Development Alert: Ben 10 Omniverse Had A 9th And 10th Season In Development, Lucky Girl Prequel Series Cancelled

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Ben 10: Omniverse unfinished seasons

Ben 10: Omniverse which was the last series right now in the original continuity of Ben 10 was also the biggest series when it comes to seasons and episodes length. Ben 10: Omniverse went on for an eighth season run consisting of 80 episodes as opposed to the original Ben 10 with a fourth season run.

It had the biggest runtime in any Ben 10 series except now since the reboot surpassed it having 166 episodes which can be divided into 83 episodes.

Initially, Ben 10: Omniverse wasn't meant to be that long of a series, when it was first picked up it was only meant to have a 2 season run. But due to the success of the series it was renewed for an additional two seasons and this would carry on till it's last.

Despite it only running for eight seasons, the late Derek J. Wyatt one of the people who worked on the series it was actually suppose to run for another two seasons. If the series wasn't cancelled they would have brought the negative ten in the scrapped seasons and travel to space.

Similar to The Ghost And Molly McGee, this ended up being the season finale to Ben 10: Omniverse as the show was cancelled due to low ratings. They had also planned to bring the villains from the original Ben 10 such as Charm Caster, Vilgax, Dr. Maniac and others.

Ben 10 spinoff

Through an Q&A on X, Duncan Road one of creators of Ben 10 through Man Of Action had revealed that a spinoff based on Gwen Tennyson's persona Lucky Girl had been pitched but hadn't reached the development phase. Prior to this, they were rumours of a Kevin 11 spinoff series which hadn't got picked up by Cartoon Network.

Lucky Girl would have helped attract a wider female audience to Ben 10 since the franchise is male dominant.

Development Alert (Rumour): Noggin Streaming Service Reportedly Shutting Down Soon

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Noggin is an educational brand that was started in September 1999 before being replaced by Nick Jr. in 2009. Similar to Da Vinci, it started as a TV channel for a preteen audience featuring educational programs and other factual content like The Electric Company, Ghostwriter and 3-2-1 Contact.

it was revived as a streaming service by Paramount Global and Sesame Workshop featuring a line-up of original content outside of Nick Jr alongside archived material. Internationally, it is being distributed by Prime Video in the UK, Germany, France and Austria.

During the week, Paramount Global had made headlines after it was reported that they'll be laying off 800 employees. This included Liz Paulson, head of animation and live-action at Nickelodeon and Geoff Stier, SVP, Original Programming at Showtime Networks.

It had also been suggested by other sources that Noggin team's had also been affected by these layoffs. Similar to the parent company, there was reports going around that Paramount was looking to sell share in the venture.

New leads have pointed toward the company looking to shut down the streaming service. Although not official, Paramount had shuttered apps for Nickelodeon, BET and Comedy Central so it's likely that latter should it be true will probably integrate with Paramount+.

Paramount Global Layoffs: Paramount TV Studios Combines Development & Current, Other Senior Executives Impacted

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Details are starting to emerge about the major round of layoffs Tuesday at Paramount Global impacting about 800 employees in the U.S.

Headed into today’s reductions, there had been chatter about Paramount TV Studios possibly downsizing. The studio, led by Nicole Clemens, has remained independent from the larger CBS Studios as the two combined support operations in November 2022 by centralizing finance, law, production, business affairs and casting.

Paramount TV Studios, which absorbed Paramount+’s scripted originals team in 2022, is now streamlining its programming operations by consolidating development and current under Head of Development Jana Helman, who will continue to report to studio president Clemens.

Leaving are Cheryl Bosnak, PTVS’s EVP and Head of Current; Kate Gill, SVP Development; Julie Katchen, VP of Current; and Devin Crossfield, Manager, Development.

Also departing is PTVS’ SVP and Head of Communications Dominic Pagone, who moved into the role a year ago after five years at Showtime and 18 at FX. CBS Studios and PTVS’ communications operations are now being consolidated under CBS Studios’ EVP Communications Kristen Hall.

CBS Studios and Paramount TV Studios’ development/current teams will remain separate.

PTVS established a stand-alone current department in 2019 when former Disney ABC current executive Bosnak was brought in to lead it.

All Paramount divisions are said to be impacted by the layoffs.

At Nickelodeon, Liz Paulson, head of animation and live-action casting and talent development for the network and studio content for third-party platforms, is leaving. The division’s talent department is being decentralized, I hear. Nick’s animation department has been significantly impacted, with close to 10 layoffs on both coasts.

Other notable TV executive departures so far include Brie Neimand, SVP, Current, Cable and Streaming Series at CBS Studios, who has been at the studio for 2 1/2 years; and Geoff Stier, SVP, Original Programming at Showtime Networks, who has been there for five years.

Today’s layoffs represent about 3% of Paramount’s global head count. At the start of 2023, Paramount had 24,500 full- and part-time employees in 37 countries, with another 5,800 project-based staffers.

“To those with whom we are parting ways, we are incredibly grateful for your hard work and dedication,” Paramount CEO Bob Bakish wrote in a company memo at the start of the layoffs this morning. “Your talents have helped us advance our mission of unleashing the power of content around the world.”

Like other traditional media companies, Paramount has been hampered by a slowdown in advertising as it navigates the transition from linear TV to streaming.

Renewals Or Cancellations: Hamster And Gretel + Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur + Kiff + Big City Greens + The Villains Of Valley View + Ravens Home On Disney Channel

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Last month, Disney opted to scrap Secrets Of Sulphur Springs and The Ghost And Molly McGee after their current seasons on Disney Channel. This news comes after the brand had announced the cancellation of Bunk'd and Saturdays as they look to reduce content costs and focus more on existing IPs.

Some IPs slated to air across various international feeds include Playdate With Winnie The Pooh and The Little Mermaid for Disney Junior and Phineas And Ferb Season 5 and Monsters At Work for Disney Channel.

Following these cancellations, fans of the networks have been in an uproar wondering what fate awaits their remaining offering. As some readers are aware, Disney is rumoured to have axed Pretty Freekin Scary and although there's still no official confirmation the company has been known for doing it's content dirty (e.g. Milo Murphy's Law).

Below a list of various content on the Disney Channel and their status

Renewals

Big City Greens Season 4

Hamster And Gretel Season 2

Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur Season 2 (exclusive to Disney+ in EMEA)

Kiff Season 2

Cancelled/Ending

Bunk'd Season 7

Secrets Of Sulphur Springs Season 4

The Ghost And Molly McGee Season 2

Saturdays Season 1

Unknown

Raven's Home (currently on season 6)

The Villains Of Valley View (currently on season 4)

Hailey's On It (currently on season 1)

Pretty Freekin Scary (currently on season 1)

Development Alert (Rumour): That Girl Lay Lay To End With A Season 2 On Nickelodeon???

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That Girl Lay Lay is an American comedy television series created by David A. Arnold that premiered on Nickelodeon on September 23, 2021. The series stars That Girl Lay Lay, Gabrielle Nevaeh Green, Tiffany Daniels, Thomas Hobson, Peyton Perrine III, and Caleb Brown.

Synopsis for That Girl Lay Lay

Struggling to make her mark at school and needing a best friend to talk to, Sadie wishes that Lay Lay, an artificially intelligent avatar from a personal affirmation app, were real and could help teach her how to stand out. When her wish comes true and Lay Lay is magically brought to life, they navigate life as teenagers and discover who they truly are, all while trying to keep Lay Lay's identity hidden.

The first season premiered on September 23, 2021 and consisted of 13 episodes and surprising the second season premiered July 14, 2022 with 39 episodes set to be produced basically tripling the first seasons commission.

During the week, several viewers had spotted the second season to That Girl Lay Lay on Nicktoons leading some to speculate it's possible demise. Although, there has yet to be official confirmation it's been a norm for Nickelodeon to use their secondary networks when axing shows.

That Girl Lay Lay's possible demise would follow Erin And Aaron and Danger Force as a number of Nickelodeon originals to have been culled in the year. Even fellow competitors Disney Channel's content slate had been cut with Bunk'd and Secrets Of Sulphur Springs.

Goblins Of Litter | Before Courage | Courage The Cowardly Dog | Cartoon Network

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Before Courage was a scrapped prequel revival series to the Cartoon Network series, Courage the Cowardly Dog initially made for release on the Boomerang channel. Although development for the series' pilot began in late 2018, it was later shelved due to the management team at Cartoon Network prioritizing their focus to other properties.

In October 2018, Dilworth commented on a Facebook post that he was in negotiations with Boomerang for a prequel to the series. Later that month, Dilworth announced on Facebook that development on a "potential prequel" to Courage for Boomerang was expected to begin.[1] However, in May 2020, when asked about the project, Dilworth responded that it had been "transformed into another thing". Albeit not confirmed, it could be presumed that he may have referred to the Scooby Doo crossover, Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo! Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog.

In June 2021, Dilworth revealed that the project was on turnaround as Cartoon Network's management is prioritizing their focus on other projects. In January 2022, Dilworth revealed that the project has already been dropped and fell through for the same reason.

In February 2024, Dilworth posted the animatic pilot for the series, titled "Goblins of Litter", onto his YouTube channel.

Recap To Last Month: Disney Junior Trademark To Be Shortened To DJr

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Last month, it was revealed through United States Patent And Trademark Office (USPTO) that Disney had filed a new trademark for Disney Junior known simply as DJr. This would be brand's first official rebrand following its inception back in 2011 in place of Playhouse Disney.

For several years, companies had been simplifying their logos and now they look to expand this to a younger demographic. For starters, there's CBeebies and PBS Kids whose current logos had been aligned to match of existing brands operated by BBC Studios and PBS.

Disney Junior's first logo is currently being used across several platforms with some minor modifications in other countries. Now this one seems bland and lifeless but this is only what's currently seen on paper and may not be the future of the whole brand.

If anything the font and styling used on Junior (Jr) implies that they could some playful aspects. Now with Disney Junior (soon to be DJr) is getting a complete makeover one has to wonder whether some of these aspects could spread to their other channels.

I mean the idea wouldn't seem far fetched, Disney Channel could simply be the "D" while Disney XD is DXD. But then again, the current logo for Disney XD had been simplified from the start while Disney Channel has more of that in Europe than the main market so it's either way.

Interesting to note, DreamWorks Channel and the block DreamWorks Junior have the same initials as Disney Channel and Disney Junior - DC/D and DJR.

Below is an ident to the upcoming rebrand:

ESPN, FOX And Warner Bros. Discovery To Launch Joint Sports Streaming Platform

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Walt Disney’s ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery plan to launch a joint sports streaming service this fall, giving consumers a new way to access marquee live sports for the first time, the companies said Tuesday.

The platform, which will be owned by a newly formed company with its own leadership team, does not yet have a name or a price. Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery will each own a one-third stake.

Consumers would be able to subscribe directly via a new app. Subscribers would also have the ability to bundle the product with the companies’ streaming platforms Disney+, Hulu and Max.

The product will be a skinnier bundle of linear networks than a standard cable offering, specifically tailored for sports fans. It will consist of all the broadcast and cable networks owned by Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery that carry sports, along with ESPN+.

From Disney, that includes ESPN and its sister networks, such as ESPN2, ESPNU, SECN, ACCN, ESPNEWS, as well as the ABC broadcast network. Warner Bros. Discovery’s networks that showcase sports are TNT, TBS and TruTV. Fox will include the Fox broadcast station along with FS1, FS2 and BTN.

“The launch of this new streaming sports service is a significant moment for Disney and ESPN, a major win for sports fans, and an important step forward for the media business,” Disney Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger said in a statement. “This means the full suite of ESPN channels will be available to consumers alongside the sports programming of other industry leaders as part of a differentiated sports-centric service.”

The launch of the product will not stop ESPN from offering a full direct-to-consumer streaming product, which Disney is still researching, according to a person familiar with the matter. ESPN has previously said it plans on releasing that product this year or next year.

The competitors expect to form the joint service at a time when the value of sports media rights is spiking, but viewers have moved away from watching on traditional cable.

Disney, in particular, has suffered from a shift away from its ESPN network, and sought new ways to revive the business, including searching for strategic partners such as the National Football League and the National Basketball League.

Development Alert (Rumour): Hailey's On It Cancelled After One Season On Disney Channel

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Hailey's On It! is an American animated science fiction comedy action adventure television series created by Devin Bunje and Nick Stanton. It is produced by Disney Television Animation. The series aired on June 8, 2023, on Disney Channel and premiered internationally sometime in the year.

Synopsis for Hailey's On It

The series, set in Oceanside, California, follows Hailey Banks, a 14-year-old girl who dislikes taking risks. Her life gets turned upside down during her New Year's celebration when she is visited by a scientist who hails from the future. From the scientist's visit, Hailey learns that the completion of a long list of tasks she wrote will be the important start of a chain of events that will lead to her inventing a device that will be used to save the entire planet by reversing global warming.

As seen through Spotify bio of Auliʻi Cravalho who serves as the voice actor to the lead Hailey Banks. Disney Channel might have axed the animated show after one season although not confirmed at this point the brand had never announced a second season as seen with previous shows which confirms people's suspicion.

Disney is focusing on building out its multicam strategy and that includes prioritising shows that are based on Disney-owned IP, and creating global tentpole programming. Other programs to have gotten axed include Bunk'd, The Ghost And Molly McGee, Saturdays and Secrets Of Sulphur Springs..

With this cutback of content one has to wonder how long it will be till it affects their linear offering. As seen globally, Disney has closed various linear channels in the United Kingdom and Ireland, Asia, Australia, Turkey and Italy.