FME Adds to Kids’ Slate

CANNES: Sander Schwartz, president of kids and family entertainment at FremantleMedia Enterprises, discussed the gains made by the division over the past two years at MIPCOM today as well as announced new additions to the company’s slate, including Fresh TV’s new music-driven animated comedy Grojband.

When FME announced its expansion into kids’ fare two years ago, "it was our goal to position [the company] as the leading independent supplier of kids and family content for television and other media," Schwartz said. Today, "we have 12 series at various stages of production with partners around the world, network and producer and other talent partnerships." These partnerships have been integral to the division’s rapid growth, Schwartz said. "We have relationships with key networks in major territories around the world, including Nickelodeon in the the U.S. and Nick Jr. internationally, with Disney Channel, with ABC Australia, with BBC in U.K. We have established relationships and production arrangements with many producers," including Josh Selig, Tom Lynch and, most recently, Animation Collective and Bookaboo producer Happy Films. Deals with these "key players, key producers and key partners have permitted our business to become vibrant and active….in preschool, kids comedies, boys action adventure and then teen and tween fare."

Schwartz also announced a deal with Canada’s Fresh TV (My Babysitter’s a Vampire) that gives FME worldwide distribution rights (excluding Canada) for television, brand licensing, home entertainment and other ancillary rights for Grojband. A TELETOON commission, the 52×11-minute animated comedy is geared to kids 6 to 11.

Schwartz also revealed details of a plan to relaunch Mattel’s action-figure brand Max Steel as a television property for boys, with Nerd Corps Entertainment set to handle the animation.