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e e e\ THE K7 REPORT JUNE 2016 The K7 Little Report provides a regular update on the latest developments in children’s TV. DIGBY DRAGON Nickelodeon K7Media.co.uk The K7 Little Report - June 2016 1! CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................2 THE K7 KIDSLIST: JUNE 2016 ...........................................................................................3 THE LITTLE REPORT INTERVIEW: NEIL COURT ................................................................7 NEWS................................................................................................................................. 9 NEW LAUNCHES ..............................................................................................................14 IN DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................................17 INTRODUCTION Welcome to the June edition of The K7 Little Report. June has been a big month for news in kids content, with new shows imminent from some of the traditional giants such as Disney and Nickelodeon, alongside a raft of major announcements from the newer players on the scene; as Netflix and Amazon reveal their forthcoming line-ups. Elsewhere, even more new entrants are lining themselves up for a piece of the kids TV action. Toca Boca, highly regarded for its educational apps, is making a play for the SVOD market through its Toca TV platform. Though currently only available in Canada, we will watch this development with interest: Toca Boca was acquired in April by toy brand Spin Master, owners of the mighty Paw Patrol brand. As we maintain, the kids genre is evolving rapidly, and we hope that The K7 Little Report helps you to navigate your way through it. Speaking of which, this month’s Little Report Interview will give you an insider insight as to why the genre is grabbing so much attention at present. Neil Court, of 9 Story Media and Brown Bag Films, has a long and illustrious track record in children’s programming but took a long-term break from the genre after leaving DHX back in 2006. Find out just what lured a legend of the kids TV business back in our exclusive interview. As always The K7 Little Report also includes the K7 Kidslist; our monthly top picks from the kids TV and content from the international market. If you’re working on something new or have an issue or topic that you’d like The K7 Little Report to feature, please contact [email protected] The K7 Team. The K7 Little Report - June 2016 2! K7 THE K7 KIDSLIST: JUNE 2016 Kidslist The K7 Kidslist is a monthly video showreel featuring the seven most interesting new kids shows on air. Click on the image to watch a clip of each title featured. DIGBY DRAGON Nickelodeon Synopsis - Nick Jr launches a new preschool show at the beginning of July when Digby Dragon hits the screen. Based on an original work from Sally Hunter hps:// (Humphrey’s Corner), the 26 x 30’ CGI animation k7media.wis2a.com/ series is set in the enchanted Applecross Wood where the eponymous dragon lives. Along with his medias/fvfw3lwhnq friends Chips, the scatter-brained squirrel, fairy Fizzy Izzy and Grumpy Goblin, Digby gets up to magical adventures around the woods, making new friends as he goes. Date of First tx - 4 July 2016 Partners - Nickelodeon, Blue-Zoo, Aardman K7 Says: New kids shows seem to be coming thick and fast at the moment, and with such fierce competition any edge is welcome. Though Digby Dragon uses CGI, the results have the distinct feel of the stop-motion animation that distribution partner Aardman is famed for, and this will no doubt add extra weight to what is already a very credible new preschool creation. K7 thinks Digby Dragon is destined to be a fire-breathing favourite. ELENA OF AVALOR Disney Channel Synopsis - Disney is about to launch its latest series, and in so doing will introduce the latest in a long line of hps:// Disney Princesses. Launching 22 July, Elena of Avalor k7media.wis2a.com/ follows the adventures of a plucky teenager; who after saving her land from an evil witch must rule her land as medias/qyyn0sl7zu crown princess, until she is old enough to take the mantle of Queen of Avalor. Date of First tx - 22 July 2016 Production Company - Disney Television Animation K7 Says: When the mighty mouse decides to launch a new princess, the pockets of parents the world over feel a nervous tremor. Not content with the huge global footprint that Disney already has, Elena of Avalor sees the brand pro-actively targeting Latin American kids: Elena is its first Latina princess. Expectedly, Latin culture is reflected throughout the series, and the show injects a subtle tone of telenovela drama into an otherwise familiar format. We predict that, by August, Elena merchandise will be unavoidable in shopping malls. The K7 Little Report - June 2016 3! KAZOOPS CBeebies Synopsis - June saw the launch of a new animation on CBeebies called Kazoops, which follows six year- old Monty and his pet pig Jimmy Jones as they hps:// embark on adventures to challenge established k7media.wis2a.com/ preconceptions about the world. The show takes in all manner of topics, from jealousy to whether tidying up medias/o34vlnw2t9 can actually be fun, and features songs in a variety of musical styles. The 72 x 7' series will also air on Netflix and Australia's ABC. Date of First tx - 20 June 2016 Production Company - CBeebies, Cheeky Little Media K7 Says: Plenty of animated pals go on journeys together, but Kazoops has taken on a more noble quest in attempting to explode the biased opinions which many take for granted, a worthy path to follow in today’s diverse world. The inclusion of Netflix as one partner is also a great way to propagate the show’s message, as well as making good commercial sense in bringing the show to more viewers. SPACEPOP YouTube Synopsis - Genius Brands International has partnered with YouTube on an original animated series. SpacePop is a fashion-themed musical series that hps:// follows five young princesses who disguise k7media.wis2a.com/ themselves as musicians in order to defeat an evil Empress who is trying to enslave the galaxy. The new medias/4k0q7ectcf tween girls-targeted property will also be made available on the Toon Goggles, PopJam, BatteryPOP and the Kid Genius channel on Comcast’s Xfinity on Demand platform. First Available - 15 June 2016 Production Company - Genius Brands International K7 Says: As We Are Savvy (featured later in this month's Kidslist) tries to take YouTube-style content and package it up into a kids TV format, SpacePop goes the other way around - with a traditional childrens animation, complete with songs and science fiction, launched exclusively via YouTube. For those born into a ‘digital universe’, there’s no reason for viewing to be tied to the TV, and SpacePop is ideally placed for such an audience. The K7 Little Report - June 2016 4! TAKING THE NEXT STEP CBBC Synopsis - CBBC has launched Taking the Next Step, a new dance talent show following young UK dancers as they audition for a guest role in the hit hps:// dance show The Next Step. Hosted by Blue Peter k7media.wis2a.com/ presenter Lindsey Russell, the 11-part series made its debut on Monday 13 June and saw judges medias/cxc0stv065 Kimberly Wyatt, John Partridge and director and choreographer Simeon Qysea start their quest across the UK to find the best talent. Date of First tx - 13 June 2016 Partners - CBBC, Temple Street Productions K7 Says: Generating brand awareness and loyalty is key to the longevity of shows, and diversification is an excellent way to achieve this. Reality competition Taking the Next Step is a deft way of spinning off from the brand established by teen drama The Next Step, while reinforcing its parent show’s popularity by creating potential future stars, in a never-ending cycle of pirouettes and melodrama. TOCA TV Synopsis - SVOD Toca TV launched in June, featuring around 1,000 hand-picked videos from around the world. As well as featuring Toca's own hps:// content, the app from encourages kids to create their k7media.wis2a.com/ own videos using the iPad’s recording function. medias/duabklGc5a Aimed at ages 5-9, the app also eschews third-party advertising and sponsored content. Toca TV is available only in Canada at present, rolling out internationally this autumn. First Available - 23 June 2016 (Canada only) Partners - Spin Master, Toca Boca K7 Says: Toca Boca, alongside its partner business Sago Mini, has cornered the market in creating engaging educational apps for kids, apps that are damned cute, too. Toca TV isn’t merely a play for the much sought-after kids SVOD space, the company has used its experience in creating great apps to blur the line between watching video and playing a game. For kids it’s just ‘stuff on a tablet’, there’s little delineation between the two. We look forward to the platform’s international roll-out. The K7 Little Report - June 2016 5! WE ARE SAVVY Synopsis - Family Channel is aiming to empower young girls with brand new series We Are Savvy. The magazine-style show sees hosts Tehya, Sarah hps:// and Spencer show their generation inspiring peer k7media.wis2a.com/ profiles, crafty DIYs and interviews with some of the biggest leaders in pop culture. The YouTube-inspired medias/l7wepjzu6h series will also feature special guest appearances from celebrities such as Bailee Madison (The Fosters, Good Witch), Lennon & Maisy (Nashville), Alessia Cara, and more. Date of First tx - 1 July 2016 Partners - DHX Television, Family Channel, B Minors (Banger Films) K7 Says: We Are Savvy represents an interesting new development; a broadcast show taking its lead from the type of content prevalent on YouTube. This approach could well pay off, with young audiences familiar with YouTube stars being enticed back to linear broadcasts by channels playing the digital platform at its own game.