NATPE Round-Up

TV Kids Weekly spoke to a range of distributors to find out what are some of the newest and hottest kids’ properties on offer in Miami.

Slowly but surely, it appears that the children’s television business is pulling out of the recession. Channels are starting to commission again, and as distributors witnessed at a healthy MIP Junior, buyers are willing to open their pocketbooks, eager to get some fresh shows on their schedules. This all bodes well for the distributors at NATPE this week, in Miami to showcase what’s new and notable in the kids’ landscape.

Preschool tops the roster at Bejuba! Entertainment, with three very divergent shows for this demographic. Sandrine Pechels de Saint Sardos, the VP of program distribution at the boutique Canadian outfit, describes Stella & Sam as having a "classic" feel, while Mr. Moon is “out of this world.” She adds, "The Hive is exquisite and very unique series about cute bees." For the older set, 6- to 12, there’s Fizzy’s Lunch Lab, which focuses on nutrition and cooking. Sokator 442 is a multiplatform franchise for Bejuba!, which has a 75-minute film, done in 2D with effects, as well as an online property available and a TV game show in development. "The Sokator 442 movie will fulfill any soccer fan," de Saint Sardos notes.

Just as all of these Bejuba! highlights are animated properties, Edebé Audiovisual Licensing is also betting on animation for top buys. Indeed, one of the key goals for Edebé in attending NATPE is to widen the reach of its animated series in Latin America, both for titles already in the market, such as Edebits, and for new shows, such as TakaT the Dog, Robot Chipa, 4 Angies and Let’s Play with Boomchiki Boom! Ivan Agenjo, sales director at Edebé, points to the shows’ balance between entertainment and education as key selling points. "Licensing and co-production are additional business opportunities for us, too," adds Agenjo of his NATPE plans.

Among the top priorities for Mondo TV in Miami are strengthening its relationships with channels in Latin America as well as meeting top buyers from the region. As for program sales, "our main target is to have agreements for Puppy in My Pocket with the main key players in Latin America," says Maria Bonaria Fois, the general manager of Mondo TV Spain. Also on the slate are Playtime Buddies and Angel’s Friends, along with the boy-skewing Power Buggz and Virus Attack. Bonaria Fois points out that these are all new programs and have added appeal because "they come with a strong licensing and merchandising plan and are suitable for any TV channel."

The ratings success of Noodle and Doodle is sure to be a main driver for its sales at the market. The preschool arts-and-crafts show is currently the highest-rated series on Sprout in the U.S., where it’s already set for a second season. The show is being offered through JBMW Media at NATPE, which has a goal to "sell Noodle and Doodle to like-minded distribution partners all around the world and work together in making Noodle and Doodle a popular global brand," says Jennifer Monier-Williams, JBMW’s president. A Spanish version is ready for launch, and Monier-Williams is looking for other local format production partners for further adaptations. She is also hoping to find some ancillary rights partners for the property.

Many of the properties in Hasbro Studios’ slate already have a strong merchandising presence attached, being that they are based on existing classic brands. Finn Arnesen, the senior VP of international distribution and development at Hasbro Studios, highlights the action-adventure properties Transformers: Prime and G.I. Joe: Renegades. "Transformers is a huge brand for us," he notes. "The G.I. Joe franchise is very popular and has a history in America." Pound Puppies and My Little Pony are two more shows on the Hasbro roster that have built-in brand recognition, coming alongside The Adventures of Chuck and Friends, aimed at young boys. "This is a really nice opening portfolio for Hasbro Studios to have to present to worldwide broadcasters, and it’s only the beginning!," says Arnesen.

For its debut outing at NATPE, Spain’s Aviatrix Entertainment seeks to "raise awareness of the huge offering we have for Spanish-speaking territories," says Laura Tapias, CEO of the company, citing shows from RBA, BRB Internacional and Televisió de Catalunya. "We want to be the content provider of reference for Latin America, taking care of both our customers and our providers." The company is showcasing Oly & Pic, Suckers and Canimals.

Another Spanish entity, Imira Entertainment, is heading to NATPE "eager to present our new titles that we believe will have a very good market acceptance," says Begoña Esteban, sales manager for Iberia, Latin America, U.S. Hispanic and Central Europe. The company’s offerings include the live-action/CGI hybrid Dino Dan, the animated show Sandra, The Fairytale Detective and the live-action Australian series Dance Academy.

Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) is aiming to make an impression with Latin American buyers with its slate of Malaysian content, encompassing “drama, animation, documentaries and movies,” reports José Escalante, representative for the region. On the kids’ front, one of the highlights of the catalogue is Saladin, an animated series inspired by a real-life statesman and warrior of the 12th century.

France’s PGS Entertainment and Spain’s Ypsilon Films have aligned to form PGS Ypsilon Latin America, which will focus on kids’ and family content for the Latin American and U.S. Hispanic markets. At NATPE, "the goal is to strengthen our presence in Latin America, consolidate new markets for animation, both on television and in home video and licensing," says Roberto Mitrani, president of the company. Among the highlights for the market are Iron Man: Armored Adventures, Le Petit Prince and League of Super Evil, among others.

Televix Entertainment is positioning itself as a leader in the delivery of high-definition content to Latin American buyers, according to Hugo Rose, the company’s CEO. At NATPE, the company is showcasing animation from Aronnax Animation Studios, as well as Pokémon, Dos y Dos, Rob the Robot and Heroman, among others.