Cynopsis: Kids!

7/29/08

Good morning. It’s Tuesday, July 29, 2008, and this is your first early morning Kids briefing, now in beta test with graphic elements … a Cynopsis first!  Let us know what you think!

MGM Studios is partnering with Chicago-based Weigel Broadcasting Company to launch This TV network, a new US ad-supported 24/7 linear digital channel this October 2008.  In addition MGM is teaming with Cookie Jar Entertainment to handle the kid programming, which includes the FCC required educational informational (EI) programming for This TV.  The new network will make use of MGM’s library of movies (4,100+ titles) and TV programming (10,000 hours).  Weigel’s EVP, Neal Sabin will oversee programming for This TV, with Kim Bryson, MGM’s SVP/Advertiser Sales, handling ad sales for the new network.  Beginning immediately, This TV will be carried on Weigel’s TV stations in Chicago, Milwaukee and South Bend Indiana.

Hold on to your cowls, Warner Bros.‘ The Dark Knight continues to break records.  This time The Dark Knight in its Imax movie form ca-chinged in as the highest grossing second weekend (July 25-27, 200) in Imax history with a total of $4.6 million from its plays on 94 domestic Imax screens, bringing its total to $16.3 million.  Internationally, The Dark Knight Imax movie release grossed approximately $1.6 million on at 28 theaters.  The expectation is that the Imax movie will break $20 million momentarily, which would make it the fastest Imax movie to ever reach that milestone.

NEW PRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT

Teen actress Keke Palmer (Akeelah and the Bee) stars in Nickelodeon’s new live-action series True Jackson, VP (20×30), which will bow as part of the TEENick fall 2008 lineup.  The series revolves around True Jackson (Palmer), a 15-yr-old tapped to head the youth apparel division of a fashion label, who finds that corporate life has lots of the same issues as high school (e.g. mean girls, cliques, crushes) – but it has some cool perks too.  Created and executive produced by Andy Gordon (Back to You, NewsRadio, Just Shoot Me, Mad About You), True Jackson is set to begin production in LA this September.  And for all of us Whose Line is it Anyway? fans, Greg Proops has a recurring role in the series as the head of the company.

Nick at Nite inks a deal with former Disney CEO Michael Eisner’s Tornante Animation for the new family-targeted stop motion animated series Glen Martin DDS (20 episodes), per Variety.  The series is the result of partnership between Eisner and Eric Fogel, creator Celebrity Deathmatch, the latter of which will design the show.  Currently slated to bow on Nick at Nite in summer 2009, The series follows Dentist/father Glenn Martin as he convinces his family to join him in a cross-country trip in the family car, which features a toothbrush on top.

MORE KIDS STUFF

Disney Channel’s Playhouse Disney will premiere Imagination Movers, a new music-based live action preschool series, featuring the alternative rock band of the same name, with back-to-back episodes on Saturday, September 6 (10-11a).  Filmed in the band’s hometown of New Orleans, the series focuses on using creative problem solving skills.  In support of the launch, an episode of Imagination Movers will preview at www.playhousedisney.com beginning Saturday, August 30, where kids/parents are invited take part in various series-related activities.  The series also bows and be on demand on mobile phones via Sprint TV.  Additionally, Imagination Movers will launch simultaneously on the UK’s Playhouse Disney channel, followed by other Playhouse Disney and Disney Channel’s worldwide through early 2009.

Elsewhere, Disney Channel picks up an additional 13 episodes of the animated series Phineas and Ferb, for a total of 39 episodes.  A production of Walt Disney Television Animation, Phineas and Ferb was created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff Marsh.

KidsCo, the NBC Universal, Cookie Jar and Corus Entertainment joint 24/7 multi-platform venture aimed at kids/families, joins the Spanish pay-TV platform, Imagenio, under a distribution deal signed earlier this year with local content provider Teuve.  KidsCo is now available as part of Imagenio’s family package on channel 55.  KidsCo debuted in May on Teuve.

The 60th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards gets real with five hosts for the evening.  Tom Bergeron (Dancing with the Stars), Heidi Klum (Project Runway), Howie Mandel (Deal or No Deal), Jeff Probst (Survivor) and Ryan Seacrest (American Idol), all five nominees for the new category Outstanding Host Reality or Competition Program, will share the responsibilities of hosting the 60th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards live from the Nokia Theater in LA on Sunday, September 21 (8-11p) on ABC.

Meanwhile MTV’s 2008 Video Music Awards (VMAs) will be hosted by comedian/actor Russell Brand when the annual handing out of the MoonMen Sunday, September 7, 2008 at 9p live on the network.  The initial showing of the 25th annual VMAs will be the one and only telecast of the show in its original incarnation, followed by edited version.  Nominees so far include two categories (voted on by fans):

Best Female Video
artist – video, director (record label)

• Britney Spears – Piece of Me, Wayne Isham (Jive/Zomba Label Group)
• Jordin Sparks – No Air, Chris Robinson (19/Jive/Zomba Label Group)
• Katy Perry – I Kissed A Girl, Kinga Burza (Capitol)
• Mariah Carey – Touch My Body, Brett Ratner (Island Def Jam Music Group)
• Rihanna – Take A Bow, Anthony Mandler (SRP/Def Jam)

Best Male Video
artist – video, director (album, record label)

• Lil Wayne – Lollipop, Gil Green/D. Carter (Cash Money Records/Universal Mowtown)
• Chris Brown – With You, Erik White/Chris Brown (Jive Records/Zomba)
• Usher – Love In This Club, The Brothers Strause (LaFace Records/Zomba Label Group)
• T.I. – No Matter What, Self/James Lopez (Grand Hustle/Atlantic Records)
• Flo Rida – Low, Bernard Gourley (Poe Boy Ent./Atlantic Records)

MARKETING/LICENSING

Kmart, a sponsor of this summer’s family-targeted ABC reality series High School Musical: Get In the Picture, expands its interactive promotional support for the series with an online contest, Show Your Back to School Style: Get in the Commercial, on YouTube aimed at Teens 13+.  Running now through August 17, the contest invites fashion conscious teens to record and upload a 30-60-second commercial of themselves and up to four friends that shows how Kmart fits into their back-to-school style plans for fall.  The commercials can be viewed/shared/commented on at www.kmart.com/youtube. The top 20 commercials (as chosen by a panel of judges) will be featured on YouTube and a winner will be chosen through user votes (August 26-September 1), which will then be produced as a real commercial that will air on TV.

STONE SOUP

Discovery Communications is teaming with the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and The Siemens Foundation to launch The Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, a new science-centric sustainability education initiative aimed at kids in grades K-12 and their teachers.  The We Can Change the World Challenge, which by the way is aligned with to state education standards, kicks off this September with a national middle school competition where teams of students will identify an environmental problem in their respective communities and then research and recommend a reproducible environmental improvement program.  Additionally, teams will provide an explanation on how other communities might employ similar programs.  The program rolls out for elementary schools in 2009 and high schools in 2010.  Each step of the effort includes developmentally appropriate resources and tools for different age groups that are designed to educate kids with the basic concepts of sustainability and then continue to engage them from the classroom and on into their communities and so on.

EXECUTIVE MOVES

The Jim Henson Company names Sam Ewing to handle international sales of its new 3D animated preschool property Sid the Science Kid.  Most recently Ewing launched the Cartoon Consultants Group.  He previously served as SVP/Worldwide Distribution and VP Development, Cookie Jar Entertainment, as well as VP/International Co-Productions and Acquisitions, Saban International.  Sid the Science Kid is set to bow this September 1, on PBS Kids (www.pbskids.org), and will be showcased this October at Mipcom.

RATINGS

Disney Channel’s debut of the concert special, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert in 3D, was the most watched TV program Saturday night July 26 (8-9p) among Total Viewers (5.9 million), K6-11 (2.2 million) and Tweens 9-14 (1.8 million) according to preliminary Nielsen Media Research National Ratings, Live – Same Day, 7/26/08.  The program improved the time period versus the same a year ago for all three demos Total Viewers (+119%), K6-11 (+83%) and Tweens 9-14 (+64%).  You’ll recall that Buena Vista released the concert picture in movie theaters for a limited run in February 2008 during which time it earned $65.3 million domestically.

Answer to Yesterday’s Trivia Question: On the animated series Dexter’s Laboratory, what was Dexter’s ballet-loving sister’s name? DEE DEE Kudos to: Dennis Nance-Turner Broadcasting, Inc./Atlanta; Mike Coughlin-Sesame Workshop/NY; Lauren Tillman-TV Land/NY; Bryan Varga-HRP Detroit/Southfield, MI;Al Ovadia-Al Ovadia & Associates/Hidden Hills, CA; Theresa Soulliere-JTV Productions/LA; Richard Quan-Imaginary Time/San Francisco; Sabrina Sparlin-Cunningham*Escott*Slevin*Doherty/LA; Claire Wilmut-Boomstone Animation, Inc./Ottawa

Today’s Trivia Question: What was the name of the female member of the Galaxy Trio of the animated series Birdman and the Galaxy Trio? (Email [email protected] with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and time zone. Unofficial rules: Only the second four correct answers from each time zone will be mentioned; and once you’ve been mentioned in any of the Cynopsis editions, you can’t be mentioned again that calendar week.)

Later — Gwen
07.29.08

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Jennifer Franko – 203-583-9796 / jennifer@cynopsis.com
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JOB OPENING: DIR NATL AD SALES/LA/REELZCHANNEL: 10+ yrs cable media ad sales exp incl online & strategic integrated mktg solutions. Resp for ad sales of West Coast office. Send res: [email protected] (8/5)

JOB OPENING: ASSOC PROD: Nationally syndicated talk show is looking for expd AP. Applicant must have at least 2 yrs exp on a national talk show, court show or news program. Exc booking skills reqd. Resume: [email protected] (8/5)

JOB OPENING: PRODUCT MANAGER/Miller Pub Group/NY: Lead dev effort for sports website. Mng dev team on new features, as well as web 2.0, mobile, video apps. Distribute/mkt. Sports/media/mktg exp reqd. [email protected] (8/5)

JOB OPENING: MKTG PROD MGR/DISCOVERY/LA: Resp for overseeing elements for cross promotional opportunities for TLC. 3-5 yrs exp in on-air promo/mktg/ prod. Ad sales exp a +. Full posting and apply: www.discovery.com Job number 8109 (8/2)

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JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR ON-AIR PROMO/Nickelodeon/NYC: 10+ yrs exp. producing on-air promos for a network; Exp. in multi modes of production: clip, design & live action; Solid mgt exp. a must. EOE/M/F/D/AAP apply www.mtvncareers.com (8/1)

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JOB OPENING: TRADE MKTG COORD/WE tv/NYC: Provide day-day oper & org support to Ad/Affiliate Mktg team on Ad Sales sponsorship. 1-3 yrs Admin/ops exp in trade/Ad Sales mktg, advtg, prod, creative. res www.cablevision.jobs ref #6682BR (8/1)

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JOB OPENING: SALES PLANNER/Hallmark Channel/NY: 2 yrs exp in Sales planning or buying; or 3 yrs Sales Asst exp. See full posting and apply at www.hallmarkchannel.com (7/31)

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