Research Guru
Posted:
Apr 3, 2008, 1:14 PM
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Cartoon Network plans Sunday night movie franchise
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A Sunday night movie franchise, two new nights of original programming, the launch of The Cartoonstitute -- a swift development program for animated pilots -- and a continued commitment to healthy living through the Get Animated initiative were all announced Thursday morning at the Cartoon Network Upfront presentation in New York.
The network also announced its programming lineup for 2008.
Cartoon Network said that it will develop content in two primary tracks: fantasy/adventure and comedy.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars will anchor this strategy with fantasy/adventure on Friday nights, the network announced, along with the new animated action series from Warner Bros. Animation, Batman: The Brave and the Bold; Ben 10: Alien Force; and the previously announced The Secret Saturdays, which will premiere with 26 episodes in the fall.
"Cartoon Network has proven with the success of great brands and series like Ben 10 and Chowder that we have what kids want," said Stuart Snyder, Turner Animation's president and chief operating officer for young adults and kids media. "Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a game-changer for us, and continues our commitment to staying in the forefront of offering kids something completely different than what they are seeing anywhere else."
Cartoon Network also announced Thursday that it is also developing a sequel to the record-breaking original live-action movie Ben 10: Race Against Time.
Cartoon Network has designated Thursday nights as the new destination for comedy. Anchored by its new animated hit Chowder, which the network announced has been picked up for a second season, Thursdays will also feature existing laughers Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, Camp Lazlo and George of the Jungle, and will offer a platform for new series launches, including this summer's The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack.
"These are just the first steps in the evolution of a programming strategy that will lay the groundwork for highlighting all of our strengths moving forward," said chief content officer Rob Sorcher. "We now have great tentpoles to launch these new nights and a platform to showcase established and up-and-coming talent."
Sunday nights will be the destination for Cartoon Network's new movie franchise (as yet unnamed). Launching in June, the network will showcase a must-see movie each week, including the world TV premieres of such much-animated feature films as Ant Bully, Hoodwinked, Monster House and Open Season, as well as Cartoon Network firsts like Kicking and Screaming and Cheaper by the Dozen.
The Cartoonstitute will continue Cartoon Network's tradition of developing innovative and original animated content. The initiative will endeavor to create up to 150 pieces of programming over a period of 20 months. A veritable think tank for animators, the program will be artist-led and spearheaded by executive producer Craig McCracken (The Powerpuff Girls, Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends) and supervising producer Rob Renzetti (My Life as a Teenage Robot, Dexter's Laboratory).
The Cartoonstitute will create an in-house, all-star team of artists, directors, storyboarders and writers to generate content across a number of platforms. The program is intended to shepherd successful animated programs from pilot to series.
As part of Cartoon Network's Get Animated health campaign, the network announced that it will again partner with the Food and Drug Administration to take its Spot the Block public education campaign to the next level. Introducing an all-new 2008 expanded edition of the online and on-air promotion to launch Monday, April 7, Spot the BLock stresses to kids the importance of regularly finding and reading the nutrition labels on packaged food and drinks and using them to make healthy choices.
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"Oh boy." -- Allan Sherman
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