France’s Canal+ orders Dandelooo animation French pay TV operator Canal+ has ordered a serialised children’s animation series from production and distribution company Dandelooo. The Upside Down River (10 x 30 minutes, pictured) is a 2D animation that is being directed by Paul Leluc (The Wolf). The show is targeted at kids aged 8 to 12 […]
SVOD service Hulu has acquired exclusive local rights to BBC preschool toon Tree Fu Tom, while Turner’s upcoming OTT net has bought the new Wind in the Willows. The Hulu deal comprises all three seasons of the show, which comes from FremantleMedia Kids & Family, BBC kids channel CBeebies and Blue Zoo Animation. They will […]
A Chinese media venture with backing from president Xi Jinping is to fund UK-based Blue Zoo Animation to the tune of £30 million (US$38.1 million). Following a Chinese state visit to the UK, Zhong Ze Culture Investment Holdings subsidiary China UK Animation Company (CU Animation) unveiled the deal. Besides taking the £30 million investment, London-based […]
In spite of the challenges, some studios that had been offering services on a work-for-hire basis are starting to build content creation into their business models, reports Jane Marlow. The fact that a company with the global reputation of Framestore started to “covertly” road test the idea of content creation two years ago gives an […]
Asking kids TV executives to name the most impressive show out there (not one of their own) produced a few surprises, and a surprising consensus. Adventure Time got numerous nods, as did another Cartoon network toon, The Amazing World of Gumball. Zodiak’s Michael Carrington, a former Cartoon Network UK and EMEA boss, was one of […]
It is hard to get new shows away, and even harder to get new shows to stand out when they do make it to air. Despite that and the lack of new global hits in recent times, the industry remains broadly positive that we will see a new breakout programme this year. Generally, it […]
Blue Zoo Animation’s Oli Hyatt warns potential changes to the European TV rights market could seriously harm toon funding in the future. What do I love about Europe? There are so many elements: the varied climate and scenery, the melting pot of ideas that both compliment and contrast and the cultures that can thrive and do […]
UK preschool channel CBeebies has acquired a 27-minute special of Snapper Productions’ animated series Q Pootle 5. Q Pootle 5 Christmas Special: Pootle All the Way will air as part of the BBC channel’s Christmas programming line-up. As with the series, which already airs on CBeebies, the UK’s Blue-Zoo Animation will animate the show. ZDF […]
Every year, brave indie producers stand before the great and the good of European animation commissioning to pitch their latest wares at the Cartoon Forum. Ahead of the event in September, Jesse Whittock looks at the projects heading for Toulouse, starting with toon powerhouses France and the UK. This year’s Cartoon Forum selection proves that […]
