By Ryan Tuchow and Andrea Hernandez

WildBrain Television

Shaftesbury’s live-actioner Ruby and the Well (pictured) has been renewed by WildBrain Television for a third season (eight x 60 minutes) that’s currently filming in Toronto for a fall premiere on Family Channel. The family-skewing series centers around a tween who discovers an enchanted wishing well. 

Global distributor WildBrain has also sold seasons one and two to AMC Networks International (Spain) and YLE (Finland). Prime Video (Germany), Showmax (Africa), TVNZ (New Zealand) and MBC Mauritius (Africa) just picked up season one, and SIC (Portugal) and Radio-Canada’s streamer ICI Tou.tv EXTRA have reupped for season two. 

Serious Kids 

CG-animated special The Ghastly Ghoul—produced by Ireland’s Dream Logic and London-based Lupus Films—is going international. Distributor Serious Kids has signed a new deal with Canal+ for exclusive pay-TV and VOD rights in France, and French film distributor KMBO will release the 30-minute one-off in theaters across the country this fall. Elsewhere in Europe, Nordic broadcasters YLE (Finland), DR (Denmark) and SVT (Sweden) have also acquired the Halloween special, which premiered on Sky Kids (UK) and KiKA (Germany) in October 2022. It stars a monster who doesn’t believe in himself, but forms a friendship with a young girl struggling with her own fears. 

Kartoon Channel! 

Genius Brands International has acquired 2D-animated series Jeremy & Jazzy from Toronto-based Vérité Films’ for Kartoon Channel! Launching on the AVOD platform today, this preschool series (55 x two minutes) showcases different musical instruments and explores how emotions can turn into songs. CBC Kids commissioned and premiered Jeremy & Jazzy in September 2022, and then renewed it for a second season (28 x two minutes) in February. The GBI deal marks the series’ US debut, and it has also been picked up by Tiny Pop in the UK.

KIDZ BOP

A new audiobook series created in partnership with pop group KIDZ BOP is heading to Amazon’s Audible podcast service later this month. KIDZ BOP Never Stop: The Tour Bus Adventures features eight episodes, each of which has an original song and chronicles the performers’ more difficult moments as celebrities. Last October, KIDZ BOP launched its own SVOD platform for kids and families, and signed a distribution deal for it with Comcast. Since forming in 2001, the musical group has sold more than 23 million albums, according to a release.

Disney

Terrapin Station Entertainment and Disney are bringing their live show Disney Junior Live On Tour: Costume Palooza back to North America this September with a 60-date tour that kicks off in Pennsylvania and ends in California. Making stops in major US cities including New York and Miami along the way, the concert-style show is headlined by Disney characters such as Mickey, Minnie and friends.