G4 to Run Mel Brooks Animated Spaceballs Series
The Mott/w Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip
G4, which is now available in 59 million cable and satellite homes
nationwide, has exclusively licensed the first run of SPACEBALLS -
THE ANIMATED SERIES for the U.S. market to premiere in fall 2007.
Mel Brooks who created the comedy classic SPACEBALLS, is teaming, via
his Brooksfilms Ltd., with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM)
Berliner Film Companie GmbH and the G4 television network, on the
animated series.
Brooks, who has created such classics as BLAZING SADDLES, YOUNG
FRANKENSTEIN and both versions of THE PRODUCERS; co-wrote the
SPACEBALLS pilot with Thomas Meehan. Meehan has co-written three film
projects with Brooks, the original SPACEBALLS film, TO BE OR NOT TO BE
and the musical version of THE PRODUCERS. He will oversee writing for
the first 13 episodes.
Brooks will also voice two of the characters in the show - President
Skroob and Yogurt.
SPACEBALLS: THE ANIMATED SERIES will take the legendary Brooks
satirical eye to spoof the biggest blockbusters of today, as well as
every genre of entertainment from movies and reality TV to culture and
politics.
Already in production, Berliner is producing 13 half-hour episodes, in
association with Brooksfilms, to debut on G4 in fall 2007.
G4, targeting the male 18-34 audience, delves into the digital
landscape, with a programming slate that incorporates all the twisted
and clever pop culture phenomena that interested guys: videogames,
technology, humor, animation, the Internet, cars, women and more.
MGM Worldwide Television Distribution Group, a unit of MGM, will
officially launch the property at the upcoming MIPCOM international
television festival in Cannes (Oct. 9-13, 2006).
Jim Packer, president of MGMWTDG said: This series has all the elements
of a great comedy show. Mel Brooks has one of the top comedy minds in
the business and the Berliner team has an impressive track record for
producing quality animation. On the heels of retooling our worldwide
television distribution group, MGM will be an active player in bringing
first-run series to the marketplace and SPACEBALLS is a good example of
the programming partnerships we can create with this vast library.
Neal Tiles, president of G4, added: As the go-to network for men 18-34,
irreverent humor is one of the benchmarks of our programming
philosophy, as is animation. Mel Brooks' classic movies YOUNG
FRANKENSTEIN and BLAZING SADDLES are just as relevant to our young male
audience today as they were when they were first released. His brand of
humor will resonate well with our viewers.
We are thrilled to be working with two legends of the entertainment
industry, Mel Brooks and MGM, on this exciting new series, said Rainer
Soehnlein of Berliner. The Brooks imagination, combined with the
creative possibilities of animation, will definitely make for something
brand new in TV comedy.
The Berliner team has produced many half-hour cartoons for television,
including DA BOOM CREW, which ran on Kids' WB! The company is wrapping
up production on the feature film, HAPPILY N'EVER AFTER, a CGI comedy
that explores what would happen if Cinderella's wicked stepmother led a
coup to take over Fairy Tale Land. Oscar-winning producer John H.
Williams (SHREK) is producing the project, with Soehnlein as exec
producer.
In the pilot episode storyline of the series will be similar to that of
the movie, which was released theatrically in 1987. The evil Dark
Helmet kidnaps Princess Vespa of the Planet Druidia. His dastardly plan
is to blackmail her father, King Roland, into giving up his planet's
air to replenish the polluted Planet Spaceball, run by the fiendish
President Skroob (Brooks). Princess Vespa's dad hires Lone Starr and
Barf to rescue the princess. After a battle with Dark Helmet, they
launch on a series of wild adventures across the Galaxy.
G4 (www.g4tv.com), the fastest growing network on television for 2006,
launched in April 2002 and is now available in 59 million cable and
satellite homes nationwide. The #1 podcasted cable network in America
and a leader in VOD, G4's programming includes breaking videogame
industry news, trends, reviews, the hottest games and gear, celebrity
interviews and insider opinions. Targeting the male 18-34 audience, G4
is the first and last word on games, sports, technology, animation,
interactivity, the Internet and broadband. The company is headquartered
in Los Angeles and is owned by Comcast Corp.
The Berliner Film Companie team has produced seven animated television
series and one CGI feature film since 2002. Working with America's
top creators, producers and directors, Berliner (www.bfc.net) has
established a unique American-style production company in the heart of
Berlin, along with an office in Los Angeles to maintain a constant
presence in the center of the U.S. entertainment industry.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. (www.mgm.com), through its operating
subsidiaries is actively engaged in the worldwide production and
distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home video,
interactive media, music and licensed merchandise. The company owns the
world's largest library of modern films, which is comprised of more
than 4,000 titles. Operating units include Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios
Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films Inc., MGM
Television Ent. Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Distribution Co., MGM
International Television Distribution Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home
Ent. Llc., MGM ON STAGE, MGM Music, MGM Consumer Products and MGM
Interactive. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in international
TV channels reaching nearly 110 countries. MGM ownership is currently
as follows: Providence Equity Partners (29%), Texas Pacific Group
(21%), Sony Corp. of America (20%), Comcast (20%), DLJ Merchant Banking
Partners (7%) and Quadrangle Group (3%).
Araxen
> http://news.awn.com/?&newsitem_no=17993
Will it have Morgan Webb in it? If not why bother watching anything on G4?
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"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care.
It's not that important. It's not our priority."
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