+ Guru Studio has announced the sale of season 2 of its preschool toon Justin Time (26 x 11) to Discover Kids Latin America. The deal was finalized by Guru’s LatAm and Spain agent, Imira Entertainment. Season 1 of the series launched on Discovery Kids LatAm in April, 2012 with season 2 set to begin broadcast this year. U.S. Spanish-speaking broadcast rights have already been acquired by Discovery Familia. Created by Brandon Scott, the series follows Justin and his imaginary pals Olive and Squidgy as they set off on fantastical adventures in time. The show already airs in over 70 countries around the world (including Sprout and NBC Kids in the U.S.) and was recently nominated for three Annie Awards for Best Character Animation, Best Production Design and Best General Audience.
+ Chello Zone’s preschool channel JimJam has acquired new 3D animated series Heroes of the City from German distributer Your Family Entertainment, it was announced at the MIP-TV market in Cannes. The 26-episodes series targeting kids 3-7 will launch on the channel this May in over 60 territories in EMEA. Produced by Swedish studio Ruta Ett, the series promotes positive messages of friendship, problem-solving and fun and stars a group of rescue vehicles who help people and solve mysteries. JimJam also launched a dedicated Benelux feed earlier this month, highlighting Dutch toon classics Miffy & Friends and Frog & Friends. The channel is available across Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa in 13 languages to over 19 million subscribers, supplemented by strong regional online presence through 11 localized websites.
+ FremantleMedia Kids & Family and Mattel have greenlit production of a second season of their animated action/comedy Max Steel, comprising 26 half-hour episodes, bringing the series package up to 52. Season 1 is currently launching around the world; recent additional sales include Nickelodeon (U.K., Germany), Channel 9 (Australia), TV4 (New Zealand), Teletoon (Canada), Disney XD (Benelux), Mediacorps OKTV (Singapore), VMMA (Belgium), Star (Greece), Noga (Israel) and ABS-CBN (Philippines). These add to previous sales to Cartoon Network (LatAm), Cartoon Network and Boing (Italy & Spain), Canal J and Gulli (France), Canal Panda (Portugal) and two multi-territory deals with Turner Broadcasting System Asia Pacific and Disney XD Central & Eastern Europe. The series, co-produced by Mattel and Fremantle with animation by Nerd Corps Entertainment, follows teen Maxwell McGrath and his alien “Ultralink” pal Steel who have the ability to merge and create the super hero Max Steel to protect the galaxy. Fremantle handles worldwide distribution (exc. U.S.) and global home entertainment rights, with Mattel holding U.S. TV distribution rights.
+ Studio 100 Media has struck a deal with Molly & The Monsters to sell the international TV rights to its preschool animated series Ted Sieger’s Molly Monster. Announced today by managing director Patrick Elmendorff, the deal gives Studio 100 worldwide TV distribution rights over a five year period (exc. Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Scandinavia) for the 52 x 5 2D-animated series, as well as the holiday special Molly and the Christmas Monster (26 minutes). The deal also encompasses worldwide home ent. and VOD rights (exc. Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Spain). The series, aimed at kids 3-6, follows a happy young monster named Molly who lives in Monsterland with her parents and best friend Edison, a clockwork toy, who joins her as she plays, explores, and learns what it takes to be a monster. The show is created by Andrea and Ted Sieger and is a co-production of Alexandra Schatz Filmproduktion, Little Monster, Trickstudio Lutterbeck and Sluggerfilm.
