MipJunior Preview: Established Series Have the Edge
Facing tight budgets and continued uncertainty in the entertainment sector, buyers at this year’s MipJunior are expected to largely stick to tried and true IP, but many still see opportunities for exciting original content.
In addition to presenting the hottest new kids’ shows from around the globe, MipJunior, which runs Oct. 13-15, will examine the latest developments and trends that are redefining the market, such as the state of co-production and financing amid audience fragmentation, consumer use of multi-platform media, the growing role of gaming and the emergence of disruptive technologies like AI.
More from Variety
Leading Distribution Partners Launched by Industry Vets Ahead of Mipcom (EXCLUSIVE)
Mipcom Delves Into Artificial Intelligence Concerns With 'Unlocking AI Summit'
“Given the current uncertainties in the sector around streamers and broadcasters, we see less appetite for risk and thus more interest in established brands and IP with built-in audiences,” says Bernd Wendeln, COO of Munich-based Your Family Entertainment (YFE).
A subsidiary of Beverly Hills- based Kartoon Studios, YFE’s recent hit titles include “Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten,” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, “Rainbow Rangers” and “Thomas Edison’s Secret Lab.”
Big names are also toplining Kartoon Studios and YFE’s newest shows: “Shaq’s Garage” features former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal in animated form, and in “Wolfgang Puck’s Secret Chef Academy,” the renowned chef mentors kids who travel the world to procure beloved recipes from the cultures they visit.
Kartoon Channel president Paul Robinson says the group is having great success with gaming content in addition to its animated originals.
The company has launched hit format “Roblox Rumble” in more than 45 countries. The latest version of the show, in which kids compete in various Roblox games and win prizes, is co-produced by Malaysian broadcaster Astro and features Southeast Asian players. YFE’s extensive library also includes such hit evergreen titles as “The Fairly OddParents,” “Fix & Foxi” and “Dragon Hunters.” Claudia Schmitt, head of BetaFilm’s kids and family entertainment division, likewise sees better chances for known properties. “It is evident that in today’s landscape, budgets are continually getting squeezed, leading to streamers and broadcasters becoming more hesitant to take risks and opting to stick with established IPs.”
That’s not the case at the group’s Beta Kids & Family boutique label, however. “We maintain an unwavering commitment to also explore less-travelled roads. We firmly believe that fresh opportunities constantly emerge and one of those avenues involves crafting original content adapted from webtoons and graphic novels.”
In a first, Beta is partnering with children’s publisher Carlsen Verlag on the 3D animated series “SuperBikes.” Produced by Ulysses Films, the original IP is set in a world of anthropomorphic bicycles.
Another visible trend, Schmitt observes, are adaptations of graphic novels and live-action versions of animated series and movies, which “are currently highly sought-after commodities. Disney has been a trailblazer in this regard. I think you can tell the same story in different ways by changing the format.”
Among the 11 titles in Beta Kids & Family’s current lineup is live-action teen series “Three,” from Paramount’s Israeli shingle Ananey. The show follows three girls from very different cultural backgrounds who form a band.
Beta is also presenting several Norwegian shows, including the second season of hit teen drama “Rumors”; “Glow,” about two very different girls who suddenly become sisters; and “The Campsite,” which follows adolescent adventures at a summer camp.
Katharina Pietzsch, VP of content sales at BBC Studios Kids & Family, sees co-viewing as “a significant ongoing trend. It really exploded again during the pandemic and it is heartwarming that families still want to come together to have a shared viewing experience.”
The animated hit “Bluey” is one such show that is popular with parents and children, she adds.
“Half-hour specials are another strong pull for cross-generational viewing, and among our rich port- folio of these is the unique mod- ern retelling of ‘Peter and the Wolf’ from Blink Industries and BMG,” Pietzsch adds.
An animated rendition of Sergei Prokofiev’s symphony, the short, which Pietzsch describes as an “enchanting and contemporary visual masterpiece,” features music and narration by Gavin Fri- day and artwork based on original illustrations by Bono.
Public broadcasters in particular are nevertheless “looking for more real-life, relatable content with children, that the audience can particularly identify with,” she says.
There’s strong demand for the company’s scripted, preschool animation and natural history content, Pietzsch adds. Dramas for the tween and teen markets are also doing particularly well.
BBC Studios Kids & Family’s live-action offerings include tween comedy-drama “Poplarity Papers,” comedic gaming drama “Lagging” and the musical sci-fi series “Nova Jones,” while its coming-of-age series “Phoenix Rise,” distributed by Sinking Ship Entertainment, is currently in production with its second season. It’s also presenting the new animated preschool series “Stan Can,” about a highly resourceful hamster.
Delphine Dumont, chief commercial officer at Banijay Kids & Family, offers an upbeat market assessment but agrees that established properties have the edge.
“There is a really healthy mix of shows in demand, from live action to animated series across a wide audience demographic,” she says. “Rebooting known IP is currently a big trend in this sector. With budgets being squeezed across the board, broadcasters and plat- forms can become risk-adverse and as a result we see a big push for shows based on IP and brands with existing fanbases.”
Banijay’s current slate includes “Totally Spies!,” “Mumfie” and preschool show “Topo Gigio” — “all of which are based on heritage shows or known char- acters,” Dumont notes.
She points out, however, “that whilst these sorts of shows are based on existing IP, the amount of work that goes into their creative renewal is immense, as we continually update and adapt these brands to ensure they are relevant for modern audiences.” Originals are nevertheless also among Banijay’s hot-selling titles, including sci-fi drama “Silverpoint,” and CGI series “Shasha & Milo,” which has already generated significant pre-launch sales in Asia and Latin America. Banijay is also presenting “The Chimera Keepers,” a 2D-ani- mated fantasy series centering on magical creatures.
Mediawan Kids & Family president Julien Borde similarly notes that streamers are showing a keen interest in well-established IP and evergreen heritage brands.
Mediawan Kids & Family is currently in production on two shows inspired by digital phenomena: “Ki & Hi,” an anime-inspired buddy comedy series for kids originating from French YouTube star Kevin Tran, and “Chefclub Adventures,” based on the online digital cooking platform. The company is also showcasing its reinvented classic “The Three Musketeers” as well as the new “Pirate Academy.”
ZDF Studios presents two new animated series based on beloved books: “Tobie Lolness,” about a tiny boy trying to save his family and the Great Oak Tree that is their home; and the 3D, stop-motion- styled mouse tale “Sam and Julia.” A number of high-profile DreamWorks Animation titles comprise NBCUniversal Global Distribution’s slate, including the 2D animated series “Fright Krewe,” about a group of high school kids battling evil in New Orleans; and “Megamind Rules!” the series follow-up to the hit film in which Megamind finds his footing as Metro City’s new superhero protector.
Aimed at younger viewers is “Not Quite Narwhal,” about a young unicorn who grows up under the sea with a family of narwhals and soon discovers he’s a little different.
In “Superbuns,” a superhero bunny helps friends and neighbors with kindness and good deeds.
Paramount Global Content Distribution presents two new Nickelodeon shows: “Dora,” a new CG-animated preschool series about the adventurous young heroine; and “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” an animated buddy comedy. India’s Toonz Entertainment, meanwhile, is showcasing a diverse lineup of animated titles that includes the CG-animated “Super Brakan & Ice Bella: Defenders of Imagination,” about two adventurous siblings; “Sunnyside Billy”; and “Misfit Mansion,” about a teen vampire and his rowdy cousins who inhabit a haunted castle.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
