{"id":20649,"date":"2021-05-14T09:00:47","date_gmt":"2021-05-14T13:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev2.worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/worldscreen.com\/"},"modified":"2021-05-17T09:20:25","modified_gmt":"2021-05-17T13:20:25","slug":"all-aboard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldscreen.com\/tvkids\/all-aboard\/","title":{"rendered":"All Aboard!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Leading distributors tell Mansha Daswani about the latest developments in the always in-demand preschool space.<\/em><\/p>\n

Earlier this year, WarnerMedia announced plans for the U.S. introduction of Cartoonito. The new preschool programming block for Cartoon Network and HBO Max is, per Tom Ascheim, president of Warner Bros. Global Kids, Young Adults and Classics, the company\u2019s \u201cbiggest commitment to preschool programming in 100 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cartoon Network and HBO Max making a big bet on preschool heralds the arrival of another buyer and commissioner in an already \u00fcber-competitive space. That, combined with the increased need for high-quality, enriching content for young ones confined at home amid the coronavirus pandemic, has upped the stakes in the preschool business as a whole.<\/p>\n

So what does it take to cut through the clutter? \u201cDiverse, recognizable and relatable characters; strong role models and positive values that resonate with both kids and parents are constant pillars in the preschool space,\u201d observes Chlo\u00e9 van den Berg, the senior VP, head of kids and family entertainment at NBCUniversal Global Distribution.<\/p>\n

Christopher Keenan, the senior VP of content development and production and executive producer at Mattel Television, also stresses the importance of relatability and highlights \"***Viacom***\"the role of aspirational characters. \u201cWhen children are able to identify with these stories and want to spend time with the characters\u2014whether they\u2019re heroes, friends or just make them laugh (ideally, all three)\u2014they are much more likely to place a show at the top of their list of favorites. And, if they can continue the engagement with these characters by playing out their stories when not watching the show, a series truly stands out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Emmanu\u00e8le P\u00e9try Sirvin, partner and head of international at Dandelooo, says she frequently hears requests for well-known, established brands in the preschool space. Still, her company is more interested in focusing on the brands of tomorrow\u2014with an emphasis on titles that viewers develop an emotional connection with. \u201cFor example, programs that touch your heart, talk about emotions and have characters who are not just heroes but are human and have weaknesses and flaws. We aspire to have relatable characters and shows that deal with \u2018real\u2019 daily issues. And humor, of course, that\u2019s important too!\u201d<\/p>\n

Picture books have been a major source of inspiration at Dandelooo, P\u00e9try Sirvin adds. \u201cMost of our programs at Dandelooo are book-based because we are lucky in France, like the U.K., to have an extremely wide range of children\u2019s literature talent fostered through many large, medium and small publishing houses, ready to take risks and tell different stories. The books pre-exist the series but also accompany the development through international extension and continue to grow after broadcast.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nathalie Pinguet, the deputy managing director of sales and acquisitions at Superights, stresses the importance of strong characters, especially those that allow children to \u201cidentify themselves with the heroes of the story.\u201d She also references the use of kids\u2019 voices \u201cfor the program to be more authentic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond storytelling and character development, Lionel Marty, managing director at APC Kids, addresses the need to build a robust 360-degree campaign \u201cto build awareness in the long term.\u201d He also notes the critical nature of delivering broad exposure for shows \u201cso they can engage with increasingly fragmented audiences. Additionally, as we\u2019ve seen with the success of Kid-E-Cats<\/em>, clear brand values are needed to guide every aspect of the licensing program from the series and product lines, right through to the brand\u2019s marketing activity.\u201d<\/p>\n

BRAND AWARE<\/strong>
\nHaving a piece of known IP is certainly a leg up when cutting through a competitive landscape, and on that front, NBCUniversal Global Distribution is well served. \u201cParents have to \u2018approve\u2019 the programming and whatever channel or platform the program is on, but kids also need to be entertained and want to keep coming back for more,\u201d says van den Berg. \u201cThis can easily be achieved if the programming exudes positivity, depicts the importance of friendship and has the right mix of characters. The success of DreamWorks Animation\u2019s new animated kids\u2019 series Madagascar: A Little Wild<\/em> is a perfect example of this, with the characters already known from the hit film franchise, which is a big draw for parents. All of the songs and dance routines are highly repeatable and easy for preschoolers to learn because they were created and performed by professional choreographers and kid dancers to ensure that we were getting it just right for the preschool audience. Similarly, thanks to the success and popularity of the Dragons<\/em>films, coupled with the truly relatable brother-sister relationship depicted in the show, the animated series Dragons Rescue Riders: Heroes of the Sky<\/em>has garnered kudos from parents and kids alike. (Having a hilarious burping dragon in the show doesn\u2019t hurt either!)\u201d<\/p>\n

Mattel, too, has a treasure trove of well-established brands, among them the beloved Thomas, soon to appear in the 2D-animated Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go<\/em>. \u201cThis show brings an entirely new creative approach to Thomas series content, which first premiered 1984,\u201d Keenan says. \u201cWith new art direction, more physical comedy and a greater range of character expressiveness, this fast and colorful show is crafted to appeal to contemporary audiences\u2019 sensibilities while, of course, maintaining Thomas content\u2019s core ethos: the great importance of friendship.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of course, you don\u2019t need a 75-year-old brand like Thomas to find success in the preschool business today. APC Kids\u2019 Marty points to the success of Kid-E-Cats<\/em>. Originated in Russia, the series has traveled to 150-plus markets courtesy of Nick Jr. and has landed on 30-plus free-to-air broadcasters, with more than 70 consumer-product licensees. \u201cIn 2021, we will keep taking steps to consolidate the brand, with the fourth season greenlit and the toy range being launched in new key markets, including Italy, Spain and Poland,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n

Superights has a significant slate of preschool titles, across live action and animation\u20142D and CGI\u2014and with varying formats, from 2-minute episodes up to standard half-hours. \u201cWe try to cover all genres with boys and girls,\u201d Pinguet says, listing key highlights such as Anna & Friends<\/em>, Clay Time<\/em>, Koumi\u2019s Ani<\/em>mated Picture Book<\/em>, Percy\u2019s Tiger Tales<\/em> and Bo Bear<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Dandelooo is also showcasing a broad array, led by Billy the Cowboy Hamster<\/em>, a new season of The Treehouse Sto<\/em>ries<\/em>, Pompon Little Bear<\/em>, Shooom\u2019s Odyssey<\/em>, Petit<\/em>, Cubs<\/em> and Kosmix<\/em>. P\u00e9try Sirvin emphasizes the importance of diversity in the company\u2019s approach.<\/p>\n

INCLUSIVE STORIES<\/strong>
\n\u201cThere is a continued increase in demand for strong female\/girl lead characters and, most of all, there\u2019s an urge for diversity,\u201d P\u00e9try Sirvin says. \u201cAs the company continues to grow and develop, we have given ourselves a parity and party rule\u2014to have in equal amounts as many female characters as there are male characters. Also, we want to express to kids that there are different kinds of families, made up of different dynamics. In Billy the Cowboy Hamster<\/em>, Billy is raised by a single parent, his dad. It is also very important for us, as it is for the broadcasters, to represent diversity. In The Treehouse Stories<\/em>, we had to organize four castings to find the perfect quota of kids from different backgrounds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another key trend that has developed in the preschool business is a focus on \u201csoft learning,\u201d NBCUniversal\u2019s van den Berg says. \u201cWe see this \u2018lean into\u2019 social-emotional learning demonstrated in DreamWorks\u2019 Gabby\u2019s Dollhouse<\/em>. This show\u2019s unbelievable global success reinforces how much parents and their preschoolers need this additional support right now. We\u2019re also seeing more mindfulness and activity-based shows, which, again, is a sign of the times we\u2019re living through.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mattel\u2019s Keenan expresses a similar view, stating: \u201cOne of the most common, current trends in preschool programming is a movement toward content that helps with kids\u2019 social and emotional development, introducing themes such as navigating emotions, dealing with disappointment and resolving conflicts.\u201d<\/p>\n

At Superights, meanwhile, Pinguet says she\u2019s witnessed an increased demand for educational programs as well as \u201cdo-it-yourself\u201d series such as the company\u2019s own Clay Time<\/em> and Koumi\u2019s Animated Picture Book<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The Covid-19 pandemic has turbo-boosted the interest in \u201cedutainment,\u201d a phrase that, pre-coronavirus, was rarely a selling point when pitching to commercial broadcasters. \u201cEvery week we receive requests for edutainment shows because \u2018traditional\u2019 broadcasters, VOD platforms, DVD players, etc., want to supply meaningful programs to parents and kids during lockdowns and home-schooling,\u201d says P\u00e9try Sirvin. \u201cCurrently, \u2018entertaining\u2019 shows are simply not enough.\u201d<\/p>\n

Keenan adds, \u201cAs families spent more time at home in 2020, parents and caregivers sought out programming that delivered meaningful and substantive content without compromising on the entertainment value. To that end, we saw significant consumer excitement for our Thomas & Friends<\/em>early learning and birthday-themed content on YouTube, as well as our series content on other platforms.\u201d<\/p>\n

PLUGGED IN<\/strong>
\nWith kids homebound, they were also spending way more time on their devices, continuing a shift that has been happening in the business for years. As such, digital extensions\u2014from audiobooks to games\u2014are more critical than ever.<\/p>\n

\u201cPreschoolers want to interact with their favorite characters in different ways,\u201d Keenan adds. \u201cThat\u2019s why we take a franchise approach to content, ensuring we extend these brands and enable children to interact with their favorite characters in as many ways as possible, including the television show, toys, books, short-form content, games and more. Thomas & Friends<\/em>is a great example of this. Last year, we celebrated Thomas\u2019s 75th anniversary and we launched new content across many platforms, including four made-for-YouTube series, a Thomas & Friends Storytime<\/em> podcast, a partnership with the wellness app Calm and more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Being everywhere kids are also means an increasingly sophisticated approach to slicing and dicing the rights to a show. And AVOD has become an especially compelling opportunity. \u201cWe have a strong AVOD presence, with billions of views on our official YouTube channels,\u201d Marty at APC Kids says of the Kid-E-Cats<\/em> brand. \u201cWith 24 mobile apps accounting for more than 39 million downloads, this mobile rollout has become a very interesting path to explore in terms of brand awareness and revenue. We have also been focusing on social media and digital activity\u2014through platforms such as Facebook and broadcasters\u2019 websites\u2014which is the perfect way to engage with the whole family. Now that we are introducing our brand-new property DinoCity<\/em>, we have been pleased to see how naturally it becomes this common effort with broadcasters to build an online presence and come up with web-based activities (coloring, puzzles) for children to interact with the brand.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultimately, though, it all starts with a strong story and compelling characters that preschoolers will fall in love with. \u201cIf a program becomes a viral hit, there is a natural expansion to all other exploitation,\u201d says P\u00e9try Sirvin at Dandelooo, \u201cbut in our view, it should not be the objective.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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