Inside Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA’s Kids Content Strategy

As the industry descends upon Cannes once again for MIPJR & MIPCOM, TBI talks to leading kids commissioners to find out what they’re looking for in terms of originals and acquisitions and what they’ve already got coming up.

Here, Sean Henry, VP of content strategy & acquisitions, kids, Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA, shares the media giant’s interest in preschool content and diverse stories and picks out some of its key titles.

What’s on your kids & family commissioning wishlist at the moment? Are you open to pitches?

We believe that a strong kids & family business is essential for building a leading entertainment company – 75% of the world’s households have kids and we know that they spend across all touchpoints, whether it be in movie theatres, on consumer products or TV subscriptions.

Our own research tells us that households with kids provide great value to streaming services – not only do they watch more, but they are also less likely to churn than households without kids. That’s why we continue to be so committed to investing in kids and family content for our networks and our streaming services in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Our networks were watched in over 160 million households in EMEA last year, whilst HBO Max, HBO and Discovery+ have over 92 million subscribers worldwide. These brands provide an incredible platform for our world-famous IP to continue to delight our existing fans whilst engaging a brand new audience.

We’re open to pitches throughout the year, either in-person or remotely. We’re looking for preschool series to be part of our growing global Cartoonito brand, and animated series targeting boys and girls aged 6+ for Cartoon Network. Both brands are distributed via our network channels and HBO Max.

What upcoming shows are you most looking forward to? What is it about those projects that excites you?

We have an incredibly exciting upcoming slate of new content. We’ve increased our investment in preschool content and have been rolling out our preschool brand, Cartoonito, on our networks and on HBO Max this year.

Cartoonito offers a modern approach to preschool programming and is built to support each child’s unique potential with its educational framework, Humancentric Learning. It aims to inspire kids to use their imagination, to learn from their mistakes and to treat others with empathy and respect. Our best known and most loved IP are central to Cartoonito’s programming slate with brand new preschool series, Batwheels, Bugs Bunny Builders and Scooby Doo And The Mystery Pups all set to premiere in the future.

Meanwhile, Cartoon Network continues to go from strength to strength and this year, alongside returning seasons of fan favourites, Teen Titans Go and Craig Of The Creek, we’re excited to premiere a number of brand new series targeting 6 to 12 year old kids.

We Baby Bears, which follows Grizz, Panda and Ice Bear as they travel in a magical box to fantastic new worlds searching for a place to call home, premiered earlier this year and has already seen a tremendous response from our audience with impressive viewing figured to match.

The Heroic Quest of the Valiant Prince Ivandoe is the second series from Hannah-Barbera Studios Europe, the team behind the global phenomenon The Amazing World Of Gumball, and Cartoon Network’s first series to come out of Denmark. It tells the tale of Ivandoe, a delusional young prince who has embarked on an epically silly quest to Eagle Mountain in search of the legendary Golden Feather. It will be produced in partnership with Copenhagen-based Sun Creature Studio, who also produced the successful shorts. The series is set to launch on Cartoon Network in early 2023 and we are convinced our viewers are going to absolutely love it!

What is your acquisitions strategy? What are you looking for from acquired kids content?

We’re looking for stories and characters that will complement our owned original IP on Cartoonito and Cartoon Network. It’s essential that our audience sees stories, characters and settings that are relatable, recognisable and aspirational, and that reflect the diversity of our region and that’s why we’re committed to investing in content from Europe, Middle East and Africa.

We have slots to fill from 2025 onwards and are looking to build new, local IP over a number of seasons and years. If you have something you think we’d like then we’d love you to get in touch!

 

How Scooby-Doo Created A Generation Of Drug Junkies? By NTMA Production

Scooby-Doo are a gang of characters that was introduced to audiences in 1969 at a time drug culture was booming. When Hanna Barbera created the brand it was already well known for creating several family shows about animals like The Huckleberry Hound Show, Yogi Bear, The Ruff And Reddy Show and Cattanooga Cats.

They also produced several superhero shows like Space Ghost and Dino Boy, The Space Kidettes and Birdman and the Galaxy Trio. Even produced riveting shows like The Jetsons and The Flintstones.

Perhaps one of Hanna Barbera's most greatest animal shows is about a gang who travel with their dog to solve mysteries. But unlike most kids shows this one inspired a generation to use drugs some of them wind up passing away.

Scooby-Doo has been onboard in one form or another for nearly 53 years with 15 series, 45 films and 46 short films including LEGO. While each of these projects have their own variation being a different cast or celebrity cameo from John Cena to Batman and Robin.

One thing these shows have in common is their whimsical view of drug use and abuse. As well as subliminal messaging peer pressuring people into taking these drugs.

Here's why Scooby-Doo leads people to do drugs?

1. Listening to peer pressure

Scooby and Shaggy haven't been fond of following the rest of the gang into abandoned places to apprehend various dangerous criminals. Listening to harassment from your friend can't do you wrong.

2. Bribery

There are special snacks your friends feed you that let you throw your sensibility out the window and live in a world where fear, pain and death doesn't exist or at least in your mind.

3. Addiction Is Not A Problem

The problem isn't addiction but people are being groomed to that lifestyle by various figures and special snacks wouldn't have that much affect on people.

Here's why Scooby-Doo leads people to do drugs?: Part 2

Those who've watched Scooby-Doo would recognise of the members Shaggy who comes across as someone who would use and here's why:

1. Paranoia

Shaggy gets terrified whenever the gang is going to shape up people and is often scared to help alongside Scoob.

2. Munchies

One of the traits about Shaggy is his habit of eating big quantities like sandwiches and is often a side effect to Marijuana.

3. Anorexia

For each quantity he eats he usually remains skinny meaning he's likely taking ecstasy or adarool. Both of which can contribute to one's weight when abused.

4. Addictive personality

Shaggy would do anything for a Scooby snack even overcome his paranoia.

5. Overcome peer pressure

It's no surprise that he would resort to this he was probably friendless till a guy like Fred came into the picture.

Other stuff

1. No job

The gang have no jobs and it is believed that they aren't being paid to solve mysteries so they sell Scooby snacks to kids in order to repair the mystery machine on top of other necessities. It's common for gangs to use this as a form of income.

2. Scooby Snacks: An Addiction

Shaggy can't stop getting his hands on them even throwing caution into the wind.

3. Talking Dog

Scooby is not Krypto or Airbud as the gang consider him a miracle dog despite his fear of danger. He wouldn't be able to talk or get least understand the English language fluently if the gang were using drugs. The only way anyone would be convinced he can talk is through a psychedelic.

To name a dog after a possible drug remains as a mystery perhaps they had another dog they too believed could talk. But how these get people into drugs is simple peer pressure.

 

Warner Bros. TV Layoffs: Studio Cuts 26% Of Workforce; Unscripted & Animation Divisions Merge; Workshop & Stage 13 Shuttered

Warner Bros Television is cutting more than a quarter of its workforce as part of its parent company’s drive to cut costs.

The studio is cutting 26% of personnel, a total of 125 positions, across scripted, unscripted and animation.

It was mentioned on Monday that cuts would likely come today and we revealed earlier that Warner Bros. TV was shutting down digital production arm Stage 13 and its Warner Bros Television Workshop – a key plank in finding and mentoring new and diverse talent.

These cuts come with a number of structural changes put in place by chairman Channing Dungey, particularly in unscripted and animation. She called the move “incredibly difficult” as she pointed to a “tumultuous time” in the industry (read her full memo to staff below).

The television studio is the latest arm of Warner Bros Discovery forced to make cuts in order to save at least $3 billion after the merger overseen by David Zaslav. It comes after HBO and HBO Max laid off 14% of staff, around 70 people, in August.

The total number of employees losing their jobs is 82, some 19% of the current workforce, while Dungey and her team are also not filling 43 vacant positions. This means that there are a total of 125 positions eliminated.

UNSCRIPTED
On the unscripted side, which continues to be run by Mike Darnell, President of Warner Bros. Unscripted and Alternative Television, there are some strategic changes across its three divisions: Warner Horizon Unscripted Television, Telepictures and Shed Media.

The company is combining the creative development and programming roles across Warner Horizon Unscripted Television, which is behind series such as The Voice and The Bachelor, and Telepictures, which produces The Jennifer Hudson Show and previously made The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Bridgette Theriault and Dan Sacks will run Warner Horizon, following the departure of Warner Horizon’s Brooke Karzen after 20 years. David McGuire will run Telepictures.

The move comes after the bringing together of many of the divisions’ back-end functions as part of a restructure in 2020 that saw Kevin Fortson, in physical production, and Matt Matzkin, in business affairs, legal and finance, work across all three divisions. Both Fortson and Matzkin remain.

Shed Media, which is behind series such as Bravo’s Below Deck Adventure and a number of The Real Housewives shows, will remain a stand-alone unit led by Lisa Shannon and Dan Peirson.

The studio is not merging Warner Horizon Unscripted Television and Telepictures fully, ostensibly because of the differences in the ways that the shows are produced. Warner Horizon makes union shows and Telepictures is non-union.

There will be no changes on the international side, where Warner Bros operates more than 20 production companies across the world, or at All3Media, which comes to the company via the Discovery ownership stake.

SCRIPTED
On the scripted side of the business, Brett Paul will remain as President of Warner Bros Television, which is not making any structural changes to the way that business is run, having previously brought together Warner Bros Television and cable/streaming unit Warner Horizon Scripted Television in 2020.

Clancy Collins White will continue to run development and Vicki Dummer will oversee current programming, both continuing to report to Dungey. Adrienne Turner will continue to run comedy development and oversee the comedy team. Adam Glick continues to serve as head of business affairs, Sue Palladino as head of production, and Mele Nagler as head of casting.

Cuts will be made at lower levels of this division.

However, the bigger moves in scripted was the closure of digital studio Stage 13 and the end of its workshops, which we revealed earlier Tuesday.

The scripted moves are a continuation of the TV group’s changing business, particularly an increasing focus on streaming and cable programming, which is thought to include around 65% of its current programming, amid the decline of broadcast TV.

This has been further extenuated by the ownership change at the CW, where Warner Bros TV and CBS Studios were the sole feeders of its scripted originals pipeline.

ANIMATION
In animation, Warner Bros Television is bringing together some of the creative and programming teams within two of its three animation studios: Warner Bros Animation and Cartoon Network Studios.

While current programming, casting, legal and business affairs had worked across all three (the group includes Hanna-Barbera Studios Europe), it will now bring together development and production teams at Warner Animation and Cartoon Network Studios.

The three labels will continue and will continue to be run by Sam Register.

The kids and family series development team will be led by Audrey Diehl, adult animation development will be led by Peter Girardi, and animated longform series development will be led by Sammy Perlmutter, with Bobbie Page leading main production. Ed Adams will continue as EVP and GM.

Shows that come out of these divisions include Invincible Fight Girl, Unicorn: Warriors Eternal and Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake.

The company said that multiple projects remain in active production and development and despite the restructuring, production output is “relatively unchanged.”

Here is Dungey’s note to staff today:

Team,

Today I write to you with sad news and a heavy heart. As many of you have already learned, some of our treasured colleagues will be leaving the company because of restructuring and realignment within our group. This was strictly a business decision, made as thoughtfully and compassionately as possible by studio leadership. But understanding that doesn’t make this moment any easier. These colleagues are more than just people with whom we’ve worked, they are part of our work family. We spend more time together than we do with most other people in our lives. Because of that, this loss is painful and difficult. For those impacted by the changes, I want you to know how grateful I am for your contributions – in some cases, spanning decades – and how deeply sorry I am.

There are a few changes happening within WBTVG that I would like to make specific note of here:

As part of the strategic realignment on the unscripted side, run by Mike Darnell, President, Warner Bros. Unscripted Television, we are making some changes aimed at finding synergies within the group, which includes Warner Horizon Unscripted Television, Telepictures, and Shed Media.

As you may have read yesterday, Brooke Karzen, head of Warner Horizon Unscripted Television, informed us in the last few weeks that she would like to try something new with her career after a highly successful 22-year run at the company. Brooke has been synonymous with The Bachelor brand for more than 20 years, overseeing the original show and developing The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise, and many other extensions that have propelled The Bachelor into a global hit franchise. Her other successes include Emmy winner The Voice, Ellen’s Game of Games, and the Friends and Harry Potter reunion specials, to name just a few. Please join me in saluting Brooke for her tremendous accomplishments and wishing her the best in the future.

As a result of Brooke’s departure, Bridgette Theriault and Dan Sacks will now be leading Warner Horizon. We are combining some creative development and programming roles to work across both Warner Horizon and Telepictures, with David McGuire continuing to lead Telepictures. Lisa Shannon and Dan Peirson will continue to run Shed Media.

Working across all three unscripted divisions, Kevin Fortson continues to lead all aspects of physical production (including budgeting, scheduling, staffing, and more), and Matt Matzkinmaintains oversight of all business affairs, legal, and finance for unscripted series.

In Animation, run by Sam Register, President, Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios, we are implementing a new streamlined structure in which the development and main production teams will now work across both Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network Studios. The kids and family series development team will be led by Audrey Diehl, adult animation development will be led by Peter Girardi, and animated longform series development will be led by Sammy Perlmutter, with Bobbie Page leading main production. This is an extension of the cross-studio teams that have already been in place for current programming, casting, legal and business affairs, and artist relations. Ed Adams will continue as Executive Vice President and General Manager.

On the scripted side, run by Brett Paul, President, Warner Bros. Television, our senior creative leadership team remains in place. Clancy Collins White continues to head up development, with Vicki Dummer as head of current programming. Adam Glick continues to serve as head of business affairs, Sue Palladino as head of production, and Mele Nagler as head of casting.

We will be closing Stage 13, which was founded in 2017 under the former Warner Bros. Digital Networks division as a studio for original digital shortform programming and has produced past series such as Special and It’s Bruno! for Netflix, Two Sentence Horror Stories for The CW/Netflix, and more. WBTV has already been supervising Stage 13 development and programming since 2020. Any existing Stage 13 projects in development will be absorbed within WBTV, which continues to be committed to finding new voices and providing opportunities for its richly diverse creative collaborators to tell authentic stories. I want to thank Diana Mogollón for her passionate leadership of Stage 13 and for the groundbreaking series that she and her team produced.

Also, following the conclusion of the current 2022–23 edition of the Warner Bros. Writers’ Workshop in April, we will be closing the Warner Bros. Television Workshop program, which includes both the Writers’ Workshop and the Directors’ Workshop. Both workshops have been instrumental in training the next generation of creative talent in the industry. While we will no longer have these formalized programs in place, we remain committed to developing and mentoring emerging talent and preparing them for careers in television.

As of this writing, all the impact conversations for WBTVG are complete. Out of respect to our colleagues, we will not be distributing a list of those impacted. Your direct managers will provide you with information about roles changing within specific groups. Your P&C partner will be available as well to address any questions or concerns. During this period of transition, please support each other, and be gentle with one another.

These are challenging times in the world at large, and a tumultuous time in our industry. For this kind of change to hit so close to home is incredibly difficult. But my hope is that these changes, made with an eye to a more focused business strategy, will strengthen and stabilize our company, maintain our great creative output, and better position us for continued future success.

Yet today we are losing members of our work family that we love, whose hard work has helped make our success possible, and for that I am truly sorry. I want everyone who is leaving to know that your contributions mattered, and the shows that you helped bring to life will always be part of the Warner Bros. Television Group legacy. Thank you for being part of our story.

With the deepest gratitude,

Channing

 

Roundups 101: Disney Animation Television Unveils Upcoming Series Kiff, First Look At HBO Max Upcoming Series Velma And Chris Pratt Is Super Mario In Explosive Sneak Peek

Kiff currently in production, slated for 2023

Kimiko Glenn (“Orange Is the New Black”) and H. Michael Croner (“Craig of the Creek”) have been cast as voice-over co-stars in Disney Branded Television’s upcoming animated series “Kiff,” which will premiere in 2023 on the Disney Channel.

“Set in a world where animals and magical oddballs tackle day-to-day life alongside one another, the series follows Kiff and Barry as they navigate school, relationships and their often eccentric community,” according to the show’s longline. Music will also play a role in the series, with a new original song in every episode.

Besides Heavens and Smal, the show’s creative team includes co-producer and story editor Kent Osborne (“Phineas and Ferb” “Adventure Time”), who will serve as co-producer and story editor, and Winnie Chaffee (“Captain Planet and the Planeteers”) as producer. “Kiff” is produced by Titmouse in association with Disney Channel.

Velma is getting an origin story

There's been a lot of chat about Scooby Doo's Velma Dinkley lately, largely because the release of Amazon Prime's Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo!(opens in a new tab) revealed that the character is gay. Fans rejoiced, and so did Google.

So there's more than enough intrigue to fuel HBO Max's Velma, an entirely separate work that intends to play out as an origin story for Velma and the rest of the gang. The adult animated series will not feature the beloved, mystery-loving dog Scooby.

The titular character is voiced by Mindy Kaling, whose sass and signature charm do wonders for the role, at least from what the teaser suggests. Kaling co-created he series alongside Charlie Grandy.

Nintendo is launching another feature film

Start gearing up your (animated) engines, because another film based on Nintendo’s Super Mario video game franchise is coming out soon. The movie, which is officially titled The Super Mario Bros. Movie, is an animated project with a voice cast made up of some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Plans for the next Mario film started way back in 2016, but production didn’t officially kick off until 2020. This is the third feature film adaption of the video game franchise. The first was the 1986 anime film, Super Mario Bros: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach! That was followed by the 1993 live-action film Super Mario Bros., which starred Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper, and Samantha Mathis.

The Super Mario film will be released in theaters on April 7, 2023 in the United States. The movie was previously scheduled to come out December 21, 2022, but it was delayed by a few months.

 

Roundups #97: Harley Quinn Renewed For Season 4 On HBO Max, Till Jail Do Us Apart Currently Streaming On Peacock And Brie Larson On Returning As Captain Marvel

Harley Quinn is bringing on the action

HBO Max has renewed the (very) adult animated DC series for a fourth season, a few weeks ahead of the Sept. 15 finale for season three. The series will also have a new showrunner in season four: Sarah Peters, who has written for Harley Quinn throughout its run and is currently a consulting producer, will serve as executive producer and showrunner, taking over for Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker.

“Patrick Schumacker, Justin Halpern and their incredible team of artists and writers have created something so explosively funny and original, and we are thrilled to continue this journey with them and the show’s legion of fans,” said Billy Wee, senior vp comedy and animation at HBO Max. “It has been amazing to watch the show grow and evolve this season and we could not ask for a more talented and dedicated team of collaborators.”

Season three of Harley Quinn has followed Harley (voiced by Kaley Cuoco) and Poison Ivy (Lake Bell) as they return to Gotham as the new power couple of DC villainy. “Harlivy” strives to become the best version of themselves while also working toward Ivy’s long-desired plan of transforming Gotham into an Eden paradise.

Kate Del Castillo starring in a new Peacock drama series

Kate del Castillo, Roselyn Sánchez, Sylvia Sáenz and Jeimy Osorio star in the new Peacock series, “Til Jail Do Us Part.” The  drama, out Sept. 15, which shows the wealthy women’s husbands unexpectedly getting arrested for being linked to the same criminal organization.

Accustomed to a life of abundance, the four women reluctantly move in together as their previously carefree and luxurious lives are turned upside down. As they begin to get interrogated by detectives in hopes that they tell their husbands’ secrets, they have to get along to get by.

Originally filmed in Spanish, “Til Jail Do Us Part” was dubbed in English by the four leads, “elevating the viewing experience regardless of language preferences,” the press release states.

The future of Captain Marvel

Brie Larson is not sure whether she will be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) after The Marvels. In a recent interview, the actor revealed that she is uncertain about her future as one of the strongest Avengers.

Brie was introduced to the MCU in the 2019 release Captain Marvel. Upon its release, both the movie and Brie received a fair bit of trolling and hate. In fact, the reviews were also largely middling at first. It now has a 79 per cent rating by critics on Rotten Tomatoes, while the audience vote reflects a poor figure of 45 per cent.

Speaking about the Marvel movies and her own participation in it, Brie said, “I don’t know. Does anyone want me to do it again? I really don’t know. I don’t have the answer to that.”

 

Season Six Continues To Unleash Rick And Morty’s Particular Brand Of Animated Multiverse Madness Around The World!

As the new season of Rick and Morty unleashes around the world, fans have turned out in droves to celebrate Adult Swim’s Emmy® Award-winning animated comedy.

Debuting in 112 countries in 38 languages, Rick and Morty season six captured substantial international viewership. Rick and Morty has continued to grow in the US since season six’s premiere early this month. After only three days, the first episode of Rick and Morty saw a 57% growth in delivery, bringing its overall delivery to 1 033 000 viewers.  Rick and Morty is also the best-performing animated show on HBO Max in Europe since the platform launched. And in the top 10 best-performing series on HBO Max in Europe in 2022. HBO Max in Latin America reported a Rick and Morty viewership growth of over 500% in the week following the debut of the season six premiere episode on the service.

Monday, 12 September, marked the conclusion of the global Rick and Morty #WORMAGEDDON immersive fan experience, which galvanised fans both online and in-person to partake in a special 'living episode' of their favourite show leading up to the season six premiere. Since the first build was revealed in Mexico City on 20 August, over 100 000 fans showed up in person to one or more of the 14 unique scenes spotted on six continents.

Watch the reveal of the South African immersive build here.

“It’s so satisfying to see people around the world showing up, literally in person this time, for this new season of Rick and Morty,” said Michael Ouweleen, president of Adult Swim and Cartoon Network. “It speaks volumes about the talent and care that go into making this amazing series.”

With some fans travelling to multiple countries to visit different unique builds and nine lucky fans winning the treasure hunt to receive a coveted life-size, golden ‘Rick’ head, #WORMAGEDDON reached Rick and Morty fans in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, South Africa, Spain, the United Kingdom and several cities in the United States.

Rick and Morty fan, Henning Gawrisch from Muizenberg, walked away with a golden Rick head.

The sixth Wormageddon scene appeared in South Africa. It featured the Rick and Morty character, Tiny Rick, chilling out and eating ice cream with one of the worms at the Muizenberg Beach Huts in Cape Town. The first clue for South Africa was released on Friday, 26 August, at 4pm. Only 20 minutes later, Henning Gawrisch from Muizenberg was lucky to get to the location first, say the code word, and win the golden ‘Rick’ head. The immersive build on Muizenberg beach was a special partnership with the Beach Hut Trust. The site was visited by close to 3 500 visitors.

The Beach Hut Trust was established to promote, protect and preserve the Beach Huts of Cape Town. A public and private partnership that recognises the Beach Huts as arguably South Africa’s most iconic structures and the value that has to tourism and job creation. “Partnering with Rick and Morty and the Adult Swim team was an incredible opportunity for us to promote our city and country to a huge audience around the world,” says Daniel Blaauw, Trustee of the Beach Hut Trust. “Their generous sponsorship of our campaign has proven that the Beach Huts hold value not only for us but to a vast international audience. The partnership created employment and will help sustain our initiative as we grow and create more opportunities.”

Additionally, fans at home could follow along with the global adventure via a series of custom animated shorts about the origins of #WORMAGEDDON including A Citadel Secret, A Journey to Earth, Threat Level: Wormageddon, and Wormageddon: Final Showdown, alongside original videos featuring each build. The original #WORMAGEDDON video content has received over 75 million global views and counting. Several million views came from South Africa alone in partnership with five Cape Town-based social media content creators. Notable highlights from content created in South Africa include a version of the iconic Rick and Morty  'Let Me Out' song by Hanna Kuruneri and Liam Stoffberg’s hilarious take on the #WORMAGEDDON campaign. Watch the key moments of the global campaign here.

“It’s absolutely electrifying to witness the Rick and Morty fan community from different countries around the world coming together to celebrate this series,” said Tricia Melton, chief marketing officer for Warner Bros. Discovery Kids, Young Adults and Classics group. “We knew the power of the Rick and Morty fandom, but it’s still nothing short of astounding to find how many fans took the time to visit one of our 14 custom builds in person or to follow the adventure online.”

New episodes of season 6 continue to premiere throughout September in southern Africa on Mondays on Netflix, only 24 hours after the US premiere. 

 

Roundups #92: Jade Armor Expands To Cartoon Network EMEA, Burning Fire Expands To Ghana On UTV And NXT Europe To Rollout In 2023

Cartoon Network swoops into martial arts

WarnerMedia Kids & Family EMEA has acquired broadcast rights to “Jade Armor,” a banner martial arts action comedy animated series from France’s TeamTO, one of Europe’s foremost kids entertainment production companies.

As part of Cartoon Network’s declared commitment to broadcasting more animation targeting girls, “Jade Armor” will be released on both HBO Max and Cartoon Network in Europe, West Asia and North Africa later in 2022.

An instance of platforms’ drive into local animation and diversity which is galvanizing animation in Europe, the new licensing deal builds on last year’s sale of “Jade Armor” to WarnerMedia Kids & Family in the U.S., ensuring classy powerful premium platform distribution for the series.

Burning Fire coming soon to UTV

United Television (UTV) a 24/7 Ghanaian free-to-air channel privately owned by Despite Group Of Companies which features a line-up of well produced family entertainment dedicated to delivering informative and entertaining programming will be introducing a brand new series titled Burning Fire.

Dante and Irene Ferrer own an important olive-oil production company in Mexico. When they reunite their extended family, a forbidden love blooms between Gabriel and Alexa, who are unhappily married to other people.

The series stars Mariana Torres, Claudia Ramírez, Carlos Ferro, José María De Tavira, Claudia Martín and Kuno Becker.

WWE To Launch NXT Europe In 2023

WWE announced today that the NXT brand will grow internationally with the creation of an all-new NXT Europe, with the launch planned for 2023.

“Following the success of our live events and talent identification efforts throughout all of Europe, we believe this is the perfect time to expand NXT beyond the UK,” said Shawn Michaels, WWE Vice President of Talent Development Creative.

Launched in 2016, NXT UK has received critical acclaim and developed WWE main roster talent such as Rhea Ripley, Doudrop, Gunther and Butch. NXT Europe will reimagine the brand and its talent pipeline with a Pan European focus.

 

Warner Bros. Discovery Considering Running HBO, HBO Max Reruns on TNT, TBS As Low-Cost Programming Option

Warner Bros. Discovery is clearly looking under every stone to try and shake loose a few more dollars to eat into the $3 billion hole that CEO David Zaslav is trying to fill in, and the company is turning to its primary streaming service HBO Max for as much assistance as possible. The company’s latest tactic? Airing streaming and previously premium content on its linear cable channels to attract viewers to as many of its platforms as possible.

According to a new report from Business Insider, Zaslav sees cable channels TNT and TBS as important parts of his strategy to revolutionize WBD’s platforms. The cable channels draw a large audience thanks to their live sports programming, particularly the NBA. If the networks can keep those audiences watching non-sports content, that can help both the linear and streaming brands. So, why not have those networks put some of HBO’s most popular content in front of their eyes?

Second-run programming like “The Sopranos,” “The Flight Attendant,” “Succession,” and other HBO and HBO Max titles could soon become a permanent part of TNT and TBS’s programming schedule. The latter channel has already begun experimenting with one-off presentations called “Front Row on TBS,” which saw the first season of “The Flight Attendant” air ahead of Season 2’s premiere on HBO Max and Season 1 of “Titans” air on cable before the third season began.

This new plan would essentially see — around the valuable sports programming, of course — the Turner networks become a repository of reruns from HBO’s library of premium cable and streaming originals. WBD hopes that this will not only draw more attention to the cablers, but also encourage viewers to sign up for the streamer so that they can watch their favorite HBO programs on demand. While the corporate synergy makes sense, especially as a cheap way to fill cable air time, one unnamed former Warner executive is skeptical of the company essentially going backward when it comes to running the cable channels.

“Samantha Bee is gone, and all of the original programming. It’s reverting back to the old model of 20 years ago and becoming a network that is all reruns,” the former executive said of TBS. “At some point [WBD execs] have to make a decision with all the cable networks: Can they sustain all of them or do they consolidate?”

Warner’s hope for sustaining those channels is the live sports content they offer. TNT’s deal with the NBA runs through the 2024-25 season, and WBD definitely wants to renew that contract. TNT also airs NHL games, and TBS gets some MLB games, while both channels air the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. According to Insider, there is also discussion of making one of the channels a sports-focused network, combining all of WBD’s cable sports rights in one place and supplementing with other sports-themed programming.

While that would be a bigger swing for the company, the movement of HBO shows from being exclusively available via streaming to airing on linear cable channels is a bit of a trend-buster for WBD. More and more networks are choosing to do just the opposite; moving high-profile shows exclusively to streaming in hopes of boosting the profile of their respective streaming services.

That’s what Disney did when it moved “Dancing With The Stars” to Disney+ exclusively. Peacock is doing the same with the long-running soap opera “Days of Our Lives.” But those companies are also increasing their streaming budgets, while WBD is in the midst of a massive cutback.

“Our goal is to compete with the leading streaming services, not to win the spending war,” Zaslav said in the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call last year.

Leaning on established outlets like TNT and TBS as platforms for second-run premium programming may indeed help WBD, but it’s another in a long line of signs that the bottom line is much more important to the company than the customer’s experience.

Roundups #89: Megan Thee Stallion Joins The Marvel Cinematic Universe, Selena Gomez Enters Negotiations For Working Girl Reboot, Scrapped HBO Max Series Drawing Interest Of Various Streamers

Megan Thee Stallion joins the cast of She-Hulk

Megan Thee Stallion is following up her role on Starz’s P-Valley with a cameo appearance in Marvel’s She-Hulk: Attorney At Law.

In an upcoming episode, she becomes involved in a legal case that is being handled by attorney Augustus “Pug” Pugliese, played by Josh Segarra. Segarra teased what’s ahead while chatting with Deadline on the red carpet of the show’s premiere.

“A gentleman is being catfished by somebody that lives in another universe, let’s say. Another world,” Segarra said before confirming Deadline’s teasing response that the catfisher is pretending to be a certain recording artist.

Selena Gomez might be joining another reboot

Selena Gomez and 20th Century Studios are partnering for a reboot of Working Girl.

Gomez is in talks to produce a remake of the 1988 comedy that starred Melanie Griffith as a Long Island woman who secretly takes over her boss’ job while she recovers from a broken leg. Harrison Ford and Sigourney Weaver also starred in the original film, which was directed by Mike Nichols and was a massive success, earning Oscar nominations and an impressive $100 million box office haul.

It is unclear if Gomez would also star in the project, which is eyeing a release on Hulu.

Batman is gaining traction

While Bruce Timm, Matt Reeves, and J.J. Abrams' Batman: Caped Crusader won't be coming to HBO Max, the animated series is reportedly very much alive and drawing interest from Apple, Hulu, Netflix, and more.

As reported by THR, Batman: Caped Crusader was one of six animated titled that was pulled from HBO Max's upcoming slate and will no longer be produced by the company. It was stated that these shows were not necessarily canceled, but instead would be shopped to other studios.

According to THR's sources, "it is believed that the various Warners divisions making the show and movies will make more money on the titles by selling them to other outlets than having them on Warners’ own streamer."

 

Laid-Off HBO Max Execs Reveal Warner Bros. Discovery Is Killing Off Diversity and Courting ‘Middle America’

Adam Manno

Former HBO Max executives say the streaming service has been left with few people of color to oversee its diverse slate of programming as Warner Bros. Discovery continues its ongoing corporate reshuffling.

The platform reportedly laid off close to 70 people this month. That includes the entire teams overseeing unscripted, kids and family, and international content, according to two former HBO Max execs who asked not to be named.

Those three divisions, responsible for buying shows from production companies and creators and working closely with them during production, are now completely gone.

One former employee says as many as 13 people of color previously in charge of developing shows like The Gordita Chronicles and the Spanish-language docuseries Menudo: Forever Young have been let go, likely influencing the types of shows and movies that are greenlit moving forward. Among those laid off are Jen Kim, an Asian woman who served as the senior vice president of the international team, and Kaela Barnes, a Black woman who worked under Kim.

“I don’t think anyone knows just how white the staff is,” one former executive told The Daily Beast.

Former HBO Max staffers say there are barely any non-white people left in the upper ranks of content, with one naming Joey Chavez, an executive vice president of drama, as one of the few people of color still there. Because HBO Max and the original HBO channel operate somewhat independently, one former executive conceded that “there may be one Black woman on the HBO side. Maybe.”

The layoffs have “amplified the lack of diversity at HBO,” another former executive told The Daily Beast. “HBO is the most homogenous part of this umbrella. Instead of trying to figure out how to integrate some of the [Max] executives into HBO, they just made this sweeping cut of three divisions: kids, family, and international. A lot of Black and brown people lost their jobs.”

Ever since parent company Warner Bros. merged with Discovery earlier this year, employees at Warner have grappled with the changing values of the newly created company. Discovery CEO David Zaslav was charged with helping Warner crawl out of a $50 billion hole. He came in like a wrecking ball, tearing up CNN’s $300 million streaming service CNN+ and vowing to pull the Warner-owned news channel away from “advocacy” journalism.

More changes have come in the past couple of weeks.

Earlier this month, it was announced that Batgirl, the $90 million film planned for HBO Max starring Afro-Latina actress Leslie Grace, would be shelved completely in favor of a tax write-off. Over the weekend, CNN media correspondent and host Brian Stelter, a frequent target of right-wing criticism, was fired from the network.

Former Warner employees believe these changes are just as much about business as they are about reshaping the ideological perception of Warner properties. It all points to the same end, they say: A rejection of left-wing or highly diverse content in favor of more homogenous, Middle America-friendly fare. The lack of diversity in content staff might just make that goal easier.

“HBO is the most homogenous part of this umbrella. Instead of trying to figure out how to integrate some of the [Max] executives into HBO, they just made this sweeping cut of three divisions: kids, family, and international. A lot of Black and brown people lost their jobs.”
In a statement to The Daily Beast, HBO highlighted shows like Euphoria, Rap Sh!t, A Black Lady Sketch Show and Los Espookys, all of which are led by diverse characters.

“HBO and HBO Max have always shown a commitment to diverse programming and storytellers, and always will,” the company said.

An internal graphic comparing the audiences of Discovery+ and HBO Max showed a stark demographic difference between the two streamers. Where HBO Max is popular with diverse groups, single people, and drivers of hybrid cars, Discovery+ is popular with white, married people who drive SUVs, minivans, and “traveling buses.” HBO Max viewers are on TikTok and Instagram, while Discovery+ viewers use social media platforms Facebook and Twitter, with the added caveat, “if any.” HBO Max viewers have no kids. Discovery+ viewers are either “empty nesters” or have grandchildren. Discovery may be trying to pull HBO into its orbit as it focuses on what it does best.

HBO Max’s reality offerings presented an obvious sticking point for the new bosses. Where Discovery properties like TLC and HGTV send camera crews out to film what they can find, HBO Max’s offerings are more carefully crafted. They’re sometimes buoyed by stars like Selena Gomez or Steph Curry, who have the power to command big paychecks, and they’re noticeably sleeker, with smoother edits and more complicated camera set-ups adding to their budgets.

One former exec describes Discovery+ as a “more general audience platform that doesn’t have the specificity that HBO Max was tailored to. I think Discovery is just a very ‘all’ audience, [they] don’t wanna make things that are political, topical, alienate Middle America—more Chip and Joanna,” they said, referring to the home renovation show Fixer Upper: Welcome Home hosted by Chip and Joanna Gaines.

Leslie Grace in Batgirl

HBO Max
“If David Zaslav had his wish, he would just program Chip and Joanna all day long,” the executive said. “There was just a massive, ‘We don’t need you. You’re not offering the things we’re focused on.’”

The change in perspective could also partly explain why so many titles have recently disappeared from HBO Max’s platform. Our sources agree that the removals are mostly related to money. The company can claim a tax break for the costs associated with certain shows as long as it promises to stop profiting off them, which means taking them down altogether.

“They’re canceling a lens of perspective that I don’t think exists when you look at Discovery-branded shows,” one former staffer said.

Speaking of the company’s plans to combine HBO Max and Discovery+ into one giant streaming service in the near future, the laid-off exec said: “Don’t be surprised if there’s a new name for the platform.”

Overall, there’s a sense that HBO Max’s executives of color were just another casualty in the company’s quest to get itself out of debt, content quality be damned.

“In terms of people seeing themselves reflected, whether it’s ethnic or LGBTQ, when you have people who are diverse, the lens with which they evaluate [content] factors in things that I think my white colleagues just don’t think about,” one former executive said.

“It’s deep,” said another. “What are they going to do with this disproportionate amount of people of color that were let go? They need to replace them in some capacity. Or do they not care? That’s what we’ve been told, that they just don’t care.”

Adult Swim Reveals Rick And Morty Season Six Southern Africa Premiere Date

Adult Swim, the leader in adult animation, announced today that the two-time Emmy® Award-winning comedy series Rick and Morty will premiere globally and across the multiverse, starting on Sunday, 4 September at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT. Rick and Morty enthusiasts across southern Africa can catch the new season from Monday, 5 September, just 24 hours after the US premiere, on Netflix.

“It’s hard to overstate the impact of Rick and Morty. More than a hit show, it is truly a global phenomenon,” said Michael Ouweleen, president of Adult Swim and Cartoon Network. “As we prepare to launch this soon-to-be iconic season, we will be giving fans a unique way to be part of the fun – so keep your eyes peeled.”

Rick and Morty was the #1 comedy across all cable in 2017, 2019, and 2021 and has been in the Top 10 watched list on HBO Max since its launch. Lifetime to date, Rick and Morty has been viewed over 10B times globally, across linear, digital, and streaming.

Rick and Morty is the Emmy® Award-winning half-hour animated hit comedy series on Adult Swim that follows a sociopathic genius scientist who drags his inherently timid grandson on insanely dangerous adventures across the universe. Rick Sanchez is living with his daughter Beth’s family and constantly bringing her, his son-in-law Jerry, granddaughter Summer, and grandson Morty into intergalactic escapades.

It’s season six, and Rick and Morty are back! Pick up where we left them, worse for wear and down on their luck. Will they manage to bounce back for more adventures? Or will they get swept up in an ocean of pee! Who knows?! Pee! Family! Intrigue! A bunch of dinosaurs! More pee! Another can't-miss season of your favourite show.

Rick and Morty stars Justin Roiland (Solar Opposites), Sarah Chalke (Scrubs), Chris Parnell (Saturday Night Live), and Spencer Grammer (Greek). The series is created by Dan Harmon (Community) and Roiland, who also serve as executive producers.

 

Roundups #88: The Good Doctor Getting A Female Led Spinoff, Young Justice Reportedly Not Moving Forward At HBO Max And King Kong Series In Development For Disney+

The Good Doctor spinoff in development

ABC is developing “The Good Lawyer,” a legal spinoff of the medical drama “The Good Doctor” which stars Freddie Highmore as Dr. Sean Murphy, a surgeon with autism.

“The Good Lawyer” will be introduced as a backdoor pilot during Season 6 of “The Good Doctor,” which is set to premiere in October. Sean finds himself in legal trouble and seeks the services of Joni, a twentysomething defense attorney who has OCD. Joni, relatively new to her law firm, is funny, eager, self-aware and anxious. She is a skilled lawyer and doesn’t want to be treated differently by others, though her OCD symptoms affect her personal and professional life. At one point, her firm tries to fire her, after which she is forced to threaten to sue for a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

One higher-up at the firm involved in the firing attempt is Janet, a highly-regarded attorney and partner at the firm who has represented Dr. Glassman (Richard Schiff) in several legal matters throughout the years. Glassman turns to her to represent his protégé Shaun, and when Shaun chooses Joni to represent him, the cynical Janet is forced to reconsider her assessment of Joni.

Young Justice cancelled on HBO Max

It appears that Young Justice has been canceled for the second time in its run as HBO Max is reportedly not bringing the beloved DC animated series back for season 5. August has been a turbulent month for Warner Bros. Discovery following their massive merger earlier this year. The studio made major headlines with the shocking decision to cancel HBO Max's Batgirl movie, starring Leslie Grace as Barbara Gordon. Despite principal photography having completed in late March, Warner Bros. Discovery shelved Batgirl while also revealing plans to have HBO Max and Discovery Plus become one streaming service next summer.

With the shake-up going on, it was also revealed during the Warner Bros. Discovery earnings call that animation would be part of a "restructuring" for the new version of the studio. This put the popular series Young Justice in question regarding if it will get a season 5. Despite having already finished airing season 4, subtitled Young Justice: Phantoms, HBO Max, or Warner Bros. TV have yet to announce a renewal for the series, which originally began on Cartoon Network. Concerns have been high ever since Young Justice showrunner Greg Weisman confirmed on social media that they have yet to learn about a potential season 5.

King Kong is coming to Disney+

An iconic monster is headed to Disney+. Disney Branded Television is in very early development on King Kong (working title), a series for Disney+ tracking the original story of the famous ape. Deals have just closed for the project, from James Wan’s Atomic Monster, which would mark the first live-action series set in the Kong universe.

Written by Paper Girls creator Stephany Folsom, King Kong is a serialized action-adventure drama that brings the classic monster story into the modern age, with a return to Skull Island and the dawn of a new Kong. The series will explore the mythology of King Kong’s origin story and the supernatural mysteries of his home based on IP from Merian C. Cooper’s original books and the new King Kong novelizations by Joe DeVito.

A live-action series, King Kong Skull Island, was in development at MarVista Entertainment and IM Global Television five years ago with a different creative team, also based on Cooper’s King Kong and DeVito ArtWorks’ Skull Island, with Festa executive producing. It did not come to fruition.

The Amazing World Of Gumball: The Movie, Batman: Caped Crusader, Steve Urkel Revival And More Not Moving Forward On Cartoon Network And HBO Max

As reported by sources, six animated projects have been dropped by HBO Max, among them an animated movie based on the Cartoon Network series The Amazing World of Gumball from series creator Ben Bocquelet and Shane Mack and a holiday movie about a young Damian Wayne directed by Mike Roth and written by Morgan Evans. While the projects, most of them from Warner Bros. Animation, will no longer stream on HBO Max, all six of them are being shopped to other outlets.

Based on the original Cartoon Network series of the same name, The Amazing World of Gumball Movie was announced in February 2021. The film is intended to serve as a bridge between the original series, which ran for six seasons on Cartoon Network between 2011 and 2016, and a new series for HBO Max titled Amazing World of Gumball: The Series. At the time of writing, the new series is still intended to premiere on HBO Max.

The other projects dropped by HBO Max include
The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, written by Kevin Costello; Bye Bye Bunny: A Looney Tunes Musical , with screenplay and lyrics from Ariel Dumas; Did I Do That to the Holidays: A Steve Urkel Story, an animated musical holiday special from Wyatt Cenec with Jaleel White reprising his Family Matters role; and Batman: Caped Crusader from Batman: The Animated Series co-creator Bruce Timm.

This is another development in a long line of cuts on HBO Max, which recently removed 36 titles from its streaming catalog. According to a spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery, this decision was a result of the plans to merge HBO Max and Discovery+. "As we work toward bringing our content catalogs together under one platform, we will be making changes to the content offering available on both HBO Max and discovery+...That will include the removal of some content from both platforms," HBO Max wrote in a statement.

The merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery in April has resulted in several changes to the company, including layoffs, the removal of Warner Bros. titles from the streaming service and the cancelation of upcoming HBO Max exclusives like Batgirl. However, Warner Bros. Discovery president and CEO David Zaslav has revealed plans to expand HBO Max's content library overall, with a focus on increased "content" and overall "quality."

"Quality is what [Chief Content Officer] Casey [Bloys] and that team is delivering," Zaslav said. "It’s the best team in the business. We’re doubling down on that HBO team. They’re all committed under contract and we’re going to spend dramatically more this year and next year than we spent last year in the year before."

 

Roundups #85: Live-Action Pac-Man Movie Is In The Works, BET+ Acquired Broadcasting Rights To South African Drama Series Pulse And Doom Patrol Alongside Titans Expected To Be Cancelled

Pac-Man to get feature film

A live-action film is in development based on the classic arcade game character with an endless appetite, Pac-Man.

The project hails from Bandai Namco Entertainment — the company behind Pac-Man, as well as games like Galaga and Tekken — and Wayfarer Studios, the production company founded by Justin Baldoni and Steve Sarowitz.

First introduced in the U.S. in 1980 — and originally called Puck Man in Japan — Pac-Man became a coin-operated staple. The game is set in mazes where Pac-Man has to eat pellets while being pursued by colorful ghosts as the mazes get progressively more difficult.

Pulse is streaming overseas

BET+ has picked up the U.S. streaming rights to South African-produced sci-fi survival thriller “Pulse.”

“Pulse” tells the explosive story of an electromagnetic pulse that disables a secure building and disrupts the bio-electric signals in everyone’s minds, trapping a group of video game designers and turning each floor into a psychotic battlefield. The show questions whether the modern human race can really survive without the technology that defines our way of life today.

The series shot in South Africa as well as Mauritius.

Doom Patrol and Titans have not been cancelled

DC fans were sent into a flurry the past day as a Variety report circulated that Doom Patrol and Titans, two refugee shows from the DC Universe streaming service, were expected to be cancelled.

But now, it has been updated that piece to reflect that a decision has not been made and that “like all shows,” their renewal will depend on the performance of the upcoming seasons that will be out later this year. I think fans were freaked out about maybe even those seasons being not allowed to air, given that anything seems possible after WB killed its finished Batgirl movie in order to take the tax writedown. Nothing feels safe, even if so far, Batgirl and one Kevin Smith project appear to be the only confirmed casualties under the new WB Discovery management.

But even if Titans and Doom Patrol are safe for now, I would be somewhat surprised if that continued into the future, and for me personally, I do expect probably Doom Patrol, and possibly Titans to be canceled as WB tries to rein in its variety of DC universes they have running, whether that’s deserved or not.

HBO Max Quietly Drops More Titles, Animation Takes A Heavy Hit

After Netflix gutted their animation department and canceled a slew of their announced projects back in May, HBO Max appears to have taken the "hold my beer" approach and followed suit by absolutely gutting their own animated offerings on the platform. The streamer has already been quietly removing a number of films and series since the merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery, but today's announcement was an absolute bloodbath, with animated projects taking the brunt of it all. Nearly 40 titles either already have been or will be removed from HBO Max by the end of the week, including 20 HBO Max originals.

"As we work toward bringing our content catalogs together under one platform, we will be making changes to the content offering available on both HBO Max and discovery+," the streamer said in a statement. "That will include the removal of some content from both platforms."

Yeah, yeah, the official statement is cute and all, what with referring to fully produced series as "content," but it doesn't take into consideration how this decision is not just removing hours of animated (and unscripted, I don't want to gloss over their losses) entertainment, but also the results of countless hours and artistry from so many people.

We worked for 5 years to make 100 episodes of animation. We worked late into the night, we let ourselves go, we were a family of hard working artists who wanted to make something beautiful, and HBO MAX just pulled them all like we were nothing. Animation is not nothing!

— Julia Pott

Julia Pott, the creator of "Summer Camp Island" took to Twitter to express her frustrations, noting that her team spent five years making 100 episodes of animation, "and HBO Max just pulled them all like we were nothing." She ended her tweet with what feels like a rallying cry by saying, "Animation is not nothing!"

Blatant disrespect toward the animation industry
Nate, Jesse, and Lake in Infinity TrainHBO Max
The industry has a serious, serious problem with its treatment of animation. The Oscars incorrectly declared that animation was only something for children to enjoy and adults to endure during this year's broadcast, Hollywood A-listers continue to take away opportunities from seasoned voice-over artists in animated features, and now streamers are sending animated series into a void of nothingness as a means to write them off on their taxes. The entire entertainment industry is treating the world of animation like a public school cutting out arts programs to make way for a new football field.

"Tig 'n Seek" art director Levon Jihanian took to Twitter, imploring people to watch the show, saying this is probably the last chance. "Probably won't stream anywhere else. Absolutely infuriating," he wrote.

If you're my friend and still havent gotten around to watching Tig N' Seek, this is your last chance. Probably won't stream anywhere else. Absolutely infuriating.

— Levon Jihanian (@ForkFrenzy) August 18, 2022

Marie Lum, a storyboard artist and revisionist on "Aquaman: King of Atlantis" and "Infinity Train" tweeted "please watch our cartoons before [they're] removed this week. I see nearly my entire cartoon career being removed here on these lists, which is wild." She finished her post with a heartfelt message: "thanks for watching and supporting the things we make with love."

please watch our cartoons before theyre removed this week. i see nearly my entire cartoon career being removed here on these lists, which is wild. thanks for watching and supporting the things we make with love

— Marie Lum

Perhaps most disheartening is that many of the HBO Max originals will not have a life after they are removed from the platform. The idea that Warner Bros. Discovery would allow one of their competitors to pick up a show like "Tig n' Seek," "Infinity Train," or "Close Enough" is unlikely.

Today is a bleak day for animators and fans of animation, and it's hard not to think this could have been avoided if the industry had some respect for the people and projects that represent one of the most beloved mediums in all of entertainment.

However, there is one ray of hope: in a statement to The AV Club, Cartoon Network confirmed that "Victor & Valentino" and "Summer Camp Island" will continue to air on the cable network. The dates are currently TBD, but "fans can look forward to the remaining new episodes of both shows on CN this year."

All of the new titles being removed from HBO Max
Gweeseek and Tiggy in Tig 'n SeekHBO Max
Below are all of the titles being removed from HBO Max. While there's no news on where all (if any) of these titles will end up, there are a handful that will still be available on other streamers due to existing deals. "OK K.O.! – Let's Be Heroes," for example, is as of publication still available on Hulu, albeit in the wrong episode order.

A moment of silence for those that are getting tossed like table scraps, because someone with a ridiculous amount of power couldn't see the feast right before their very eyes.

HBO Max Original Programs
"12 Dates of Christmas"
"About Last Night"
"Aquaman: King of Atlantis"
"Close Enough
"Ellen's Next Great Designer"
"Esme & Roy"
"The Fungies!"
"Generation Hustle"
"Genera+ion"
"Infinity Train"
"Little Ellen"
"My Mom, Your Dad"
"Odo"
"Ravi Patel's Pursuit of Happiness"
"Summer Camp Island"
"The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo" (and select "Sesame Street" specials)
"The Runaway Bunny"
"Theodosia"
"Tig n' Seek"
"Yabba Dabba Dinosaurs"
"My Dinner with Herve"

Cartoon Network Programs
"Dodo"
"Elliott From Earth"
"Mao Mao, Heroes of Pure Heart"
"Mighty Magiswords"
"OK K.O.! – Let's Be Heroes"
"Uncle Grandpa"
"Victor and Valentino"

Additional Acquired Programs
"Detention Adventure"
"Messy Goes to Okido"
"Mia's Magic Playground"
"The Ollie & Moon Show"
"Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures"
"Make It Big, Make It Small"
"Squish"

Unpopular Fact: Cartoon Network Was A Loss Making Channel

When two corporations merge a bunch of wild decisions are made that we should definitely be worrying about. A recent announcement revealed that HBO Max as you know it won't be sticking around for much longer and something else will be taking place.

During an investor call, Warner Bros. Discovery's CEO David filled us in on what's happening by the end of 2023. HBO Max and Discovery+ are combining to form a new streaming service by next year. It will have a mix of old and new content with a lot of details still being left in the dark.

While this combo is taking sometime to get going we are already feeling the consequences right now - cancellations.

You may know that the Batgirl and Scoob: Holiday Haunt's situation were both these projects were close to being finished then they were just scrapped from ever releasing. That was bad but things are about to get much worse.

During the investor call, we learnt some unfortunate news about animation. In a previous slide from WarnerMedia, it was revealed that a high budget was going into projects including kids and animation with unproven financial returns.

On the call, we also learnt that content on both streaming and linear platforms would be cut without an adequate investment case on them if that was bad it's probably gonna get worse. This means that no current or upcoming offering is safe from being cancelled.

As stated in that upfront they would be looking to cutting back on local investment so it might be bye-bye to My Cartoon Friend, Elliott From Earth and CN To The Rescue alongside upcoming attractions like Garbage Boy And Trash Can, Iyanu: Child Of Wonder, The Adventures Of Ivanhoe and Battu are all not safe.

Credits: Vailskibum94