Category: Entertainment

Sesame Workshop, the global impact nonprofit behind Sesame Street and more, has released new resources during Children’s Grief Awareness Month to support young children and their families who are coping with grief and loss. With philanthropic investment from the New York Life Foundation, one of the largest funders and champions in the childhood bereavement field, children and families dealing with the death of a loved one will have access to new resources that can help them cope.   As the holidays approach, the absence of loved ones can be felt even more deeply. One in twelve children in the U.S. will experience the death of a parent or sibling by the age of 18. About 5 to 10 percent of children show issues that include but are not limited to higher rates of depression and anxiety, higher rates of alcohol and substance abuse disorders, and lower levels of educational success. It is estimated that over 1 million children suffered the death of a parent, main caregiver, or grandparent due to the pandemic, with families from Black and Hispanic communities at a higher rate of COVID-19 mortality. Yet there are very limited resources to discuss this traumatic experience or event with children in ways that are developmentally appropriate and provide both understanding as well as comfort.   

PBS KIDS today announced Carl the Collector, an animated series for children ages 4-8 and its first show featuring a lead character on the autism spectrum. The new series was created by New York Times best-selling illustrator and author Zachariah OHora (“My Cousin Momo!”) and is produced by Fuzzytown Productions and Spiffy Pictures. Through its stories, the series celebrates the diverse ways kids think and express themselves, while helping them develop a strong sense of self and community. Carl the Collector is slated to premiere in Fall 2024 on PBS KIDS.

Sesame Workshop, the global impact nonprofit behind Sesame Street, announced a variety of multimedia offerings and free resources, deepening their multi-year commitment to the emotional well-being of children and their families. Focusing on emotional literacy and the connection between mind and body, new videos, articles, digital interactive game, and digital storybook share different ways children and families can take care of their feelings and overall health. “More than ever, young children need a strong foundation and support system to help them manage their big feelings and bolster their emotional well-being,” said Sherrie Westin, President, Sesame Workshop. “By addressing children’s unique needs and supporting the caring adults in their lives, we can connect minds, bodies, and hearts.”

Nickelodeon is serving up seconds with the renewal of the Annie Award-winning The Tiny Chef Show, starring culinary social media sensation Tiny Chef. Produced in association with Imagine Television and Nickelodeon Animation, season two (22 half-hour episodes) will follow Chef as he embarks on all-new herbivorous adventures and cooks up a fresh assortment of plant-based recipes and bite-sized meals in his tree-stump home. From preparing tea for the Queen Bee, trying his hand at magic and facing his ultimate fear of chopping onions, Chef’s kitchen is the place to be. The new season will commence with two brand-new holiday-themed specials: “Fwendsgiving,” premiering Monday, Nov. 20 at 11:30 a.m. (ET/PT); and “Tiny Chef’s Marvelous Mish Mesh Special,” on Monday, Dec. 4 at 11:30 a.m. (ET/PT).

Nelvana, a world-leading international producer, distributor and licensor of children’s animated and live action content, and Toikido, a London based entertainment company at the cutting edge of digital design and toys, unleash six new Piñata Smashlings shorts on Nelvana’s ‘Keep it Weird’ YouTube channel which are featured on YouTube Kids home page. Produced by Nelvana, and based on the popular Roblox game, the original shorts immerse kids into the enchanting Piñataverse world ahead of the highly anticipated series in development that was announced earlier this year.

Award-winning animation company Omens Studios has secured new international sales for its award-winning 3D animated adventure series Leo the Wildlife Ranger. Additionally, the company is expanding its popular gaming app for the property, with the launch of new modules. AMC International Networks has acquired season one of Leo the Wildlife Ranger for the Middle East and Africa, and season two will be available across Europe (including Poland). Further new deals for the series include: TRT taking season one and two in Turkey, FairFax County Schools Districts taking season two for the US, alongside Common Sense Media renewing its existing deal for season one.

Nelvana, a world-leading international producer, distributor and licensor of children’s animated and live action content, has secured multiple global distribution deals for the 3D animated preschool series Builder Brothers Dream Factory (40x11min), including with ITV for the new streaming platform ITVX in the UK. Co-produced by Sinking Ship Entertainment and Scott Brothers Entertainment, the recent slate of sales for the series reaffirms Nelvana’s position as a world leader in distribution and entertainment.