Disney Junior acing frosh year

When preschool-specific "Mike and also the Never Land Pirates" opened in Feb included in the Disney Channel's recently renamed Disney Junior programming block, the network had just one enter in the very best 10 because of its demo: the seventh-rated "Donald Duck Clubhouse." But overnight, the network's fortunes transformed.The very first evening of Jake's tanglings with Capt. Hook and Smee set rankings records for that funnel among total audiences, kids 2-5 and boys 2-5. It shown that that which was when the Playhouse Disney block really did offer different things because the new Disney Junior, further improving intends to launch like a 24-hour funnel in 99 million U.S. homes in Feb 2012."The one thing that grew to become so obvious to most of us was that storytelling with heart is simply a part of Disney's DNA," states Disney Junior Worldwide senior veep of original programming and gm Nancy Kanter."How can you start to promote an appreciation of learning, of creativity, of problem fixing? You're doing so through character and you're doing so through story, and that is really what we have understood to be our brand that's distinct from a few of the other brands," states Kanter, who had been marketed to supervise the channel's worldwide procedures in Feb.Disney Junior has already been observed in 136 nations and areas all over the world and will come in 21 languages, but Kanter states she and her team performance tough to entertain while making certain parents across many areas can immediately recognize the worthiness in the programming.Nation to nation, you will find small versions," she states. "You will find some areas in which the academic learning abilities are a bit more important compared to emotional or social abilities."Consistent with Disney's corporate concentrate on utilizing technology, Disney Junior is teaching on the multiplatform basis, through radio, TV as well as an extensive website with interactive games in line with the programming. Kanter states that "social networking moms" help shows find a crowd much faster than possible even 5 years ago."It's not only the moms on the block or around the playground -- they are speaking to moms across the nation,Inch she states, pointing towards the rapid social networking boost that "Mike" received.When Disney Junior launches like a 24-hour funnel within the U . s . States, the programming is a mixture of live-action, animation and films, but Kanter states the actual challenge come in dayparting the schedule. The 24-hour schedule allows her to test out programming gentler shows within the 5 to 9 p.m. time-frame that wouldn't happen to be appropriate inside a block on Disney Funnel."At the begining of morning, early mid-day, you are searching for implies that are extremely energetic and obtain your children up and moving," she states. "Clearly, toward the finish during the day, you are searching to target your product. Forget about jumping around the couch."Kanter continues to be using the network since 2001, but her previous experience of children's programming includes stints being an executive producer for Sesame Workshop -- where she created the Emmy-winning special, "Elmo Saves Christmas" -- so that as leader from the children's entertainment website Bluecow.com. Until "Mike" required kids by storm, Kanter's former pint-sized hits incorporated "Donald Duck Clubhouse," "Handy Manny" and "Little Einsteins."While she's searching toward starting a number of shows for young children the coming year, she states one lesson learned from "Mike" will stay with her. The episodes that test the very best are the type by which Mike does something nice for mean old Capt. Hook, which Kanter states implies that the crowd is hearing a note of empathy.They are not out for revenge a treadmill-upsmanship. They simply want everybody to become happy," she states having a laugh.VARIETY JUNIOR Blasts from past energy int'l kids sales Books and toys aren't fail-safe TV fodder Kids animation making bigger worldwide play Characters in transition Pop go the platforms Disney Junior acing frosh year DQE grabs chance in Indian animation biz Shingle dabbles in 'Baby' babble Argentina teen fare evolves in publish-Cris Morena era Contact Christy Grosz at

'Machine Gun Preacher' Makes Its Explosive Title, Stars Say

Once we could tell in the trailer, Marc Forster's "Machine Gun Preacher" is not among individuals overwrought, melodramatic, "with different true story," feel great films. Based on stars Gerard Butler and Michelle Monaghan, what sets it aside from those is always that it's about a problematic hero who finds his true calling via a violent, intense, and inspiring journey. "This is not a tale you hear each day,Inch Monaghan told MTV news. "Hes kind of quite the hero but a problematic hero, and thats just what the title entails. While you browse the story you understand your way this guy continues to be on." "Things I found fascinating is this fact guy really switched his existence around which one individual can really make a difference," she ongoing. "You hear so frequently, 'What difference is one able to person make?', or that [philanthropic work] is if you have been good within their existence and hes not. He s been in this journey and it is a genuine example to everybody." Regarding exactly what the title from the film states concerning the story, Butler stated it's explosive, however in a number of ways. "I believe its certainly a method to attract somebodys attention," he stated. "The storyline has everything explosiveness because there's lots of action inside, hes resided an extremely adventurous and exciting existence, but theres a lot much more towards the story, the relations from a couple, what toll does that take together with his family because he fails them, his journey in Africa, journey against their own personal devils. Theres a lot inside that It makes the title, 'Machine Gun Preacher.'" Exactly what do you think about the actual existence story? Inform us within the comments or on Twitter!

First official image for Tim Burton's Dark Shadows

The very first official image from Tim Burton's giant screen update of Dark Shadows has made an appearance online."I recall visiting a group photograph from the cast from the original series. For me personally it taken the strange Dark Shadows vibe in one image," Burton told Entertainment Week."I'd a short strategic window to possess our cast present simultaneously, yesterday principle photography started. We made the decision to stage an identical picture rather than practicing, to ascertain if we taken the Dark Shadows feeling."The little-screen Television show switched large-budget film sees Johhny Depp take part in the lead as vampire Barnabas Collins."I actually do remember, very strongly, practically sprints home from soccer practice within the mid-day to determine Jonathan Frid play Barnabas Collins. Even so, at this age, I understood - this has to be strange," Depp takes note of.From left to right they're: Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter) Carolyn Stoddard (Chloë Moretz) Angelique Bouchard (Avoi Eco-friendly) David Collins (Gulliver McGrath) Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote) Barnabas Collins (Depp) Mrs. Manley (Ray Shirley) Willie Loomis (Jackie Earle Haley) Roger Collins (Jonny Lee Burns) Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer).

Here's Your Chance to Own a Pair of Dorothy's Ruby Slippers

Good news and bad news, Oz fans. The good: This December, Profiles in History will be selling a pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz as part of their “Icons of Hollywood” auction. This particular pair boasts leather soles that were painted red for the film and an inside lining that reads “#7 Judy Garland.” Additionally, the pair being sold is the actual set of shoes shown at the end of the film when Dorothy clicks her heels. The not so good news, for those on a budget: Dorothy’s ruby slippers are estimated to sell for between $2 million and $3 million. Good luck, bidders! [EW]

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A Gifted Man

Filmed in NY by CBS Television Studios. Executive producers, Neal Baer, Carl Beverly, Sarah Timberman, Susannah Grant; director, Jonathan Demme; writer, Grant.Michael Holt - Patrick Wilson Anna Paul - Jennifer Ehle Rita Perkins-Hall - Margo Martindale Anton - Pablo Schreiber If you slice it down to its bones (an appropriate analogy for a medical program), "A Gifted Man" owes a debt to "A Christmas Carol": The series features Patrick Wilson as the self-absorbed neurosurgeon who experiences a belated spiritual epiphany, unlocking do-gooder impulses that transform him from talented bastard into something closer to Dr. Kildare. The semi-religious component (embodied here by the ghost of doctor's past) will likely play well with CBS' heartland audience, but the longterm prognosis hangs on whether the series can find a pulse beyond just older viewers in an up-for-grabs Friday timeslot. Wilson's Dr. Michael Holt is arrogant and brilliant before a surprise visit from his ex-wife Anna (Tony winner Jennifer Ehle). Yet that chance encounter takes on a different hew when he discovers she died prior to their meeting (why he didn't hear about this earlier is a mystery best left ignored), leading him to offer his services to an overwhelmed clinic his ex had championed. Suddenly, Holt is exhibiting a more humane streak and performing pro bono surgeries -- a change that isn't lost on those around him, including his sister (Julie Benz) and office manager (Margo Martindale, built for better stuff than the pilot presents). Sis even enlists a spiritual guide ("The Wire's" Pablo Schreiber) to see if there's a way to exorcise Anna's gh-gh-ghost. Developed by Susannah Grant and run by Neal Baer (a medical doctor who worked on "ER" before "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"), "A Gifted Man" is certainly earnest, in a "Marcus Welby, M.D." kind of way. Post-sale tinkering also improved the pilot, with Anna becoming Holt's conscience in a way that better explains her presence, while extracting some humor from their only-he-sees-her encounters. Beyond establishing the premise, the opener features three medical plots -- one about a tennis prodigy, another devoted to a difficult patient (Bill Irwin) and finally Michael's grudging efforts to help an ailing kid. It's manipulative, but fairly effective. Granted, there's been no shortage of medical shows built around wish-fulfillment fantasies of doctors who genuinely care, with nary a mention of insurance forms or HMOs. It's just that medicine has grown more complicated and even politically thorny. Presumably, the series' beating heart lies between two comforting notions -- the existence of a larger spiritual world and the good a committed physician can accomplish here on Earth once touched by an angel or infused with the milk of human kindness. Whether there's enough material to sustain a series stemming from Michael's pivot toward greater generosity of spirit thanks to Anna's gentle prodding remains unclear. CBS' ratings expectations can't be unreasonably high, and Wilson feels like a star who many CBS viewers will think of not just as gifted but as "that nice-looking young man." Even so, those with a stake in "A Gifted Man's" fate ought to practice the same regimen many follow as they go under the knife: Put trust in the surgeon, yes, but also pray for help from a higher power.Camera, Tom Weston; production designer, John Kasarda; editors, Mark Manos, Michael Schweitzer, Nancy Forner; casting, Bernard Telsey, Risa Bramon Garcia. 60 MIN.With: Julie Benz, Bill Irwin. Contact Brian Lowry at brian.lowry@variety.com

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Virtuos buys Sparx

BEIJING -- Shanghai-based vidgame company Virtuos has bought the assets and core team of VFX and animation company Sparx, and intends to reopen the business's Vietnam studio. The offer enables Virtuos to help expand the help agreed to clients within the movie industry, it stated inside a statement. Virtuos provides digital entertainment production services and it has tried movies since 2008, creating high-quality three dimensional models for films including the 2010 "Rango." Sparx may be the three dimensional animation and VFX shingle behind movies like the 2008 feature "Igor," starring John Cusack and Steve Buscemi. Virtuos Boss Gilles Langourieux stated getting together Virtuos' art production infrastructure with Sparx knowledge of film-quality animation, cinematics and VFX allows the organization to provide a more fully integrated solution. Our roots in HD game production have given us the talents to produce very high-quality assets, including digital doubles, for that movie industry," stated Langourieux. The teams in Shanghai and Vietnam have previously begun cooperating on new projects. After getting into new facilities in November, Sparx Vietnam is going to be broadened to its original size in excess of 100 staff in 2012. Sparx utilizes a lot more than 100 animation professionals in Saigon and Shanghai, and aims to use a lot more than 200 through the finish of 2012. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com

Letter from Toronto: Friends with Kids Falters in the End, But Does Right By Adam Scott

Jennifer Westfeldt’s sort-of romantic comedy Friends with Kids is on to something, even if in the end it suffers from a failure of nerve. This is actor and screenwriter Westfeldt’s directorial debut (she co-wrote and starred in the 2001 feature Kissing Jessica Stein), and it’s polished to the point of shallow glossiness — it could benefit from being a little rougher, a little messier. But the picture at least attempts to wrestle with the notion that there’s no single right way to raise a family or navigate a partnership. And it acknowledges, if only fleetingly, the way very well-meaning people who are parents can often be incredibly smug toward those who aren’t, insinuating that their own lives are somehow more meaningful because they have kids who run them ragged. At one point Westfeldt and Adam Scott, who play best friends Julie and Jason, ponder how much their friends changed after they had kids. “I don’t know these people anymore,” Jason says, bewildered after he’s just attended a dinner party where frazzled, distracted parents did nothing but snap at one another and at their children, completely unable to enjoy themselves or one another. “These people are mean and angry.” The tide shifts when Jason and Julie decide to have a child together without becoming romantically involved. They’ve been close friends for years, and they live in the same apartment building — why not? The experiment goes surprisingly well, and the two end up with a pretty good kid who really does seem to be enriching their lives. In one of the movie’s most gratifying sequences, their traditionally coupled friends, played by a Bridesmaids reunion cast including Maya Rudolph, Chris O’Dowd, Kristen Wiig and Jon Hamm (Westfeldt’s partner in real life), speculate about how out-of-control the new parents’ lives must be, only to find that Jason and Julie’s unorthodox arrangement is extremely efficient and agreeable. But Friends with Kids ends up turning on itself, becoming a more conventional comedy than it sets out to be. In the end, Jason and Julie do end up fitting themselves into a mold, although at least the transition doesn’t come easy. Westfeldt’s Julie is too adorable by half: She’s a cutie-pie neurotic, and the appeal wears thin quickly. But as writer and director, Westfeldt has at least done right by Adam Scott, a fine comic actor who, until now, has been relegated to second-banana roles. A highly unscientific poll conducted here and there among my women friends, straight and gay, has revealed that all women love Adam Scott. I have not been able to determine the source of his charm, but it appears that in addition to being good-looking (but not too good-looking), he tends to come off as the kind of guy who has flaws you could live with: He’s a little smart-alecky but also smart and funny; he might leave his underwear on the floor, but he remembers to hang up his towel; and so forth. As I said, it’s all unscientific. Friends with Kids proves that Scott can carry a movie: His comic timing is crisp and on-point, but he’s also capable of playing it straight when he needs to. He’s marvelous in one revelatory scene where he enumerates Julie’s best qualities, and as written, it’s the sort of dialogue that could head right into pukefest territory, fast. Scott gives Friends with Kids some necessary edge, and though the picture overall could still be much sharper, from scene to scene, he’s key to its integrity. No wonder his Jason is superdad material.

No, Megan Fox Has Not Seen Transformers 3

If you’ve been wondering whether Megan Fox, the Transformers bombshell who dared to compare director Michael Bay to Hitler, has seen Dark of the Moon after being replaced by pouty pin-up Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, the answer is no. “I haven’t seen it yet, but I will see it,” Fox told Moviefone. “I mean, if they hadn’t been hitting me so hard on the press tour, I would have gone to the theater. […] I love Shia to death; I love him unconditionally. And I love that crew. […] I want to see it for them. I know it looked amazing in the trailer.” [Moviefone]

'Warrior' Director Gavin O'Connor On Film's Ending: 'The Goal Was To Really Make It Surprising'

Despite the fact that it did not dominate this area office over the past weekend, "Warrior" continues to be a movie worth speaking about. Additionally towards the five good reasons to view it which i pointed out a week ago, the film is surprising in most the best ways, one of these being the climactic fight and it is outcome. Without starting spoiler territory, when MTV News swept up with director and co-author Gavin O'Connor, we requested him how he worked out crafting the ending and determining the fates of these two primary figures (performed by Tom Sturdy and Joel Edgerton) - each of which team you are rooting for to win. "Well and not mention who what, one brother must win to win, another brother must lose to win," O'Connor described. "One brother must die and become reborn, one brother must surrender. The thing was to really make it surprising, yet whenever you consider it, inevitable." O'Connor also spoken about how exactly the film is all about a lot more than fighting and MMA. "The expectations of the movie are, 'Oh, it's mma I'd rather not view it,A because in writing [it might appear like one factor], there is however a genuine artistry towards the sport," O'Connor described. "There's an athleticism towards the sport that's in the greatest level, and there's a spirituality towards the sport which i hope I taken because I recognized it, I felt it. ... In ways, the film isn't a fighting movie. It isn't a MMA movie but for your area of the film, for me personally, it is a love letter to individuals men and also the sport." What have you think about "Warrior?" Inform us within the comments or on Twitter!

TV Ratings: Packers-Saints Season Opener Scores for NBC

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images Thursday marked the beginning of the official NFL football season, and it proved to be a winner for NBC in the ratings. The matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints was the second-highest rated regular season primetime game in 13 years and was the second-highest rated season opener to date. For NBC, the Packers victory ranked as the second highest telecast for the network. The game delivered a 17.2 overnight rating, the highest on any network since the Denver Broncos-Miami Dolphins matchup on Dec. 21, 1998, which drew a 17.4. The Packers-Saints game peaked right before halftime with an 18.8. CBS' Big Brother (6.5 million total viewers, 2.4) dipped 4 percent, with the network placing second in the ad-coveted demo (1.7) after NBC. CBS aired a fall preview (5.8 million, 1.6) following a Big Bang Theory repeat, that improved 14 percent from last year's telecast. ABC's two-hour season finale of Rookie Blue (4.9 million, 1.1) rose 9 percent from last week, with the network snagging the third spot in the demo with a 1.2 average. TV Ratings

Adam Pascal to Join Broadway's 'Memphis'

NEW YORK (AP) A former star of "Rent" is moving into "Memphis."Producers of the rhythm 'n' blues musical said Tuesday that Adam Pascal will take over the role of Huey Calhoun from Chad Kimball on Oct. 25.Pascal is perhaps most known for originating the role of Roger in "Rent." His other theater credits include "Aida" and "Cabaret" on Broadway. He also starred in the film "School of Rock" with Jack Black."Memphis," a tale of segregation and integration set in the American South in the 1950s, won four Tony Awards in 2010, including best musical.Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "Memphis" PHOTO CREDIT Joan Marcus NEW YORK (AP) A former star of "Rent" is moving into "Memphis."Producers of the rhythm 'n' blues musical said Tuesday that Adam Pascal will take over the role of Huey Calhoun from Chad Kimball on Oct. 25.Pascal is perhaps most known for originating the role of Roger in "Rent." His other theater credits include "Aida" and "Cabaret" on Broadway. He also starred in the film "School of Rock" with Jack Black."Memphis," a tale of segregation and integration set in the American South in the 1950s, won four Tony Awards in 2010, including best musical.Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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