Category: Entertainment

Nickelodeon and Spin Master are celebrating a milestone 10 years of the award-winning top-rated preschool series PAW Patrol with an all-new one-of-a-kind primetime special premiering Monday, April 24, at 7 p.m. (ET/PT). The half-hour anniversary special, All Paws on Deck, produced by Spin Master Entertainment, will reunite every PAW Patrol pup from the past and present, as they team up with Ryder for their biggest adventure yet. Encoring Friday, April 28, at 11 a.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon, All Paws on Deck, is also available to watch on Nickelodeon channels internationally and will be available on Paramount+ in select markets.

BAFTA-winning and EMMY-nominated Belfast-based studio Sixteen South has announced that together with Corus Entertainment’s Nelvana, a worldleading international developer, producer, distributor, and licensor of children’s animated and live-action content, they have optioned and are co-developing and co-producing A Horse Named Steve, a new 2D animated series based on the acclaimed debut picture book by Toronto author-illustrator Kelly Collier. The 52 X 11 series will feature hilarious storylines while showing the importance of friendship, teamwork and appreciating one’s true self.

In “Pokémon Horizons: The Series,” dual protagonists Liko, whose partner Pokémon is Sprigatito, and Roy will encounter many characters during their journey, including a group led by Friede and Captain Pikachu called the Rising Volt Tacklers. Traveling across the Pokémon world on an airship, the Rising Volt Tacklers include Orla, who enjoys mechanical and electrical work and is accompanied by her partner Pokémon, Metagross; Murdock, who is skilled at cooking, and his partner Pokémon, Rockruff; Mollie, who specializes in healing treatments, and her partner Pokémon, Chansey; and Ludlow. Liko and Roy will also come across Amethio, who is joined by his partner Pokémon, Ceruledge, and belongs to an organization called the Explorers, as well as a popular video streamer known as Nidothing.

Welcome back to the magical world of Equestria! On March 27, the popular entertainment series My Little Pony: Tell Your Tale officially launches on Netflix, with 10 20-minute episodes ready for fans to binge. The 2D animated series is the ultimate insider’s guide to the everyday escapades of the Mane 5 and features a buffet of heartfelt, funny and fast-paced stories that will have everypony in stitches. My Little Pony: Tell Your Tale continues the story of Sunny Starscout and her new friends, following the return of magic to Equestria! Now, living side by side in Maretime Bay, these besties are having the most fun as they discover who they are in their new, fantastical world!

Mattel, Inc announced an all-new animated adventure, Thomas & Friends: The Mystery of Lookout Mountain. Thomas & Friends: The Mystery of Lookout Mountain will stream globally on Netflix on Saturday, April 1. The special will first broadcast on Canada’s Treehouse TV on Sunday, April 2 (6:30 pm ET) and in the US, Cartoonito on Cartoon Network on Monday, April 3 (7:30 am ET). Tied to Autism Acceptance Month in April, the movie is the first Thomas & Friends special to feature Bruno the Brake Car, the iconic franchise’s newest friend, an autistic character who was introduced to fans in September 2022 as part of the popular Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go series.

Kabillion, a top five AVOD network, announces another classic character joining the network on Wednesday, March 22. “Woody Woodpecker,” a series of animated shorts produced by Splash Entertainment, commissioned by Universal 1440 Entertainment, a production arm of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, will be broadcast on both Kabillion’s cable and OTT services. The shorts, directed by Mike Milo, feature an array of the top animation voice artists in the business today, including Eric Bauza as “Woody Woodpecker,” Tara Strong as “Winnie Woodpecker,” Tom Kenny as “Wally Walrus,” Nika Futterman as “Knothead,” Kevin Michael Richardson as “Buzz,” and Dee Bradley Baker as “Chilly Willy.” 

One of the world’s most iconic toys will become reality when HGTV taps into the zeitgeist of Mattel’s Barbie in its new competition series, Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge, set to premiere on HGTV this summer. Inspired by the singular, enduring popularity of the global icon herself and by the excitement surrounding the upcoming release of the Warner Bros. Pictures film, Barbie, HGTV will harness the unmatched power of its corporate siblings to support four nostalgia-filled episodes and execute Barbie-themed cross-network content and promotions. Punctuated by celebrity guests, pop culture history and a plethora of Barbie surprises, Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge will be hosted by supermodel, designer, author and entrepreneur Ashley Graham and feature eight teams of HGTV superstars as they transform a Southern California home into a real-life Barbie Dreamhouse. In the end, one passionate Barbie fan will get the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime stay in a home created for dreamers.

Genius Brands International has announced a new AI-generated animated “shorts” series based on the original children’s show, Warren Buffett’s Secret Millionaires Club, launching on Kartoon Channel!, YouTube and Genius Brands’ social media channels on May 15, 2023. The Warren Buffett’s Secret Millionaires Club shorts will be produced by Genius AI Studio, utilizing various AI tools and pulling from stories co-created with, and voiced by, Warren Buffett for the original Secret Millionaires Club series, which focused on teaching enduring life lessons around financial literacy to children. Aimed at children aged 4-12 and their families, Secret Millionaires Club Minis combine cutting-edge technology, creative storytelling, and short-form vertical video, bringing a whole new format to the children’s entertainment space. Each video will educate children worldwide, and feature fun and interesting lessons and facts around business and money. Shorts will start rolling out May 15.

Academy Award-nominated French animation studio Xilam Animation’s new CG animated slapstick comedy series Karate Sheep is making its worldwide premiere on Netflix March 2nd, marking the launch of Netflix’s first animated commission that is supported by the French public funding body CNC. Xilam has developed an extensive digital and social media campaign to build awareness for the Netflix launch. As part of the activity, Xilam has created a Karate Sheep YouTube channel, which features episodes, compilations and shorts and has achieved nearly 500k views since launching in January. Alongside this, a dedicated TikTok account has generated 3M views and a branded Karate Sheep filter is now available for use on the platform. On TikTok, over 25% of the Karate Sheep audience is from the U.S. market. Xilam is also developing a Karate Sheep gaming app for launch later this year.