Sep 29, 2004

Foothill Offers Classic Series Along With New Projects

Along with its full slate of development projects, Foothill Ent. Inc. will bring to MIPCOM several classic children’s series. Having signed a multi-series representation agreement with U.K.-based Splash Consumer Products, Foothill brings to the market Animal Stories and Little Monsters. The company also has picked up North American rights to the animated cult classic Batfink. Rounding out its new offerings of completed programming, Foothill will represent worldwide the multi-award-winning preschool series, The Dress Up Box, from Papageno Films in New Zealand. Animal Stories (52x5) is a BAFTA award-winning animated series produced by Collingwood O’Hare. Voiced by Sir Nigel Hawthorne, the stories are underpinned by a social message told in a simple and humorous style. Each episode follows the life of a different animal. The series has been translated into several languages. Little Monsters (52x5), featuring Dangerous Dave, Irritating Irving, Sulky Sally and many more, goes to prove that sometimes with kids, if you didn’t laugh with them, you would probably cry. Batfink (100x5), produced by the famous Hal Seeger Studios, has remained an icon in animation and continues to rank in the top 10 animated series in many international territories. Fighting crime with his trusty sidekick, Karate, Batfink battles evildoers such as Skinny Minny, Manhole Manny and Gluey Louie, wherever they may be. Batfink is best known for his cry, “My wings are like a shield of steel!” Joining these classic animated series, The Dress Up Box (52x5) is a live-action pre-school series, which has just finished its fourth season in New Zealand. Children open up a huge treasure chest, they find a costume, put it on and are magically propelled into a fantasy adventure. The programs are self-contained stories, which feature children in costumes with original songs and special effects. Additionally, Foothill is looking for coproduction partners with its full slate of development properties, such as Special Delivery (26x25) and Kid Kaiju (26x25) from the Emmy-winning team at phuuz ent. In Special Delivery, a team of rogue delivery personnel sets out to deliver the packages that the regular postmen won’t touch. Special Delivery has been developed by phuuz ent. for the television, videogame and licensing markets. The futuristic boys’ action anime property, Kid Kaiju, follows Alex Takuma who lives in a world where giant monsters attacking cities and alien invasions are commonplace. Foothill is also at MIPCOM to solidify co-production partners for the preschool series, Snapper, which comes from U.K.-based Phew!!TV. The series follows the adventures of little Snapper, a cute young alligator raised on and around the Maricombo River, but never in it, because Snapper is the only alligator that can’t swim. Founded in September 2000 by former DIC Ent. evp of business and legal affairs, Gregory Payne and Jo Kavanagh-Payne, former Link Television Ent. svp of U.S. operations, Foothill specializes in the codevelopment and distribution of children’s and family entertainment programming. Their company is based in Santa Barbara, California. Both founders will be attending MIPCOM and will be staying at the Grand Hotel (tel.: [33] (04) 9 33 81 54 5). Jo Kavanagh-Payne can be reach via cell phone at +1 805 637-6054 and Gregory B Payne at +1 805 637-3280. Download newsletter here: MIPCOM 2004 SPECIAL EDITION No 3, 2004 Contact: Jo KavanaghPayne Gregory B Payne 805 965 4488