Power Rangers TV Series In Development For Disney+

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“Percy Jackson and the Olympians” showrunners Jonathan E. Steinberg and Dan Shotz are in talks to write, showrun and produce a live-action “Power Rangers” series for Disney+ and 20th Century TV, TheWrap has exclusively learned.

Hasbro will produce the series, which will reinvent the franchise for a whole new generation of fans while delighting those who already know and love the world of Power Rangers.

The ’90s TV show, originally called “The Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers,” was inspired by a Japanese children’s show, “Super Sentai” (even using footage from that show). It featured five teenagers who gain the ability to “morph” into superheroes known as the Power Rangers, complete with their own mech fighters. A film version of the series that starred most of the original cast was released in 1995, with a second one in 1997 (this one featured only a few original cast members).

The series has had many different iterations throughout the past 25 years.

Lionsgate and Saban Film attempted to reboot the original “Power Rangers” franchise in 2017 as a gritty, YA adaptation. The film grossed only $142 million on a budget of around $100 million, scrapping hopes for a bigger franchise.

Hasbro then acquired Power Rangers in 2018 in a deal designed to capitalize on the franchise’s full potential across all of the company’s divisions. 

The development of “Power Rangers” is part of Hasbro Entertainment’s ongoing strategy to elevate storytelling and produce series based on Hasbro’s most iconic brands alongside the industry’s best talent, studios and distribution platforms. Beyond “Power Rangers,” Hasbro Entertainment’s active projects include a re-imagining of “Clue” across film and television with Sony’s TriStar Pictures and Sony Pictures Television; a live-action “Dungeons & Dragons” series “Forgotten Realms,” currently in development at Netflix with Academy Award nominee Shawn Levy executive producing; showrunner Terry Matalas’ animated “Magic: The Gathering” series, currently in production at Netflix; a major, live-action film and television universe adapted from “Magic: The Gathering,” produced alongside Legendary Entertainment; and game shows based on “Trivial Pursuit” and “Scrabble,” which both premiered on The CW this past fall.

Steinberg and is currently the co-creator, executive producer and showrunner of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” for Disney+, along with his producing partner Shotz. It just wrapped its second season and has been renewed for a third. Other credits include the critically acclaimed series “The Old Man,” starring Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow for FX. Both series are produced by 20th Television/The Walt Disney Company, where Steinberg and Shotz have housed their production company, Quaker Moving Pictures, since 2019.

BabyTV Unveils A Batch Of Programming To Commemorate 20 Years

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BabyTV, the world’s first global dedicated television channel for babies and toddlers, marks its 20th anniversary this year. Over the past two decades, BabyTV has redefined early childhood entertainment with safe, high-quality and engaging content for children aged five and under, and has been a trusted partner for parents.

Founded in 2005, BabyTV was acquired by Fox International Channels in 2007, expanding its reach and solidifying its position as a trusted brand for parents worldwide. In 2019, The Walt Disney Company acquired 21st Century Fox, making BabyTV part of Disney’s global family of networks. This transition has further strengthened BabyTV’s ability to innovate and deliver premium content to families worldwide.

To celebrate this milestone, BabyTV is kicking off a special anniversary celebration starting April 1. Viewers can look forward to a festive programming lineup featuring birthday-themed episodes of beloved shows; a social media tribute to iconic moments, characters and series from the past 20 years; and exclusive collections on the BabyTV app and YouTube channels. Plus, plenty of surprises along the way to thank families for making BabyTV a part of their journey.

Co-founder Ron Isaak and the BabyTV team have also taken the milestone as an opportunity to introduce its latest productions:

• The Jungle Book – BabyTV’s unique take on The Jungle Book, featuring “Baloo’s Forest School,” followed by “Welcome to the Jungle,” a new song series exploring Mowgli’s first experiences in the jungle.

• Travelers – Join the level-headed Perry and the mischievous Harley as they discover that there’s more than one way to solve a problem.

• Olly – Meet Olly, a playful three-year-old monkey who loves dressing up with his toy friends — whether as a bus driver, doctor, or dancer!

• My Robot & I – Follow Kim and her robot friend Kit as they explore the world together.

• The Lollipops – A toddler pop trio whose upbeat songs and performances will get everyone singing and dancing along.

• Billy and Bam Bam DIY Song Series – Sibling duo Billy and Bam Bam turn everyday objects into imaginative play.

• Family Song Series – With Mom and Dad leading the way, Taylor (seven years old), Robbie (four) and Eddie (two) turn everyday moments into fun adventures.

• Charlie & Friends – A lively song series where Charlie builds friendships through music and play.

• Tulip’s Daycare – Ms. Tulip and her students care for their vegetable garden while finding creative ways to befriend hungry animal visitors.

Nickelodeon Unveils New Animated Series, ‘Wylde Pak’

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Nickelodeon has revealed a first look at the new 2D animated comedy series, Wylde Pak. Inspired by co-creators and executive producers Paul Watling and Kyle Marshall’s family life, the series follows half siblings Lily and Jack as they learn to navigate blended multigenerational Korean American family dynamics. Wylde Pak is slated to debut this summer on the network.

“Nickelodeon’s commitment to showcasing stories about the human experience, filled with humor and adventure, holds true with the debut of the original series Wylde Pak,” said Ramsey Naito, President of Paramount Animation and Nickelodeon Animation. “We can’t wait for our audience to meet this wonderfully blended family, which encapsulates what it means to be a modern family navigating the world around them while learning more about each other along the way."

In the first look clip, Lily, Jack, and their family navigate their local Asian market, Woori World, and compete to find a highly coveted box of imported Hallasand cookies. With mind-bending obstacles coming at them from every direction, Jack, Lily and their family must work together to stand a chance against some tough competition.

Wylde Pak stars Nikki Castillo as Lily Pak and Benjamin Plessala as Jack Wylde. Additional voices include Ben Pronsky as William Wylde; Jee Young Han as Min-Ju Pak; and Jean Yoon as Halmoni.

The show is the second short from Nickelodeon’s Intergalactic Shorts Program to be greenlit into a series. Seonna Hong (My Life as a Teenage Robot) and Conrad Vernon (Shrek) executive produce alongside Watling and Marshall. Development and production are overseen by Claudia Spinelli, Senior Vice President, TV Series Animation, Nickelodeon and Daniel Wineman, Vice President of Original Animation Development. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

ARD And Canal+ Join Forces For Sherlock Holmes Spin-Off, Baker Street Four

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Production has started on Baker Street Four. The animated series follows a ragtag trio of street urchins – and a cat called Watson – who act as legendary detective Sherlock Holmes’ eyes and ears on the ground.

German public broadcaster ARD has come on board the project, joining the previously announced French pay TV giant Canal+ and teeing up big-ticket European co-production.

The show is based on the successful French comic book series ‘Les Quatre de Baker Street’, written by Jean-Blaise Djian and Olivier Legrand, and illustrated by David Etien.

Folivari and Blue Spirit are making the series, bringing together two award-winning France-based animation houses. News of the series first surfaced at the Annecy animation fest in 2019. With ARD on board it is now full steam ahead on production.

Skewing to a 6-to-10-year-old audience, the series is directed by Francis Canitrot. It will run to 12 parts and hit screens in 2027.

Specifically, Baker Street Four follows three of Holmes’ helpers and is an inside look at some of the group known in the Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories as the Baker Street Irregulars.

From the slums of Victorian London, the Baker Street Four of the series are Billy, who see himself as the brains of the band of urchins, Tom, an acrobat and ace pickpocket, and Charlotte, the resourceful one of the group. Their stray cat Watson completes the quartet.

Folivari International – which is headed by Melissa Vega and was founded last year by her and Folivari founders Damien Brunner, Thibaut Ruby, Sarah Delmas and Didier Brunner – is across sales. Vega is at the Kidscreen confab in San Diego this week as the global rollout of the series takes shape.

“We’re thrilled to kick off production on the series, thanks to ARD’s greenlight,” she said. “We want the children to discover this series as their first co-viewing experience – one that brings the whole family together through thrilling investigations filled with comedy and adventure.”

MSNBC Will Not Undergo A Name Change Once It Is Spun Off From Comcast

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 MSNBC will retain its name after it is spun off from Comcast along with other cable assets.

Mark Lazarus, who is leading the new company, told network staffers of the plans at a meeting today to announce the departure of Rashida Jones as the network’s president and the naming of Rebecca Kutler as interim leader, according to a network source.

“I know there was some discussion with the MSNBC name, so you can take that off of your worry list on things,” Lazarus said at the meeting.

Kutler also will be hiring a head of newsgathering and head of talent, Lazarus said. Throughout its history, MSNBC has drawn on correspondents and anchors from sister network NBC News, which will remain part of Comcast.

Lazarus said, “The only thing I’ll say is the worst thing any leader can do is change something that’s working just because they can. So, if this is working, then there’s no reason to change it.”

The spinoff, announced in November, is expected to take about a year to complete. It also will include USA Network, CNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel.

MSNBC launched in 1996 as a venture between NBC News and Microsoft. It had a heavy emphasis on the then-emerging internet, but its primetime eventually evolved into a progressive alternative to right-leaning Fox News.

Lionel Messi Inspired Animated Series Is Coming To Disney Channel And Disney+

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A Lionel Messi-inspired animated series will soon premiere on Disney Channel after Disney Branded Television acquired Messi and the Giants from Sony Music Vision and Sony Pictures Television – Kids, Billboard has learned. 

The sci-fi animated show follows a 12-year-old boy named Leo, who is transported from his home in Argentina into an alternate universe. The series will demonstrate how the character faces adversity, builds a team, and discovers how to become a hero. 

“I always dreamed of being involved in a project that would share the values of sports, the very same values that have been so important to my career, with younger generations,” Messi expressed in a press release. “Nothing truly is impossible with teamwork, perseverance, discipline, and hard work. I look forward to sharing this series with kids around the world, and I hope I will inspire them and motivate them to achieve their own dreams. Ever since I was a kid, I always loved animated series, and I look forward to watching this series with my own kids.” 

Each episode of Messi and the Giants is 22-minutes long and will premiere on Disney Channel, followed by Disney Channel On Demand and globally on DIsney+, and will be available in English, Spanish and other languages.  

“Football — or soccer as we call it in the United States — is the world’s most beloved sport, uniting and captivating millions of fans of all ages,” noted Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television. “We are proud to work with Lionel Messi and Sony Pictures Television to bring ‘Messi and the Giants’ to our passionate, global kids’ audience. We know that its themes of family, friendship, and teamwork will resonate with not only football enthusiasts but everyone everywhere who loves a great story.” 

“It’s been a privilege to team with Leo and our colleagues at Sony Music on this first-time collaboration,” Joe D’Ambrosia, EVP and general manager, Sony Pictures Television – Kids added. “We’re thrilled that Disney is giving a global platform to this fun take on a classic tale and look forward to launching a global consumer products and branded partnerships program alongside the show’s debut.” 

“There is an incredible team all working together on this project, with Leo’s magic as the inspiration behind it all,” said Afo Verde, Chairman & CEO, Sony Music Latin Iberia. “We are thrilled that Disney has now joined our roster to help bring this imaginative series to audiences and inspire fans all around the world.” 

Heads Up! Disney Junior And National Geographic Wild Go Dark In France By January 2025 As Orange Secures Rights To The Disney Channel

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The Disney Channel and National Geographic channels will survive in France through Orange boxes. Disney films will also be available 4 months after their theatrical release on Orange's VOD service. The historic operator unveils a reassuring distribution agreement with the American giant.

Following the divorce between Canal+ and Disney, Orange took advantage of the situation and announced, against all expectations, on December 20, a distribution agreement with The Walt Disney Company which strengthens access to Disney content in France and enriches the entertainment offering for Orange TV subscribers.

This partnership allows Livebox subscribers to fully access Disney content through three offers:

Included access for all TV customers to Disney's iconic channels : Disney Channel, the reference channel for young people, and National Geographic will be included from January 2, 2025 for all Orange TV customers, from their decoder and the Orange TV application on smartphones and a wide selection of connected TVs.

The possibility of subscribing to the Disney + streaming service under special conditions. Customers of the Orange Livebox Max offer benefit from a €5 discount for life by subscribing to Disney +, this offer has already been in place since last October. Other TV customers will benefit from a promotion with the first month free to discover the Disney + service. Orange subscribers will continue to be able to watch the platform's programs on their decoder.

Access to Disney films 4 months after their theatrical release on the Orange VOD service  : Orange will offer, through its transactional VOD offer, the latest cinema releases from the Disney group studios (Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation, Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight Pictures) via the Orange VOD service.

Hélène Etzi, President of The Walt Disney Company France, said, “  We are very pleased to partner with Orange to make our iconic content and stories accessible to as many households as possible,” or 12.4 million French people. It remains to be seen whether other operators such as Free, SFR and Bouygues Telecom will try to reach an agreement with Disney.

The article was originally published by Univers Freebox

Warner Bros. Discovery To Separate Linear From Streaming And Studios

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Warner Bros Discovery is to bring in a new corporate structure that will see the creation of two separate divisions, Global Linear Networks and Streaming & Studios.

The never-ending cycle of merger and demerger is described as being “designed to enhance its strategic flexibility and create potential opportunities to unlock additional shareholder value.”

The two divisions will both come under the corporate wing of Warner Bros Discovery, but ultimately this could lead to a spin off of the channel assets. A sale of linear channels in the Nordics and Poland is already under consideration and is a reflection of similar moves within the big US networks. The future is clearly in streaming service Max and the production that feeds it.

“Since the combination that created Warner Bros. Discovery, we have transformed our business and improved our financial position while providing world class entertainment to global audiences,” said Warner Bros. Discovery President and CEO, David Zaslav. 

“We continue to prioritise ensuring our Global Linear Networks business is well positioned to continue to drive free cash flow, while our Streaming & Studios business focuses on driving growth by telling the world’s most compelling stories. Our new corporate structure better aligns our organization and enhances our flexibility with potential future strategic opportunities across an evolving media landscape, help us build on our momentum and create opportunities as we evaluate all avenues to deliver significant shareholder value.”

Its expected the new structure will be in place by mid-2025.

Last month, Comcast confirmed the separation of NBCUniversal’s cable television networks including USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel. It might be expected for a similar move to take place at Paramount Global once its new owners are in place.

BBC Studios’ Achieves Record Performance Across Africa And The Greater EMEA Regions

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BBC Studios has unveiled record-breaking performance for its linear channel business today, with standout growth in Africa alongside remarkable results across EMEA.

 

In Africa, BBC Studios' linear portfolio on DStv, including BBC Lifestyle, BBC Brit, BBC UKTV, BBC Earth, and BBC News, has expanded its reach by +14% in 2024. This growth marks the highest-ever performance for CBeebies and BBC UKTV, while BBC Lifestyle achieved its best results since 2017. Additionally, BBC Primetime, a bespoke two-hour content block on SABC3, has increased its reach by an impressive 24% compared to the same period last year.

 

The success in Africa complements achievements across other regions:

 

• Netherlands: BBC First, BBC Studios’ premium drama channel in the Netherlands, has gone from strength to strength, with 2024 topping 2023 as its biggest year since launching in 2015. The channel has delivered a 2.3% 4+ market share to date in 2024, up +16% from last year.

• Poland: BBC Studios channel portfolio (BBC Earth, BBC Brit, BBC First, BBC Lifestyle and CBeebies) is also on track to deliver its highest share in 2024 (0.82%, 4+) since the portfolio launched in 2015, with BBC Earth and BBC First delivering the highest annual share ever in 2024.

• Nordics: BBC Nordic, BBC Studios multi-genre linear channel available in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland, has ranked as the biggest international channel in its competitive set in Norway in October and November. In November, the channel delivered the highest share since launch (1.2%, 4+), and the channel has seen a +53% increase in Share in 2024 compared to 2023, when it launched.

 

Arran Tindall, Chief Commercial Officer, EVP, EMEA Key Markets, commented, “2024 has been a record year for our channels business in EMEA. We have seen incredible numbers across our whole channel portfolio in the Netherlands, Poland, Africa and the Nordics, and I am extremely proud of the growth we have seen this year. This success is a testament to BBC Studios’ extensive breadth of high-quality content and the careful curation by our teams to deliver engaging schedules that resonate with local tastes and audiences in each of our markets.”