Aardman develops a new live show with Carrot Productions

Celebrating the renowned animation studio’s 50th anniversary this year, Aardman in Concert is launching in May as a tribute show to all of its iconic brands and characters. The first half of the performance will feature a montage of the best moments of Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Morph and Creature Comforts, with act two alternating between full screenings of either The Wrong Trousers or A Matter of Loaf and Death, accompanied by a live orchestra. 

Bluey is getting a fourth album

BBC Studios’ record label Demon Music Group has teamed up with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra to create 17 instrumental versions of songs from the animated preschool series. Some of the tracks included in the brand’s fourth album Bluey: Up Here include “Sleepytime”, “Flat Pack” and “Mount Mumandad”. 

Pokémon is making a Super Bowl appearance

The Pokémon Company International has purchased an ad spot during Super Bowl LX to kick off its year-long 30th-anniversary campaign. A new teaser released on YouTube shows JigglyPuff preparing her vocal cords for a performance that will highlight all aspects of the brand, from its anime series, to its booming trading card game and video game titles. Last year’s Super Bowl game drew a record 127.7 million viewers, according to the NFL. 

Monster Entertainment picks up JAM Media’s catalogue

The Irish distributor has acquired international sales rights to JAM’s portfolio of animated kids shows, including Becca’s Bunch, The Roy Files, Tilly and Friends and Zig and Zag. The deal excludes JAM’s growing preschool brand BeddyByes, for which Thunderbird Entertainment serves as global distributor and licensing agent. 

The Wizard of Oz is coming back to broadcast TV 

In a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, MeTV has snapped up exclusive US broadcast rights to the 1939 feature film, which last aired there in 1998. The Chicago-based network will stage the return of Oz in October during a month-long Halloween BOO-Nanza primetime block of iconic family, sci-fi and horror films. 

KT Kids picks up a Peppa Pig license

The Indian pediatrics brand has secured a license from Hasbro to design a range of Peppa-branded shampoos, conditioners, bodywashes and lotions for preschoolers that will launch regionally on February 15.