Thursday, February 04, 2021

'The Astronauts' Scribe Daniel Knauf Receives Nomination in 2021 Writers Guild Awards

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has announced the exciting news that The Astronauts creator Daniel Knauf (Carnivàle, The Blacklist) has been nominated in the "Children's Episodic, Long Form and Specials" category of the 2021 Writers Guild Awards for his writing work on the show's launch episode, "Countdown"!


The Writers Guild Awards honor outstanding writing in film, television, new media, news, radio, and promotional categories. The winners will be honored at a joint 2021 Writers Guild Awards virtual ceremony on Sunday, March 21, 2021. A full list of Writers Guild Awards 2021 nominees can be found at https://awards.wga.org.

A huge congratulations and good luck to Bret Calvert, Seth Harrington, Rosemarie DiSalvo and Nickelodeon!

The Astronauts is a live-action series follows a group of kids who embark on the adventure of a lifetime when they are mistakenly launched into space. The series is executive produced by Imagine Entertainment Executive Chairmen Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, and Imagine Kids+Family President Stephanie Sperber.  The series is created by Daniel Knauf (Carnivàle, The Blacklist), who also serves as writer and executive producer. 

In the hour-long premiere of The Astronauts, the spacecraft Odyssey II is set to launch on a mission to retrieve a foreign object that could potentially save mankind.  The plan quickly goes awry when five untrained kids use their parents’ security clearances to sneak onto the empty ship.  Soon after they board, the onboard AI system triggers the launch sequence.  Unable to stop the ship from blasting off, the kids must assume their new role as astronauts and brave harrowing tasks, as their parents rush to find a way to take control of the situation.

The group traveling together through space are: Samantha “Samy” Sawyer-Wei, played by Miya Cech (Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Always Be My Maybe); Elliott Combs, played by Bryce Gheisar (Wonder, A Dog’s Purpose); Martin Taylor, played by Keith L. Williams (Good Boys, The Last Man on Earth); Doria Taylor, played by Kayden Grace Swan (A Black Lady Sketch Show); and Will Rivers, played by Ben Daon (Child’s Play).  Matilda, the ship’s onboard AI system, is voiced by Paige Howard (The Employer, Adventureland).

The premiere episodes of The Astronauts are directed by DGA Award nominee Dean Israelite (Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Power Rangers movie, Project Almanac), who also serves as executive producer. The series is also directed by Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, The Orville), and Marcus Stokes (Criminal Minds, The Flash, 911). Will Davis served as creative executive for Imagine Kids+Family.

Production of The Astronauts for Nickelodeon is overseen by Shauna Phelan, Senior Vice President, Live Action Scripted Content; and Zack Olin, Senior Vice President, Live Action.  Brian Banks serves as Nickelodeon’s Executive in Charge of Production for the series.

The Astronauts is the first production to hail from Imagine Kids+Family.  Imagine has a rich history telling stories rooted in space adventure, including the multiple Academy Award-winning film Apollo 13 (celebrating its 25th anniversary this year), the hybrid docuseries Mars for NatGeo, and the Emmy Award-winning series From The Earth To The Moon for HBO.

The Astronauts made its world premiere on Nickelodeon USA on Friday, November 13, winning the day with Kids 6-11 across all TV for L+SD and L+3. The premiere posted a +31% increase with Kids 6-11, up from 1.3 (L+SD) to 1.7 (L+3).  It also saw a double digit increase in L+3 ratings (+55%) year over year. Additionally, The Astronauts delivered a strong co-viewing audience with 40% of Adults 18-49 watching the series premiere with a Kid 6-11.

Below is the full nominee listing for the "Children's Episodic, Long Form and Specials" category of the 2021 Writers Guild Awards:

- “Countdown” (The Astronauts), Written by Dan Knauf; Nickelodeon

- “Mo Willems And The Storytime All Stars Present: Don't Let The Pigeon Do Storytime,” Written by Mo Willems, Based on the children's books and published by Hyperion: Leonard the Terrible Monster; Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale; A Busy Creature's Day Eating!; Elephant and Piggy's Waiting is Not Easy!; and Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus; HBO Max

- “The Not Too Late Show with Elmo,” Writers: Geri Cole, Scott Gray, Benjamin Lehmann, Wendy Marston, Andrew Moriarty, Ken Scarborough, Moujan Zolfaghari; HBO Max

- “The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special,” Written by Geri Cole; HBO Max

- “The Sleepover,” Written by Sarah Rothschild; Netflix

- “Speaking of Cancer” (Alexa & Katie), Written by Leo Chu & Eric S. Garcia & Julia Miranda; Netflix

A huge congratulations and good luck to Dan and Nickelodeon!


H/T: Variety.

Originally published: Thursday, February 04, 2021.
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Nickelodeon UK to Air Kids’ Choice Awards 2021 on Monday 15th March

KENAN THOMPSON TO HOST NICKELODEON’S KIDS’ CHOICE AWARDS 2021,
AIRING MONDAY, MARCH 15 ON NICKELODEON UK

Nickelodeon Brings Kids on an Orange Blimp Tour Around the World

KCA Nominees Announced--Justin Bieber, Millie Bobby Brown, Billie Eilish,
Lin-Manuel Miranda, BTS, Chris Pratt, LeBron James, Gal Gadot, Selena Gomez, Jamie Foxx,
Ariana Grande, Robert Downey Jr., Taylor Swift, Patrick Mahomes and More


Share It: @NickelodeonUK #KCA

London--Actor, comedian and Saturday Night Live legend Kenan Thompson (Kenan, All That, Kenan & Kel, Good Burger) will take kids on a wild and slimy ride as host of Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 2021!

Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 2021 will air live on Nickelodeon in the U.S. on Saturday, March 13, at 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT). Following it's U.S. debut, the special will roll out onto Nickelodeon channels internationally, including on Nickelodeon UK & Ireland on Monday 15th March 2021 at 6:00pm (GMT)!

With Thompson at the helm, kids and families everywhere will literally be part of this year’s show like never before for an epic celebration of fan-favourite stars across the worlds of film, television, music, sports and more.

Said Thompson, “Nickelodeon has been part of my life and my family forever and I can’t wait to host this year’s Kids’ Choice Awards. Am I worried about getting slimed? Naaaah. It’s going to come fast and cold, but it’s not my first rodeo--you know what I’m saying? So, bring on the slime and let’s do this!”


For the first time ever, Nickelodeon’s Orange Blimp will leave the KCA venue and take fans on a wild ride around the world and beyond. Filled with slime and messy stunts, viewers will travel to outer space, Bikini Bottom and right into celebrities’ homes using XR technology. This year’s show will also feature live and interactive fan walls that bring celebrities and families at home to the main stage; second screen live voting all night long where fans stay in control; and a KCA award presented by one lucky family chosen during the show.

Nickelodeon has also announced this year’s Kids’ Choice Awards nominees.  Leading the pack with the most nods are: Justin Bieber with five; Stranger Things with four; and Ariana Grande, The Croods: A New Age, Henry Danger, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Soul, Trolls World Tour and Wonder Woman 1984, all tied with three nominations each. Musical performances will be announced shortly.


Beginning today, fans can cast votes on the official Kids’ Choice Awards website, kca.nick.co.uk as well as through social media on Twitter.

Thompson is no stranger to Nickelodeon, having won a coveted Kids’ Choice Awards orange blimp for “Favourite Male TV Star” for his work in Nickelodeon’s sketch comedy hit All That in 2000. He was also nominated in that same category in 1998 alongside his longtime collaborator Kel Mitchell, who both serve as executive producers for the current iteration of All That which premiered in 2019.

Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 2021 is sponsored by Barbie®, Goldfish® Flavor Blasted® crackers, got milk?, LEGO® VIDIYO™, Olive Garden®, and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury. The presenting international sponsors of Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 2021 are SCOOB! (EU-counties) and LEGO (non-EU counties).

Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 2021 nominees are:

TELEVISION:

FAVOURITE KIDS TV SHOW
Alexa & Katie
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Danger Force
Henry Danger
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
Raven’s Home

FAVOURITE FAMILY TV SHOW
black-ish
Cobra Kai
Fuller House
The Mandalorian
Stranger Things
Young Sheldon

FAVOIRITE REALITY SHOW
America’s Got Talent
American Idol
American Ninja Warrior Junior
LEGO Masters
The Masked Singer
The Voice

FAVOURITE ANIMATED SERIES
Alvinnn!!! and the Chipmunks
The Boss Baby: Back in Business
LEGO Jurassic World: Legend of Isla Nublar
The Loud House
SpongeBob SquarePants
Teen Titans Go!

FAVOURITE FEMALE TV STAR
Ella Anderson (Piper Hart, Henry Danger)
Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven, Stranger Things)
Candace Cameron Bure (D.J. Tanner-Fuller, Fuller House)
Camila Mendes (Veronica Lodge, Riverdale)
Raven-Symoné (Raven Baxter, Raven’s Home)
Sofia Wylie (Gina, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series)

FAVOURITE MALE TV STAR
Iain Armitage (Sheldon Cooper, Young Sheldon)
Joshua Bassett (Ricky, High School Musical: The Musical Series)
Dylan Gilmer (Young Dylan, Tyler Perry’s Young Dylan)
Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas Sinclair, Stranger Things)
Jace Norman (Henry Hart/Kid Danger, Henry Danger and Danger Force)
Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler, Stranger Things)

FILM:

FAVOURITE MOVIE
Dolittle
Hamilton
Hubie Halloween
Mulan
Sonic the Hedgehog
Wonder Woman 1984

FAVOURITE MOVIE ACTRESS
Millie Bobby Brown (Enola Holmes, Enola Holmes)
Gal Gadot (Diana Prince/Wonder Woman, Wonder Woman 1984)
Anne Hathaway (Grand High Witch, The Witches)
Vanessa Hudgens (Princesses, The Princess Switch: Switched Again)
Yifei Liu (Mulan, Mulan)
Melissa McCarthy (Carol Peters, Superintelligence)

FAVOURITE MOVIE ACTOR
Jim Carrey (Dr. Robotnik, Sonic the Hedgehog)
Robert Downey Jr. (Dr. John Dolittle, Dolittle)
Will Ferrell (Lars Erickssong, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga)
Lin-Manuel Miranda (Alexander Hamilton, Hamilton)
Chris Pine (Steve Trevor, Wonder Woman 1984)
Adam Sandler (Hubie Dubois, Hubie Halloween)

FAVOURITE ANIMATED MOVIE
Onward
The Croods: A New Age
Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe
Trolls World Tour
Scoob!
Soul

FAVOURITE VOICE FROM AN ANIMATED MOVIE
Tina Fey (22, Soul)
Jamie Foxx (Joe Gardner, Soul)
Anna Kendrick (Poppy, Trolls World Tour)
Chris Pratt (Barley Lightfoot, Onward)
Ryan Reynolds (Guy, The Croods: A New Age)
Emma Stone (Eep, The Croods: A New Age)
Justin Timberlake (Branch, Trolls World Tour)

MUSIC:

FAVOURITE FEMALE ARTIST
Beyoncé
Billie Eilish
Selena Gomez
Ariana Grande
Katy Perry
Taylor Swift

FAVOURITE MALE ARTIST
Justin Bieber
Drake
Post Malone
Shawn Mendes
Harry Styles
The Weeknd

FAVOURITE MUSIC GROUP
Black Eyed Peas
BLACKPINK
BTS
Jonas Brothers
Maroon 5
OneRepublic

FAVOURITE MUSIC COLLABORATION
“Be Kind” – Marshmello & Halsey
“Holy” – Justin Bieber ft. Chance the Rapper
“Ice Cream” – BLACKPINK & Selena Gomez
“Lonely” – Justin Bieber & benny blanco
“Rain on Me” – Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande
“Stuck with U” – Ariana Grande & Justin Bieber

FAVOURITE SONG
“Blinding Lights” The Weeknd
“Cardigan” by Taylor Swift
“Dynamite” by BTS
“Toosie Slide” by Drake
“Wonder” by Shawn Mendes
“Yummy” by Justin Bieber

FAVOURITE GLOBAL MUSIC STAR
BTS (Asia)
Savannah Clarke (Australia)
David Guetta (Europe)
Master KG (Africa)
Taylor Swift (North America)
Sebastián Yatra (Latin America)

OTHER CATEGORIES:

FAVOURITE FEMALE SOCIAL STAR
Emma Chamberlain
Charli D’Amelio
GamerGirl
Addison Rae
JoJo Siwa
Maddie Ziegler

FAVOURITE MALE SOCIAL STAR
James Charles
Jason Derulo
David Dobrik
MrBeast
Ninja
Ryan’s World

FAVOURITE FEMALE SPORTS STAR
Simone Biles
Alex Morgan
Naomi Osaka
Candace Parker
Megan Rapinoe
Serena Williams

FAVOURITE MALE SPORTS STAR
Tom Brady
Stephen Curry
LeBron James
Patrick Mahomes
Lionel Messi
Russell Wilson

FAVOURITE VIDEO GAME
Among Us
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Fortnite
Minecraft
Pokémon GO
Roblox

Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 2021 is produced by Nickelodeon Productions and overseen by Rob Bagshaw, Executive Vice President, Unscripted Content. Michael Dempsey serves as executive producer, with Amy Johnson and Magda Liolis serving as co-executive producers. Nickelodeon’s Unscripted Content executives Rob Bagshaw and Paul J Medford also serve as executive producers. The ceremony is directed by Glenn Weiss.


Thompson stars in and executive produces the new NBC comedy Kenan, premiering Feb. 16 at 8:30 p.m. He is currently in his 18th season on Saturday Night Live as the show’s longest-running cast member. He has made numerous contributions to SNL with his slew of hilarious impressions that include Rev. Al Sharpton, Charles Barkley, Steve Harvey and David Ortiz, and memorable characters such as “Weekend Update” correspondent Jean K. Jean, “Black Jeopardy” host Darnell Hayes and Diondre Cole on “What Up With That.” In 2018, he received the Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for the SNL song “Come Back, Barack” and was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2018 and 2020. Kenan starred in the hit Nickelodeon shows, All That and Kenan & Kel, and the fan-favorite movie Good Burger, and currently executive produces Nickelodeon's revival of the network's iconic sketch comedy series, All That, alongside his former Nick co-star, Kel Mitchell (All That, Kenan & Kel, Good Burger, Game Shakers).

The home of SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, PAW Patrol and Nella the Princess Knight, Nickelodeon UK & Ireland Network is available in over 13 million cable and satellite homes and now reaches more than 10 million viewers a month. Launched in 1993, the top-performing Nickelodeon network comprises seven dedicated entertainment channels for kids aged 4-15 and their families: Nickelodeon, Nickelodeon HD, Nickelodeon +1, Nicktoons, Nick Jr., Nick Jr. +1 and Nick Jr. Too. The entertainment company has built a diverse multi-platform business by putting kids first in everything it does – Kids Rule! Content is at the core of the business with critically-acclaimed and hugely-popular television programming from the UK and around the world. In addition to the quality television programmes, Nickelodeon also produces bespoke content available online and on Nick Play, as well as consumer product and recreation opportunities such as the UK’s first-ever Nick theme park, Nickelodeon Land and the slimiest music festival for kids, SLIMEFEST UK.


Originally published: Thursday, February 04.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2021 UK News and Highlights!
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Nickelodeon International's Nina Hahn and Jules Borkent Join TV Kids Festival Roster

Nina Hahn, the Senior Vice President (SVP) of international production and development for Nickelodeon International and head of ViacomCBS International Studios (VIS) Kids, and Jules Borkent, the Executive Vice President (EVP) for kids and family at ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI), will take part in a panel discussion as part of the upcoming TV Kids Festival.


Update (1/23) - Hahn and Borkent will be taking part in the "Keynote: ViacomCBS in Focus" portion of the 2021 TV Kids Festival, taking place on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. EST. Synopsis: "An in-depth conversation with Nina Hahn, the senior VP of international production and development for Nickelodeon International and head of ViacomCBS International Studios (VIS) Kids, and Jules Borkent, the executive VP for kids and family at ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI)."

The full schedule for TV Kids Festival 2021 can be found here. Sign up for your free registration to attend here.

In his role as brand lead for Nickelodeon International, Borkent is in charge of all aspects of content and business operations, overseeing brand and content management and strategy, acquisitions, production development, creative and multiplatform for Nickelodeon branded channels and platforms internationally. Hahn oversees international content development and co-production partnerships for all ViacomCBS kids’ content outside of the U.S. She coordinates and drives the development process, spearheads new production models, manages productions from pilot through to series and works in direct partnership with content teams around the world. Registration for this event is free. Information on how to register will be available on Wednesday.

Taking place from February 2 to 5, 2021, the TV Kids Festival will feature keynotes and panels with leading executives and creatives discussing the importance of alliances in producing and distributing top-notch kids’ programming today. It will be streamed live and available on-demand on World Screen’s brand-new, state-of-the-art events and festivals platform.

Sponsorships for the TV Kids Festival 2021 are now sold out. 

TV Kids Festival will also feature a panel session dedicated to the evolution of the distribution business, featuring CAKE’s Ed Galton, Entertainment One (eOne) Family Brands’ Monica Candiani and 9 Story Media Group’s Alix Wiseman; a session on kids’ co-productions, with Toon2Tango’s Ulli Stoef, Serious Lunch and Eye Present’s Genevieve Dexter, Boat Rocker Studios’ Jon Rutherford and Guru Studio’s Frank Falcone; and a panel on acquisition strategies that will include Cartoon Network’s Adina Pitt, M6’s Maud Branly, Kidoodle.TV’s Brenda Bisner and Hopster’s Ellen Solberg.

Also on the TV Kids Festival roster is Jonathan M. Shiff, creator of H20: Just Add Water, Mako Mermaids and The Bureau of Magical Things; Dan Povenmire, whose credits include Phineas and Ferb; Traci Paige Johnson and Angela Santomero, the co-creators of the hit series Blue’s Clues and Blue’s Clues & You!; Eric Ellenbogen, the CEO and vice chair of WildBrain; Claude Schmit, the CEO of Super RTL; and Sebastian Debertin, the head of fiction, acquisitions and co-productions at KiKA.

From TVKIDS:

ViacomCBS’s World of Kids

Nina Hahn, the senior VP of international production and development for Nickelodeon International and head of ViacomCBS International Studios (VIS) Kids, and Jules Borkent, the executive VP for kids and family at ViacomCBS Networks International (VCNI), discussed their acquisitions, commissioning and co-production strategies as day one of the TV Kids Festival wrapped today.

Borkent, as head of the international kids’ and family group at VCNI, oversees content strategy, acquisitions and content partnerships, production and development, marketing and digital.

Hahn has two hats, one at Nickelodeon International and the other at VIS Kids—a division that she described as a “platform-agnostic content Switzerland in the middle of the company that can take that expertise and produce for our owned and operated channels but also pivot and produce for anyone who is buying.”

The creation of VIS Kids was a natural evolution for the company, Borkent noted. “Nina and I have been working for the last ten years on figuring out how to best leverage the creative around the world and get content not only into the international business but also into the U.S. business. We’ve always looked at those opportunities. It started many years ago with our first foray into international production, House of Anubis. For us, VIS Kids is the next iteration of that. There is absolutely a desire to create more content around the world. While we have a fantastic pipeline coming out of our Nick domestic group, over the last couple of years, our international pipeline has grown.”

On what makes a Nick show clearly recognizable, Hahn said, “There’s a casual phrase we use internally. It’s equal parts heart, smart, fart! [That means] something to how we tell stories and depict characters in our shows. That makes kids feel at home. On the other side, there’s been a lot of attention paid to reflecting the world in which kids live. Nick really is the poster child for what it means to have entertainment spoken to you as the world of kids. We make things once and use them everywhere and create that bond with what kids around the world want to ingest.”

At VIS Kids, there’s a set of criteria for producing for ViacomCBS’s own assets and another for third parties. “The success marker is the intersection between the creative and the commercial,” Hahn said. “As we look at both of those sides of the balance sheet, we’re able to bring our expertise at making content and matchmake it with what we know the end-user (the kid) and the buyer” will need to make a show a success.

On shows that have traveled well recently, Borkent mentioned Deer Squad, which was made in China with iQIYI. “It was the first Chinese animated production we were fully on board with: we co-produced, co-financed, etc. It launched internationally in 2020 really well. It was a top performer on Nick Jr. in the U.K. It’s launched in the U.S. We also had It’s Pony, which came out of the U.K. It’s a 6 to 11 animated series and again had great success in the U.S. and internationally.”

Hahn added, “The way we’ve approached it is: What is the way to take the best stories, the best talent, the best production models and the best partners, from wherever they are, and be globally agnostic and build content that we feel like we can make once and use everywhere because it will be relevant and authentic and fun? Those shows Jules mentioned are great examples of that.” Hahn likened the approach to fusion cooking: “In the case of Deer Squad, we take talent from the Chinese market and the production company we worked with there, we used a Western writer across, we used the Asian [ViacomCBS] team. There’s been a lot of different people involved to make it ultimately holistic to a kid at home who just wants to jump into that experience and live with those characters.”

Borkent added: “The way we looked at it in the past was always, What is a global show? How can you make a show that works everywhere? If you think like that, sometimes it gets too far. We have to be a bit more relaxed about it. COVID has also shown that kids are consuming from everywhere now, whether on YouTube or other platforms. That gives us a lot of freedom to be more open and free about how we approach content. [Deer Squad] is not us making an American show in China. We made a Chinese show. That makes it more authentic.”

On how COVID-19 impacted scheduling in 2020, Borkent said, “With kids being home, we ramped up our preschool schedule with slightly more educational content. Other than that, we brought some shows back and we streamlined the schedule, so there was something for everybody. We are in preschool, we are in 6 to 9 animation, we are in live action, so there’s a lot we could offer. We’re in a good place. The network has performed really well. There was a lot more consumption. That has flattened out a bit now and things are back to more normal times, but it definitely showed us there is a huge appetite for the Nick content all over the world.”

For the creative community, working through COVID-19-related production challenges has been “an incredibly lid-lifting experience,” Hahn added. “We’ve all been allowed and asked to do things differently. We’re figuring out how to make content in a completely different way. We don’t stay in the lines any longer. As a result of that, the innovation that has come out of the way we make content, the stories we’re telling and the people with whom we’re working, has given birth to content that is astounding.”

Animation has proceeded uninterrupted, Hahn continued. “Live action has been a more interesting challenge. We did have to pause on one or two live-action productions, but in that pause point, we rewrote the back remaining scripts that had yet to be shot in order to comply with protocols we knew would be in place when we returned. When we did return, we were able to shoot seamless episodes that didn’t feel jammed into a way of shooting that wasn’t going to work. There were a lot of plusses that came out of it as well.”

Dubbing and language reversioning for animated shows once lockdowns hit was a significant challenge, Borkent added. “We had to be innovative with how we worked with voice actors and sent them kits to their homes. People were recording in their closets! While there was a bit of a hiccup over a couple of weeks, it was fascinating how quickly people just figured out new models and ways of doing that.”

Asked about lessons learned and opportunities created amid this COVID-19 period that will continue post-pandemic, Hahn said, “There are ways to get production up and running and things resourced, written, directed, recorded, scored, that we’ve never done before. I think many will continue, largely because they are super authentic. They feel more real to kids in some ways, which has been an upside. That sense of grounded storytelling and the way we make it has been a big part of it.”

This last year also saw an increased emphasis on diversity and inclusion, continuing a theme that has always been part of Nick’s DNA, Hahn said. “We’ve been figuring out ways to take that message and talk about it across the world, versus in just one particular country.”

The conversation then moved to the keys to working with talent to support the creator’s vision while also meeting the needs of the ViacomCBS platforms. “It starts with a voice and a vision,” Hahn said. “ViacomCBS in the kids’ space is the vessel for that voice and vision. We try to fill the holes in what they need. It all starts with a conversation around development. What is the show about? Why are kids going to care? We work with them across the research side, which we are very in tune with. And we help backfill the vision such that you are toggling between what the show is and the story this person wants to tell, and what we, as the kid experts, know is going to resonate. Around that is the ecosystem, including consumer products, the marketing group, programming, that is part of that lockstep with the story we’re trying to tell. It’s a Venn diagram of how all these circles fit around the [storyteller’s] vision. We are beholden to these amazing voices that want to tell a story we feel should live on at ViacomCBS.”

Carugati asked Borkent how Nick’s Declaration of Kids’ Rights, first published in 1990, continues to resonate today. He said that in May 2020, as the Black Lives Matter protests were making headlines in the U.S. and around the world, the Nick programming team convened to discuss, “How are we going to talk about this to our kids? It’s hard to explain from a global perspective. Not everything is the same in each market around the world. Somebody in the meeting said, ‘We should look at the Declaration of Kids’ Rights.’ Within a couple of days, we translated it into 25-plus languages. We ran it on all our platforms. It was really powerful. The Declaration of Kids’ Rights informs a lot of what we do. It informs the types of stories we want to tell, the types of characters we want to show. We’re figuring out now how we can keep talking about it in different formats. They are very straightforward and very clear. For us to talk like that to our audience is important and we have to continue to bring that message.”

Hahn added, “There’s a discussion happening internally about how we can take that Declaration of Kids’ Rights and make an expanded set for across the ViacomCBS family. It’s such a fantastic compass for us all to walk with.”

On Nick’s continued diversity and inclusion mandate, Hahn noted, “Reflecting the reality of the world a kid lives in today has been [important] since the inception of the channel. It has been so second nature to us. It is across all of our characters visually and graphically. It’s across how we write. It’s across the production companies with whom we work. It’s across the programming plans. There’s not a tentacle in this company that isn’t touched by the notion of how you can authentically reflect the world in which kids live. It has been a great bragging right for us. That said, we are all tasking ourselves with the question of: How can we move the needle even more? What’s the next thing we can do to improve even more?”

For 2021, Borkent said he’s looking forward to the upcoming launch of Paramount+—“it means more platforms we can bring our content to”—Kamp Koral, the SpongeBob SquarePants spin-off; and the return of Rugrats after 20 years. He also mentioned the return of Hunter Street for season four and the upcoming Goldie’s Oldies, a live-action comedy out of the U.K.

For Hahn, working on the expansion of VIS Kids is a key priority. She also highlighted The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj, a co-pro with Nickelodeon India. “It’s a fusion of the best parts of storytelling between the two groups.” From Israel, meanwhile, is the live-action series Spyders, which is rolling out in Hebrew and dubbed into local languages. “Kids are now so much more global, so watching something dubbed will be an interesting barometer of their appetite for that.”

The arrival of Paramount+ provides another sandbox for VIS Kids to play in, Hahn added. “It’s great to have an SVOD service in our backyard. The way you tell stories linearly and the way you tell stories from a streaming perspective can often be the difference between one type of show and another. So creatively, we’re super excited at VIS Kids to create unique and bespoke content for Paramount+ that will be game-changing.”

###

From Kidscreen:

An inside look at ViacomCBS’s kids studio

Nina Hahn opens up about her role leading the VIS Kids division and what the future holds.

For more than 15 years, Nina Hahn has served as SVP of production and development for ViacomCBS International Media Networks (VIMN). During her tenure, she has worked in direct partnership with Nickelodeon’s content teams around the world, and has been a key figure in more than 2,000 hours of original kids content. Many of Hahn’s launches have marked a number of firsts for the company, including popular telenovela House of Anubis (Nick’s first US live-action show produced outside of North America), live-action series Spyders (Nick International’s first original Israeli co-pro), iQIYI co-pro Deer Squad (Nick Asia’s first Chinese original series) and The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj (Nick International’s first collab with India’s Viacom18).

To capitalize on the growing appetite for these kinds of international kids shows— especially from third-party broadcasters and streamers—production arm Viacom International Studios (VIS) launched a kids division in October, and Hahn was tapped to lead it. In her newly expanded role, she’s now tasked with growing VIS’s global pipeline to include short- and long-form kids content that will be produced and sold to third parties as well as ViacomCBS brands and platforms. According to VIS, the studio has generated nearly 50% revenue growth on average since it launched in 2018, and kids content has played a big part in those gains.

The studio is now branching out with its first animated series, Gloria Wants to Know it All, a preschool co-production with Marc Anthony’s Magnus Studios, Juan José Campanella’s Mundoloco Animation Studios and Laguno Media. Additionally, its new children’s musical series Funknautas is the first kids project to come out of VIS’s new strategy to invest 25% of its budget in LatAm to create content that spotlights marginalized characters and creators. The studio is also producing Nick Shorts Program finalist Sharkdog, its first international series made for Netflix as part of a multi-year output deal signed by Nickelodeon and the SVOD last November.

Kidscreen: Why did ViacomCBS Networks International decide to launch a new kids division?

Nina Hahn: Given the enormous global demand for kids content across multiple platforms, and the fact that Nickelodeon continues to produce content that speaks to kids everywhere, VIS Kids was launched to provide opportunities to make short- and long-form content—not only for our owned and operated channels, but for third-party buyers, too, whether they be SVODs, AVODs, terrestrials or hybrid platforms. Linear is still strong, but there are a lot of other ways to deliver your content.

KS: What is the strategic purpose of VIS Kids in the broader ViacomCBS ecosystem?

NH: This is really an expansion of ViacomCBS International Studios, and the goal is to take the expertise we have in producing kids con- tent and super-size it, using our international studios and distribution capabilities. This will not only bring new content for channels and platforms, but also bring new revenue via sales to third parties. It will also be an opportunity to share our expertise as kid experts, as well as increase our presence in the market.

KS: What types of programs does VIS Kids want to make?

NH: We are looking for live-action and animated content across all genres. For our Nickelodeon channels, we want creator-led shows with emotionally-driven characters that the audience will care about, along with the comedy, drama or whatever else might be a part of the project. From a demographic perspective, we will continue to look for preschool and bridge content, as well as shows aimed at nine- to 10-year-olds. A new area we will definitely spend time on is the young adult age group, with a focus on content for 13- to 14-year-olds.

Being platform- and content-agnostic opens up a lot of avenues, especially to people who may never have been able to come to us before because they had a kids drama, or a six-part TV movie idea, or something that is not necessarily the DNA of Nickelodeon alone.

KS: How does VIS Kids decide on developing third-party versus proprietary content and whether they will be short- or long-form series? How do you decide where they will live and how they’ll work with ViacomCBS?

NH: When it comes to project length or project lane, there is no black-and-white decision-maker. VIS Kids is deliberately set up to be creatively fluid, allowing us to form, build and mould a project to meet its full potential. This means that we will look at projects as they grow and decide their specific pathway in real time, maintaining a nimble and opportunistic approach.

KS: How are you working with the studio’s development and production teams in Latin America, the UK, Spain and Israel, along with an expanded central team encompassing international development, production, sales and distribution?

NH: ViacomCBS International Studios already has extensive production capabilities across the world—especially in Latin America, with over 11 stages and 40 editing suites in Argentina, and creative and production hubs in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City and Miami. In Israel as well, ViacomCBS-owned Ananey has the capability to produce high-quality content, thanks to experienced teams and great relationships with top Israeli talent. Finally, across Europe and Asia, we also work with world-class partners such as Zeta and Diagonal TV.

In terms of distribution, our teams are already settled in our key territories, and we’re in a similar position for the development teams, which are already built and working on hundreds of projects internationally. The structure is there, and we’re using it fully to share knowledge and experiences in order to make the most of it and come up with premium content for our own channels and our partners.

KS: What does the new “No Diversity, No Commission” policy mean to you and the industry?

NH: It’s a bold starting point and a wake-up call. We’re working with all of our partners to give a voice to those who don’t have one. And wherever you are in the evolution of diversity and inclusion, [we're sending a message to] do better. If a company comes to us and they are good, but not great [at representation], they need to demonstrate that they’ve upped their game in a way that is significantly better than whatever they were doing before. It is the smartest way for us to move forward with progress that is realistic, authentic and allows producers to be in control of how they are going to change their game. But the new policy also can’t be one- size-fits-all because when you look at the global landscape, some diversity and inclusion issues may be relevant in one country, but not in another. It’s about deliberately avoiding box-ticking.

KS: What are your takeaways from the pandemic, and how should the creative industry approach 2021?

NH: It’s important to look at COVID by asking, “What is the upside of the downside?” For creative people, the upside has been that a lot of rules have been lifted for how to make live-action and animated content. Because of this, it’s been an exciting time of innovation. The pandemic has reminded the creative community to not get stuck doing the same things over and over. For us, we’ve had to shift away from the traditional places we’ve produced live action, and instead consider more countries like Australia, which hasn’t been as affected by COVID and is safer for filming. And although animation has been relatively unscathed, we’ve seen the birth of some amazing new ways of telling stories that I hope continue.

KS: If you could, what advice would you give to your younger self just before you entered the kids industry?

NH: I would tell myself to always remember the smell of Play-Doh because it keeps you a kid forever. I actually travel around with a tin of Play-Doh wherever I go.

###


Update H/T: Special thanks to @RegularTweetsUK!

Originally published: Friday, January 15, 2021.
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'Blue’s Clues’ Co-Creators Traci Paige Johnson & Angela Santomero Join TV Kids Festival

Traci Paige Johnson and Angela Santomero, the co-creators of Nickelodeon's beloved preschool series Blue’s Clues and Blue’s Clues & You!, have been added to the keynote roster for the TV Kids Festival!


Johnson and Santomero are behind the Nick Jr. preschool series Blue’s Clues (1996–2006), spin-off Blue’s Room (2004–2007) and reboot series Blue’s Clues & You! (2019–present). Together, the creators will take part in a keynote with TV Kids to discuss their creative process, bringing Blue’s Clues & You! to the screen and serving children’s developmental and entertainment needs today.

They join previously announced participants Eric Ellenbogen, the CEO and vice chair of WildBrain; Claude Schmit, the CEO of Super RTL; and Sebastian Debertin, the head of fiction, acquisitions and co-productions at KiKA, on the TV Kids Festival roster.

Taking place from February 2 to 4, 2021, the TV Kids Festival will feature keynotes and panels with leading executives and creatives discussing the importance of alliances in producing and distributing top-notch kids’ programming today. It will be streamed live and available on-demand on World Screen’s brand-new, state-of-the-art events and festivals platform.

More information about the event's key speakers and panels taking place during the TV Kids Festival will be announced in the coming weeks. Registration will open in January.

Subscribe to the official Blue’s Clues & You! YouTube channel! Subscribe today at https://at.nick.com/BCYSubscribe!

Update (2/4) - From TVKIDS:

Creative Keynote: Rebooting Blue’s Clues

Traci Paige Johnson and Angela Santomero discussed the process that goes into making Blue’s Clues & You!, a reboot of the iconic preschool show for Nickelodeon, at the TV Kids Festival today.

The co-creators and executive producers of Blue’s Clues and Blue’s Clues & You! were interviewed by Kristin Brzoznowski, executive editor of TV Kids and World Screen, as part of the first of the day’s creative keynotes at the TV Kids Festival. The duo began contemplating a reboot of the beloved preschool show—which debuted in 1996—back in the summer of 2016. They knew they wanted to bring something fresh to the reboot, especially as it came at a time when a generation that had grown up watching the original was now having children of its own. And while the media landscape has changed since the show first came out, Paige Johnson and Santomero—who have both studied child development—feel that the fundamentals of what kids need from entertainment have stayed the same.

“For Blue’s Clues, we wanted kids to be heard; that’s why we started the interactivity,” said Santomero, who is also chief creative officer at 9 Story Media Group. “That feeling of wanting to be heard, wanting to understand the world, being asked for your opinion makes you feel smart and empowered. That’s been the mission from day one and we believe 100 percent that it’s still true today.”

As for what to keep from the original and what to adapt, Paige Johnson—who voices Blue—noted, “We knew we wanted to keep the clues, the interactivity, the building the self-esteem of preschoolers, and a live-action host. We wanted it to feel fresh look-wise, so making Blue 3D while still keeping our 2D cut-out aesthetic. And then the biggest thing was the notebook. We had millions of conversations: do we go digital, do we not go digital? It was the perfect kindergarten compromise of, let’s do both!”

Santomero added, “That back to basics of being able to draw something but then also have it so we can have e-mail. And that changed what Mail Time was. We had to keep it, but how could we refresh it? Traci had designed an old-fashioned phone that was so stylized for the world; we didn’t think kids would even know what that was! So the idea of video calls made so much more sense. And then, of course, the music changed. We wanted to have that refresh and give kids something that was their own with also keeping some of the standards there.”

Finding Josh Dela Cruz to serve as host of the reboot was critical. “Nickelodeon did an amazing job casting,” Paige Johnson said. “They got over 3,000 people. We did an open call. They were incredible in helping us find Josh.”

Steve Burns, the first host has also been part of the reboot. “He’s a director on the series, he’s a writer, he started brainstorming with us, helping us get feedback on finding the host, he’s a consulting producer,” Santomero said. “His voice is how we all started.”

Paige Johnson added, “Steve worked with Josh, handing over the baton, all the tools in the toolbelt for how to connect to the camera and feel like you’re talking to the preschooler at home. And the famous pause and the eye blink. It’s so wonderful to have Steve on board as part of the family.”

Brzoznowski then asked the co-creators to break down the production of an episode. “We start with the writing brainstorm,” Santomero said. “So it all starts grounded in what we want as creators. We sit with other exec producers, the network and our writers to figure out what we want from the season, and then work directly with 9 Story and Brown Bag Films to create that mix of Blue in CG and then the 2D world.”

That mixture is key to why the reboot works so well, Paige Johnson added. “The mixed media of live action, 2D, 3D, that had never been done before. It takes a lot of planning. Once we have the script, we go into storyboard for the live-action shoot and we compose each shot as if Josh were an animated character in a storyboard. Then we shoot. Then we start building the designs and animation building around Josh. And then at the same time the 2D characters are animated, the 3D animators are working with the Josh footage, acting to Josh, and then it all comes together in the compositing and rendering.”

The process takes nine to ten months, they said. “We do multiple episodes at one time,” Santomero explained. “Sometimes, the process can go faster. There’s a lot of prep, so the more buttoned-up we are in prep, the faster and smoother the process can go.”

COVID-19, of course, provided some hiccups. “We weren’t allowed to shoot live action for a long time,” Paige Johnson said. “But we wanted to keep on schedule, so we started animating and then when we went into the studio, Josh would act to the animation, which was a new way of working.”

Brzoznowski asked Paige Johnson how she became the voice of Blue. “Angela and I were doing the pilot and we didn’t have a lot of money to do it. Blue didn’t talk and we just went around the room of who could bark. And I could bark! We said, when we go to series, we’ll get a real voice actor. But then, to my delight, everyone just got used to my voice. We auditioned a lot of people and Angela and Nickelodeon said, you’re the voice! It’s my favorite part of the job.”

The discussion then moved to all the multimedia extensions to the show. “We’re looking into the camera and reaching out to kids and making sure they realize how smart they are,” Santomero said. “It works in so many different areas,” leading the team to make podcasts of bedtime stories, play-along videos and more.

“We were so excited when the iPad came along,” Paige Johnson said. “We wanted to do interactivity. We were doing faux interactivity with the classic Blue’s Clues. To have the true interactive episodes where Josh asks for help and you actually choose the right one and you draw your own clues into the notebook, it was amazing!”

There’s also a YouTube channel, a range of consumer products and a presence at events like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and amusement parts. “Experiencing Blue together as a family is so important to us,” Paige Johnson added.

Amid the COVID-19 era, Dela Cruz has been hosting virtual playdates that preschoolers can access on Nick and its social media channels, with the host filming direct-to-camera segments from his home. In addition, Burns and his successor as host, Donovan Patton, teamed with Dela Cruz to make the podcast Story Time with Josh & Blue.

“Our themes for new episodes come out of what we think kids need” at this time, Santomero added. “The idea of emotional resilience and feeling that sense of community is really important.”

The core tenets of Santomero and Paige Johnson’s approach to content creation remain unchanged. “We want to empower and challenge and build the self-esteem of preschoolers while making them laugh.”

Paige Johnson added, “Both of us as kids were so inspired by TV. It spoke to us. Wanting to have that impact on others and spreading good messages of creativity and self-esteem. More than just the show, it’s what happens when you turn off the show. What are you inspired to do to make, create, be? We’re so excited to be able to talk to kids and families and spread the message to the world.”

Both Santomero and Paige Johnson have new projects as well. Santomero is working on Karma’s World, created by multi-award-winning American rapper, actor, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges. Paige Johnson co-created Gabby’s Dollhouse for DreamWorks Animation. “We’re so excited that there are more amazing shows that came out of the work we have done together,” Santomero said. “There are so many creators of hit shows that started working with us as writers [on Blue’s Clues]. Having shows that are promoting and respecting kids is exciting to us.”

“It’s a wonderful family of all of us who worked on Blue’s Clues,” Paige Johnson added. “We drank the Kool-Aid and are marinated in all the goodness that Blue’s Clues brings and it’s spreading more thousands points of light to different shows and talking to kids and reaching families and inspiring creativity.”

###


Originally published: Friday, December 18, 2020.
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Peppa Pig Makes a Splash in the U.S. to Celebrate 10th Anniversary on Nick Jr.

Hasbro has unveiled details of its 10th anniversary celebrations for Peppa Pig in the U.S. which will mark a decade since the beloved animated preschool series first aired on the Nick Jr. channel to American audiences in February 2011!


Hasbro is honoring the brand milestone with a year-long pipeline of new content, a new Hasbro toyline coming in Fall, and a full roster of marketing activations, brand collaborations and promotions that will delight fans of all ages across the country.

The 10th anniversary celebrations kick off on March 1st with “Best Of” episodes of Peppa Pig airing Monday-Thursday from 8-9 a.m. ET/PT on Nickelodeon. The oinktastic week will conclude Friday, March 5th at 8 a.m. ET/PT with an all-new 4-part special from season 9 that sees Peppa and her family going on an unforgettable American roadtrip.


The 10th anniversary is inspiring some exciting new product launches for the U.S. consumer products program. This includes a collaboration with Reebok which will see a limited edition Reebok x Peppa collection featuring 5 unique footwear skus for toddlers and preschoolers set for release in early 2021.

Following the huge success of its Peppa Pig boots, outerwear and accessories for kids, launched last year in selected territories including the U.S., Hunter will debut a new collection of boots, outerwear and accessories for kids in fall 2021 for the back-to-school season. These latest deals follow close behind a recent partnership with Urban Outfitters in the U.S. for the brand’s first teen collection of apparel and accessories which featured artwork from Peppa’s debut music album release.

Four new publishing titles inspired by the U.S. special episodes will also be released in summer 2021. Book title formats will include pop-up, sticker and story books featuring iconic American locations.

“We’re incredibly excited to be celebrating 10 years of Peppa Pig in the U.S.,” said Hasbro’s Joan Grasso, Vice President of Consumer Products for North America. “Reaching this milestone cements Peppa’s evergreen status and unlocks some exciting opportunities with new trend-led partners targeting multiple demographics that reflect the maturity of the brand.”

The anniversary will also be celebrated with the release of a frozen yogurt flavor, tea-times with fans and expanded charity initiatives including National Jump in Muddy Puddles Day on April 1st, Peppa Pig Birthday Parties and Playdates with The Little Gym and a year-long campaign with The Muddy Puddles Project, including the brilliant event, Mess Fest.

From TVKIDS:

The Big Picture: Evolving Distribution Models

CAKE’s Ed Galton, 9 Story’s Alix Wiseman and eOne Family Brands’ Monica Candiani weighed in on exclusivity, AVOD deals and windowing strategies in a TV Kids Festival panel titled The Big Picture today.

The panel, moderated by World Screen’s Anna Carugati, featured Galton, managing director and chief commercial officer at CAKE; Wiseman, senior VP of distribution and acquisitions at 9 Story Media Group; and Candiani, executive VP of content sales for eOne Family Brands, discussing how the kids’ distribution business has evolved, both since before the pandemic and since the onset of COVID-19 shutdowns.

“Over the past several years, the way we’ve been engaging with our clients has changed,” said Galton. “The types of deals we’re doing have changed. The people we’re working with is changing. Five years ago, we weren’t doing as many deals with companies like Netflix and other SVOD platforms. We weren’t working with AVOD platforms like we are today. That disrupted the way we’re doing our deals. As part of that windowing strategy, there’s been an evolution in our business. There was a time when the windowing structure was fairly simple and we were able to figure it out. You have your pay-TV windows; you have your free-TV windows. Now it’s more complex.”

With the emergence of global-rights-seeking global streamers, it’s become harder “to have a windowing strategy,” Galton added. “So generally, those rights are being assumed by one company.” Selling to free- and pay-TV players, and now AVOD streamers, Galton said, involves “a lot of non-exclusive deals. So you’re doing fully exclusive deals and then you’re doing wholly non-exclusive deals. That’s the evolution and change that we have been seeing in the last couple of years.”

Meanwhile, since the start of the pandemic, demand for content has soared. “We have been busy closing a lot of deals because the platforms and TV channels were asking for content,” Candiani said. “Also, a lot of our partners asked to renew what they have already because they might have had some budget but not enough to buy new content. Or there was nothing available, so they asked us to renew some old stuff that was already with them.”

Wiseman addressed the changing needs for exclusivity. “It’s slightly becoming an all-or-nothing model. The move is more generally toward exclusivity, particularly for new IP. It’s that gift of rights that must be had at any cost and at the expense of any other windows, which is problematic for us distributors and producers. The non-exclusive model is an interesting one as well and another developing scenario.”

She cited as an example CoComelon. “It’s interesting from an observer’s point of view to see that something that is very big on YouTube can happily coexist on Netflix and find its own audience on a streaming platform as well. Some of us on this side of the business would argue that the adamant need for such high levels of exclusivity is not necessarily commensurate with what those platforms really do need. And in fact, many of the streamers are beginning to see how there is a benefit to be had by enabling windowing on other platforms because it elevates a brand. It increases eyeballs and enables consumer products. Hopefully, that will be a trend we can all help continue to happen. We do need those additional windows. It’s very difficult to give that level of exclusivity and it is problematic in that it is completely cutting out other windows, particularly linear channels.”

Galton added to Wiseman’s comments with CAKE’s own experience with the Angry Birds property. “It’s had billions of views on YouTube and then we’ve also managed to put the series on Netflix and multiple other platforms around the world, both linear broadcasters and digital platforms. And no one seems to care because it does well on every platform. The irony is, as you said, when you have brand-new original content and you’re trying to build a new brand, you’re handcuffed by exclusivity. So there is somewhat of a double standard in our business. I’m a big advocate of non-exclusivity when it comes to selling content in the kids’ business because I don’t think kids care. But obviously, the platforms that need to put money down need to justify that one way or another and by doing that is with exclusivity.”

Candiani weighed in with eOne Family Brands’ experience with Peppa Pig. “Many times we have been asked, Why can’t we have full exclusivity? It’s impossible, not just because of the structure of the current deals, which go back many years, but also some brands need to be available to as many kids as possible. If you [do an exclusive deal with a single SVOD platform], maybe from the money perspective that can be quite interesting, but on the other side, you will not have enough awareness. You need to be on as many platforms as possible for some brands.”

The panelists were then asked to provide examples of recent windowing strategies. At 9 Story, Wiseman referenced a property that was presold to a streaming platform, with two different launch dates slated, one for the U.S. and one for the rest of the world—12 months later. “We did that to try and slot in some linear first-run exclusive deals, so they would have that one year of exclusivity and be able to go crazy on the catch-up rights before having to be restricted on them. So they were able to build that brand on their own terms in the first instance. It was successful to a degree. We were able to get some of those deals done in time. For others, it wasn’t a long enough period.”

At eOne, Candiani says the company is still largely “working on the traditional linear first and then digital for most of our shows. But recently, there has been a case where we had to make linear and digital accept some windowing. It’s been quite intense, but in the end, it’s a matter of compromising.”

Galton added, “There was a time in the U.S. when you were still able to do some deals with key broadcasters, the likes of Cartoon Network, and then window with a Netflix or a Hulu or something like that in second place. To me, that window seems to have collapsed and I don’t think that’s a possibility anymore.”

“It’s tough to find compromises,” Candiani noted. “The linear still want digital rights because catch-up, especially for public broadcasters, has become more and more important. Sometimes that is by law. I think they have an obligation and that creates difficult conversations with the digital platforms because they want the full exclusivity.”

On the challenges of creating an L&M success for a show that only has an SVOD window, Wiseman noted, “It’s harder. It’s not for lack of any kind of will to make it work. We are working with the streamers. A lot of them are starting to operate slightly differently. They have different objectives, but I think certainly they are all beginning to understand the huge value of consumer products and participating in those revenues, whether they control them or not. It’s just quite early days. There isn’t a single show that has launched on a streaming service that is a massive success at consumer products yet. And that speaks volumes for this moment in time. There is the problem of binge-viewing and how kids will burn through that content very quickly when they like it—as opposed to it being seeded through on a schedule of one or two years. Also, taking us back to the question of exclusivity, hopefully there can be more windowing that maximizes that opportunity and helps them both. But it is a tough one and for retailers there is a big question mark right now. Even when you just look at the primary U.S. market around to what extent that level of exposure can garner great results on consumer products.”

Galton agreed with Wiseman. “The digital platforms have been amazing for the life of our business. It has given us new life and new opportunities. It’s not about the platforms; it’s about the nature of how platforms are set up. They’re not designed in the same way that we traditionally have been used to consuming content. And as Alix said, the way kids burn through content when they are on VOD platforms; there’s not an opportunity for you to build momentum. There’s no opportunity for them to go back to the playground and talk about it with their friends because it’s not always in their face. They consume and then they move on to something else. And until we figure out the nature of how to keep shows front and center, that’s a big obstacle. If you think about something like SpongeBob or PAW Patrol on Nickelodeon, it’s on all the time and it’s advertised all the time. [On streaming platforms, content is] competing with other shows, and it’s just an image on the screen you click on. Then they move on to the next one after they have consumed it. It’s hard to keep them coming back.”

Candiani mentioned the importance of eOne’s relationship with Nickelodeon around Peppa Pig in the U.S. “We are collaborating on a lot of marketing campaigns, activities, which at this stage you can’t have with the [SVOD] platforms. That’s something that hopefully, one day, there will be a different approach.”

The conversation then shifted to the emerging importance of AVOD services in the kids’ space. “There are rights issues linked to the AVOD exploitation,” said Candiani. “More and more, the linear [channels] or the [SVOD] platforms try to reduce the amount of content you can put on AVOD. But we have started during the last few months to test a few. It’s a new business and it’s growing and becoming important. The issue is just to understand, on our side, what the kids want to watch differently from what they already have available on other services. But definitely, it’s growing and becoming a key element of when you do a deal to try to keep some rights available to AVOD.”

CAKE is also doing more in the AVOD space, Galton added, and he expects that to continue. “I look at it as another portal where kids can consume content. This way, it’s monetized via advertising versus Netflix and others that are supported by subscription models. There will always be a need for advertisers to get in front of kids’ eyeballs and if they’re not doing it on linear television, they will start migrating to the AVOD space. And if that becomes the destination, we will do our best to be there and be as present as possible. The revenue at this point doesn’t come anywhere near what we are doing in our traditional deals and the SVOD deals. We are noticing that if you can stack—let’s say you do ten AVOD deals in one territory, in aggregate, those deals might start adding up to something meaningful if you have a brand that kids want to consume on all these different platforms. And then it becomes a real business.”

It’s been a similar experience for 9 Story, Wiseman said. “It’s still in its nascent years, but it’s interesting to see how much these big media corporations have paid to acquire some of those services like Pluto. It says everything that they are going to pay that much for them. I agree with Ed that that’s the one to look out for in the future and we all want to be on those platforms. They are certainly not going to make up for the loss in revenues in linear and they are not going to be able to compete financially yet with the [SVOD] streamers. But it’s an amazing opportunity for those of us who have catalogs with beautiful, amazing, well-produced programming, which either has had its run, so it’s library, or it hasn’t found a home in a particular territory. Suddenly we have a place to put that content. So we are very excited about being in that space.”

The panelists then weighed in on if the ad crunch of 2020 is impacting kids’ broadcasters’ budgets and their approaches to acquisitions. Candiani at eOne said that while budgets have been impacted, its upcoming slate has not been affected.

“We were surprised at how unaffected we were last year,” added CAKE’s Galton. “I think we’ll start seeing it more this year. We have had some clients that have said that they don’t have budgets until 2022. You haven’t seen the impact yet of COVID on public broadcasters, but I think when the pinch comes down the road, maybe 2022, 2023, [governments] are going to have to figure out how to pay for all of the social services and all of that stuff. Short term, we ended up doing OK. In the latter half of 2021, I see there could be a little more difficult, and beyond that, let’s see how long this pandemic lasts.”

Wiseman pointed to the “mutual support system” among the kids’ content community that helped companies cope with the challenges of 2020. “They needed content, maybe they didn’t have the same level of budget, and you try and work together. By the same token, I think people were trying very hard to continue working with us. But I think this year, there’s no question there is going to be a bit of a downturn. People are not going to have the fluidity or the flexibility with budgets. There are budget freezes left, right and center. There’s the decrease in ad spend. We’re all going to feel the pinch. We’re so lucky to be in a business that can continue to stay afloat and that there’s the demand. The demand is never really going to go away.”

As for content slates for the year to two ahead, “On our side, everything is continuing as planned,” Candiani said, adding that she’s excited for the prospects of the new content quotas in France requiring channels and platforms to invest a percentage of revenues in local shows. “Hopefully, this will help our sector have more options to put together funding and produce in Europe.”

For 9 Story, too, “it’s business as usual,” Wiseman said. “We’re continuing to develop our slate. We’re going to be taking out the shows when they are ready. The only difference is that we are not as beholden to these moments in the calendar—the markets. We may have previously put the accelerator on to try and get a show ready to pitch in time for a market, where it might have benefitted from that extra four weeks. We’ll give it those extra four weeks now before we take it to market. We are a little bit more fluid with our launch dates and our timings.” Wiseman also referenced a “marked increase in the amount of European content, which for us it means we have to pivot a little bit. We do have a studio in Europe, but we have a studio in Canada as well. It may be that we have to do more of our production on some shows to tick those boxes in Europe.”

“Like Alix was saying, the necessity for getting ready for a market has gone away completely,” said CAKE’s Galton. “It was quite frustrating sometimes when you were working with your production colleagues and they’re hurrying to get ready for a MIPCOM. It’s like, don’t rush development to be ready for a specific date. Make sure your development is where it needs to be because we have the best opportunity to find a home for the project. In a positive way, COVID has done that for us naturally. So we’re not running around and worrying what’s going to happen with the next conference.”

The panel ended with each speaker outlining their thoughts on the challenges and opportunities in the year to two ahead. Candiani at eOne is excited to return to “a sort of normality where we can meet face-to-face, exchange, meet our partners. And go back to being more confident in what is coming because now we’ve always got these question marks. We don’t know what 2022/2023 [will be like], what the investments [will be].”

Galton said the pandemic has shown him that businesses can be run efficiently with employees working remotely. “I’m not saying I’m going to shut down my office as soon as possible, but I have now embraced the concept of flexibility, which is a positive I’ve taken away from COVID. But I certainly long for the opportunity to get on an airplane and see my friends and colleagues around the world. I realized that what I like about my job and what I do for a living is that element: travel and being in front of people. Otherwise, it’s just another desk job and it’s not as exciting; it’s not as much fun. That for me is what I’m hoping will change by the latter half of 2021 maybe, when we’re vaccinated, and we can emerge and see our friends again.”

“We’ve all got pretty bad Zoom fatigue,” said Wiseman. “You realize the value of having those face-to-face meetings, and also the value of when we are at markets and conferences of what’s happening when you’re not in meetings. And how friendships grow out of business partnerships, which is part of the joy and excitement. It’s such a huge international, wonderful community. I feel like we are all missing that a lot. I also think it’s been interesting to see the extent to which business can continue using this medium.” Wiseman also said that COVID-19 may have changed people’s perspectives on business travel. “I would like to think that we collectively as an industry are just a little bit more pragmatic about how and when we travel and make it work for us.”

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More Nick: Peppa Pig to Support Team GB for the Tokyo Olympics With 'Big Inspiration for Little Piggies' Campaign!

Originally published: Friday, January 08, 2021.
Sources: Licensing International, TVKIDS, 
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