News Shorts: The Boomerang Bug Has Been Retired On Cartoonito Africa, A Rebroadcast Of Fenix Rollouts On e.tv And Miss Heritage Global To Broadcast On Tshwane TV And GauTV

Cartoonito rolled out in Africa with some technical issues

Last month, Warner Bros. Discovery rolled out Cartoonito across Africa offering shows such as Batwheels, CoComelon and Bugs Bunny Builders. The channel has something for preschoolers and their families. Compared to France which only took a day to bid farewell to Boing, WBD Africa took several weeks.

In Portuguese speaking territories particularly Angola and Mozambique, the switch from Boomerang to Cartoonito rolled out smoothly while as the whole of Africa took several weeks to transition out of Boomerang. As of right now, the channel fully rebranded to Cartoonito with Boomerang appearing in few areas.

Fenix makes its highly anticipated return on e.tv

Based on the French miniseries Le Bazar de la Charité, Fenix tells the story of three women whose lives change after a fire breaks out during a charity party, but more of the focus goes to one of the leading lady's husband who has resorted to violence and injustice and used his power to seperate her from their child.

The series launched on eExtra back in 2021 in a similar format to e.tv's 8:30 timeslot in place of Wrede Stad now consumers can catch all the action again on weekdays from 1st May. Another series is set to rollout on the channel is Roekeloos Dade.

Miss Heritage Global is coming to DStv

Miss Heritage Global formerly known as Miss Heritage World is an international beauty pageant, that stands for advancing World Heritage. The pageant was founded in Zimbabwean Country Branding Expert by Tare Munzara. The 6th Miss Heritage Global was crowned at Kalahari Resort in the Province of Limpopo on the 24th of September 2022.

The committee formalised their agreement with both Tshwane TV and GauTV which are both slated to air The 7th Miss Heritage Global later in the year.

Newly Rebranded Max Streaming Service Unveils New Content For Kids And Families

Warner Bros. Discovery disappointed the children’s TV industry last year when it pulled a number of shows from HBO Max, signaling an exit from this part of the business.

However, now, with the launch of the rebranded Max service, the company behind the Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera libraries is returning strong to the sector and admitting that it was ostensibly technical difficulties that caused some of its problems for younger folk.

“We sit on the best library of IP for kids content [compared] to anyone so we’re not only going to reboot a lot of what we already have in our library but we’re also going to make new [shows],” said Kathleen Finch, Chairman and Chief Content Officer, Warner Bros. Discovery’s U.S. Networks Group

Finch revealed three new kids projects as part of the Max launch: Peter and the Wolf, a short film from Bono and Gavin Friday, Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, which launches on May 23, and Tiny Toons Looniversity.

She also added, “We’ve got all kinds of projects… in the works. It’s a way for us to really target the kids market in a way that that HBO hasn’t been able to because… HBO is not a kid friendly brand, necessarily, even though Warner Bros. has some of the best IP in the business.”

David Zaslav, President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, seconded this. He pointed out that parents were unlikely to tell their babysitter to turn on HBO Max to sate their children and the service, known for airing series such as The Sopranos and The Wire, didn’t have the requisite parental controls.

"We have great kids content from Sesame Street to Harry Potter to Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera and all the original content that Kathleen’s team produces Cartoon Network. But there wasn’t an entry point. So, when anybody goes to Max on [launch] day, they will wake up and there will be a kids hub and right away it will be kid friendly. And we never we didn’t even have the parental

JB Perrette, President and CEO of Global Streaming and International at Warner Bros. Discovery, added that kids hasn’t “met its true potential” on the old HBO Max service.

“Our leading kids brands like Cartoon Network and Boomerang, bolstered by content from DC, Wizarding World, Hanna Barbera and Looney Tunes used to get double digit shares with 2 to 11 linear audiences [but] in streaming that has virtually disappeared even though all the great content and franchises as are still here. Max will better curate our rich history of amazing animation, seminal children’s television and blockbusters the whole family can enjoy as well as new product features.”

HBO Max did have Sesame Street, with new seasons running on the service through 2025.

However, one of the problems that Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content, found was that it didn’t surround it with other similar types of programming.

“We had Sesame Street on HBO, which is one of the greatest brands in kids. One of the problems was we didn’t surround it with anything else. So, [this solves] part of the problem. One of the benefits here is we don’t have to go figure out how are we going to get a kids business up and running. We have the expertise in house doing so,” Bloys added.

Could Courage The Cowardly Dog Be Revived As A Preschool Series?

Courage The Cowardly Dog follows the titular character, a dog who lives with an elderly couple in ppa farmhouse in the middle of "Nowhere". In each episode, the trio is thrown into bizarre, frequently disturbing, and often paranormal or supernatural adventures.

In 2018, John R. Dilworth was in negotiations with Boomerang for a revival or prequel series titled Before Courage. It was going to revolve around the titular character's days as a puppy or before he meet his owners, Muriel and her husband Eustace Bagge.

When asked about the project in 2020, Dilworth responded that it had been "transformed into another thing". A year later, Dilworth revealed that the project was on turnaround as Cartoon Network's management is prioritizing their focus on other projects.

But from what we can understand in this scenario, something regarding Courage The Cowardly Dog is in development maybe a new series or a film.

Maybe this new form is probably a reboot of Courage The Cowardly Dog geared toward preschoolers. I mean the idea doesn't seem far fetched considering the main will be a puppy Cartoon Network would probably want it to cater for younger audiences.

Then this prequel would lead to feature film or another series more aligned with Courage The Cowardly Dog who knows really. All that is known at this point is that something related to this is in the works and might be unveiled by 2023 or probably 2024.

In other developments, Man Of Action has been working on its next iteration of the Ben 10 franchise following the cancellation of the Ben 10 reboot. It's been two years since there's been any update on the project it's likely being reworked on as something else.

Recap To Last Year: Hoho's 'Toad And Friends' Ready To Roll With Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA

Hoho Entertainment today announced that it has partnered with Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA to bring the riverbank adventures of Mole, Toad, Ratty and Badger to life for a new generation of viewers in Toad & Friends (52 x 11’), a brand-new CG animated series based on Kenneth Grahame’s classic British novel The Wind in the Willows (1908).

“With over 85 million copies of the book sold in 29 languages, The Wind in the Willows is not just a British classic, it’s a global classic,” says Oliver Ellis, Joint Managing Director of Hoho Ent. and producer of Toas & Friends. “We can’t wait to introduce today’s children to these beloved characters, with 52 new and original stories.”

Toad & Friends is produced by London-based Hoho Entertainment, animated in Scotland by Wild Child Animation and directed by Tim Searle (Danger Mouse, Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed!). The new series has been developed and supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland and produced with the support of the Creative Media Program, MEDIA of the European Union, and is set to launch on Warner Bros. Discovery’s preschool brand Cartoonito across EMEA and on HBO Max in Europe in 2023.

“Toad & Friends is a beautiful series packed full of adventure and wrapped in the nostalgia of the original The Wind in the Willows stories that many parents will remember with such fondness. It’s a perfect fit for Cartoonito and HBO Max and we’re thrilled to add it to our growing slate of European productions,” comments Zia Sands, Lead – Acquisitions, Partnerships & Coproductions, Kids & Family EMEA, Warner Bros. Discovery.

Working with a diverse cast, group of writers and production team, Toad & Friends aims to honor the legacy of the original novel and its gentle values about community and citizenship while refreshing the characters and storylines to resonate with a modern audience. The original characters are joined by some ‘feisty’ new female protagonists, including fearless Hedge, scheming Tinker, diligent Heron, mischievous Adder and motherly Mrs. Otter.

The series celebrates the countryside and children’s simple joy of being outdoors as they follow their favorite characters on brand new humorous adventures in which they discover moral courage, respect and the value of friendship.

“It is a joy to bring the teeming hedgerows and bustling riverbanks of the beautiful British countryside to life using the very latest animated technology and techniques,” adds Wild Child Animation’s Ken Anderson. “We hope our reimagined version of Grahame’s world of natural adventure and discovery will encourage children to venture into the great outdoors a little more themselves.”

Could Cartoon Network Be The Future Of Cartoonito USA?

During the year, Warner Bros. Discovery was phasing out a lot of Boomerang feeds for Cartoonito which retained shows like Masha And The Bear and Grizzy And The Lemmings while the latter Scooby-Doo and Looney Tunes went to Cartoon Network.

Since news of its premise came out, Warner Bros. Discovery faced heavy criticism for removing criticism for removing the Mr. Bean channel for a brand that aligned its audience to competitors such as CBeebies, Nick Jr. and Disney Junior.

Last month, Warner Bros. Discovery in the EMEA region managed to build a superior intellect than the one read on tabloids which not only offered preschool shows such as Interstellar Ella and Bugs Bunny Builders but family with Looney Tunes Cartoons and Mr Bean.

After looking at Cartoonito USA and some other feeds, I feel the problem with the brand is not solely on the fact that less people are viewing or its anti Boomerang but the fact that Cartoonito doesn't have content to cater to adults or as seen in Africa, families.

Cartoon Network is a channel that caters to kids and teens with the content has been successful to a point where even adults enjoy the offering. Cartoonito as seen in some countries sets itself out to be another Disney Junior but that doesn't have to be the case.

Cartoonito USA is struggling at the moment that I wouldn't be shocked if it got discontinued but considering the success of Batwheels on HBO Max and international perhaps a potential merger with Cartoon Network would do them good.

We have originals such as Jessica's Big Little World, Tom And Jerry Time and Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends coming in future to Cartoonito and honestly I don't think it would be a good idea having these shows crammed in a 2 hour timeslot.

A merger would help give these shows more exposure and reposition Cartoon Network into a brand for preschoolers and older children. Cartoon Network doesn't need to air CoComelon or Thomas And Friends but focus on the originals in the previous paragraph.

I don't think it would be wise to involve Boomerang as the brand is more retro and 2015 was the year they were meant to rectify that as seen in parts of the world but they missed that mark and adding those changes now would just push consumers away.

Cartoonito could be used in the same manner as Boomerang - a mascot. A brand that distributes a selected number of preschool content and as seen in EMEA the best of Boomerang with shows like Zig & Sharko, Looney Tunes Cartoons and Mr. Bean.

Rumour: Treehouse TV In Canada Is Becoming Cartoonito From April 24

During the month, Canada’s most popular children’s cartoon channel, Teletoon, was rebranded as Cartoon Network.

The channel, which is a subsidiary of Corus Entertainment, launched 25 years ago in October 1997. Since then, it has aired original cartoon programs, while also playing TV shows from its sister channel Cartoon Network which had since then rebranded to Boomerang.

All that was left of the Corus brand on linear platforms was Treehouse TV. Following the demise of Teletoon, they were rumours swirling around for sometime that the channel will fold under Cartoonito as they've licenced shows like Batwheels and Bugs Bunny Builders.

Oh-oh-oh, Cartoonito! Kids and parents, get ready, because on April 24, @TreehouseTV will relaunch as @CartoonitoCN! Have fun with such recognizable characters as Caillou, Bugs Bunny, Thomas and more as we prepare to bring Cartoonito to Canada on cable & @stacktv! pic.twitter.com/9IaDynLkNb

— Corus (@TayvenSmittenTV) March 30, 2023

Through a promo by Twitter user @TayvenSmittenTV, it was announced that Treehouse TV would rebrand into Cartoonito from April 24 featuring shows like Caillou, Bugs Bunny Builders, Thomas And Friends basically all the shows from Treehouse TV.

The news of Treehouse TV's demise doesn't come as a shocker. As seen during the month, Teletoon was phased out for Cartoon Network and Boomerang entered the market so it only seemed logical for them to align these brands with Cartoonito.

Boing will join the latter as they to will be replaced by Cartoonito in France and just like UK, Italy and as seen Canada retain Boomerang as opposed to folding all their content under the Cartoonito banner as seen across EMEA.

For those who aren't unfamiliar with the Treehouse brand, it's basically home to shows once licenced by Boomerang and JimJam including Agent Binky: Pets Of The Universe, Caillou and Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs.

To Celebrate The Launch Of Cartoonito, Regular Nick & Insidus Games Presents The Classic Toon Cup Now Downloadable On Android Devices Alongside The Premieres Of Junior And Craig Of The Creek S4 On Cartoon Network Africa

Boomerang Africa rebranded to Cartoonito Africa on Saturday, 25 March, with the best of Boomerang with more laughs, more adventures and more friends.

There’s still plenty of room for long-time Boomerang favourites like Zig & Sharko, Mr Bean, Masha and the Bear, Tom & Jerry, Scooby-Doo and Looney Tunes Cartoons to shine alongside newer friends such as Dino Ranch, Thomas and Friends: All Engines Go and Lucas the Spider. Cartoonito Africa brings them together – while adding brand-new shows like Batwheels, Bugs Bunny Builders and Interstellar Ella – just for starters - offering a wider variety of programmes filled with new friends, trusted fun and extraordinary adventures for the whole family to enjoy.

For more details on what to expect later in the month on Cartoonito: click here

HIGHLIGHTS FOR CARTOON NETWORK:

JUNIOR

Mikako Mayhem

Mikako, Africa, is home to Junior, an amazingly resourceful 10-year-old boy who always has a thousand and one remarkable ways to solve everyday problems – though some of his solutions just create new problems! His favourite phrase? “It wasn’t me, honest!”. Junior always has a reason, a totally improbable “how-what-why” story. However, having brilliant ideas is one thing - putting them into practice is another!  And that’s where the problems usually begin…

PREMIERE:        Monday, 3 April @ 17:00 CAT
TUNE IN:            Mondays – Fridays at 17:00 CAT

CRAIG OF THE CREEK – S4

Kids Rule!

Craig and his two best friends, Kelsey and JP, are always going on adventures in the untamed suburban wilderness known as the Creek - a kid utopia where tribes of children rule over tree forts and bike ramps. In this season’s new episodes, a rainy day of board games turns into an epic gaming challenge, a hike to a secret waterfall creates an unexpected friendship with former enemies referred to as Champions of The Other Side of the Creek and a dangerous staring contest with a prize at stake will animate Craig’s adventurous life in the Creek.

PREMIERE: Monday, 17 April at 15:15 CAT
TUNE IN: Mondays – Fridays at 15:15 CAT

BRING ON THE SPORTING ACTION WITH THE 2010 JAVA CLASSIC, COPA TOON NOW AVAILABLE ON ANDROID DEVICES

The Toon Cup is on! Join your favorite Cartoon Network characters and play this action packed 5-aside football game. Play through the entire competition or duke it out in a quick match to hone your skills. Use special powers to gain the upper hand and beware of the hazards on the pitch. What are you waiting for? Team up with Ben 10, Billy, Chowder, Zak Saturday or Buttercup and go for the goal.

Worried about space no worries, it's a 1MB game: click here to download

News Shorts: Warner Bros. Discovery Issues Brief Description Of Cartoonito Africa, The Rich Also Cry Debuts On Joy Prime In The Coming Weeks And WWE Channel Opened To More DStv Consumers Ahead Of WrestleMania

Boomerang is now Cartoonito

Home to fan-favourites Zig & Sharko, hilarious Mr Bean and inseparable buddies Masha and the Bear alongside new flagship Warner Bros. franchise programmes like Batwheels and Bugs Bunny Builders, Cartoonito provides a safe space for kids 3-7, along with their families, to spend some time together and enjoy trusted fun. With fan-favourites beloved by kids and adults alike, including the iconic frenemies Tom & Jerry, the famous dog detective Scooby-Doo, and the wackiest Looney Tunes, alongside other rising cartoon stars such as Lucas the Spider and Interstellar Ella, the channel offers a wide variety of programmes, bringing together laughter, adventure and friendship!

Cartoonito Africa is available in English-speaking African countries on DStv (channel 302), GOtv (channel 68) (channel 155 in Ghana and channel 357 in Uganda), AzamTV (channel 227) and Canal+ Ethiopia (Channel 127).

The Rich Also Cry to make a landing on Joy Prime

Based on the 1979 Mexican telenovela of the same name, The Rich Also Cry (Los Ricos También Lloran) follows an orphan of both father and mother. She is left alone in the world when her godmother dies, which complicates her life more than she could have ever imagined.

The Rich Also Cry series stars Sebastián Rulli as Luis Alberto Salvatierra, Claudia Martín as Mariana Villarreal, Fabiola Guajardo as Soraya Montenegro and Azela Robinson as Elena Suárez.

Serving as a fourth production of Dream Factory (Fábrica de Sueños). The series airs next Monday on Joy Prime in Ghana.

More wrestling action for DStv customers

During the week, MultiChoice in select African territories decided to give consumers access to all the wrestling action on channel 128 from 20 March to 2 April. As somewhat of a countdown to WrestleMania. Some of the content seen on the brand include Raw, SmackDown, NXT, Notsam Wrestling and archived material viewed on the WWE Network.

In other developments, the pay-tv company is gearing up for Ramadan with yet another Islamic pop-up channel but this time based in Nigeria, Mustaeina TV.

Holy Hubcaps! Cartoonito Africa Is Revving Up For Batwheels

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Batwheels is a fun-filled action-adventure show that combines two of a young kid’s favourite things – superheroes and vehicles! They’re the Batwheels - an awesome group of sentient super-powered crime-fighting vehicles defending Gotham City alongside a host of DC Superheroes. Brought to life by the Batcomputer, the heroic Batwheels are thrust into hilarious hijinks and jaw-dropping action while learning important life lessons.

Led by Bam, The Batmobile, the Batwheels must navigate the challenges of being a newly formed super team as well as the growing pains that come with just being a kid. This relatable and aspirational series will follow the journey of this dynamic team as they thrill and entertain with their heroic adventures, and demonstrate the value of self-confidence, friendship, and teamwork.

The all-star voice cast includes Ethan Hawke (as Batman), Jacob Bertrand (as Bam the Batmobile), Gina Rodriguez (as Catwoman), and Xolo Maridueña (as Snowy the Snowcrawler), among others. Sam Register (Looney Tunes Cartoons) serves as Executive Producer, Michael G. Stern (Doc McStuffins) as Co-Executive Producer, Simon J. Smith (Penguins of Madagascar) as Supervising Producer, and Steven Fink of Bang Zoom Ltd. as Producer. Based on characters from DC, Batwheels is produced by Warner Bros. Animation with animation services provided by Superprod Studio.

“The most rewarding thing for me is knowing that for a whole new generation, this will be their first animated Batman story they can call their own,” notes Stern. “I am extremely proud of the show because we tried to attract and involve an audience as young, old, and diverse as possible so everyone can enjoy the ride.”

Leading the channel premiere on Cartoonito Africa is an exciting special – Secret Origins of the Batwheels – which kicks off at 08:40 CAT on 25 March. The 32-minute prequel reveals how the Batcomputer is forced to bring the Bat-Vehicles to life, leading to the creation of the Batwheels.

And if that is not enough excitement for those that love superheroes and cars, Cartoonito brings all the Batwheels fun to the Mall of Africa from Friday, 24 March to Sunday, 26 March, and Cresta Shopping Centre from Friday, 31 March to Sunday 2 April. From racing toy cars and playing online games to colouring their new favourite heroes or making memories in front of a Batwheels photo wall - there will be plenty of fun to go around!

So, Rev up and peel out! and join the Batwheels on their action-packed adventures on Cartoonito Africa every weekend at 08:40 CAT from Saturday, 25 March.

Boomerang Angola And Mozambique To Become Cartoonito From March 23 On DStv

Cartoonito is a new channel for preschoolers that offers the best original content for early childhood. With beloved series like Tom and Jerry and Lucas the Spider, as well as the new original Bathweels series, Bugs Bunny Builders and Interstellar Ella. Cartoonito is the right place for children and their families to have fun and laugh a lot with trustworthy characters.

Emphasizing compassion, empathy and inclusion, Cartoonito celebrates the individuality of preschoolers, seeks to inspire them with positive and fun animated content, while encouraging little ones to let their imaginations run wild. Cartoonito has modern programming based on iconic Kids & Family products from Warner Bros. Discovery, carried out by Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios.

Cartoonito will launch on 23 March 2023 as a linear pay-TV channel across the EMEA region. Warner Bros. Discovery, with regard to programming for children between 2 and 6 years old, has an extensive range of modern pre-school entertainment on this dedicated channel, with fun, captivating and culturally significant stories.

The content on this channel celebrates the individuality of little ones, encouraging them to explore, learn, play and, especially, laugh.

Among the unmissable series that will be part of Cartoonito’s lineup are:
Batwheels
Bugs Bunny Builders
Tom and Jerry
Grizzy and the Lemmings
Luke the Spider
Mush Mush and the Mushables

Cartoonito will be available as a subscription TV channel to operators MEO, Vodafone and Nowo in Portugal from March 23, 2023 alongside Mozambique and Angola through DStv platform. In the rest of Africa, the brand would be made available from March 25, 2023.

What To Expect On Warner Bros. Discovery Africa's Bouquet Of Channels In April 2023?

Discovery Channel:

• The Bond - tells remarkable, moving and surprising stories of men, women and children bonding deeply with animals that we might think of as wild.
• Shorty Dream Shop - Everyone knows the American Dream wouldn't be complete without a great ride, but restoring classic cars is more than just a job for Shorty and his crew.
• Salvage Hunters Classic Cars - Salvage aficionado, Drew Pritchard teams up with Turbo Pickers' Paul Cowland for an epic motoring mission. They scour the UK, buying, restoring and selling classic cars.
• Brother Vs. Brother - Brothers Jonathan and Drew Scott go head-to-head as they mentor home improvement experts in order to refurbish properties. The teams will work hard to build the best property and secure the final prize.

TLC:

• Return To Amish S7 - Tell the stories of young people raised in the Amish and Mennonite communities. Some are wrestling with whether to continue to live according to their traditional beliefs or break away and embrace the modern world.
• 90 Day Fiance The Other Way - Several people from different walks of life set out on a journey across the globe to marry their soulmates. However, they must overcome a number of challenges in order to achieve success.
• 1000-lb Sisters - The Slaton sisters, tipping the scales at over 1,000 pounds combined, have always depended on each other for support. Now in their 30s, Amy wants to have children, but cannot due to her weight, while her elder sister Tammy is nearly bedridden.

Discovery Family:

• Street Outlaws Memphis - JJ Da Boss, from Memphis, USA, alongside his family and friends who have a decade-long history in street racing, welcomes the challengers who are tyring to beat them in a race.

Real Time:

• Restoring Galveston - Michael and Ashley Cordray are on a mission to save centuries-old homes on the island of Galveston, Texas. The home renovation specialists have a passion for preserving the island's history and won't let these architectural gems get wiped off the map.

Investigation Discovery:

• The Playboy Murders - is a limited anthology series of 6 episodes that give first-person insight into the world of obsession and murder that tragically affected the lives six young women involved with the Playboy lifestyle.

Food Network:

• Spring Baking Championship - America's finest pastry chefs and professional bakers battle it out in a series of challenges based on springtime treats that test their culinary skills.
• Beat Bobby Flay - A talented chef hosts a cooking showdown wherein culinary experts battle it out to win the ultimate culinary duel. The winner gets a chance to compete with Bobby Flay.
• Bake It Til You Make It - An inside look into the unique world of competitive baking and the extremely enthusiastic, over-the-top personalities who pursue their dreams of sweet victory in some of the toughest baking competitions in the country.

Travel Channel:

• The Ghost Town Terror - Follows a team of investigators as they try to uncover and solve mysterious paranormal events.
• Ghost Brothers Lights Out - Three brothers with different personalities visit various haunted locations across the United States to debunk supernatural lore and phenomena.
• UFO Witness: With unprecedented access to the archive of famed ufologist Dr. J. Allen Hynek, Ben Hansen seeks to unlock the secrets of the past to shed light on today's UFO encounters.
• Destination Fear S4 - Maverick paranormal explorer Dakota Laden takes his sister, Chelsea, and best friend, Tanner, across the country in an RV to spend the night in the most haunted locations in America, testing the limits of human fear.

Cartoon Network:

• Junior - Mikako, Africa, is home to Junior, an amazingly resourceful 10-year-old boy who always has a thousand and one ideas for solving everyday problems. Struggling to find the show, type Junior Hats Off To A Bright Idea.
• Craig Of The Creek - Young Craig and his two friends, Kelsey and John, live in Herkleston, Maryland. They experience a series of misadventures in and around their neighbourhood's creek.
• Summer Camp Island - Two best friends go to a magic sleep-away camp where nothing is what it seems.

Cartoonito:

• Bugs Bunny Builders - Bugs Bunny and Lola Bunny manage an inept crew of builders at ACME Construction Company. Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety, and others use their tools and wild vehicles to pull off some loony construction jobs.
• Looney Tunes: On The Run - Lola Bunny invents a perfume with the adverse effect of turning people invisible, sending her and cab driver Bugs Bunny on the run from the FBI, while another shady group seeks the formula.
• Rabbids Invasion: Mission To Mars - Rabbids are on the mission of a lifetime to Mars. It's up to them to come together and stop the galaxy's newest threat.

* WEIRD: Boomerang Movie Stars becomes Cartoonito Movie Stars

Cartoonito Africa's DISASTROUS 24 Hour Lineup Ahead Of Its Debut Across The Continent

Last month, Warner Bros. Discovery unveiled a 24 hour service for Cartoonito which serves as a programming block. As outlined, all of Boomerang's shows will be retained alongside new additions such as Batwheels, Bugs Bunny Builders and Interstellar Ella.

Over the weekend, I was sort of able to obtain the 24 hour lineup of the channel and Warner wasn't joking when they said all. As seen below is how Cartoonito would be perceived on weekends:

* Bold representing shows seen on the former programming block for Cartoonito
* Bold with italics represents shows from both Boomerang and Cartoonito
* / to seperate Saturday from Sunday those without is the same either way.
* In case you want to compare schedules: click here

00:05 Zig & Sharko
00:30 Moka's Fabulous Adventures
00:50 Moka's Fabulous Adventures
01:15 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
01:35 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
02:00 Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!
02:20 Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!
02:45 Mighty Mike
03:10 Mighty Mike
03:30 Mr Magoo/Looney Tunes Cartoons
03:50 Zig & Sharko
04:15 The Tom And Jerry Show
04:35 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
05:00 Masha And The Bear
05:20 Grizzy and The Lemmings
05:40 Pat The Dog
06:00 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
06:35 CoComelon Karaoke
07:00 Zig & Sharko
07:15 Masha And The Bear
07:40 Masha And The Bear
08:00 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
08:20 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
08:40 Batwheels: Secret Origin of the Batwheels/Batwheels
09:10 Batwheels (second slot starts at 8:50 on Sunday and ends at 9:05 with Zig & Sharko)
09:30 Zig & Sharko
09:40 Tom and Jerry: Robin Hood and His Merry Mouse/Tom And Jerry: Wizard Of Oz (ends at 10:55)
10:35 Tom And Jerry In New York
10:55 Masha And The Bear
11:20 Moley
11:35 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
12:00 Mr Bean: The Animated Series/Batwheels: Secret Origin of the Batwheels
12:26 Zig & Sharko (starts at 12:35 on Sunday)
12:50 CoComelon Compilations
13:10 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
13:35 Masha And The Bear
14:00 Tom And Jerry: Spy Quest/Sunday: Lucas The Spider, Dino Ranch and Mr. Bean
15:10 Tom And Jerry In New York/Mr. Bean (starts at 15:00)
15:15 Grizzy and The Lemmings
15:35 Zig & Sharko
15:55 Zig & Sharko
16:15 Masha And The Bear
16:30 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
16:55 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
17:15 The Adventures of Little Penguin
17:35 Masha And The Bear
18:00 Zig & Sharko
18:20 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
18:45 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
19:00 Masha And The Bear
19:20 Looney Tunes Cartoons
19:35 Tom And Jerry In New York
20:00 Mr. Bean
20:25 Scooby-Doo And Guess Who?
20:45 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
21:05 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
21:30 Tom And Jerry Tales
21:50 Tom And Jerry Tales
22:15 Masha And The Bear
22:40 Masha And The Bear
23:00 New Looney Tunes
23:20 New Looney Tunes
23:45 Zig & Sharko

Considering the current circumstances of Warner Bros. Discovery alongside Cartoonito. This format kinds of makes sense if well executed other regions might as well follow. Looking at this schedule it's clear that Cartoonito is also family brand.

Although most of this is just a large chunk of Boomerang, Warner Bros. Discovery never acknowledged the channel as a preschool brand as seen with Cartoonito. This rebrand is one way to help differentiate Boomerang Africa from Boomerang USA.

Boomerang was a legacy brand for older content alongside Tom And Jerry, Looney Tunes and Scooby-Doo and the African feed made up a portion of that over the years. And I feel that's how people should see the brand at this point as opposed to killing the original aspect.

At the time, I was able to get the weekend lineup, the weekday lineup wasn't available until today:

00:05 Zig & Sharko
00:30 Moka's Fabulous Adventures
00:55 Moka's Fabulous Adventures
01:15 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
01:35 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
02:00 Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!
02:20 Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!
02:45 Mighty Mike
03:10 Mighty Mike
03:30 Looney Tunes Cartoons
03:50 Zig & Sharko
04:15 The Tom And Jerry Show
04:35 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
05:00 Masha And The Bear
05:20 Grizzy and The Lemmings
05:40 Pat The Dog
06:00 Masha And The Bear
06:30 Zig & Sharko
06:55 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
07:15 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
07:45 Masha And The Bear
08:05 Zig & Sharko
08:25 Zig & Sharko
08:45 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
09:05 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
09:30 Masha And The Bear
09:50 Zig & Sharko
10:15 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
10:40 Grizzy and The Lemmings
10:55 CoComelon Compilations
11:20 Masha And The Bear
11:40 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
12:05 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
12:20 Grizzy and The Lemmings
12:40 Thomas & Friends
13:00 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
13:35 Masha And The Bear
13:40 Masha And The Bear
14:10 Zig & Sharko
14:45 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
15:05 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
15:20 The Adventures of Little Penguin
15:35 Masha And The Bear
15:55 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
16:15 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
16:30 Batwheels: Secret Origin of the Batwheels
17:05 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
17:20 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
17:35 Masha And The Bear
17:55 Masha And The Bear
18:10 Zig & Sharko
18:30 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
18:55 Lucas The Spider
19:15 Looney Tunes Cartoons
19:40 The Tom And Jerry Show
20:00 The Adventures of Little Penguin
20:25 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
20:55 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
21:15 Mr Bean: The Animated Series
21:30 Tom And Jerry Tales
21:50 Tom And Jerry Tales
22:15 Masha And The Bear
22:40 Masha And The Bear
23:00 New Looney Tunes
23:20 New Looney Tunes
23:45 Zig & Sharko

It's kind of odd that Lucas The Spider, Dino Ranch and even Thomas And Friends don't get much attention from 24 hour Cartoonito. My guess is they're probably looking for content with the same prestige as Masha And The Bear and Teen Titans GO!.

Maybe this is temporary as the only known region to replace Boomerang much earlier with Cartoonito has less than 40% of the Boomerang DNA. But I wouldn't be shocked if this was somewhat permanent considering the situation of the United States.

Recap To The Past Year: Is Cartoonito Being Unified Under Cartoon Network?

Cartoonito is a brand name used by Warner Bros. Discovery that offers preschoolers and their families fun, creative and engaging content. It features shows such as Thomas And Friends, Lucas The Spider, Grizzy And The Lemmings and CoComelon.

As seen across Europe by the end of March, Cartoonito is expected to replace several Boomerang feeds after the brand recieved international acclaim following its relaunch in the African market by April 2022.

During the month, Cartoonito recieved some much needed attention after it was discovered that one of their upcoming shows, Scooby-Doo And The Mystery Pups would no longer be moving forward on HBO Max which brought a lot of questions to the channel's future.

For the past months, Warner Bros. Discovery has been making adjustments and to be honest things aren't looking good for the preschool brand. Michael Ouweleen was appointed as President Of Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Adult Swim no mention of Cartoonito.

This was the first time Boomerang was ever mentioned, aside from that Cartoonito has lost out about 19 hours of screentime in the past 6 months following its rollout on Cartoon Network in the United States.

As mentioned sometime ago, I doubt Cartoonito will be going anywhere for the foreseeable future as seen last year Batwheels launched on HBO Max and became the top preschool show aside from the channel in question already receiving popularity in other countries.

Even if they were reports of a shut down in the United States, it's been a proven countless of times that the outcome of a brand in one region doesn't always determine the outcome elsewhere I mean Cartoon Network is slipping in viewers but is the top kids brand in Africa.

If it's any consolation, I can see it shut down in the United States on Cartoon Network I mean on a monthly basis the block gets less and less airtime I don't think it has anything to do with viewer's preferences entirely another has to be the main network, Cartoon Network.

For almost a decade, they've been on autopilot relying on 3 shows and that's what's pulled consumers away from the channel and when Cartoonito rolled out the ship was sinking long back so I can see why they feel the need to reduce Cartoonito.

But as mentioned Batwheels is doing alright plus we have that new Foster's reboot targeted toward preschoolers which has got me thinking. Could it be possible that Cartoonito is being unified with Cartoon Network probably when this reboot pans out?

Interesting enough, this reboot doesn't acknowledge Cartoonito which led me to believe that maybe a merger between both brands could be underway I mean I can see Cartoonito being a thing on HBO Max as for Cartoon Network it will probably clash with other shows.

Cartoon Network hasn't introduced any original programs for a whole year unlike Cartoonito with Batwheels which could serve as a competitor to the current Teen Titans GO! as a merger might help reduce the show's airtime and try to build its variety.

Of course, I do feel a linear component to Cartoonito is long overdue. It doesn't have to offer any fresh content but follow a similar format to the PBS Kids block on PBS as well as the 24 hour repeat padded PBS Kids channel.

Recap To The Past Week: Scooby-Doo And The Mystery Pups No Longer Moving Forward On HBO Max, Cartoonito Remains Safe In Case You're Wondering

Cartoonito is a brand name Warner Bros. Discovery gives to their preschool offering and by the end of the March it would have replaced several Boomerang feeds across Europe. As seen this past week, Cartoonito lost another original show, Scooby-Doo And The Mystery Pups.

Announced in 2022, Scooby-Doo And The Mystery Pups was meant to serve as the first ever preschool series for the Scooby-Doo franchise. It would have featured Scooby and Shaggy as camp counselors who would be recruiting three pups as mystery solvers.

In a tweet by animation writer Roger Eschbacher, he mentioned that the show wrapped early as they lost their distribution to HBO Max so they're hoping another platform would pick up the project and this is not the first Scooby-Doo based project to have gotten canned as well.

Last year, they axed SCOOB!: Holiday Haunt despite the wrapping production to the film and curating a soundtrack. Not long ago, two projects had surfaced Haunted Highrise which would have welcomed back The Hex Girls and another on Krypto The Superdog.

Since word on these cancellations came out several consumers have started speculating the demise of Cartoonito. I mean sure the brand had severed some minor setbacks following the cancellation of Little Ellen but there's been some upsides in the process.

Batwheels launched in 2022 and become the most streamed show for preschoolers on HBO Max. Aside from that, it gained popularity internationally the same popularity that is currently found on Cartoon Network for several decades despite the fall in viewership in the U.S.

Recap To The Past Month: Boomerang Is More Safe With Cartoonito Than Cartoon Network

Last month, Cartoonito Africa got some much needed attention from consumers across the world after Warner Bros. Discovery dropped a bombshell in their virtual event regarding the future of Boomerang programs such as Looney Tunes Cartoons and Mr. Bean.

Warner Bros. Discovery opts to keep the Boomerang DNA intact as they gear up for the preschool based channel, Cartoonito. As seen through my research, Cartoon Network is not the ideal brand to let shows like Scooby-Doo much less Looney Tunes transmit.

Cartoon Network is a boy skewed channel targeting audiences aged 8-14 with shows like Teen Titans GO!, Craig Of The Creek, We Baby Bears, Big Blue, Regular Show and Jellystone. Since 2021, Warner Bros. Discovery has been trying to incorporate variety.

Fast forward to 2023, that variety is not present I mean Cartoon Network has upcoming shows like Fionna & Cake, Invincible Fight Girl and Tiny Toons Looniversity shows that make it seem less boy centric but most of this has yet to be released at this point.

As for Boomerang, Cartoon Network doesn't really do much saving of the brand almost similar to Disney Channel with Disney XD it appears as if they're more focused with the present as opposed to dwelling on the past as seen with the final years of the affected brands.

When Disney XD was scrapped in 2020, Disney Channel limited the amount of rebroadcasts before you had most of their shows getting 1 timeslot each now you have only 2 XD programs Marvel's Spider Man and Big City Greens getting a fair share of airtime.

As of 2023, Disney Channel is more like Cartoon Network nowadays a lot of animation resides on the channel compared to cheesy sitcoms. Big City Greens is the most noted show but it could have been axed and forgotten had it not been this popular.

Looney Tunes Cartoons is the only program from Boomerang I've seen on several Cartoon Networks, I don't think it's there because they want to keep the Boomerang spirit but solely to air the remaining episodes until it joins the lists of other forgotten shows.

Cartoonito Africa continuing to supply these shows isn't a bad thing considering how poorly managed they are when seen on Cartoon Network but it's not a bad thing wanting to focus on the present as much as it's not a bad thing to carry a part of your past.

As mentioned, Disney Channel got a lot better after retiring Disney XD with shows like Marvel's Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur, Hamster & Gretel, Amphibia and The Owl House. Cartoon Network at some point in future will air Invincible Fight Girl and Tiny Toons Looniversity.

Honestly, I feel Cartoonito will mess things up with Boomerang in future in regards to airtime as Latin America already view these shows in the late hours of the day. But it's better having trouble watching 5 shows on Cartoonito than having 1 on Cartoon Network.

Cartoonito Latin America After Combining The Boomerang DNA Into A 24 Hour "Preschool" Destination With Cartoon Network Becoming A Pushover For Selected Programming

Cartoonito Africa is set to combine the Boomerang DNA from March 25 in into a 24 hour full fledged channel offering fun, creative and entertaining content for preschoolers and their families with shows like Interstellar Ella and Bugs Bunny Builders.

Although we have yet to see how Cartoonito Africa is set to merge the Boomerang DNA. Here's a region which was first in phasing out the brand back in 2021. This is a schedule for this month consisting of those Boomerang favourites.

* What's seen in Africa on Boomerang

Weekday:

00:00 Grizzy and the Lemmings
01:00 Oddbods
01:30 Oddbods
02:00 The Tom and Jerry Show
03:00 Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?
03:20 Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?
03:40 Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?
04:00 Masha and the Bear
05:00 Blippi Visits
05:15 La Granja De Zenón
05:30 Sésamo
06:00 Mecha Builders
06:30 Masha and the Bear
07:00 Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go
07:30 Pocoyo
08:00 Bita World: Imagine It
08:15 Hey Duggee
08:30 Odo
09:00 Lucas the Spider
09:30 Grizzy and the Lemmings
10:00 Batwheels
10:30 Monica's Gang
11:00 Masha and the Bear
11:30 Bugs Bunny Builders
12:00 Mush-Mush and the Mushables
12:30 Gabby's Dollhouse
13:00 Grizzy and the Lemmings
13:30 Hey Duggee
14:00 Masha and the Bear
14:30 Bugs Bunny Builders
15:00 Batwheels
15:30 Lucas the Spider
16:00 Odo
16:30 Morphle
16:45 La Granja de Zenón
17:00 Masha and the Bear
18:00 Gabby's Dollhouse
18:30 Bugs Bunny Builders
19:00 Grizzy and the Lemmings
19:30 Mush-Mush and the Mushables
20:00 Lucas the Spider
20:30 Batwheels
21:00 La Granja de Zenón
21:30 Cocomelon
21:45 Cleo & Cuquin
22:00 Pocoyo
22:30 Oddbods
23:00 Masha and the Bear

Weekend:

00:00 Grizzy and the Lemmings
01:00 Oddbods
01:30 Oddbods
02:00 The Tom and Jerry Show
03:00 Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?
03:20 Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?
03:40 Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?
04:00 Masha and the Bear
05:00 Oddbods
05:30 Oddbods
06:00 Cocomelon
07:00 Blippi
07:15 Cleo & Cuquin
07:45 Morphle
08:00 La Granja de Zenón
08:30 Sésamo
09:00 Masha and the Bear
10:00 Hey Duggee
10:30 WeeBoom
11:00 Mecha Builders
11:30 Grizzy and the Lemmings
12:00 Lucas the Spider
12:30 Odo
13:00 Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go
13:30 Pocoyo
14:00 Gabby's Dollhouse
14:30 Bita World: Imagine It
14:45 Cleo & Cuquin
15:00 Cocomelon
15:15 Blippi
15:30 Cartoonito Movie
16:45 Oddbods
17:00 Masha and the Bear
18:00 Tom and Jerry in New York
18:30 Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?
19:00 Mecha Builders
19:30 Hey Duggee
20:00 Gabby's Dollhouse
20:30 Sésamo
21:00 Lucas the Spider Shorts
21:06 Lucas the Spider
21:30 Grizzy and the Lemmings
22:00 La Granja de Zenón
22:15 Cocomelon
22:30 Blippi
22:45 Morphle
23:00 Masha and the Bear

Taking all this to account, notice how Boomerang occupies 37,5% of the schedule particularly on weeknights if you're not into the Boomerang Junior (or Boomernito) part of the channel on weekdays with 38,9% on weekends.

I don't want to speculate anything for Africa but this is how I imagine Cartoonito Africa. Masha, Bean and Grizzy would be safe in my opinion while everything else like Zig & Sharko, Looney Tunes, Tom And Jerry and Scooby-Doo are screwed over in this shake up.

With this being a new channel, it kind of makes sense to not dwell so much in the past if you're intent is to make this another Cartoon Network for much younger audiences as opposed to a TCM reliant on Mr. Bean and Masha And The Bear to keep it afloat.

Cartoonito Movies (formerly Boomerang Movie Stars) is the only reminisce of Boomerang so I'm not expecting much changes to go there as seen with other parts of the channel. It will continue to offer the best of Looney Tunes, Tom And Jerry and Scooby-Doo.

As for Cartoon Network, what can I say the channel isn't reliant on nostalgia it was only just last year that they remembered Dexter's Laboratory, Johnny Bravo and Ed Edd'n Eddy but most parts of the world are more focused in getting on with the present.

Which is what's currently seen on Cartoon Network's schedule at the moment.

Weekdays:

00:05 Total Dramarama
00:28 Looney Tunes Cartoons
00:57 Craig of the Creek
01:20 Craig of the Creek
01:44 Craig of the Creek
02:08 Teen Titans Go!
02:31 Teen Titans Go!
02:54 Steven Universe
03:19 Steven Universe
03:44 Steven Universe
03:55 The Amazing World of Gumball
04:21 The Amazing World of Gumball
04:46 The Amazing World of Gumball
04:58 We Bare Bears
05:23 We Bare Bears
05:48 We Bare Bears
06:00 The Amazing World of Gumball
06:26 Craig of the Creek
06:51 Cartoon Network
07:02 Craig of the Creek
07:26 Total Dramarama
07:50 Total Dramarama
08:01 We Bare Bears
08:27 We Bare Bears
08:52 We Bare Bears
09:03 Summer Camp Island
09:28 Teen Titans Go!
09:52 Teen Titans Go!
10:14 Teen Titans Go!
10:40 The Amazing World of Gumball
11:06 The Amazing World of Gumball
11:29 Craig Of The Creek
11:54 Craig of the Creek
12:05 Teen Titans Go!
12:31 Teen Titans Go!
12:57 We Bare Bears
13:25 We Bare Bears
13:52 We Baby Bears
14:04 The Amazing World of Gumball
14:31 The Amazing World of Gumball
15:00 We Bare Bears
15:34 We Bare Bears
15:45 Monica and Friends
15:52 Craig of the Creek
16:21 Craig of the Creek
16:32 Total Dramarama
17:00 The Amazing World of Gumball
17:33 The Amazing World of Gumball
17:45 Craig of the Creek
17:56 Apple & Onion
18:21 Apple & Onion
18:32 We Baby Bears
18:57 We Baby Bears
19:11 Teen Titans Go!
19:34 Teen Titans Go!
20:00 Total Dramarama
20:26 The Amazing World of Gumball
20:52 The Amazing World of Gumball
20:19 The Amazing World of Gumball
21:31 Craig of the Creek
21:57 We Bare Bears
22:23 We Bare Bears
22:48 We Bare Bears
23:14 We Bare Bears
23:25 The Amazing World of Gumball
23:52 The Amazing World of Gumball

Weekends:

00:05 Total Dramarama
00:28 Looney Tunes Cartoons
00:57 Craig of the Creek
01:20 Craig of the Creek
01:44 Craig of the Creek
02:08 Teen Titans Go!
02:31 Teen Titans Go!
02:54 Steven Universe
03:19 Steven Universe
03:44 Steven Universe
03:55 The Amazing World of Gumball
04:21 The Amazing World of Gumball
04:46 The Amazing World of Gumball
04:58 We Bare Bears
05:23 We Bare Bears
05:48 We Bare Bears
06:00 Craig of the Creek
06:25 Apple & Onion
06:50 Apple & Onion
07:01 We Baby Bears
07:27 Lucas the Spider
07:37 Cartoon Network
07:49 Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go
08:00 Bugs Bunny Builders
08:15 Batwheels
08:26 Tom and Jerry in New York
08:52 Craig of the Creek
09:18 Craig of the Creek
09:29 Teen Titans Go!
09:55 Teen Titans Go!
10:21 Teen Titans Go!
10:53 Teen Titans Go!
11:16 Teen Titans Go!
11:41 Teen Titans Go!
12:03 Total Dramarama
12:30 Total Dramarama
12:56 The Amazing World of Gumball
13:25 The Amazing World of Gumball
13:42 The Amazing World of Gumball
14:01 Hotel Transylvania 2
15:32 The Amazing World of Gumball
16:00 Teen Titans Go!
16:27 Apple & Onion
16:55 Toontubers: Dragon Ball Fighter Z
17:25 Cartoon Network
17:43 Toontubers in CTRL
17:55 The Amazing World of Gumball
18:21 The Amazing World of Gumball
18:47 The Amazing World of Gumball
18:59 Craig of the Creek
19:26 Craig of the Creek
19:52 Craig of the Creek
20:03 We Bare Bears
20:29 We Baby Bears
20:43 Teen Titans Go!
21:08 Teen Titans Go!
21:34 Total Dramarama
21:59 Teen Titans Go!
22:24 Teen Titans Go!
22:49 Teen Titans Go!
23:00 Apple & Onion
23:26 The Amazing World of Gumball
23:52 The Amazing World of Gumball

Notice how 2,08% of the schedule is used to promote Boomerang on weekdays only for it to double on weekends. Basically not much changes were added as Cartoonito launched in the market.

Roundups #143: Zig & Sharko Renewed For A Fourth Season On Cartoonito, Young Rock To Make His Freemium Debut On e.tv And ITV Choice Has Been Relaunched On Samsung TV Plus

Zig and Sharko are back for more gags

Xilam Animation, an independent company for the production and distribution of animated programmes, Academy Award-nominated, has secured its first wave of deals for the upcoming fourth season of its iconic non-dialogue slapstick comedy series Zig & Sharko (78 x 7’), as the company prepares to debut the first episode to buyers at MIPCOM.

Launching in September 2023, season four has been acquired by longstanding partner Gulli (France), which has also renewed its partnership across the previous three seasons. Additionally, Xilam has sold the new instalment to existing partners, VRT (Belgium), Discovery (Italy), DeA (Italy), Nickelodeon (India) and Nova (Israel).

Zig & Sharko continues to generate impressive ratings internationally, particularly in India where the series resulted in Nickelodeon becoming the leading children’s channel in its evening slot, across all demos. In Q2 2022, Zig & Sharko was also the fourth best performing series among children aged 2-14 years and outperformed its lead in and lead out shows in all demos in terms of ratings.

The series is currently seen on Boomerang (soon to be Cartoonito). Apparently, the channel wasn't mentioned when news came it meaning the show could have ended after 3 seasons on the channel or they're just taking long to pick it up in any case further episodes are on Boing.

Regular Nick:
- Wonder Pets revival might be in the works for Nickelodeon
- Peacock greenlights two new animated series
- Boomerang to go dark on the DStv platform next month

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson expresses his charm in new sitcom

e.tv, South Africa's most reliable and free source for English entertainment at the moment home to various local and international productions has acquired rights to NBC's Young Rock currently viewed on M-Net and sister channel, Me.

The sitcom is set in a frame story where Johnson is running as a candidate in the 2032 United States presidential election. Each episode involves Johnson participating in an interview or other conversation which leads him to flashback to a story from one of three periods of Johnson's life (with occasional episodes where all three periods are shown).

In the first season, Johnson is depicted as a ten-year-old in Hawaii; as a high school student in Pennsylvania; and as a college student and football player at the University of Miami.

The series stars Dwayne Johnson, Joseph Lee Anderson, Stacey Leilua, Ana Tuisila, Adrian Groulx, Bradley Constant, Uli Latukefu and Matthew Willig. It is expected to air Saturdays at 19:30 replacing Superstore from March 4th - no update on Grown-ish yet.

Openview Plus:
- Reviewing major changes coming soon to the SABC: early 2023 edition
- Imbewu has been cancelled on e.tv after 5 seasons
- A look at former NBC soap, Passions

ITV Studios and Samsung TV Plus collaborate to launch a number of projects across Europe

ITV Studios had announced a raft of sales and pre-sales deals across its catalogue of scripted and non-scripted content. One of which, Samsung TV Plus launched ITV Choice showcasing the best of ITV Studios including Hell’s Kitchen, Four Weddings and Come Dine With Me.

During the week, ITV Studios expanded their partnership to include a bouquet of channels.

One of the channels is a ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ channel, which will air episodes round-the-clock from the popular U.S. Gordon Ramsay show. The other channel – Storylands – will “become the home for the best European drama” according to ITV Studios. Shows on the channel will be produced by labels which are part of ITV Studios and include dramas such as Norwegian legal series Aber Bergen, the period drama Un Village Français, and the procedural crime drama from the producers of Gomorrah, called Masantonio.

The move follows ITV Studios’ launch of four non-scripted YouTube channels last year – Our World, Our Life, Our Stories and Our Histories. The agreement will see Samsung TV Plus –  Samsung’s free ad-supported app – broadcast content from the ITV Studios catalogue 24/7 across all Samsung Smart TVs made in 2016 and onwards, as well as select Galaxy devices.

Ruth Berry, Managing Director at ITV Studios Global Distribution, commented: “We are very excited to partner with Samsung TV Plus to launch FAST channels in EMEA. We have an amazing library of 90,000+ hours of IP and the FAST/AVOD space is a key strategic focus for ITV Studios as we look to provide global audiences with new ways to access some of our best-known scripted brands, formats and non-scripted entertainment content.”

Video Entertainment:
- BBC to close linear channels and focus on digital future
- HBO Max no longer produces live-action programs for kids and family
- Triggerfish working with Disney+ on a Star Wars project

Press Release: Boomerang Africa Rebrands To Cartoonito Africa From 25 March Includes More Details About Upcoming Series

Boomerang Africa becomes Cartoonito Africa in English-speaking African countries on 25 March – with the best of Boomerang alongside exciting new shows filled with more laughs, more adventures and more friends.

There’s still plenty of room for long-time Boomerang favourites like Zig & Sharko, Mr Bean, Masha and the Bear, Tom & Jerry, Scooby-Doo and Looney Tunes Cartoons to shine alongside newer friends such as Dino Ranch, Thomas and Friends: All Engines Go and Lucas the Spider. Cartoonito brings them together – while adding brand-new shows like Batwheels, Bugs Bunny Builders and Interstellar Ella – just for starters - offering a wider variety of programmes filled with new friends, trusted fun and extraordinary adventures for the whole family to enjoy.

Cartoonito:
- Looney Tunes: Rabbits Run coming this April to Cartoonito
- March on Cartoonito
- Official promo and poster reveal shows remaining on Cartoonito
- Cartoonito might have a hinted a potential new channel for the DStv platform

“The rebrand of Boomerang Africa into Cartoonito Africa enriches our channel universe, bringing together the crème de la crème of Boomerang with more adventures and more friends to be part of ONE big Cartoonito family!” says Ana Gonzalez, Editorial Lead: Southern Europe and Africa, Kids Brands, Warner Bros. Discovery. “We know kids and families love our shows, and we’re looking forward to adding even more amazing content that brings the whole family together.”

Leading the rebranded channel is an exciting special – Secret Origins of the Batwheels – which kicks off at 08:40 CAT on 25 March. Batwheels is an action-adventure show that combines two of kids’ favourite things – superheroes and vehicles! The show revolves around a fun, dynamic team of super-powered vehicles and the obstacles these characters encounter as they battle the bad guys. This heroic and fresh gateway to Gotham City teaches that teamwork is an integral part of play that will help save the day. A 32-minute special, Secret Origins of the Batwheels, sees the Batcomputer forced to bring the Bat-Vehicles to life when Batman, Robin and Batgirl are all captured. The newly-minted Batwheels must defend the Batcave and face off with the Legion of Zoom – all without Batman’s help! The Batwheels series will then run every weekend at 08:40 CAT.

Bugs Bunny Builders follows Bugs and Lola as they manage a crew of builders at ACME Construction Company who really shouldn’t be anywhere near a construction site! However, by working together as a team, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety and others use their tools and wild vehicles to pull off some of the looniest construction jobs ever! Bugs Bunny Builders premieres on Monday, 10 April, at 16:45 CAT and will run Mondays to Fridays at the same time. 

Regular Nick:
- Wonder Pets revival might be in the works for Nickelodeon
- Peacock greenlights two new animated series
- Boomerang to go dark on the DStv platform next month
- Disney Junior and Disney+ to debut new Star Wars series in May

In Interstellar Ella, the year is 3021. The place is the Milky Way, where eight-year-old Ella gleefully heads out with her friends on exciting adventures of discovery. At only eight, she already knows quite a bit about space ... but there is always more to explore! With her besties Slippy and Madhu, Ella navigates the challenges that come her way. Things may not always work out the way she plans, but Ella never lets that get in the way of interstellar fun. Interstellar Ella premieres in June 2023.

Cartoonito Africa – home to your favourite characters filled with more laughs, more adventure and more friends - will be distributed in linear on all the same channels -  DStv (channel 302), GOtv (channel 68) (channel 155 in Ghana and channel 357 in Uganda), AzamTV (channel 227) and Canal+ Ethiopia (Channel 127).