The Mr. Men Show

TV Kids
Weekly, January 08, 2008

ORIGIN: The new series is based on the
original Mr. Men and
Little Miss books
created in the 1970s by British author Roger Hargreaves.

DISTRIBUTOR: Chorion

CREATORS: Based on the Roger Hargreaves books,
the TV series was created by Chorion’s executive producers, Diana Manson and
Kurt Mueller, and writers Eryk Casemiro and Kate Boutilier.

TV SHOW: Season one of The Mr. Men Show, the first animated sketch comedy
series for kids, includes 52 11-minute episodes.

SYNOPSIS: Combining a classic mixture of physical
humor and verbal wit, each episode of The Mr. Men Show features two 11-minute episodes filled
with comic elements ranging from long sketches to “Chaplin-style” interstitials
to music videos and dance interludes, incorporated into retro-style animation.
Each of the 25 characters in The Mr. Men Show has a distinct personality that comes
into conflict with others in the quirky town of Dillydale. On the surface,
Dillydale looks fully functional, but upon closer inspection you see it is
ruled by wackiness.

EXECUTIVE
PRODUCERS: Diana
Manson and Kurt Mueller

COMMISSIONING
BROADCASTERS: Cartoon
Network in the U.S. and Five in the U.K.

MAJOR TOY
LICENSEES: Fisher
Price (master toy), The Kite Factory (kites and streamers), Outrageous
(consumer electronics and bath toys), Pressman (board games and puzzles),
Zizzle (self-contained LCD handheld games).

OTHER
PRODUCTS: Licensees
are on board for a host of different categories, including apparel,
accessories, health and beauty, home décor, novelty, seasonal and stationery/party
goods.

STRATEGY
FOR ROLLOUT: The
Mr. Men Show is set to
premiere on Cartoon Network in the U.S. in February. “Cartoon Network is so
enthusiastic about The Mr. Men Show that they are launching it as a strip and double pumping it with
two broadcasts a day,” says Cheryl Gotthelf, the senior VP of global brand
management at Chorion Silver Lining.

“It is the
first and only animated sketch comedy for children,” Gotthelf continues. Its
segment-based format will permit the use of sketches both on the air and
online, giving children optimal opportunities to sample its unique brand of
humor and fall in love with Dillydale and its quirky inhabitants.”

Gotthelf notes
the series has the benefit of being based on a 35-year-old property. “It
represents a perfect blend of humor and self-expression, giving it the
universal emotional appeal of an evergreen brand.”

The series
will remain “true to the essence” of Hargreaves’ original children’s books,
Gotthelf explains. It will, however, focus on a core group of 25 characters out
of the some 80 featured in the books. “The TV show has been re-imagined and
contemporized—with a vivid, super-saturated color palette.”

Merchandise is
slated to hit shelves in the U.K. in the fall of 2008, beginning with the
Fisher-Price toy line, followed by the U.S. launch at the beginning of 2009. In
the U.S., apparel will be the first category to appear at retail, with soft
lines and accessories, followed by toys, stationery and then back-to-school
products.

With its key
U.S. and U.K. partners in place, Chorion is now targeting broadcasters across
Europe, Asia and Latin America, after launching the series on the international
market at MIPCOM. “It’s the first time that Mr. Men has been brought back to the screen
after quite some time,” says Geraint Marsh, the senior VP of television sales
at Chorion. “The reaction we’ve had from our co-production broadcasters is very
positive and we’re excited about what the next few months are going to bring.”

Marsh notes
that the brand is already well known internationally, thanks to the books and
previous television series. “The characters have that instant recognition. Even
for those people who previously haven’t seen it, it’s a very easily
understandable concept. Everybody understands what it is to be happy or grumpy.
It’s a very simple, easy proposition.”