FME Bolsters Kids’ Slate

LOS ANGELES/LONDON: Ahead of MIP Junior, FremantleMedia Enterprises has ramped up its kids’ and family entertainment slate, announcing a new pact with Animation Collective that includes the distribution rights to a broad slate of properties, among them Kappy Mikey, and adding to its catalogue the Happy Films production Bookaboo.

FME and New York-based Animation Collective will jointly develop content for the children’s and teen market. In addition, FME will be offering up the Animation Collective library, which includes Dancing Sushi, Ellen’s Acres, Kappa Mikey, Three Delivery and Thumb Wrestling Federation: TWF.

“This deal is a significant step towards delivering FME’s ambition to become the world’s leading independent supplier of kids’ and family content," said Sander Schwartz, the president of kids and family entertainment at FME. "Larry Schwarz and his team at Animation Collective are world renowned for creating some of the freshest and most original children’s properties for television and emerging media. We’re proud to be working with Larry and Animation Collection on their existing portfolio of titles and we’re hugely excited about working together to develop new kids and family titles to take around the world."

Schwarz, CEO of Animation Collective, added “FremantleMedia Enterprises is well-positioned to bring our collection of fun and entertaining comedies including Dancing Sushi and Ellen’s Acres to fans around the world. Additionally, we look forward to developing new concepts together and delivering more quality programming to the kids’ market.”

FME today also announced the aquisition of the global format, distribution and licensing rights to the preschool series Bookaboo from Happy Films. The series was commissioned by CITV in 2009 and features puppetry, live action and CGO as it encourage 3 to 6 year olds to read. “Bookaboo is a truly engaging preschool show for the story time set which has the importance of promoting children’s literacy at its heart," FME’s Schwartz said. "We are thrilled to have added this original, colourful and musical property to our catalogue. While Bookaboo has already established itself within the U.K., engaging and entertaining young and old viewers alike, we are incredibly excited to be taking this property to new audiences around the world.”

The latest additions will be on offer at MIPCOM alongside Tree Fu Tom, for CBeebies; the boys’ action/adventure animated series Monsuno; the tween series My Babysitter’s a Vampire and Really Me; the stop-motion and CG animated Strange Hill High; and The Aquabats Super Show, a hybrid of concert footage, live action adventures and animation from the award-winning producers of Yo Gabba Gabba.