+ Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana Enterprises and The Topps Company are entering into a partnership to develop a new animated boys’ action series Mysticons (26 x 22). The show aimed at kids 6-11 will be produced by Nelvana Studio and written by veteran kids show penman Sean Jara (RedaKai, Hot Wheels: Battle Force 5, The League of Super Evil, Naturally Sadie). Michael Eisner, founder of The Tornante Company media investment/acquisitions/operations company took on The Topps Co. in 2007. The show will follow four regular suburban kids who are called on to become the legendary heroes known as the Mysticons, fighting dragons, evil knights and barbaric orcs led by a trio of evil warlords set on destroying mankind. The companies plan to create a multi-platform series experience and leverage the Topps partnership to build game play into the show. Nelvana has a trailer available during MIP-TV at their booth N6.04.
+ 9 Story Entertainment and CCI Entertainment have announced that CCI Kids, the family content division of CCI, has made a deal with 9 Story for the marketing and distribution of its kids’, tween and family programming. The agreement will see 9 Story acquiring underlying rights to CCI Kids’ owned Children’s and Family library, in addition to distribution rights for CCI Releasing’s other titles in this genre—totaling over 1,000 half-hours of content. 9 Story will also be given first-look privileges at future CCI produced/acquired kids and family content. The CCI library includes notable titles Artzooka, Harry and His Bucketful of Dinosaurs, Turbo Dogs, Extreme Babysitting, Erky Perky, GeoFreakZ and more classic fare Sharon, Lois & Bram’s Elephan Show and Shining Time Station.
+ Canadian primetime star Yannick Bisson, a multi-award winning actor best known for his lead role in the long-running Murdoch Mysteries, will be starring in a new CBC preschool show The Adventures of Napkin Man—a live-action/animation half-hour series developed with Breakthrough Entertainment (which will distribute internationally) and created by Little Airplane Productions’ Tone Thyne and Josh Sellig (Little Airplane will handle U.S. distribution). Recently launched studio Little Tugboat Productions, led by Brenda Nietupski, will render animation service work. Bisson will play Mister Anthony, a preschool teacher who draws a superhero named Napkin Man for his students—a character who magically comes to life in an animated world to help children understand and manage their feelings. Production kicks off in April in Toronto with a broadcast launch on CBC set for September 2013.
+ International children’s entertainment production/distribution house Studio 100 Media has signed a deal with Swedish producer/distributor Svensk Filmindustri AB for some of Studio 100’s top shows. The multi-year agreement gives Svensk Film exclusive home video rights (DVD & Blu-ray) and SVOD rights in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland for CG-animated series Maya the Bee (78 x 12) and Vic the Viking (78 x 12)—the deal also includes award-winning puppet series Big & Small (78 x 11) and preschool toon Zigby (52 x 11). Studio 100 can be found at the MIP-TV market, Stand R29.01.
.){kind=link}