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Apple TV+ is expanding its kids and family programming slate with the order of the new animated series “Curses!” Variety has learned exclusively.

“Curses!” will premiere on the streaming service on Oct. 27. It hails from DreamWorks Animation with John Krasinski among its executive producers.

The series is described as a spooky adventure comedy. The official description states, “When a generations-long family curse turns Alex Vanderhouven to stone, it’s up to his two kids, Pandora and Russ, and his wife Sky, to return artifacts stolen by their ancestors to their rightful homes to finally lift the curse for good.”

The voice cast includes: Gabrielle Nevaeh as Pandora, Andre Robinson as Russ, Lyric Lewis as Sky, Reid Scott as Alex, Rhys Darby as Stanley, James Marsters as Larry, Rhea Perlman as Margie, Phylicia Rashad as Georgia Snitker, and Robert Englund as Cornelius.

Jim Cooper and Jeff Dixon created “Curses!” and serve as executive producers.

2D computer animation also took the distribution award.

Sebastien Laudenbach and Chiara Malta’s French-Italian 2D computer animation Chicken For Linda! won the Cristal for best feature film at Annecy International Animation Film Festival this evening.

It was one of two prizes received by the film, alongside the Gan Foundation award for distribution.

Scroll down for the list of feature film winners

Chicken For Linda! (French title: Linda veut du poulet!) follows a mother and daughter, grieving following the loss of the mother’s late husband, who go on a quest across strike-paralysed Paris in search of the key ingredient...

Chicken for Linda! a French and Italian kids feature from directors Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach, has won top prize, the Cristal award, for best film at the 2023 Annecy International Animation Film Festival.

The 2D feature follows a mother struggling to make a chicken dinner for her daughter Linda, despite the fact that she doesn’t know how to cook and has picked a day when the whole country is on strike, making it nearly impossible to find a chicken to buy. Produced by Dolce Vita Films, Chicken for Linda! also picked up Annecy’s Gan Foundation Award for distribution.

Four Souls of Coyote, a 2D feature about Indigenous creation tales, from director Áron Gauder, took the jury prize, while Japanese feature The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes, from director Tomohisa Taguchi, took the Paul Grimault Award.

Sirocco and the Kingdom of Air Streams from French director Benoît Chieux,...

Chiara Malta and Sébastien Laudenbach’s hand-painted marvel “Chicken for Linda!” took home dual honors at the Annecy Animation Festival on Saturday, scooping up the festival’s top prize, the Cristal Award for best feature, as well as the Gan Foundation award for distribution.

A bittersweet childhood tale that finds screwball humor in mourning and melancholy, the French-language film premiered to some acclaim out of Cannes’ Acid sidebar last month, and was picked up for North American distribution by Gkids while competing in Annecy.

“We wanted something both funny and affecting,” said co-director Chiara Malta. “The two elements were never in conflict, because we made the film for children, putting ourselves in their perspectives while adopting their language.”

“We wanted a [joyful mess],” added co-director Sébastien Laudenbach. “The film is sad and funny. It’s full of energy and emotion, and as a result, the graphic style is dynamic as well.”

Hungary...

Screen Rant is proud to present an exclusive clip from Shape Island, a new Apple TV+ series. Shape Island is a stop-motion kids and family series based on the internationally best-selling Shapes picture book trilogy by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen. Shape Island is set on a charming island and follows the touching and silly adventures of the serious Square, the intrepid circle, and the tricky Triangle. Each episode, the trio of friends will build their friendships, seek out fun, and hunt for answers as they learn to understand each other's differences.

Shape Island is the perfect series to show kids that friendship can come in many different shapes. The spot-motion series features the voices of talented actors Yvette Nicole Brown as the Narrator, Harvey Guillen (What We Do in the Shadows) as Square, Scott Adsit (30 Rock) as Triangle, and Gideon Adlon (Blockers) as Circle. Shape Island will premiere globally...

Based on the internationally bestselling picture books from Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, the series features the voice talents of Yvette Nicole Brown, Harvey Guillen, Scott Adsit and Gideon Adlon

Plus, all-new episodes of “Helpsters” season three premiere Friday, January 6 featuring guest stars Andrea Martin, John Oliver, Danielle Brooks, Margaret Cho, Jackie Hoffman and more

Apple TV+ today announced the all-new stop motion series for kids and families, “Shape Island,” featuring the beloved familiar voices of Yvette Nicole Brown (“Disenchanted”), Harvey Guillen (“What We Do in the Shadows”), Scott Adsit (“30 Rock”) and Gideon Adlon (“Blockers”). Based on the internationally bestselling trilogy of Shapes picture books by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, “Shape Island” premieres globally Friday, January 20 on Apple TV+.

This clever, funny and inspiring new stop-motion animated series from Apple TV+ takes place on a charming island and invites viewers to join serious Square, intrepid Circle and tricky...

Exclusive: Apple TV+ is expanding its kids and families slate with Shape Island, a new stop-motion animated series based on Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen’s internationally best-selling trilogy of Shapes picture books. Shape Island premieres globally January 20 on Apple TV+.

Featuring the voices of Yvette Nicole Brown (Disenchanted), Harvey Guillen (What We Do in the Shadows), Scott Adsit (30 Rock) and Gideon Adlon (Blockers), Shape Island takes place on a charming island. It follows serious Square, intrepid Circle, and tricky Triangle on their silly adventures as they dig up some fun, search for answers, and build on their friendship – all while learning how to navigate each other’s differences. Shape Island shows kids that friendship can take many shapes.

Shape Island is co-created by book authors Barnett and Klassen, who serve as executive producers alongside Emmy-winning Bix Pix Entertainment’s Kelli Bixler and Drew Hodges (Tumble Leaf). Ryan Pequin...

Slave Play, Sea Wall/A Life, Grand Horizons, The Inheritance and The Sound Inside will compete in the Tony Awards’ Best Play category, with Moulin Rouge!, Jagged Little Pill and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical up for Best Musical.

In the Best Revival of a Play category, Betrayal will compete with Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune and A Soldier’s Play.

See below for complete list of nominees.

The nominations for the 2020 Tony Awards are being announced virtually by actor James Monroe Iglehart. Deadline will keep you up to speed on the nominations as they happen.

Eighteen productions have been deemed eligible for Tony nominations this year, a fraction compared to last season’s 34, the slimmed-down roster due of course to Broadway’s Covid-19 pandemic shutdown.

When theaters went dark on March 12, the usual deluge of spring openings were postponed or canceled altogether. Three productions – the musicals Six,...

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) announced the winners of the 45th Annual Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Friday night. The gala was held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Southern California.

CBS' The Bold and The Beautiful and HBO's Sesame Street had seven wins apiece to lead all series.

“Tonight’s awards ceremony is a reminder of the depth and breadth of Daytime television,” said Chuck Dages, Chairman, NATAS. “It is with great pleasure that we honor those who work tirelessly to bring us the great programming available on every platform, in every genre, everyday.”

The evening’s star-studded presenters included, David Arquette, David Osmond (Wonderama), Rodrigo Blaas, Marc Guggenheim and Chad Hammes (Trollhunters), Emily Calandrelli (Xploration Outer Space), Steve Spangler, Michael Stevens (Mind Field), Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants), Vanessa Lachey, Curtis Stone, and Tiffany Derry (Top Chef Jr.), Michela Luci (Dino Dana...

CBS’ The Bold and The Beautiful and HBO’s Sesame Street had seven wins apiece tonight to lead the way at the Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. The show, which honor daytime television programming crafts and are put on by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, was held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

The news comes ahead of the 45th annual Daytime Emmy Awards on Sunday, with Mario Lopez and Sheryl Underwood as hosts of the digital telecast.

This year, ABC’s General Hospital leads all programs with 26 overall nominations including for Outstanding Drama series, where it will vie against CBS’ The Young and the Restless and NBC’s Days of Our Lives with 25 noms apiece, and Bold and the Beautiful which snagged 18 noms.

CBS again leads all networks with 66 nominations, tying all syndicated shows in the running.

Here is a full list of the Creative Arts winners:...

Drew Hodges is at a loss for words. Asked if he’s surprised at the life he’s leading -- did he imagine he’d grow up to fly around the world orchestrating scenes with great actors and artists for his own wildly influential agency -- he pauses three entire seconds. “I wish I had an answer for you,” he says. “It's like, Come for the veal, stay for the floor show.”

You might not know Drew Hodges’ name, but if you’ve enjoyed some form of popular culture in the past decade, you’re living in a world he helped create. "When I started, the idea of theater was still very much that ‘fabulous invalid’ thing," he says, “sort of dying, old, kind of nostalgic. I was lucky enough to work on a lot of stuff that started to chip away at that."

Twenty years ago, art-directing for his small design firm’s music,...

Watch the official second season trailer of the Tumble Leaf TV show on Amazon Prime. Tumble Leaf, season two, premieres on Amazon Friday, May 6, 2016. Join Fig the curious blue fox, and his best friend Stick the caterpillar, on their new nature-filled adventures, during which they discover science through play.

Created by Community's Drew Hodges who executive produces with Kelli Bixler, Tumble Leaf's voice cast includes: Christopher Downs as Fig, Brooke Wolloff as Maple, Zac McDowell as Hedge, Addie Zintel as Pine, and Alex Trugman as Ginkgo.

Read More…...

Amazon has ordered a third season of their animated kids show, Tumble Leaf. It's unclear how many episodes have been ordered this time around. The first and second seasons have had 13 episodes each. Six installments of the second season have been released so far.

Created by Drew Hodges, Tumble Leaf is a stop-motion series that features a blue fox named Fig, his caterpillar friend Stick, and other residents of the island of Tumble Leaf. Episodes focus on helping preschoolers learn basic science lessons.

The cast includes Christopher Downs, Brooke Wolloff, Jodi Downs, Landon Clay, Addie Zintel, Gary Littman, Alan Franzenburg, Emily Downs, and Steve Downs.

Amazon has also renewed drama Hand of God, drama The Man in the High Castle and dramedy Red Oaks for second seasons.

What do you think? Does anyone in your home enjoy this program?...

They’ve proven to be among the most popular kids series on Prime Instant Video, and all four of them were recently honored by the Parents’ Choice Foundation. Today Amazon announced that it has greenlit second seasons of its hit kids series: Creative Galaxy, Annedroids, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, and recent Annie Award winner Tumble Leaf.

“Tumble Leaf, Creative Galaxy, Annedroids and Gortimer have all experienced a tremendous response from our customers and we’re excited to bring them back for another season,” said Tara Sorensen, Head of Kids Programming for Amazon Studios. “Working with such remarkably talented and impactful creators in both the preschool and kids six to 11 space, it’s exciting to see where the storylines and characters will take us for another season.”

Annecy International Festival and Annie award-winning series Tumble Leaf was created by Drew Hodges (Saturday Night Live, Community) and executive produced...

A Brazilian feature wins at the animation festival for the second consecutive year; market reports record high.Scroll down for full list of winners

Brazilian director Ale Abreu’s The Boy and the World, about a child who heads to the city in search of his father, has won both the Crystal Award and Audience Award for the best feature-length film at the 38th edition of the Annecy International Animation Festival.

“The rising strength of Brazilian animation is confirmed. The Boy and The World’s double honours signal yet again the vitality of this cinematography,” said the festival’s artistic director, Marcel Jean.

It is the second year in a row that a Brazilian film has won the top prize. Last year, Luiz Bolognesi’s Rio 2096, capturing key periods in Brazil’s history though a man who lives for 600 years, clinched the Crystal for best feature.

In other awards, the [link=tt...

A vibrant blue fox, whimsical friends, exhilarating adventures and discovery await all those who explore the stop-motion world of Tumble Leaf. Amazon’s first original kids series is available today, exclusively on Amazon Prime Instant Video. Created for preschool-aged children, each episode of Tumble Leaf follows Fig, a delightfully curious blue fox, and his best friend Stick, a quirky caterpillar, as they embark on a fun and nature-filled adventure, learning science through their natural play.

Created by Drew Hodges (Saturday Night Live, Community) and Kelli Bixler (Saturday Night Live, Doh Doh Island) of award-winning studio Bix Pix, Tumble Leaf features voice work from newcomers Christopher Downs as “Fig,” Landon Clay as “Hedge,” Addie Zintel as “Pine,” Brooke Wolloff as “Maple” and Gary Littman as “Ginkgo.”

“Amazon Studios provided us with the opportunity to use our creativity to develop a series for kids that helps nurture their own creative thinking skills...

Amazon is serving kids a side of education with their daily dose of TV shows. The Seattle-based tech giant launched its first slate of children's series Thursday with shows from Emmy winner Drew Hodges, “Blue's Clues” co-creator Angela Santomero and Emmy nominee Jj Johnson. Hodges’ “Tumble Leaf” and Santomero's “Creative Galaxy” are intended for pre-school aged children while the third, Johnson's “Annedroids,” is intended for kids between the age of four and seven. Each of those shows fits into a broader curriculum, a term Amazon executives use frequently that underscores their focus on educating and entertaining at the same time.

Amazon Studios today announced the premieres of its first-ever original kids series coming exclusively on Prime Instant Video. The first six episodes of each show will debut this summer, beginning with animated series Tumble Leaf on May 23, followed by Creative Galaxy on June 27, and live-action series Annedroids on July 25. Additional episodes of the shows will follow later this year.

More on the shows:

Tumble Leaf (for preschool-aged children)

Tumble Leaf debuts May 23 and comes from Emmy Award-winning director Drew Hodges and award-winning studio Bix Pix Entertainment. The preschool aged show follows Fig the Fox and his best friend Stick as they discover adventure, friendship and love around every bend. Themes found in the show promote exploration and scientific thinking through play. The talent behind the characters includes Christopher Downs as “Fig” and “Stick,” Zak McDowell as “Hedge,” Addie Zintel as “Pine,” Brooke Wolloff as “Maple,” and Alex Trugman as “Ginkgo.

Four senators with the same address, four friends with the same Silicon Valley dream. A kid scientist with robot helpers, an alien artist taking colorful journeys, and a whimsical fox searching for adventure. Comedy pilots Alpha House and Betas, along with kids’ pilots Annebots, Creative Galaxy and Tumbleaf, have been given the greenlight to begin production on a full series of episodes that will air exclusively on Prime Instant Video later this year and in early 2014.

Amazon and LOVEFiLM customers gave feedback that Amazon Studios used to decide which comedy and kids pilots should be made into Amazon’s first original series.

“We are thrilled at the enthusiastic customer response to our first original pilots,” said Roy Price, Director of Amazon Studios. “We built Amazon Studios so that customers could help decide which stories would make the very best movies and TV shows. It’s exciting to see the process in motion,...

Fig the fox is a dreamer and inventor in a world full of surprises and adventures. And kids can join him in Tumbleaf, one of 14 Amazon original pilots now playing for free at Amazon Instant Video and LOVEFiLM. Viewer response will help determine which of these shows return with full seasons.

We asked Tumbleaf producer Kelli Bixler about the show (created by Drew Hodges and Bix Pix Entertainment), what Bixler would want every parent and child to know about Fig and his world, and their inspirations.

Describe Tumbleaf:

Tumbleaf is a world in nature, where Fig the fox lives and plays. Fig is a dreamer, a thinker, an inventor of new solutions, solutions no one else has ever thought of, not because he has a magic wand, but because he is an inventor of new solutions inspired by his unique experiences and surroundings. Fig figures things out, he earns...

AmazonStudios is taking a more unusual approach by letting viewers decide what they want to keep watching. The company has kicked off its screening process this weekend by unveiling its inaugural slate of 14 pilots — eight comedies and six kids shows, all made available for free on AmazonInstant Video, LoveFilm UK and LoveFilm Germany. Viewers are being invited to watch the pilots and Amazon is welcoming feedback from its audience. According to Deadline, the company will evaluate feedback from an online panel recruited on Amazon preview as well as traditional offline focus groups to decide if they greenlight a series or not. The highest-profile series is Zombieland, but the two that look most interesting are Alpha House, starring John Goodman with cameos by Bill Murray and Stephen Colbert; and Onion News Empire. Amazon has not yet decided how many of the shows will make the cut, nor when they will premiere.

LOVEFiLM have revealed that the service will host 11 original TV series test pilots for members to stream for free. The never-seen-before children’s and comedy content is being produced by Amazon Studios – the original film and series production arm of Amazon.com.

LOVEFiLM members in the UK and Germany will be able to watch the content and viewer response will then help determine which series Amazon Studios take into full-season production. The move follows the announcement of Amazon Studios’ first pilot production commitment last December which gave six original comedy shows the green light. It brings the total number of Amazon Studios pilots currently in production to 11.

The eleven pilots include:

Creative Galaxy – Creative Galaxy is an animated interactive art adventure series, designed to inspire kids’ creative thinking through crafts, story, music and dance. The series was created by Angela Santomero, creator of Super Why!, the Emmy-nominated literacy series, Blue...

Throughout the month of December, TV Editor Kate Kulzick and Film Editor Ricky D will review classic Christmas adaptions, posting a total of 13 each, one a day, until the 25th of December.

The catch: They will swap roles as Rick will take on reviews of classic television Christmas specials and Kate will take on classic Christmas movies. Today is day 7.

Some of the most beloved Christmas specials are claymated. From A Miser Brothers Christmas to the even more popular Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, these claymation shorts have become a staple of the Holiday season. Last season, the fine folks at It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia aired holiday special “A Very Sunny Christmas,” in which they included a brief two and a half minute homage to classic claymation Christmas specials of the past, injecting their own twisted dark humour – the kind that only the gang could deliver. Last year, Community...

Winners in the Creative Arts categories for this year's Emmy Awards were announced last night, with Boardwalk Empire leading the way.

Remember to visit TV Fanatic on the night of September 18 for a live blog of the Jane Lynch-hosted ceremony and check out the full results are below.

Outstanding guest actress in a drama series: Loretta Devine, "Grey's Anatomy"

Outstanding guest actress in a comedy series: Gwyneth Paltrow, "Glee"

Outstanding guest actor in a comedy series: Paul McCrane, "Harry's Law"

Outstanding guest actor in a comedy series: Justin Timberlake, "Saturday Night Live"

Outstanding reality series: "Deadliest Catch"

Outstanding reality host: Jeff Probst, "Survivor"

Governors Award: John Walsh, "America's Most Wanted"

Outstanding casting for a drama series: "Boardwalk Empire"

Outstanding casting for a movie or miniseries: "Mildred Pierce"

Outstanding casting for a comedy series: "Glee"

Outstanding prosthetic makeup: "The Walking Dead"

Outstanding makeup for a movie or miniseries (non-prosthetic):...

The television academy honored the behind-the-scenes artists and technicians -- along with a few on-camera stars -- at the Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday (Sept. 10). Here are the winners of the Creative Arts awards:

Outstanding guest actress in a drama series: Loretta Devine, "Grey's Anatomy"

Outstanding guest actress in a comedy series: Gwyneth Paltrow, "Glee"

Outstanding guest actor in a comedy series: Paul McCrane, "Harry's Law"

Outstanding guest actor in a comedy series: Justin Timberlake, "Saturday Night Live"

Outstanding reality series: "Deadliest Catch"

Outstanding reality host: Jeff Probst, "Survivor"

Governors Award: John Walsh, "America's Most Wanted"

Outstanding casting for a drama series: "Boardwalk Empire"

Outstanding casting for a movie or miniseries: "Mildred Pierce"

Outstanding casting for a comedy series: "Glee"

Outstanding prosthetic makeup: "The Walking Dead"

Outstanding makeup for a movie or miniseries (non-prosthetic): "The Kennedys"

Outstanding makeup for a single-camera series (non-prosthetic): "Boardwalk Empire"

Outstanding makeup for...

Nucky Thompson was the one to beat on Saturday night in Los Angeles at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony, where HBO dominated with 15 total wins — including seven for Boardwalk Empire alone.Discovery’s Deadliest Catch and History’s Gettysburg followed with four wins apiece, while Freedom Riders (PBS), Mildred Pierce (HBO), Saturday Night Live (NBC), So You Think You Can Dance (Fox) and The Kennedys (ReelzChannel) each netted three.

ReelzChannel will air the Creative Arts Emmy Awards next Saturday, Sept. 17, while the Primetime Emmy Awards proper will air Sunday, Sept. 18, on Fox.

What follows is a list of most...

North Hollywood, CA, September 7, 2011 – The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced today the juried winners for the 63rd Primetime Emmy® Awards in the category of Individual Achievement in Animation and Costumes for a Variety/Music Program or a Special. These awards will be handed out during the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Saturday, September 10th. The 2011 juried winners include: Individual Achievement in Animation Community: Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas ∙ NBC ∙ A Harmonious Claptrap production in association with 23D Films, Inc. Drew Hodges, Character Animator Disney Phineas And Ferb ∙ Wizard Of Odd ∙ Disney Channel ∙ Disney Television Animation Jill Daniels, Background Painter Disney Phineas And Ferb ∙ Wizard Of Odd ∙ Disney Channel ∙ Disney Television Animation Brian Woods, Background Design Firebreather ∙ Cartoon Network ∙ Cartoon Network Studios Peter Chung, Character Design Firebreather ∙ Cartoon Network ∙ Cartoon Network Studios Sung Chang, Character Animator Lilac Wine ∙ drmartens.com ∙ Blind, Inc. Vanessa Marzaroli, Production Design Young Justice ∙ Independence Day...