Banijay Group is the world's largest independent content creation Group for television and multimedia platforms. Banijay Group is present in 16 territories.
Banijay Group is the world's largest independent content creation Group for television and multimedia platforms. Banijay Group is present in 16 territories.

Tag Archive: Warner Bros Discovery

  1. Multiple Licensing Agents Appointed for Totally Spies!

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    Banijay Kids & Family, the global leader in children’s entertainment, behind hit shows such as Mr Bean: The Animated Series and Shasha & Milo, today announces the appointment of three licensing agents for the iconic franchise Totally Spies!.

    The hit series makes its anticipated return to screens later this year, with a seventh season airing on M6/Gulli (France), Discovery Kids LatAm, and across EMEA and the U.S. with Warner Bros. Discovery. License Connection will manage licensing deals across Benelux, Lotus Global Marketing will represent the brand in Brazil, and LIT Licensing Agency will cover the Nordics.

    First launching in the early 00s, Totally Spies! hooked a generation of fans with its iconic aesthetic and powerful female leads. The international licensing programmes will cater to both the existing adult audience and the 6-9-year-old target audience of the new series.

    Roubina Tchoboian, Head of Global Licensing at Banijay Kids & Family, say: “Totally Spies! already has a significant fanbase and there is huge potential for dynamic, original and exciting brand extensions. It has already been generating significant interest from the licensing industry, and with License Connection, Lotus Global Marketing and LIT Licensing Agency in place, we are in a great shape to roll-out our ambitious, long-term licensing programme.”

    The news follows the recent appointment of Bulldog Licensing to represent the Totally Spies! brand in the UK, where it will initially have a strong focus on the adult nostalgia market, across multiple categories, including apparel, fashion accessories, tech products, health & beauty, and stationery.

    Banijay Kids & Family’s collective of first-class producers and talent is behind some of the biggest kids brands in the world. As brand builders and experts at amplifying IP, it delivers creative and impactful 360 brand strategies for its shows.

    Led by Benoît Di Sabatino, Banijay Kids & Family is part of media and entertainment powerhouse Banijay.

  2. Bean is Back

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    Tiger Aspect Kids & Family (a Banijay Kids & Family company), today announces its hit comedy, Mr Bean: The Animated Series, has been commissioned for a fourth run, in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery and ITVX, through deals agreed by Banijay Rights.

    Executive produced and voiced by Rowan Atkinson, season 4 will comprise 52 x 11’ episodes, bringing the total number of episodes across all series to 182 x 11-minutes. It will air on Cartoonito and HBO Max across EMEA, on Warner Bros. Discovery’s kids channels and streaming services across South East Asia and South Asia, and on ITVX Kids in the UK and Eire from 2025, which will be the 35th anniversary of the first live-action episode. The animation follows the antics of Mr Bean and of course Teddy, as they embark on a series of adventures, making plenty of mischief along the way.

    Rowan Atkinson says: “I have always enjoyed this iteration of the Mr Bean character and the particular freedoms he has in animated form. We can take him into space or down a tin mine, without me personally having to suffer the consequences. The animation process creatively is always fascinating and I’m looking forward to getting stuck into the new series very much.”

    Tom Beattie, MD Tiger Aspect Kids & Family/Series Producer says: “It’s a real pleasure to have the opportunity to go back to such a special series. Mr Bean is an iconic comedy legend and it’s an honour to work with Rowan to create this physically funny series.” 

    Cathy Payne, CEO Banijay Rights says: “One of the most loved characters in television comedy history, Mr Bean’s amusing escapades are cherished by children and families across the world. So we’re thrilled to continue our long-standing partnership with Warner Bros Discovery and ITV on this wonderful animated series which captures Bean’s world so brilliantly.”

    Zia Sands, Lead Content Acquisitions, Partnerships & Co-productions, KIDS, EMEA, Warner Bros Discovery says: “We’re thrilled to continue our long standing partnership with Mr Bean, making Cartoonito its home across EMEA  alongside our kids channels and streaming services in South and South-East Asia. Mr Bean’s comedy antics continue to resonate universally, and we are excited to bring our audiences more of what they love.”

    Darren Nartey, Senior Acquisitions Manager for Film and Kids at ITVX says: “We are so looking forward to welcoming back a British icon to ITVX Kids in 2025, and can’t wait to share more of Mr Bean’s unique sense of humour with the young and the young-at-heart.”

    Mr Bean is a British icon, with the original live-action series first hitting screens in 1990. It has since been broadcast in 195 territories, with the series in continual distribution for over 30 years. Co-created by Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis, the eponymous hero was played by Rowan Atkinson, who now voices the globally successful animated series, which launched in 2002. The brand also attracts significant digital audiences, with over 140 million followers on Meta, making it the biggest TV brand on the platform; over 72 million subscribers and 19 billion lifetime views across official YouTube channels; 10 million followers on Instagram; and 14.2 million likes on TikTok.

    Produced by Tiger Aspect Kids & Family (part of Banijay Kids & Family), MD Tom Beattie is Exec Producer along with Rowan Atkinson. Dave Osborne will direct the series, Arnold Widdowson is producer and the head writers are Ciaran Murtagh and Andrew Barnett Jones.

    Led by Benoît Di Sabatino, Banijay Kids & Family is part of media and entertainment powerhouse Banijay.

  3. Warner Bros. Discovery Acquires Season Seven of Totally Spies!

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    Banijay Kids & Family today confirms Warner Bros. Discovery has acquired the upcoming series of the hit spy-fi animation across EMEA and the US. French broadcaster Gulli, and Discovery Kids LatAm, have previously been announced as co-producers of the Zodiak Kids & Family France (part of Banijay Kids & Family) show.

    The 2D animated franchise, Totally Spies!, returns to screens in 2024, following its original six-season run beginning in 2001. Premiering on Cartoon Network US and later launching on Max in EMEA, the upcoming series follows the three legendary secret agents, Sam, Clover and Alex, as they move to a new city and take on a fresh crop of villains.

    Benoît Di Sabatino, Producer and Banijay Kids & Family CEO says: “With strong female leads and an aesthetic that has inspired a generation, Totally Spies! is an iconic show with a hugely passionate global fanbase, eager to join the agents on their latest adventures. The new series stays true to all the key elements that make the show so popular, but has been lovingly updated for a new audience, reflecting the modern challenges faced by both high-schoolers and spies alike!”

    Aurelie Wack, Acquisitions & Co-productions Manager, Warner Bros. Discovery Kids & Family, EMEA says: “We are thrilled to be bringing the much-awaited iconic spy trio Sam, Clover, and Alex to Max and Cartoon Network in EMEA. We cannot wait to welcome Totally Spies!’ passionate fanbase to our platforms and introduce the girls to a brand new audience. With strong female leads and a diverse offering of modern themes, the France-produced hit Totally Spies! broadens our appeal and demonstrates our commitment to European content.”

     The 26 x 22-minute season will be produced by Benoît Di Sabatino and directed by Stephane Berry, who directed five previous seasons of the show. Gary Milne and Ludovic Taron serve as Executive Producers.

    Zodiak Kids & Family Distribution handles global distribution for the franchise.

  4. Banijay Italia Produces First-Ever Wild Things – kids edition

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    Banijay today announces Banijay Italia will produce Wild Things – kids edition exclusively for Boing (Channel 40 of the DTT), a joint venture between RTI Mediaset and Warner Bros Discovery. This adaptation will see children, aged eight to twelve, take the lead in the family entertainment game show. Further access and amazing extra content will also be available on the Boing App this autumn.

    Teamwork is essential on Wild Things as pairs of contestants, a child and an adult family member, head into the forest to complete obstacle courses and imaginative challenges. But this won’t be easy, as the adult will be dressed in a comical woodland creature costume and unable to see anything. To triumph and take home the prize, the children must have communication skills, patience and put trust in their partner, all whilst trying to be the fastest. Will the adult partner be left stumbling around, going in the wrong direction, or will the pair be in-sync and the first to complete the task? The series will be hosted by famous Italian comedians, Andrea Pisani and Luca Peracino, known as The PanPers.

    The original series, Wild Things was created by IWC Media (part of Banijay UK), Mad Monk, and GroupM Entertainment Ltd. This format has been adapted in eight territories including Sweden, Argentina, and China, and has won multiple awards such as a Rose d’Or for TV Game Show and a Broadcast Digital Award for Best Entertainment Programme.

     

    Fabrizio Ievolella, CEO of Banijay Italia says: “Wild Thing – kids edition is a funny physical game show with exciting competitive tasks and hilarious interactions between the pairs. Our adaptation will see, for the first time, children taking the lead and guiding their adult family member. These variations make the format perfect for children’s channel, Boing.”

    Lucas Green, Global Head of Content Operations at Banijay adds: “Wild Things showcases light-hearted competition with great costumes, and it’s fantastic to see its natural evolution for the younger audience. With Banijay Italia’s track record of producing great content, I know this new adaptation will be something the whole family will love.”

    Ana González, VP Kids Channels Southern Europe, Warner Bros. Discovery says: “We are thrilled to launch this funny and wacky original production on Boing featuring much-loved and popular duo, The PanPers.Wild Things – kids edition reaffirms our commitment to European production and to best in class kids and family content. It’s a perfect fit for Boing and we expect our fans to follow with passion and enthusiasm.”

    Banijay Italia has extensive experience working with a range of broadcasters and is home to a rich slate of titles including Celebrity Survivor (L’Isola dei Famosi), Peking Express, and Bake Off Italy. In addition, the company is behind original IP like Celebrity Chef, Dinner Club and The Ferragnez, the last two shows, as recently announced, will return for a second series on Amazon Prime Video.

  5. Banijay’s Pineapple Takes Celebrities to the Grand Canyon

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    Pineapple Entertainment, part of Banijay Nordic, today announces a new premium reality series for Warner Bros. Discovery, set in one of the world’s greatest natural wonders, the Grand Canyon. The series will air soon in Denmark on Kanal 5 and discovery+.

     

    In Grand Canyon – The Greatest Adventure, a group of celebrities spend 16 days on the adventure of a lifetime, rafting 360 kilometres on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. This spectacular river is not only pristinely beautiful but also one of the most challenging rafting locations in the world. 

     

    Helped by adventurer Thor F. Jensen, the Danish A-list cast includes actors Andreas Jessen and Lise Baastrup, high-profile athlete Anne-Marie Rindom and handball champion Jesper Nøddesbo, musician Mohamed “Skinz” Ahmed and TV personality, host, model, actress Ibi Støving. The group must co-operate as they move through an ever-changing environment, learning about the cultural history of the landscape, and working together to establish a daily camp. To succeed, this adventure demands co-operation, inclusiveness, and community.

    Kathrine Skjold, Executive Producer at Pineapple Entertainment says: “Grand Canyon is like a non-scripted road movie through one of the greatest natural wonders in the world. The well-known faces are not competing in anyway, they must work together to successfully live off-grid, at the mercy of nature in the grandest scale. This is a rewarding eye-opener for the celebrities, as they embark on a journey where they question their own privileges.”

     

    Ole Rahbek, CEO of Pineapple Entertainment says: “We are delighted that Hou Film came to us, with the idea and access to this fabulous venue, that we turned into a format with cinematic production values showcasing the incredible natural phenomena, making it a perfect high-end series for Warner Bros. Discovery Denmark’s audience, that we at Pineapple Entertainment are proud to produce”

     

    Pil Gundelach Brandstrup, VP Content & Programming, Warner Bros. Discovery Denmark says: “There’s no doubt that Danes enjoy travelling abroad to inspire personal development. In Grand Canyon – The Greatest Adventure, the viewers follow more than just the physical turmoil of the group taking on the elements. They also get to follow the internal journey when they are pushed beyond their limits. This programme is also visually very impressive, immersing the audience in the mighty nature of the majestic Grand Canyon and the Colorado River.”

    Pineapple Entertainment produces a wide remit of fun, relevant and powerful content across all platforms. This includes a recent adaptation of the UK format One Night In…, as well as the Zulu Awards, Mormor på Mandejagt (Granny Goes Dating), late-night comedy talk show Natholdet (The Nightshift) hosted by Hadi Ka-koush and long-running reality show, Diamantfamilien (The Diamond Family). 

  6. Mumfie Secures a Herd of Sales

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    Banijay Kids and Family today announces a raft of sales for the all-new pre-school animated comedy series Mumfie (78×7’). A co-production between Zodiak Kids and Family France and Italian animation studio Animoka, alongside France Télévisions and Rai (Italy), the series has sold to ITV for ITVBe (UK), Warner Bros. Discovery (for its new preschool brand Cartoonito in Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and South Korea), AMC Network International’s JimJam (CEE, MENA & Portugal), SVT (Sweden) and kids channel ejunior, from evision, part of e& life from e& (formerly known as Etisalat Group) (UAE).

    Earlier this month, Mumfie was awarded Best Pre-School TV Series at the 2022 Cartoons on the Bay Pulcinella Awards. Directed by Daniel Dubuis, the adaptation is based on Britt Allcroft’s Magic Adventures of Mumfie. The series has recently launched in France and Italy, and it was previously announced that Mumfie has also secured a pre-sale from KiKA Germany.

    Delphine Dumont, Chief Commercial Officer, Banijay Kids and Family says: “The world of Mumfie is loved and treasured by so many, and it has been joyous to bring the characters to life once more, to delight a whole new generation of children. This raft of international sales is testament to the strength of the brand and the fantastic job the teams at Animoka and Zodiak Kids and Family Francehave done in creating a captivating, warm and uplifting series.”

    Mumfie features the optimistic young elephant Mumfie, alongside his best friends, Pinkey the flying pig and Jelly Bean the colour-changing jellyfish. Meeting an eclectic array of animal friends along the way, the trio embark on a series of adventures. In a world where nothing is quite as it seems, no challenge is too tough for the loveable Mumfie and his friends to overcome.

     

    Zodiak Kids and Family Distribution own international distribution rights to the series.

    Britt Allcroft’s Mumfie was a classically animated children’s musical series, first shown in the 1990’s. The series was lauded for its gentle storytelling and earned top ratings.