Nickandmore!

[via press release]

Cartoon Network Builds Momentum and Stays ‘On It’ with Kids Announcing Five New Series, 662 New Episodes and 24 New Premiere Specials and Movies at 2007 Upfront Presentation

Innovative “CallToons” Application to Take Over Mobile Phone

The Legendary Santo Gets Animated and Ben 10 Goes Live!

Re-Animated to Debut as Weekly Series – Class of 3000 Gets Second Season

ATLANTA (February 14, 2007) – At the Cartoon Network Upfront event held today in New York, Cartoon Network announced its programming line-up for 2007. Coming off the successful launches of Class of 3000; Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends original movie, “Good Wilt Hunting;” and the network’s first-ever live-action movie, Re-Animated, Cartoon Network continues the momentum in 2007 with five new original series, a network invasion, a multi-media event featuring inspirational kids, and a new innovative technology that will let characters take over your mobile phone. The network also showed a sneak peek of its previously announced and highly anticipated Massively Multi-Player Game, scheduled for 2008, and also introduced a new after school franchise called Master Control, allowing kids to choose what they want to watch starting in the late summer.

The legend of the wrestling hero, “Santo, El Enmascarado de Plata (the silver masked man) will live on in the new animated action series about the iconic wrestler who uses his mask’s mystical powers to fight villains both inside and outside the ring. The animated comedy, Chowder, centers around the magical adventures of a young, aspiring chef who struggles not to eat everything in sight. The Secret Saturdays is a comedy-action series about a family of super-scientists who are always on call and ready to protect against all the hidden and terrifying things in the world. The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack tells the story of a boy who lives inside a whale and sets sail with an old pirate for Candied Island.

“Cartoon Network comes into this season with real momentum,” said Mark Lazarus, president, Turner Entertainment Group. “We’ve been on a strong run over the last few months on every platform with our content and our commitment to our core audience continues on all levels.”

“Last year we saw tremendous growth by extending our brand into new areas of programming,” said Michael Ouweleen, senior vice president of development and creative direction for Cartoon Network. “We had great success by always being ‘on it’ for kids in whatever environment they wanted to enjoy the Cartoon Network experience and we are looking forward to growing even more with this new slate of programs and special events.”

Cartoon Network also greenlit the original series Re-Animated. Based on the network’s first original movie combining live-action with animation, Re-Animated will debut in the summer. In addition, it was announced that the hit series from André “3000” Benjamin and Tom Lynch, Class of 3000, has been greenlit for its second season and will kick things off with a high energy musical event.

New Original Series:

Santo (working title): With comic-book-style heroes, villains and storylines, the yet titled new series is an action packed adventure based on the legend of the real-life iconic wrestling hero, Santo, El Enmascarado de Plata (the silver masked man). Santo is one of the one of the world’s most respected and most popular Mexican luchadores (wrestlers). The legendary Mexican wrestler, El Hijo del Santo (Son of Santo), will work with creator and executive producer Carlo Olivares Paganoni to develop the action/fantasy series set in Mexico City. In the animated series, Santo proudly upholds the honor that was passed down by his father. Along with inheriting the silver mask, the ultimate sign of purity and goodness, a brave and young Santo must also learn how to manage a vast array of mystical powers with the guidance of Cóatl, an ancient feathered serpent. Santo uses his new powers to defend justice inside and outside the wrestling ring and faces a slew of enemies ranging from everyday criminals to genetically enhanced mystical villains.

Chowder: The new comedy series chronicles the magical misadventures of a young chef’s apprentice as he enters into the fantastic city of Marzipan. Chowder is faced with amazing and surreal chores, like baking a flying pie or stewing up a pot of singing string beans. Unfortunately, Chowder is inclined to eat everything in sight and his days are filled trying to avoid one disaster after another. Chowder is filled with eccentric characters and fantastical situations but for Chowder it’s all about learning to become a master chef, like his mentor Mung Dahl. Chowder was created by Carl Greenblatt, a veteran animator at Cartoon Network Studios and the voice of Fred Fredburger on The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy.

The Secret Saturdays: In the new comedy-action series created by Jay Stephens, Doc, Drew and Zak Saturday are a family of world-saving adventure scientists called The Secret Saturdays. They live in a hidden base and are part of a network of scientists who protect against all the hidden and terrifying things in this world. To The Saturdays, ordinary folktales aren’t just legends—they are real-life mysteries and adventures. Traveling from the hot Gobi Desert to the icy Marianas Trench, they explore ancient temples and bottomless caves and tangle with twisted villains, including the masked madman V.V. Argost and his half-human/half-giant spider.

The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack: Raised by a talking whale in the bubbling splendor of the sea, Flapjack’s life was peaceful and tranquil until he rescued an old pirate, Captain K’Nuckles, from a shipwreck. Captain K’Nuckles charms Flapjack into following him with a map that will lead them to the greatest treasure he could imagine, Candied Island, a magical dessert-ed island filled with lollipop flowers and lemonade springs. Just when they think they are close to the licorice bark on the popsicle trees, misadventures get in the way. The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, a new comedy series, is brought to us by creator by Thurop Van Ormon.

Re-Animated: Re-Animated premiered in December 2006 as the network’s top original movie ever with kids 6-11. Now Jimmy and his animated world with Golly and the gang continue with crazy adventures in the new original series. When seventh-grader Jimmy Roberts (Dominic Janes, ER) requires an emergency brain transplant after a collision with a park trolley while visiting the famous Gollyworld theme park, his world is changed forever. Gollyworld doctors give him the frozen brain of the famous cartoonist Milt Appleday. Now wherever Jimmy goes he sees all of Milt Appleday’s cartoon characters in the real world. Golly Gopher, Dolly Gopher, Crocco the Alligator and the rest of the Appleday cartoon gang come to life, but only in Jimmy’s (or Milt’s) brain. While they can’t change anything in the real world, they certainly make life crazy for Jimmy. Re-Animated, from creators Adam Pava and Tim McKeon, is scheduled to premiere in the summer.

Special Events:

“Cartoon Network Invaded”: The invasion begins in May when Bloo from Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends sends a message to deep space and ends up letting loose aliens on Earth and in popular Cartoon Network original series Ed, Edd, n Eddy, My Gym Partner’s a Monkey, Camp Lazlo, and The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. Every Friday in May, an alien will arrive in a new episode, culminating with an out of this world alien invasion marathon on Memorial Day.

“Props:” Cartoon Network has created “Props,” a multi-media event celebrating inspirational, real-world kids who demonstrate exceptional talent, commitment and accomplishment in a single area of expertise, such as a sport, a musical instrument, gaming or a hobby. Throughout the summer, Cartoon Network will profile 16 amazing kids on-air and online. Young viewers across America will determine six finalists by voting for their favorites online in a face-off challenge. The six finalists will be rewarded for their accomplishments by getting “Props,” a once-in-a-lifetime experience in their area of excellence to be filmed for television. Airing in September, this first-ever hour-long special will be an inspiring celebration of the six awesome experiences.

Ben 10 Live-Action Movie: Life on the road with Ben, Gwen, Grandpa Max and the Omnitrix has never seemed so real. Ben 10, the popular animated series, comes to life in its first-ever live-action movie. Ben Tennyson is a normal 10-year-old boy. Except that with a flick of his wrist, he can transform into any one of 10 alien beings with amazing superpowers, like the powerful Four Arms or the slime-spitting Stinkfly. Despite his ability to change physically, Ben is still a kid at heart and has a little trouble figuring out how to act like a superhero when the pressure is really on. The movie is directed by Alex Winter (Bill in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure) and is slated to premiere in the fall.

New Media:

CallToons: Cartoon Network New Media has created CallToons, a revolutionary new mobile application that integrates smart technology with entertainment, essentially allowing Cartoon Network characters to take over a mobile phone. Using patent pending technology, CallToons creates an unparalleled user experience that replaces ordinary mobile phone functions (such as ringtones) with entertaining voice and sound provided by the users’ favorite character, adapting the message based on real time information, such as repeat calls.

Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com), currently seen in nearly 91 million U.S. homes and 160 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s ad-supported cable service offering the best in original, acquired and classic animated entertainment for kids and families. Overnight from 11 p.m.-6 a.m. (ET, PT) Sunday-Thursday, Cartoon Network shares its channel space with Adult Swim, a late-night destination showcasing original and acquired animation for young adults 18-34.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, is a major producer of news and entertainment product around the world and the leading provider of programming for the basic cable industry.