DreamWorks Animation and France’s Lagardere Active TV have inked a deal for free-to-air and basic pay-TV rights for the latter’s kids and family channels to broadcast the studio’s series, including Dragons: Race to the Edge, The Adventures of Puss in Boots, All Hail King Julien, Turbo FAST, The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show and Dawn of the Croods. The agreement kicks off with the September 2016 launch of DWA’s first original series, Dinotrux, on Gulli.
FremantleMedia Kids & Family has appointed Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Content Group as the home entertainment partner for FMK’s programming portfolio (including Danger Mouse, Tree Fu Tom and Kate & Mim-Mim) across a number of key territories, managing all DVD and DTO releases.
Non-profit G-dcast will launch new animated web series Shaboom! on April 6. The 10 x 11 series is geared toward teaching kids ages 4-7 “everyday Jewish values” using comedy, magic and music, as well as vocabulary in both English and Hebrew. Shaboom! follows the “magical sparks” Gabi and Rafael who work to fix the world, with focuses on specific themes in each episode. Executive producer Sarah Lefton is at Kidscreen this week.
One Animation has closed broadcast deals for the long-form edition of its family series Oddbods (60 x 7) with Boomerang (EMEA and Latin America), Disney Channel (Asia), Canal+ Family and Teletoon+ (France and Africa), ITV’s CITV (UK) and Boing (Italy).
Sesame Workshop announces that The Furchester Hotel has been re-commissioned by CBeebies for a new 50 x 11 season, plus a double length Christmas special. Checking in at the preschooler-friendly hotel to play and learn with Phoebe Furchester-Fuzz and family will be Sesame Street friends Big Bird, Count Von Count and the Martians. New episodes will enter production at MediaCityUK in May.
ZAG has greenlit another series to join Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir under its “Zag Heroez” banner. The company is collaborating with 1492 Pictures, master toy partner Playmates and French producer Method Animation on an as yet untitled 52 x 11 live-action/CG animation hybrid series commissioned by France Televisions. A broadcast debut is expected in Spring 2018 to be followed by a toy and licensing program in the Fall.
Squeeze in Quebec has expanded international distribution for Cracked, with Nickelodeon picking up the show for Australia and New Zealand (debut date March 1). The 52-episode, 3D animated series stars an anxious ostrich dad and his eight beloved eggs. Cracked is produced in collaboration with Teletoon, the Canada Media Fund, the Quebec Refundable Tax Credit for Film and Television Production, the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit, CAVCO and the Bell Fund. A mobile game and animated comic-book are also planned for the property.
