Author: Brett

SESAME WORKSHOP VRP

Official Website:  http://www.sesameworkshop.org/

http://www.sesameworkshop.org/inside/our_mission

Who We Are

Sesame Workshop is a nonprofit educational organization making a meaningful difference in the lives of children worldwide by addressing their critical developmental needs.

What We Do

The Workshop develops innovative and engaging educational content delivered in a variety of ways  — including television, radio, books, magazines, interactive media, and community outreach. Taking advantage of all forms of media and using those that are best suited to delivering a particular curriculum, the Workshop effectively and efficiently reaches millions of children, parents, caregivers, and educators — locally, nationally and globally.

Why We Do It

The Workshop is committed to the principle that all children deserve a chance to learn and grow; to be prepared for school; to better understand the world and each other; to think, dream and discover; to reach their highest potential.

How We Began

Sesame Workshop was founded over thirty eight years ago as Children’s Television Workshop. Identifying a specific need to help children from low-income families be prepared for school, the Workshop’s founders shared a common goal: to use the medium of television as a tool to help children learn. This group of visionary educators, researchers, psychologists, child development experts, artists, writers and musicians pioneered the concept of entertaining, enriching television that could measurably enhance the lives of millions of educationally disadvantaged youngsters. From this collaboration came Sesame Street — now one of the single greatest educators of young children in the world.

How We Do It

Research is our anchor and our compass. Sesame Workshop pioneered a model for Sesame Street that has proven successful for decades. We attribute much of that success to our collaborative, research-intensive approach to the development of programs and activities. The Workshop’s offerings reflect both a deep understanding of children’s developmental needs and the best ways to address those needs. As a result, Sesame Workshop’s programs and products are richer, more thoroughly researched and tested to ensure they engage children in a way that maximizes learning.

Who Makes This Possible

Of course, we can’t do it alone. Through the years, we have been fortunate to partner with like-minded leaders around the world who share our vision. Their commitment — and crucial support from foundations, corporations, individuals, governments, and licensees — make our endeavors on behalf of children possible, enabling us to bring our mission to life.

http://www.sesameworkshop.org/inside/our_process  (video)

http://www.sesameworkshop.org/inside/whoweare

Dr. Jeanette Betancourt

Dr. Betancourt has directed Sesame Workshop Outreach projects in the areas of bilingual education, literacy, music, health and safety, resiliency, and child care. She has overseen content development for Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat and advised on Dragon Tales. She is also the series content advisor for the award-winning parenting programs A Place of Our Own and Los Niños en su Casa in association with KCET, the PBS station in Los Angeles, California. Betancourt maintains and expands a comprehensive network of national organizations that are strategic partners within the educational community.

Terry Fitzpatrick

Executive Vice President, Content Distribution
As Executive Vice President, Content Distribution, Terry Fitzpatrick manages distribution strategy and partner relationships to deliver Sesame Workshop content through multiple media platforms. He oversees four divisions at the Workshop: Worldwide Television; Digital and Interactive Media; Publishing, Video & Audio; and Themed Entertainment.

Fitzpatrick was most recently Senior Vice President, Business Operations. He was responsible for managing all business activities for the Content division including creative development and production. He joined the Workshop in 1996 as Vice President Finance for Television, Film and Video.

Prior to joining The Workshop, Fitzpatrick spent nine years in programming at Showtime Networks rising to the level of Vice President, Programming Finance. He began his career as Controller of the Joyce Theater, where he also created and produced The American Theater Exchange which brought theatrical productions from throughout the United States to New York City. He holds an MFA from the Yale School of Drama and a BBA from the University of Wisconsin.

Dr. Lewis Bernstein

Executive Vice President, Education and Research

As Executive Vice President of Education and Research, Dr. Lewis Bernstein establishes the educational agenda for all Workshop productions and creative executions. He oversees the development and analysis of research studies which assess the objectives of Sesame Workshop’s projects.

Bernstein served as the Executive Producer of the nonprofit organization’s most beloved and well-known series, Sesame Street. In his three years as Executive Producer, the series adopted a curriculum encouraging American children to respect the diversity of children from all over the world and an initiative to teach children about nutrition and exercise.

Formerly Vice President, Global Sesame Street Productions, Bernstein has been integral to the success of the children’s series internationally, training production teams from France, Spain, Holland, Germany, Kuwait and Israel to develop their own versions of the program. Prior to his role as Vice President, Bernstein served as Executive Producer for Sesame English, a television program that teaches conversational English in foreign countries. In addition, he was responsible for spearheading the Israeli/Palestinian version of Sesame Street and served as the Executive Producer on the project.

Bernstein’s association with Sesame Street began in 1972 when he came on board as Director of Research working alongside Jim Henson and Jon Stone to integrate entertainment and education.

Bernstein holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University in Communications Research, an M.A. from Hebrew University in Communications, and a B.A. from Queens College, CUNY, in Psychology.

Caralynn Sandorf

Executive Vice President, Chief Development Officer

As Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer, Caralynn Sandorf is responsible for managing Sesame Workshop’s Office of Resource Development, which is comprised of the Philanthropic Development and Corporate Partnership teams.  Sandorf oversees the department’s comprehensive efforts to secure private funding from corporations, foundations, individuals, and government sources for operations and national and international programs serving children in the United States and across the globe.

With two decades of non-profit development experience, Sandorf was most recently the Senior Director of Campaign and Major Gifts at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, where she managed the Museum’s $850 million fund raising campaign and oversaw the institution’s comprehensive major gifts effort.  Prior to her work at the Museum, Sandorf held leadership development positions with the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan, the Children’s Health Fund/Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, the Shoah Foundation, and the Franklin Institute Science Museum.

Sandorf holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Northwestern University and resides on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with her husband, Dr. Michael Perskin and son Aidan.

http://www.sesameworkshop.org/programs

 

All Programs

3-2-1 Contact

Bert and Ernie’s Great Adventures

Cro

Dragon Tales

Ghostwriter

Global Thingy

Out There

Pinky Dinky Doo

Play With Me Sesame

Sagwa

Sesame English

Sesame Street

Sponk!

Square One TV

The Electric Company 1971

The Electric Company 2009

 

http://www.sesameworkshop.org/inside/employment

Join the Sesame Workshop Team

Maximize your personal and professional potential while supporting our core values of championing the mission, knowledge, inclusiveness, innovation, teamwork and quality of life for employees.

Sesame Workshop is organized into six core areas, with all areas working together to realize the company’s mission.

The Education, Research, and Outreach Group provides the educational agenda for the Workshop by overseeing all research and outreach initiatives, both domestic and international.

The Global Marketing and Licensing Group maintains the brand image, manages toy licensees, and creates the product and character design of all our artwork.

The Distribution and Content Group oversees the overall creation and distribution of our content through our multimedia platforms: television, website, interactive media, themed entertainment partnerships and business ventures that promote our brand, domestic and international distribution of our shows, and our publications.

The Development Group oversees the Workshop’s fundraising efforts through private funding, corporate social responsibility, public policy, and e-philanthropy.

The Corporate Services Group oversees human resources,finance, information systems, facilities, and technical operations.

The Legal and Public Affairs Group oversees all corporate legal endeavors for the organization as well as public policy.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesame_Workshop

Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Children’s Television Workshop (or CTW), is a Worldwide American non-profit organization behind the production of several educational children’s programs that have run on public broadcasting around the world (including PBS in the United States). Sesame Workshop was instrumental in the establishment of education children’s television in the 1960s, and continues to provide grants for educational children’s programming four decades later. Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett were the original founders, with the intention of producing a revolutionary television series based on cutting-edge research into childhood learning. The result was Sesame Street, a landmark program which has been reproduced in countries around the world.

Although it was originally funded by the Carnegie Corporation and the United States Office of Education, much of the Workshop’s funding is now earned through licensing the use of their characters to a variety of corporations to use for books, toys, and other products marketed toward children. This ensures that the Workshop has reliable access to funding for its programming without depending on unpredictable grants.

 History

Founded by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett in 1968 to produce Sesame Street, the company, currently run by President and CEO Gary E. Knell, has since produced many other shows and a variety of multimedia content. The CTW name was officially changed to Sesame Workshop on New Years Day 2000 to reflect the company’s reach into new media and capitalize on the worldwide recognition provided by the Sesame Street name (although Sesame Street continued to use the CTW name until April 2000).

Gathering talent for Sesame Street

Moving to Carnegie Corporation of New York, the grant-issuing foundation, to act and advise independent of what is now WNET, Cooney began laying the groundwork for the Children’s Television Workshop. Carnegie hired Linda Gotley to help Cooney write the proposal. Barbara Finberg and Lloyd Morrisett, program officers at Carnegie would regularly react as funders, every few days trying to find holes in the proposal. During these days, segments like “One of these things is not like the others” were established.

Despite the insistence of the US Office of Education that there was no money to fund the project, Howe persisted, and insisted the project be classified as a research project. Ford joined funding, as did the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which was being established just as Sesame Street was. Between those organizations and Carnegie, USD$8 million was raised to create a semi-autonomous organization. This organization was established to become completely separate, should they succeed.

At a press conference in March 1968, the Children’s Television Workshop and Sesame Street were announced. Jack Gould, television critic for The New York Times, gave the project front page space. “If you had Jack Gould in your corner, you could not believe what it meant,” said Cooney decades later.[1]

With Cooney, an assistant, and a secretary, CTW began production on the show. Cooney tried to talk George DeSarde of WCBS-TV to come to CTW as producer of the series. Within a few days of being graciously declined by DeSarde, Cooney received a letter from Mike Dann of CBS, who eagerly wanted to join as an executive producer.[1] Dann and Fred Silverman decided Cooney should try to get David Connell as a producer.

Connell had recently left Captain Kangaroo, and started his own company in an attempt to get out of the kids’ TV industry. After four meetings, Cooney talked Connell into signing on, after being assured creative freedom and no micromanagement on Cooney’s part. Connell insisted on a few “non-negotiables”. First, he wanted to include four hosts, both black and white, male and female, none of whom would ever “own the show”, as Bob Keeshan “owned” Captain Kangaroo, or Fred Rogers “owned” Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. He also wanted “commercials” to promote letters of the alphabet. Perhaps most importantly, Connell wanted a guarantee that education and entertainment would never be separate elements of the program.

While attracting Connell, Cooney received a call from Lou Hausman, who worked for the Commissioner of Education; he suggested Jon Stone, also from Captain Kangaroo, a producer who had retired to Vermont, though no more than 35 at the time. Stone came to New York to speak with Cooney, but declined the opportunity to be an executive in the production. Stone wanted to be a producer, reporting to Cooney; Cooney suggested such an organization structure would only create “madness”. Stone and Connell had a history of disputes, which were smoothed out, after the two re-met. Sam Gibbon, CTW’s third alumni, had also initially declined joining any children’s programming. According to Cooney, the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, Gibbon called her to say “if you still want me, I’m yours.” He was primarily involved with integrating curriculum into the series.

Edith Sornow, who was not yet the film producer for Sesame Street, called Cooney, asking her to come to the Johnny Victor Theatre to see a reel of commercials by Jim Henson. Cooney had heard of Henson before then, but never actually seen his work; the commercial had not aired in New York, and she had never tuned into The Ed Sullivan Show when his Muppets appeared. After “almost falling on the floor laughing,” she was open to getting him to sign on, but was doubtful he’d agree. Jon Stone, who’d worked with Henson on ABC television special Hey, Cinderella!, discussed the idea with a reluctant Jim.

Gerald S. Lesser of Harvard became the head of CTW’s board of academic advisors, and later brought in the Educational Testing Service.[2]

Establishing curriculum

The Department of Education and other funders had decided they wanted to study children’s comprehension of topics before and after watching Sesame Street. Lesser set up four two-and-a-half-day seminars over the summer with producers, meeting to establish what was important to teach children. The session topics were: on perception, reasoning skills, pre-reading and pre-math, and “affective skills”, the period’s term for emotional skills.

Cooney remembered seeing a leather-coated Jim Henson come into one of the seminars at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, and becoming worried by his appearance that he was one of the Weathermen. Her concern was heightened due to the recent event of a building in Greenwich Village having been blown up by Weathermen. Cooney whispered her fears to Connell, who reassured her. Once Cooney and Jim met, Cooney says they automatically clicked. Jim much preferred general family audiences, but Cooney was able to allay Jim’s fears of being “ghettoized” into children television. Joe Raposo, who worked with Henson and Stone before, was added soon after.

When the Corporation for Public Broadcasting signed on to sponsor the program, the organization’s chairperson was Frank Pace. Pace warned strongly against the broad curriculum Sesame Street aimed to teach. “Pick only a few goals, and accomplish them. Don’t try and do too much; show… only three or four or five goals,” Pace told Cooney and Connell.

Early investments

Knowing that government funding wouldn’t last forever, the Ford Foundation helped CTW start investing. The company bought into small cable systems in Akron, Ohio, Hawaii, and another location, worthwhile investments, according to Cooney. Not as worthwhile was 1977 Emmy Award winning mini-series The Best of Families. While Noble and The Corporation for Public Broadcasting each chipped in money, the Workshop came up $1 million short. Too late to turn around, it was forced to fund the miniseries with Ford Foundation money meant for Sesame Street.

International growth

In 1970, Mike Dann finally came to the Children’s Television Workshop from CBS, in the capacity of international sales. He called the CTW “one of the most important breakthroughs in the history of media”.[3]

Later

In the 1980s, CTW created a series of video games under the name of Children’s Computer Workshop, including Cookie Monster Munch and Alpha Beam with Ernie. Today the company also publishes Sesame Street Magazine in cooperation with Time Inc.‘s Parenting magazine. At one time it also published The Electric Company, Kid City, 3-2-1 Contact (later Contact Kids), and Sesame Street Parents magazines.

In August 1997, Fox Family started efforts to increase its quantity and quality of children’s entertainment, “which could lead to an equity investment by Fox in the non-profit CTW in exchange for programs for its Family Channel.” Nothing ever materialised.[4]

In 1999, CTW partnered in a joint venture with Viacom‘s Nickelodeon to launch Noggin, a 24-hour cable channel aimed at 6-13 year olds; Viacom’s MTV Networks division (which also operates Nickelodeon) operated the channel with CTW and MTV Networks jointly owning Noggin. In 2002, low ratings in part prompted the now-renamed Sesame Workshop to pull out and sell its interest in Noggin to Viacom. As a result, most of the Sesame Workshop-produced series carried by the channel were dropped. Noggin soon after became a timeshare service (in the same vein as Nickelodeon is by carrying Nick at Nite over the same channel space) starting the teen-oriented The N that fall, which became a separate channel from Noggin on December 31, 2007 with Noggin becoming a 24-hour channel for preschoolers; the Noggin channel was rebranded Nick Jr. on September 28, 2009.

Although Sesame Workshop is occasionally confused with PBS,^{[citation needed]} Sesame Workshop is an entirely separate and independent organization. Some Workshop programs are broadcast on PBS, and although PBS provides some funding for those programs, the money received covers only a fraction of production costs. Other financial support comes from individual donors, charitable foundations, corporations, government agencies, program sales and licensed products. Sesame Workshop grants licenses to various manufacturers who create toys, apparel and other products featuring Sesame Street characters, and Sesame Workshop receives a portion of the proceeds.

On March 12, 2009, Sesame Workshop announced that it had planned to cut 20% of its workforce due to the recession.[5]

On October 15, 2009, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. announced a distribution deal for the Sesame Street library, including new and old titles. They plan to release 10 titles a year starting in 2010 with Elmo’s World: Let’s Play Music on February 2, 2010, Elmo’s Rainbow and Other Springtime Stories on March 9, 2010, Bert and Ernie’s Great Adventures on April 6, 2010, The Best of Elmo 2 on May 4, 2010, Firefly Fun and Buggy Buddies on June 1, 2010, Preschool is Cool!: ABCs with Elmo on July 6, 2010, P is for Princess on August 3, 2010, Preschool is Cool!: Counting with Elmo on September 14, 2010, Iron Monster and Other Sesame Heroes on October 5, 2010, and C is for Cookie Monster on October 19, 2010, but none were released from Warner Bros. for the remainder of 2009.

 

Notable persons at Sesame Workshop

Gary E. Knell, President, CEO

Jerald Harvey, Senior Adviser

Joan Ganz Cooney, Co Founder

Lloyd Morrisett, Co Founder

Franklin Getchell, Executive Vice President

Nina Elias-Bamberger, Chief Executive Officer

Majorie Kalins, Series Administrative Officer

H. Melvin Ming, Chief Operating Officer

Susan Kolar, Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer

Dr. Lewis Bernstein, Executive Vice President, Education, Research and Outreach

Carol-Lynn Parente, Executive Producer of Sesame Street

Terry Fitzpatrick, Executive Vice President, Distribution

Daniel J. Victor, Executive Vice President, International

Maura Regan, Vice President and General Manager, Global Consumer Products

Sherrie Westin, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Office

Myung Kang-Haneke, Vice President, General Counsel

Hillary Rodham Clinton, former director, board member

David C. Cole, former director[6]

 

Television series

Sesame Street (1969–present; from 1969–2001, the Muppet characters were owned by The Jim Henson Company)

The Electric Company (1971-1977; 2009-, including Spidey Super Stories, 1974–1977)

Plaza Sesamo (1972–1974, 1984, 1995, 1997, 1999-2001, 2004-2007, 2008-)

Sesame Park (1971–2002) (in conjunction with The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)

Sesamstrasse (1973-1984, 1986-)

Vila Sésamo (1973-1977, 2007-)

Feeling Good (1974–1975)

3-2-1 Contact (including Bloodhound Gang, 1980–1988)

Rechov Sumsum (1982-1987, 1998-1999, 2002-2006, 2007-2011)

Encyclopedia (1988)

Rua Sésamo (1989–1994)

Square One (including Mathnet, 1987–1992)

Zak Tales (1990–1991) (in conjunction with DIC Entertainment)

Ghostwriter (1992–1995) (in conjunction with the BBC)

Cro (1993–1994) (in conjunction with the National Science Foundation and Film Roman)

William’s Wish Wellingtons (1994–1997) (in conjunction with Children’s BBC and Hibbert Ralph)

Big Bag (1996–1998) (in conjunction with Cartoon Network)

The New Ghostwriter Mysteries (1997)

Elmo’s World (1998-2009) (PBS)

Dragon Tales (1999–2005) (in conjunction with Columbia TriStar Television (1999–2002) Sony Pictures Television (2002–2005 and reruns from 2006–2010) (PBS)

Sesame English (1999–2002)

Takalani Sesame (2000-2003, 2006-2009)

Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat (2001–2002) (in conjunction with CinéGroupe) PBS

Sponk! (2001–2002) (in conjunction with Noggin and Insight Production Company)

Tiny Planets (2002–2005) (in conjunction with Pepper’s Ghost Productions)

Play with Me Sesame (2002–present)

Out There (2003–2004) (in conjunction with CBBC, Noggin and Blink Films)

Hikayat Simsim (2003–present)

Global Grover (2003–2007)

5, Rue Sésame (2005–2007)

The Upside Down Show (2006)

Pinky Dinky Doo (2006–present)

Galli Galli Sim Sim (2006–present) (in conjunction with Turner Entertainment)

Jalan Sesama (2007-present)

Panwapa (2008)

Sesame Tree (2008–present) (in conjunction with BBC Northern Ireland)

Bert and Ernie’s Great Adventures (2008–present) (in conjunction with Misseri Studio)

Abby’s Flying Fairy School (2009–present)

Murray’s Science Experiments (2011)[7]

Munchin: Impossible (TBA 2012)[8]

Elmo’s Backyard (TBA 2012)[9]

 

Films, telefilms, specials and miniseries

Out to Lunch (1974 telefilm)

The Best of Families (1977 mini–series)

Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (1978)

Don’t Eat the Pictures (1983)

Big Bird in China (1983)

Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird (1985) (in conjunction with Warner Bros. Pictures and Henson Associates)

Big Bird in Japan (1989) (in conjunction with the NHK)

Elmo Saves Christmas (1996)

Sesame Street: Lead Away (1996)

Sesame Street: A is for Asthma (1997)

Elmopalooza (1998)

The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (1999) (in conjunction with Columbia Pictures and Jim Henson Pictures)

Sesame Street: Music Works Wonders (2001)

Sesame Street: Happy, Healthy & Ready for School (2004)

Sesame Street: Talk, Listen, Connect (2006)

Sesame Street: The Get Healthy Now Show (2007)

Sesame Street: Talk, Listen, Connect: Homecomings (2008)

Sesame Street: Talk, Listen, Connect: Changes (2008)

Panwapa (2008)

Sesame Street: When Families Grieve (2010)

Sesame Street: Math is Everywhere! (2010)

Sesame Street Muppets have appeared in cameos in various feature films, including The Muppet Movie (1979), The Great Muppet Caper (1981), The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), and Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009). These productions, however, were not produced by Sesame Workshop.

 

Merchandising

Current licensees include Proctor & Gamble (Pampers diapers), Fisher-Price, Nakajima USA, Build-A-Bear Workshop (Build-An-Elmo, Build-A-Cookie Monster, And Build-A-Big Bird), GUND, Hasbro (Sesame Street Monopoly), Wooly Willy, Betty Crocker (Elmo Fruit Snacks), C&D Visionary (air freshners) and Children’s Apparel Network. Former licences include Applause, Child Dimension, Gibson Greetings, Gorham Fine China, Ideal Toys, Milton Bradley Company, Nintendo, Palisades Toys, Questor, Radio Shack, Tyco, and the Western Publishing Company. Creative Wonders (a partnership between ABC and Electronic Arts) produced Sesame Street software for the Macintosh, since at least 1995 and on the PC since 1996; Atari produced Sesame Street games in 1983. Before going bankrupt, Palisades Toys was to release a line of deluxe series action figures, for adults, as part of Sesame Workshop’s push to expand into retro products for teens and adults. Only a Super Grover figure was distributed to conventioneers.

The Sesame Beginnings line, launched in mid-2005, consists of apparel, health and body, home, and seasonal products.[10] The products in this line are designed to accentuate the natural interactivity between infants and their parents. Most of the line is exclusive to a family of Canadian retailers that includes Loblaws, Fortinos, and Zehrs.

As a non-profit organization, a percentage of the money from any Sesame Workshop product goes to help fund Sesame Street or its international co-productions.[11]

Barrio Sésamo, Plaza Sésamo, Sesamstraße, Sesame English and Sesamstraat have all had merchandise of their local characters. Shalom Sesame videos and books have also been released.

In 2004, Copyright Promotions Licensing Group (CPLG) became Sesame Workshop’s licensing representative for The Benelux,[12] adding to their United Kingdom representation.[13]

Toys

Main article: Tickle Me Elmo

Tickle Me Elmo was one of the fastest selling toys of the 1996 season. That product line was and still is one of the most successful products Mattel has ever launched. Both it and its most notable successor, TMX, have caused in-store fights, because Elmo starred in a Christmas special that year, in which he wished every day of the year was Christmas.[14]

After Fisher-Price recalled a large number of Sesame Street brand toys (among multiple licenses) in 2007 ,[15] Sesame Workshop announced that they would independently inspect the products of all manufacturers. It went so far as to threaten withdrawing entirely from toy licensing, if it were not satisfied with the manufacturer’s guarantees.[16]

Books

Its fiction books are published on five continents, primarily by Random House in North America. Over 18 million Sesame Street books and magazines were purchased in 2005.[17] The books often mention that children do not have to watch the show to benefit from its publications.

 Public Service Campaigns

Characters are also used to endorse safety and educational causes. Big Bird has promoted safe seating practices and the wearing of seatbelts, for the Ford Motor Company,[18] while Grover promoted a new course on children’s informal learning, created by Harvard University with Sesame Workshop.[19] Elmo has appeared before the US Education Appropriations Subcommittee to urge more spending on music in schools.[20]

Live performances

In 1975, ice-skating show Sesame Street on Ice presented costumed actors and dancers as touring casts, each performing a unique-multi-million dollar budget ice show. Sesame Street on Ice ran from 1975-1980.

Live touring show Sesame Street Live presents costumed actors and dancers as characters from the series, in original plots. In recent years, VEE has had four touring casts, each performing a unique multi-million dollar budget show. Each season, the tours reach 160 different cities across North America, reaching 2 million people annually. Since the first production of Sesame Street Live on September 17, 1980, 48 million children and their parents have seen the show performed, across the world.[21]

Theme park

Busch Entertainment Corporation (BEC) is the license holder for Sesame Street in its U.S. amusement parks including a completely Sesame Street themed park, Sesame Place, in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, United States. BEC also has a stage show at SeaWorld Orlando Elmo and the Bookaneers. In 2009 Busch Entertainment’s Busch Gardens Europe, located in Williamsburg, Virginia, opened “Sesame Street Forest of Fun” with plans to open “Sesame Street Safari of Fun” at its Busch Gardens Africa park in Tampa, Florida for the 2010 operating season.

Monterrey, Mexico based Parque Plaza Sésamo uses Sesame Street characters as does Universal Studios Japan in a three-dimensional movie based on the show.

 

http://archive.sesameworkshop.org/sesamebeginnings/new/about.php

ABOUT SESAME BEGINNINGS

Sesame Beginnings meets the needs of infants and parents by providing opportunities for enhanced parent/child interactions while offering accessible research-based developmental information, all with a name and characters that parents, and grandparents, already know and trust. In the same way that Sesame Street educates preschoolers with a “whole child” curriculum, Sesame Beginnings encourages “whole infant” development. From the child development experts at Sesame Workshop, on-product tips give parents the tools to support their child’s cognitive, physical, social and emotional development during everyday opportunities for interaction. Parenting tips are designed to be integrated into daily routines such as feeding, soothing, bedtime, bath time, playtime and travel.

http://archive.sesameworkshop.org/aboutus/pressroom/presskits/season36/qa.php

http://archive.sesameworkshop.org/aboutus/pressroom/presskits/season36/qa.php

http://archive.sesameworkshop.org/aboutus/pressroom/presskits/season36/prodbios.php

 

SAMANTHA FREEMAN / OUT OF THE BLUE ENTERPRISES VRP

http://www.outoftheblueenterprises.com/

Out of Blue is a market leader in children’s content creation, development, production, licensing and merchandising. We are dedicated to developing a groundbreaking portfolio of individually-targeted children’s and family entertainment properties, under the direction of a proven management team. Let by Co-Founders, Angela C. Santomera, a Creator of the preschool entertainment phenomenon, Blue’s Clues, and Samantha Freeman Alpert, a former Nickelodeon marketing executive, the Out of Blue team produces entertainment products that span a variety of media platforms, including short and long form television shows, online game and content, mobile applications, book publishing, consumer products, and community outreach programs. Out of Blue aims to engage families in fresh and original ways with interactive and educational entertainment experiences.

Out of Blue is led by proven players with decades of combined experience in creating unique children’s television and entertainment products. The founding team includes Angela C. Satomero, Emmy-nominated creator of Blue’s Clues, one of the great success stories in televised children’s entertainment, and Samantha Freeman Alpert, a former Nickelodeon executive with extensive consumer products licensing and marketing experience.

With the powerful talents of its seasoned and award-winning team, Out of Blue has an unsurpassed combination of educational mission and business expertise.

What We Do

SUPER WHY!

Critically acclaimed PBS KIDS© animated preschool television series, website and consumer products program.

Blue’s Room

Emmy-nominated Nickelodeon preschool series and specials, a spin-off of the Blue’s Clues franchise.

PBS KIDS© Preschool Programming Block

Interactive short-form interstitial programming for the popular preschool destination.

 

PRESS:

I would definitely check out their press and awards page:  http://www.outoftheblueenterprises.com/awards.html

http://www.nyse.com/events/1245233150215.html

Hit Emmy nominated PBS KIDS® TV series Super WHY visits the NYSE on the heels of national toy line debut in Toys “R” Us stores chain-wide across the U.S. In honor of the occasion, Out of the Blue’s Samantha Freeman and Angela C. Santomero ring The Closing Bell^®.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Out_of_the_Blue_Enterprises

Out of the Blue Enterprises is an American children’s television company based in New York City, founded by the co-creator of the Nickelodeon pre-school animated/live action series Blue’s Clues (hence the company’s name) Angela C. Santomero and fellow ex-Nick executive Samantha Freeman Alpert. The company serves as the producers (with DHX Media‘s Decode Entertainment unit) of the CGI-animated children’s television show Super Why! that airs on most PBS stations and on Kids’ CBC in Canada and Blue’s Room which formerly aired on Nick Jr.. Out of the Blue, along with The Fred Rogers Company and 9 Story Entertainment, will produce a spin-off of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, entitled Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, for PBS Kids and PBS Kids Sprout in 2012.

From http://www.pbs.org/parents/experts/bio/santomerofreeman-bio.html

Angela Santomero and Samantha Freeman

Angela C. Santomero and Samantha Freeman Alpert are the co-founders of Out of the Blue Enterprises, a producer of breakthrough, interactive and curriculum-based children’s entertainment properties. Ms. Santomero is an Emmy-nominated creator of Blue’s Clues and creator, executive producer and head writer of SUPER WHY, PBS’ new literacy program for kids 3-6 years old. She holds a Master’s degree in Child Developmental Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University and a B.A. from Catholic University. Samantha Freeman Alpert, co-creator and executive producer of SUPER WHY, is a former Nickelodeon Executive and a children’s entertainment industry and marketing veteran. She received an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and a B.A. from Tufts University.

Video from Fox Business:  http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/3892767/blues-clues-releases-new-kid-programming/

From http://angelasclues.com/category/press/page/2/

Program: The Parent Show

PBS Parents has teamed up with Angela Santomero, executive producer of Super Why!, to launch a new web show for parents. Every week we’ll explore hot parenting topics and share great tips and tricks to make parenting easier and more fun.

A new show, on PBS, from the creator of Super Why:  The Parent Show with Angela Santomero

Show premiers April 18th on:

www.pbs.org/parents/theparentshow/

From http://kidscreen.com/2011/05/02/hallmark-digital-property-heads-to-the-small-screen/

Out of the Blue Enterprises, producer of PBS Kids’ preschool literacy series Super Why, will develop a new television series for Hallmark Properties’ web-based property, Asteroid Andy.

The half-hour animated comedy will primarily target six- to 11-year-old boys and will revolve around a boy who lives in the future with his family and diverse collection of intergalactic pals.

The Asteroid Andy characters, storylines, visuals and voice were created by Peter Martin, a 20-year veteran of Hallmark, who is also behind the property’s website.

Out of the Blue is headed by former Nickelodeon execs Samantha Freeman and Angela C. Santomero, who is also the creator of Blue’s Clues.

Read more: http://kidscreen.com/2011/05/02/hallmark-digital-property-heads-to-the-small-screen/#ixzz1p3IqhtNl

From http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/learning-curvesr-highly-anticipated-super-why-product-line-arrives-at-toysrus-stores-nationwide-62014742.html

Learning Curve’s(R) Highly-Anticipated Super WHY! Product Line Arrives at Toys’R’US Stores Nationwide New line of interactive toys combines key elements of literacy-powered preschool TV series with imaginative play OAK BROOK, Ill., June 5 /PRNewswire/ — After months of growing anticipation, Learning Curve(R) (www.learningcurve.com), a leader in creating innovative toys for children of all ages, has announced the arrival of its new Super WHY! line of preschool toys. Directly inspired by the familiar sights, sounds, and reading-ready superhero characters of the popular, award-winning preschool literacy program from Out of the Blue Enterprises, Learning Curve’s new Super WHY! product line is sure to delight both parents and children alike. The highly-anticipated toys, which feature a full assortment of preschool favorites from vehicles and action figures to plush and electronic learning aids, will debut this month, exclusively at Toys”R”Us stores nationwide. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080401/AQTU175LOGO) Keeping with the TV series’ winning themes, the new Super WHY! line by Learning Curve is full of innovative toys designed to educate and engage preschoolers through immersive, multi-sensory experiences, while encouraging imaginative play and reinforcing core literacy skills. With many of the items available for $20 or less, the line offers children and parents fun products at affordable prices. The products also maintain Learning Curve’s commitment to offer consumers the latest in developmental toys, while delivering interactive play experiences. Learning Curve’s new Super WHY! product line includes a wide range of exciting, adorable and educational plush toys, action figures, girl dolls, vehicles and ELAs. Key items from the new line include the Super WHY!Zap & Learn Why Writer and Wave & Learn Magic Spelling Wand, which combine role play and learning for hours of interactive fun; Super WHY! Electronic Role Play Sets, which enable children to “become” their favorite character and act out the show through imaginative play; and the Super WHY! Hovering Why Flyer, a motion-activated toy that “magically” hovers above the ground and features lights, sound effects and phrases straight from the TV series. “The excitement leading up to the introduction of Learning Curve’s line of Super WHY! preschool toys and electronic learning aids has been outstanding,” said Peter Henseler, President of Learning Curve. “We have been receiving inquiries from parents for months wondering when they’ll be able to purchase Super WHY! products for their children. We are pleased to now offer them a line of Super WHY! toys that will not only be fun for kids, but that are reasonably priced for parents.” “Learning Curve is the perfect partner for helping us to extend the Super WHY! experience beyond the television screen and into the realm of imaginative play,” said Samantha Freeman, President of Consumer Products for Out of the Blue and Co-Creator and Executive Producer of the series. “These fun and affordable toys will further our mission of making kids want to learn how to read.” To mark the launch of Learning Curve’s Super WHY! product line, Out of the Blue Enterprises will be hosting in-store events at Toys”R”Us stores nationwide on Saturday, June 13. The Super WHY! events will feature storytelling, reading-focused games, activities and give-aways for young attendees, while supplies last. Fans of all ages will get to experience hands-on Super WHY! toys demonstrations and receive special Super WHY! premiums, coupons and more, while supplies last. Beginning in August, Super WHY! toys will roll out to other retailers nationwide. For more information on Learning Curve’s Super WHY! product line, visit www.learningcurve.com/superwhy. Super WHY! is seen daily on the PBS KIDS preschool destination, airing nationwide (check local listings).   About Learning Curve(R) Brands, Inc. Learning Curve Brands, Inc. (www.learningcurve.com) is a wholly owned subsidiary of RC2 Corporation (Nasdaq: RCRC)www.rc2.com and is a leading designer, producer and marketer of innovative, high-quality toys, collectibles, and infant products that are targeted to consumers of all ages. Learning Curve Brands, Inc. markets its infant, toddler and preschool products under its Learning Curve(R) family of brands which includes The First Years(R) by Learning Curve and Lamaze brands as well as popular and classic licensed properties such as Thomas & Friends, Bob the Builder, Winnie the Pooh, John Deere, Nickelodeon and Sesame Street. The Company’s youth and adult products are marketed under the Johnny Lightning(R) (www.johnnylightning.com) and Ertl(R) (www.ertl.com) brands. Learning Curve Brands, Inc. reaches its target consumers through multiple channels of distribution supporting more than 25,000 retail outlets throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia Pacific.   About Out of the Blue Enterprises Out of the Blue Enterprises is dedicated to developing a groundbreaking portfolio of individually-targeted children’s entertainment properties under the direction of a proven management team led by Co-Founders Angela C. Santomero, M.A. developmental Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University and a Creator of the preschool entertainment phenomenon, Blue’s Clues, and Samantha Freeman, MBA from Harvard Business School and former Nickelodeon entertainment executive with extensive children’s marketing experience. The company creates breakthrough, interactive and curriculum-based entertainment concepts that span a variety of viable platforms, including television, video, publishing and consumer products. In doing so, Out of the Blue stimulates the minds of kids and families, involves them in fresh and original ways and elevates their educational entertainment experiences to a whole new level.

 

 

JONATHAN ROSENBAUM VRP

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_A._Rosenbaum

Jonathan A. Rosenbaum (sometimes credited as Jon Rosenbaum) is American television director and producer. As a director his credits include Zixx: Level Three, The Assistants, Imagination Movers, What’s Up Warthogs!, Big Time Rush, The Troop, Zeke and Luther, Mr. Young, Supah Ninjas and A.N.T. Farm. He also worked as a producer on the series Mental.

Imagination Movers website:  http://www.imaginationmovers.com/splash

The Imagination Movers story is the ultimate example of the power of imagination.

In 2003, four New Orleans friends – Rich Collins, Scott Durbin, Dave Poche and Scott “Smitty” Smith – started gathering after their kids’ bedtimes to write songs and brainstorm ideas about a children’s television show. Two years later, they had become the latest sensation of their musical city, attracting parents and children alike with an eclectic pop sensibility and lyrical turns about healthy snacks and playing catch and conquering childhood fears of bedtime. Lines to the Movers’ shows stretched down blocks.

When the levees broke after Hurricane Katrina, the far-reaching disaster turned the Movers’ world upside down, but it didn’t put an end to their dream. Even while band members salvaged their belongings from flooded homes – and Smith reported to his day job as a fire fighter and first responder – they never stopped living according to the Movers’ motto: “Reach high, think big, work hard, have fun!”

This motto has served the band well. Not even the Imagination Movers could have fully imagined the band’s current breakthrough success. The Movers have filmed three seasons of their hit music-and-comedy series for Disney Junior and they have sold roughly 250,000 CDs and DVDs to date. Critical acclaim includes nods from Entertainment Weekly and The New York Times, which reported the Movers are “prized by many parents for non-condescending lyrics and music that evokes the Beastie Boys or Red Hot Chili Peppers.” Parenting magazine praised the band’s “dash of rebellion” and songs that are “fresh and treacle-free.” National television appearances include The View, Live with Regis & Kelly, and Good Morning America.

In 2009, the Imagination Movers won a Daytime Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for outstanding original song in the children’s show/animation category.

The Movers have also become a force to be reckoned with in the concert business. Their 2011 “In a Big Warehouse” tour attracted 150,000 fans and was one of Pollstar magazine’s top 100 tours of the year. They received stellar reviews from concertgoers thanks to the guys’ highly interactive music and winning ways with an audience.

For the Movers, it all starts with the songs. “Above all, we love following our muse and trying to write the best songs possible,” says Collins. “We’re proud of the hooks and production throughout Rock-O-Matic.” The band never sets out to target songs to specific age groups, Collins adds. Instead, a typical Movers set is “a collection of catchy pop/rock songs that we hope reflects our love and respect for the art form.”

Movers songs are inspired by their kids at home (Collins has five children; Poche and Durbin each have two.) but they also reveal a far-reaching musical sensibility, from hip-hop to country and numerous points in between. “Old funk, new wave, cool grooves, a little bit of punky stuff,” Smitty says. “You listen to our music and you can pull a lot of that out.”

In addition to showcasing the Movers’ music, the Disney Junior series has introduced international audiences (it airs in more than 55 countries and territories, in twelve languages) to the band members’ lively comedic talents. “We all love the classic comedy,” Scott says. “Lots of people talk about the Monkees, which are an obvious reference for us. But really it’s Jerry Lewis, the Marx Brothers, Carol Burnett. Old-school fun.”

Next up for the Movers: Razor + Tie is releasing a brand-new Movers’ CD/DVD, titled Rock-O-Matic, — and new Disney Junior episodes will debut soon — as the band prepares to hit the road for a massive 2012 North American concert tour. Says Collins:  “Our goal is to make many kids’ first concert experience also one of their parents’ most memorable experiences. We hope everyone leaves needing a nap!”

 

Imagination Movers Unveil Nationwide ‘Rock-O-Matic Tour 2012!’

Published on October 21, 2011

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/imagination-movers-unveil-nationwide-rock-o-matic-tour-2012-132303298.html

Rich, Scott, Dave and Smitty – of the Emmy-winning Disney Channel TV series “Imagination Movers” – will bring their high-octane rock concert to a theater near you, and it’s an event the whole family can enjoy.  Mover Nation fan club pre-sale for the tour begins on October 14 with general on sale beginning on October 21.  Mini-Movers VIP packages will be available.  These include premium seating and a chance to meet The Movers.

The Movers were the highest-rated and most popular live family music act of 2011.  The key to the Movers’ appeal is they combine danceable power pop songs with extremely catchy choruses and a knack for inspiring audience participation.  Throw in a heaping helping of onstage silliness and you’ve got a recipe for a live musical event that will truly engage the littlest of kids along with their older siblings, parents and grandparents.  It doesn’t hurt that the Movers pepper their live shows with musical references to their many inspirations, including U2, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack Johnson, the Beastie Boys and all sorts of classic and modern rockers.

The 2011 In A Big Warehouse tour garnered critical praise from fans including a 5 star rating on Ticketmaster.  “The Movers show was in a word: AMAZING! So much fun, high energy, and a memory we will never forget. We can’t wait for them to tour again.”

On the Rock-O-Matic tour, the guys will be playing all their favorite songs from their wildly popular TV series as well as debuting material from their brand-new “Rock-O-Matic” CD/DVD. The new disc features some of the guys’ most infectious music to date along with a collection of live-action and animated videos.

The Imagination Movers began in 2003 as a rock band for kids in New Orleans and have grown into the stars of a hit television series seen in over 55 countries on the Disney Channel. In addition to winning an Emmy, a Common Sense Media Award and many other honors, the Movers have also performed twice at the White House as well as on “Good Morning America,” “Live With Regis and Kelly” and “The View.”

 

Level Up (Cartoon Network, live action) Wiki Page:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Level_Up_(TV_series)

Synopsis

Four very different high school teenagers – Wyatt, Dante, Lyle, and Angie – accidentally open a portal from the virtual world to the real world, wreaking havoc on their entire neighborhood. The boys are top gamers in their favorite online game Conqueror of All Worlds. They’ve defeated trolls, squashed barbarians, annihilated ghouls, and trashed everything else the game can throw at them. But when their online foes come to real life, these typical teens must “level up” in order to deal with high school life while protecting their town.

 

A.N.T Farm (Disney Channel, multi-cam) Wiki Page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.N.T._Farm

Premise

A.N.T. Farm revolves around Chyna Parks (China Anne McClain), an 11-year-old musical prodigy, who has just become the newest A.N.T. (Advanced Natural Talents) in the A.N.T. program at Webster High School in San Francisco, California. On her first day, she meets Olive Doyle (Sierra McCormick), a girl who has an eidetic memory, and Fletcher Quimby (Jake Short), an artistic genius who deeply falls in love with her when they first meet, they soon become her best friends at the high school. They proceed to go on multiple adventures, using their talents to their advantage.

The school’s “it” girl, Lexi Reed (Stefanie Scott), proceeds to bully Chyna, thinking of her as competition in being the star of the school. Chyna’s older brother, Cameron (Carlon Jeffery), attempts to avoid Chyna in high school as much as he can, afraid she will be an embarrassment to him. And their two wacky best friends Paisley (Allie DeBerry) and Angus (Aedin Minks) who share a major-recurring role on the series.

A.N.T. Farm – SANTa’s Little Helpers Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_8ERRTsoKs

Mr. Young Wiki Page:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Young

Mr. Young is a Canadian television series that premiered on March 1, 2011 on YTV. The series is shot in front of a live audience in Burnaby, British Columbia. The series was created by Dan Signer (The Suite Life on Deck, A.N.T. Farm), and stars Brendan Meyer, Matreya Fedor and Gig Morton as attendants of Finnegan High School. Further main cast includes Kurt Ostlund, Emily Tennant, Milo Shandel, Raugi Yu and Paula Shaw.

Premise

Mr. Young centers on child prodigy Adam Young (Brendan Meyer), who graduated from high school and university at the age of 14. He decides to come back to high school to live the high school experience, only he becomes the science teacher at the school. He reunites with childhood best friend Derby (Gig Morton) and encounters the school bully, Slab (Kurt Ostlund), and a student in his class whom he has a crush on, named Echo (Matreya Fedor). However because he’s 14, his students have little respect for him and often gets into trouble with the headteacher.

 

 Mr. Young – Mr. Space Part 1 – Episode Clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qjUgIuW1nk

 

Zeke and Luther Wiki Page:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeke_and_Luther

Zeke and Luther is an American Disney XD sitcom about two best friends setting their sights on becoming the world’s greatest skateboarders. The show stars Hutch Dano, Adam Hicks, Daniel Curtis Lee and Ryan Newman (season 1-2). Zeke and Luther is set in the northern part of Gilroy, California, specifically in the fictional area of Pacific Terrace, which is stated frequently throughout the series. Gilroy was also mentioned occasionally in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens, which was also created by Zeke and Luther co-creator Matt Dearborn. The episode “Bros Go Pro” was made available to download for free on iTunes in the beginning of June, two weeks before the show’s television premiere. The series premiered on June 15, 2009 in the U.S.

On August 2, 2010, it was announced that Zeke and Luther has been renewed for a third season which premiered on February 28, 2011.[1] On June 18, 2011, in an interview with Deadline.com, Matt Dearborn confirmed that the show’s third season would be its last.[2] The show is currently Disney XD’s longest running original series and first to make it to a third season.

 

Zeke and Luther – Skate Troopers – Episode Clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hs70NcITKo

BOB HIGGINS VRP

FremantleMedia Enterprises adds talent to newly created children’s division.

http://www.fremantlemedia.com/news/news-detail/10-01-25/FremantleMedia_Enterprises_adds_talent_to_newly_created_children_s_division.aspx

25 Jan, 2010: FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) announced today the appointment of Bob Higgins to the post of Senior Vice President, Children’s & Family Entertainment, the newest FME division which launched in October 2009 to concentrate on developing kids content through their global licensing and distribution operations. Higgins will be based in New York and reporting to Sander Schwartz who was named EVP, Head of Children and Family Entertainment in October last year.

Higgins joins the company immediately and will work closely with Schwartz to plan and execute the overall creative vision for FME’s children’s business whilst managing content, including acquisitions, development and sales of both television and digital programming on a global basis. He will work closely with producers, third parties and broadcasters to deliver exciting and innovative content with strong commercial potential across a range of revenue streams. He will also work very closely with FME’s well-established global network of sales, licensing and marketing executives for optimum client and brand management.

Schwartz commented, “My first task when joining FME was to start building my dream team and Bob was a natural choice for this role, he has an impeccable track record in the kids’ content business.   Over the years Bob has been responsible for developing several ground-breaking series and we’re looking forward to working together on many more under the FME banner. ”

Prior to FME, Higgins was Chief Creative Officer for US multi-media company Wildbrain Inc. where he oversaw production for ratings hit Yo Gabba Gabba  and assembled a slate of properties including HBO’s upcoming   The Ricky Gervais Show, on which he serves as an Executive Producer, Team Smithereen , Asher Roth’s  I Love College , Go Figure and more. Before that Higgins held senior programming and creative positions at the Cartoon Network, Classic Media, Inc, Sony Pictures Family Entertainment and Nelvana Communications.

http://www.xmedialab.com/mentor/bob-higgins

BOB HIGGINS, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CHILDRENS & FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT

Longtime champion of children’s programming and an esteemed veteran of the entertainment industry, Higgins is Senior Vice President, Children’s & Family Entertainment, Freemantle Media.

Prior to Freemantle Media, Bob was Creative Director at Wildbrain Enteretainment, and SVP, Programming and Development for Cartoon Network’s kids businesses, where he managed CN’s development, production and programming departments, oversaw new original animated series, shorts, Cartoon Network features and specials. He also supervised acquisition for Cartoon Network US, both international and domestic off-net kids’ programming, including anime series and theatrical feature films. Among many accomplishments during his tenure with the network, Higgins oversaw the development, production and launch of a number of hit series, including Chowder, Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends, My Gym Partner’s A Monkey and Camp Lazlo.  He was also Executive Producer on feature film, Underdog.

Prior to CN, Higgins was SVP and Executive Producer for Classic Media, Inc. in New York. Prior to that, Higgins served as SVP of Creative Affairs for Sony Pictures Family Entertainment (SPFE), VP of Creative Affairs at Columbia TriStar Television Children’s Programming and acted as Director of Development at Nelvana Communications

http://summit.kidscreen.com/2011/speakers.html?a=508171

Excerpt:  A longtime champion of children’s programming, Higgins joined FremantleMedia Enterprises in January 2010 as Senior Vice President of Children’s & Family Entertainment. Higgins oversees the creative direction for FME’s kid’s business, as well as manage content, including acquisitions, development and sales of TV and digital programming worldwide. Higgins is currently Executive Producing My Babysitter’s a Vampire with Fresh TV and Teletoon, and Monsuno with Jakks Pacific and Dentsu.

Groundbreaking animated comedy set for CBBC

Wednesday 22nd June 2011 @ 6:18pm by Aaron

http://www.comedy.co.uk/news/story/00000568/new_animated_comedy_cbbc_strange_hill_high/

CBBC and FremantleMedia have announced the production of a brand new comedy series for children, Strange Hill High.

Created by Bermondsey-based Yoshimi & Katoi, the 13-part BBC One series will be produced using a new proprietary process dubbed “hypervynorama”, which combines puppetry with computer graphics to achieve what is described as “real time animation”, akin to “Aardman meets Team America”. Each of the 22-minute episodes will be its own “mini blockbuster movie”.

Described by production company Yoshimi & Katoi as “Grange Hill meets The Muppets in South Park”, Strange Hill High is set in a near-forgotten inner-city school where strange is normal. The show follows three friends who take it upon themselves to investigate their school’s paranormal, mysterious and other-worldly occurrences.

Mitchell Tanner is the new kid at school. His mum is a single parent and he is really hoping for an ordinary life and to not get in any trouble after a couple of false starts at pervious schools… the only problem is, Strange Hill High is far from an ordinary school, so an ordinary life is hardly on the cards. Due to his past, Mitchell has a lot of time for life’s underdogs, so makes friends with Becky Butters (an over-confident under-achiever) and class nerd Templeton.

Writing on the series is being headed by Josh Weinstein, a former executive producer and writer of The Simpsons and Futurama. Emma Kennedy, Ben Teasdale, Georgia Pritchett and two American writers are scripting the show. Filming is set to begin later this year.

Emma Kennedy, speaking to the British Comedy Guide, said: “I can honestly say, I have NEVER been more excited about a project. The puppets look incredible and even though it’s a show primarily aimed at children it’s very clear from the work shop days we’ve done already that it’s going to have the same sort of appeal as Simpsons/South Park/Family Guy. It’s extremely ambitious. I think it has the potential to be huge.”

She added: “The innovative twist is that the animation is going to be done in real time – think Team America – so we’ve essentially been briefed to write as if we’re working on an action packed blockbuster movie rather than a 24 minute children’s animated comedy.”

The series’ unique look has been designed by Yoshimi & Katoi, with Manchester’s Mackinnon And Saunders, a world-leader in puppetry and animation, producing a number of the puppets. The company’s work can be seen in productions as diverse as Mars Attacks!, Bob The Builder, The Corpse Bride and Rastamouse.

CBBC’s Sarah Muller said: “Strange Hill High is quite literally an extraordinary show and I haven’t seen anything quite like it before. It’s quirky, contemporary and has big comedy ambitions with, we hope, a totally unique look and style.”

Bob Higgins at Fremantle noted: “Strange Hill High is a rollercoaster ride of fun. With great characters, outrageous stories and a completely original, mind-blowing look, I think kids around the globe are going to wish their own schools were this absurdly entertaining.”

The TV series is described as a “multi-media” production, with Fremantle looking to cover numerous fields with the show, including computer games, mobile applications, and a significant web presence, plus toy ranges and live events.

Hypervynorama was developed in-house by Yoshimi & Katoi, who described the process to us: “The show is made with rod puppets and old school ‘in-camera’ trickery. It’s being shot 1/6th scale (Wallace & Gromit size) with absolutely everything being built and controlled by hand – no CG whatsoever.

“That said, all of the mouth movements and eyes are put on in post-production, so we actually have to animate each scene twice using two completely different techniques… this is going to be a very complex show to make!”

Broadcast is tentatively scheduled for September 2012.

 

Fresh TV And FremantleMedia Enterprises Partner On My Babysitter’s A Vampire

http://www.fremantlemedia.com/news/news-detail/10-10-04/Fresh_TV_And_FremantleMedia_Enterprises_Partner_On_My_Babysitter_s_A_Vampire.aspx

Excerpt: “Bob Higgins, Senior Vice President of FME’s Children and Family Entertainment division said, “My Babysitter’s A Vampire is the perfect live-action series to add to our portfolio as we continue building this division. The franchise potential is tremendous and the originality of the show raises the bar with the ever-evolving vampire genre. We are particularly excited to be working with the tremendously creative folks at Fresh TV and look forward to bringing the project to family audiences next year.”

My Babysitter’s A Vampire is a fun, family-friendly teen adventure-comedy that takes a bite out of pop culture phenomena like Twilight, and horror movies in general. The series will continue to follow the geeky and sci-fi loving 14-year-old Ethan (Matthew Knight: Flashpoint, The Grudge 2) and his uber geeky best pals Benny (Atticus Mitchell: How to be Indie) and recent vampire recruit, Rory (Cameron Kennedy: Toronto Stories and The Latest Buzz) as they defend their town against an avalanche of scary supernatural phenomena. With the help of Ethan’s smokin’ hot babysitter Sarah (Vanessa Morgan: Harriet the Spy, The Latest Buzz) a fledgling vampire, and her BFF Erica (Kate Todd: Cashing In, Life with Derek), also recently recruited to the dark side, Ethan and his gang will come face-to-face with the netherworld of vampires, werewolves and spirit creatures.”

 

Chatham Dad Produces Disney TV Film

Bob Higgins produced “My Babysitter’s a Vampire,” which premieres on The Disney Channel on Friday.

http://chatham.patch.com/articles/chatham-dad-produces-disney-tv-film

Chatham resident Bob Higgins works as an executive television producer for Fremantle Media. One year after being nominated for his production work on “The Ricky Gervais Show,” Higgins is now preparing for the television premiere of “My Babysitter’s a Vampire,” airing Friday on The Disney Channel.

The series, taken from the Canadian television film from 2010, “My Babysitter’s a Vampire” is a comedic spin on pop culture vampire movies about three teens who discover their babysitter is a vampire, and have to save the town.

The series premiers Friday at 7 p.m. The idea for the film was generated by Fresh TV and Disney Channel will have a summer series premiering June 27 at 7 p.m.

Higgins said, “I love how this movie and series turned out. The team at Fresh [TV] put a fun, irreverent spin on a genre that has been getting a lot of play in the adult television space, but no one has yet done for kids and tweens.”

When asked what he liked best about the idea, Higgins said, “Kids love to be scared and this is just the right level of scary for them.  It’s also very funny and has great characters and a great story, and I think parents will like it too.”

The trailer for this film is available for viewing on YouTube.