What’s on the slate
Scholastic Entertainment and 9 Story Media Group are heading to Mipcom with a franchise-heavy animation slate. Four projects are in development: Millie Fleur (52×11′), a preschool comedy adapted from Christy Mandin’s Scholastic books; Worst Week Ever (52×11′), an eight-to-12s comedy developed with Studio Moshi, ABC Australia and the Australian Children’s Television Foundation; Beanstalk & Bear: Fairy Tale Detectives (52×11′); and Earth Rangers: Underground (52×11′), aimed at five-to-eight year olds.
The new series list includes Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures, a 117×7′ run of musical shorts that expands the Super Why! franchise with new character Power Paige. Two existing titles return: Do Not Watch This Show season two (20×11′) and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood season eight (16×11′), the latter coproduced with Fred Rogers Productions.
Why the format mix matters
For buyers, the slate is a portfolio of slot lengths as much as a collection of shows. The 117×7′ Super Why! order is a short-form product attached to a known preschool brand; it is easier to place in digital windows and is less demanding than a full format. The four 52×11′ projects give linear and streaming buyers half-hour-friendly blocks, while 20×11′ and 16×11′ returning orders keep existing franchises in production at lower decision risk.
One way to read the slate is to separate brand risk from format risk. Franchise returns lower discovery risk because the audience and buyer relationship already exists. Short-form episodes lower production and scheduling risk. 9 Story is packaging both, which is a practical example for producers and marketers trying to make a slate easier to approve.
- Franchise extensions dominate: Super Why!, Daniel Tiger and Wizz return in new or continued form.
- Co-production de-risks new IP: Worst Week Ever carries Australian partners.
- Brown Bag Films will show animation tests from the slate at Mipcom and is signalling preschool-to-adult capability.
What to watch at the market
Mipcom is a sales market, not a greenlight announcement. The real signal will be which of these projects converts into broadcaster and platform orders. For media planners and entertainment marketers, the takeaway is that familiar brands are being used as the lead offer, with new titles positioned as portfolio bets. If the market rewards this mix, expect more short-form brand extensions and co-production stacking on new children’s titles.
The reported lineup also shows how animation studios are packaging capability alongside content: Brown Bag Films is using the market to showcase tests and signal that its pipe runs from preschool through adult animation.
Source: C21Media
