÉ launches first global kids sales slate

Ireland’s RTÉ Programme Sales has announced its first-ever slate of kids programming for the global market.

Highlights include six new live action series, with the first four, Wonder What, Let’s Find Out, Insiders and Body Brothers, all produced by Stop.watch for RTÉ. Wild Kids was meanwhile produced by regional Irish indie GMarsh TV and Squad Goals by Kite Entertainment.

Edel Edwards, head of programme sales at RTÉ Programme Sales, commented: ‘RTÉjr is an incredible resource for children in Ireland and we’ve identified a slate that is also perfect for international audiences.”

Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS

Sky Kids and AnimeLab pick up new ‘Yu-Gi-Oh!’

Broadcaster Sky UK-owned Sky Kids in the UK and Madman Entertainment’s steaming platform AnimeLab in Australia and New Zealand have acquired Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters, following deals with Konami Cross Media NY.

The series follows Yugi and his best friends Joey, Tristan and Téa, who share a love for a card-battling game in which players pit different mystical creatures against one another in creative and strategic duels.

Additionally, Sky Kids has also secured season one of Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS (46 x 30-minutes), “where virtual reality, artificial intelligence and high-speed dueling merge into a fighting extravaganza.”

“Yu-Gi-Oh! is pure adventure, fantasy and science fiction and we are confident our audience will be delighted to share in the ‘duels’, especially as they will be among the first to see the new HD version of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters,” said Lisa MacKintosh, acquisition executive at Sky Kids.

“AnimeLab is the ultimate destination and online streaming solution for anime fans Down Under,” added Dean Prenc of Madman. “We are excited to expand our offerings with the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise.

Pinocchio And Friends

Rainbow and Toonz partner for Pinocchio series

Italy-based Rainbow Group and global animation company Toonz Media Group have teamed up to co-produce a new children’s series based on Italian author Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures Of Pinocchio.

The 26 x 12-minute CGI show Pinocchio And Friends will be targeted at 4 to 7-year-olds and is expected to debut by the end of 2021. In this version, Pinocchio is an enchanted puppet living in today’s modern world.

“The new Pinocchio I imagined speaks to children in a light-hearted, educational way and empowers their dreams. Families will love this compelling series and kids will find their new TV hero in Pinocchio,” said Iginio Straffi, founder and CEO of Rainbow Group.